Posted on May 29th, 2023
Check out the new Van Staal spinning reel available at Atlantic Tackle!
Happy Memorial Day!!
Today may have been a dreary, kind of crappy Memorial Day, but the wind laid down just long enough for some boats to get to the tuna grounds and for the ocean party boat fleet to get to the sea bass.
I had a feeling today was going to be a good fishing report day when I got a text from Captain Austin Ensor of the Primary Search that read, “Heading home, box full.” Austin’s next couple of texts showed pictures of some stud bigeye tuna and full fish bags on the deck saying that they would be back to Sunset Marina by 11:15. Primary Search got jumped one time by 9 bigeye tuna, the crew landed 7 of the fish and then they filled the fish holds and headed home in time for lunch. The action took place in the Baltimore Canyon.
My next tuna text came in at just after 1 pm from Todd Willard of the Fish ON. Todd was texting that Captain Andrew Dotterweich had put them on 18 yellowfin tuna and they were heading in the inlet. Another awesome tuna bite and another boat back to the dock early.
Captain Chris Little of Talkin’ Trash found the yellowfin tuna today as well and put his crew on 11 very nice fish.
Captain Bobby Layton of the Wrecker out of the Ocean City Fishing Center had a great day with the yellowfin today too putting 9 fish in the fish box.
The ocean party boat fleet was able to sneak out to get on some sea bass today after a week of cancellations due to the northeast blow. Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a good day of fishing with plenty of fish in the box after weeding through the shorts.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star was happy to get out today after the wind and reported a decent day of sea bass fishing for his crew.
Didn’t seem likely.
Been cancelling trip after trip of late. Unrelenting easterlies have me cancelling into the near future too. Today appeared our only chance of putting a fish fry on the table. Sea conditions were about shocking. I’d expected we’d pay dearly in lost comfort that we might make a catch. With winds not quite in the teens, wave heights weren’t bad at all until the ride home. Even then whitecaps were but a nuisance. Seas were just coming sloppy as we approached sea buoy in NE @ 20knots.. Our first stop Vinny from Pasadena MD dropped our reef blocks at Peter Kangas’ Memorial Reef – we kept going. Lots of that today – the ‘kept going’ part. Anchor. Drift. Anchor. Drift.. Nine spots later I had to throw in the towel. We’d left half an hour early, got back in an hour and a half late & just did scratch up a fish fry. With excellent anglers aboard, high hook had but eight with Jake taking the pool.Plenty plump – they’ll cook up tasty. Hope fishing improves after this long stretch of easterlies leaves us though. Back to reef building for my guys. Likely send up a call for volunteers soon too. Danny’s found a steel trawler we can afford to purchase, clean, tow and sink. Soon we’ll build up enough pyramids for the Tiki XIV to take a load out for us too. With a landing craft, a tug and barge, possibly 3 more barges and another barge traded for the ‘Freedom’, it’s going to be a busy summer. Perhaps we’ll have some fine nearshore tuna fishing soon with so much water being pushed west.. One thing’s for sure, we won’t get these weeks of high season back. More beans, & less pork this summer. Good thing Courtney & I enjoy fresh fish..Cheers!
Chris Pino of Hook Optics Sunglasses was fishing with his brother Captain Anthony Pino when he caught this nice speckled trout behind Assateague on a popping cork.
Reece Schindler was throwing a crank bait at the south jetty with Rich Daiker when he hooked into this bluefish that was estimated at around 11 pounds.
Captain Marc Spagnola of Dusk to Dawn Bowfishing is burning the candle at both ends again now that the season has started full swing. Day and night trips are producing some awesome shooting for southern and cow nosed rays.
