Opening Day of Black Sea Bass 2025

By Scott Lenox

Posted on May 15th, 2025

We had some HEAVY rain roll through the area this afternoon that had folks seeking cover, but the wind wasn’t too bad and anglers were able to get out and do a little fishing. Opening day of black sea bass didn’t start with boat limits all around the area, but there was some good fishing with some nice fish in the mix.

Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a slower than expected start to the season, but he did put some decent fish in coolers and also had five keeper flounder end up in the net.

Captain Tony Battista of Saltwater Adventures had a great trip today with five keeper flounder for the fish cleaner at Bahia Marina.

Captain Dave Caffrey of On the Run Charters had a nice day today in the OC Inlet putting his anglers on three keeper sized tautog and five keeper sized flounder.

Mike Kazmeirczak caught several sea bass today including a nice 17.5”, 2.7 pounder on the Deadly Tackle White Squidly.

Wes Pollitt called me this morning to invite me to go fishing in the suds of the Assateague surf…..I couldn’t make it…..and then proceeded to catch five nice black drum in less than two hours.

Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had a decent first day of sea bassing today with a couple of limits around the rail and plenty of fish for everyone else.

Ahhhhhh… Back at sea! (& writing.. a lot!)

Opening day of sea bass – May 15th, 2025..

A not-quite tight fog was an unwelcome development; so too an ocean swell fighting against an ebb tide making for a right sporty inlet. Derned if I didn’t have start doing captain stuff as soon as we cleared the marina.

Once outside the inlet’s slop we found an east-south-easterly heave and intermittent tight fog all the way to Capt. Bobby’s Reef some 9 nautical miles off the coast. Once there Gary & Chuck deployed a 16 block unit which landed between a barge and a tug as intended.

I’ve used block units several times to fill a gap between pieces of reef. Here a barge sunk nearly 10 years ago had struck bottom a tad offshore its intended deployment location. Just a couple years ago a tug was sunk that lays not 60ft from the barge to the west. Coming together via blocks, the two reefs will become one contiguous reef before summer is over. There’s quite a bit more reef to the tug’s west as well. Capt. Bob Gowar’s Memorial Reef is really taking shape.

Working our way offshore from the block drop we encountered more fog – sometimes patchy and also quite dense at times. Swells, however, moderated as our depth increased.

By 11 it had become a beautiful day.

Saw an early loggerhead turtle. Seems as though they’re usually showing in early June.

We caught well. Wasn’t easy. By staying late I had half my (fishing) clients limited. (Some of today’s anglers, sadly, thought their inner ear impervious to the ocean’s motion and never made a drop all day.. Meclazine is such cheap insurance. Sue Foster of Oyster Bay Tackle, a fishing machine if ever there was and beautiful too; she couldn’t have weighed 110lbs soaking wet. She’d routinely bring men close to tears with her angling skills. Sue would take two bonine before leaving the dock – and then two more if it was rough! “Oh, it will make me sleepy” thinking is quickly cast aside by anyone who knows what it’s like to find their upper digestive tract in full reverse all day..

Wasn’t a great bite but we stayed at it. Bernie, usually high man to start and remains there, found himself trailing the pack early. I thought the day entirely upside down with my gal Shelly ahead of Bernie, yet after a midday move he was soon in double digits and first to limit at 12:05. Six more anglers would follow including Jigmaster Tom (currently out of commission for jigging owing shoulder worries) – Curtis – Warren – Gary & Kevin