Ocean City Maryland & Assateague Island - Delaware Beaches - Ocean n Bay Fishing Report
By Sue Foster, Oyster Bay Tackle Shop, Ocean City MD - Fenwick Island DE

Dec 21st, 2009

Fishing Report by Sue Foster

Water Temperature (WTMP): 49.5 °F

Early in the week, we had some reports. THEN, the winter weather set in!

Shop for Xmas! Priority Mail only takes 2 to 3 days on the East Coast so
there's still time! And we get our orders out pretty darn fast!
Shop Online

T-shirts for
Xmas! 2009 White Marlin T's! Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve. Still have a
few Shark and Tuna Tournie T's left on sale! ... and plenty Calcutta Shirts
and CrewNeck Sweats, Oyster Bay Shirts & Oyster Bay Tackle Hoodies....Gift
Cards and Gift Certicates. Call 410-524-3433 between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. if
you want to order over the phone.

(Oyster Bay hours- 9 A.M.-2 P.M. during the week and Saturday, weather
permitting.

We had a few fish reports from Assateague.

"Jdevine" posted on the 15th: ".....at 4:45ish walking a rod back to the
spike my other went down hard. My wife was next to it and grabbed the rod
and the hook was set. A great fight, over a newly formed sandbar and back in
deeper water. Pulling drag and breached the surface. Finally came up on the
sand was a 30 1/2 inch striper!!!! Made the weekend! 2 keepers in a year for
me is a fantastic year as I can't get to the beach like I used to. Dinner
was fantastic.
(He caught 3 sharks the day before.)

"Coop" posted on Stripers Online on 12/16: "Trifecta from the beach
today...hake, skate, and doggie...semi dirty water."


Want to surf fish Assateague with a guide? Or simply go down to the island
for a BBQ on the sand?
Delmarva Beach Adventures will take you to Assateague Island to surf
fish or just relax. 443-944-3468.

Some fish were also caught on the Delaware State Park Beach early last week.

Fishinzak posted on Cafe Locale on the 15th: "Went to the surf here on
12/13/09 and it was miserable. Did have one hook up and lost it in the rough
seas. Got a call from a freind yesterday aroung 2:00 to tell me that the
bite was on. Got down there around 4:00 to find out he was correct. First
cast landed a 40"er (striper) and rebaited. 10 min. later landed another at
25". Rebaited again and 10min. later pole goes down again and starts to run
drag. Unfortunatly this one got away after a few min. of fighting. It felt
larger than the first. Then the sun went down and the sharks moved in. We
did not want to spend alot of bait on them so we packed it in. I think wit
the dropping temps, the fish are just starting to bite off the beach. Go
get'em.

Libby Kelly of Oyster Bay Tackle got a phone call that same day. "Mr Jim
Thompson called to tell us that he just caught a 37 inch Striper off the
Beaches in Delaware using a circle hook with Bunker chunks. A lot of
Dogfish Sharks out there as well."

"Cobraone" posted on Cafe Locale on the 15th: "Went to 3-rs on
tuesday,12-15. from 7 am till 11 am. caught 3 doggies,1 skate, and a 20 and
a half inch flounder."

Others posted that they had the big skunk. It's winter, and it's very "hit
or miss."

Need a class on surf fishing? Old Inlet has group lessons. (302-227-7974)...
in season...


Many anglers ask about reading the beach when surf fishing. "Poppy" a very
good angler has posted another very good description with pictures on
Stripers Online. Check it out:
Reading the Beach He draws it out completely! If you're not catching
fish in the surf, you need to study this!



Bluefish bite on finger mullet and mullet
rigs or simply chunks of finger mullet or box squid on surf rigs.
Stripers bite chunks of mullet or bunker. Sharks take any kind of cut bait
or squid. Lures also work.


Some striper fishing is still happening on the Route 50 Bridge. Anglers
have been working Gotcha
Plugs, Swimming Shad lures, and lead heads with soft bodies attached.
Five and Six Inch bodies seem to be the ticket. Anglers are also using live
eels.

Michael Wankmiller e-mailed in his report from the 14th: "I am always going
to your weekly fishing report for the updates! I am a summer local and
always come back down for the fishing in the off season..... Just wanted to
give you an update of my own! Went up on the rt.50 bridge Monday night to
sea what was happening? You said they have been working for a few keepers up
there! Well wasn't there 15 minutes.... had a great hit and wound up w/ a
nice 31"! Caught her on a storm lure..... Few minutes later had another
great hit, but unfortunately lost her before I could get the net down(maybe
a little bigger)... fished an hour or so more caught two shorts around 24
inches... What a great night!!!!!!! " His picture is in our Photo Gallery
under
Inshore Pictures.



Anglers fishing the Inlets in boats are still picking up some stripers. They
are working for them, but they are there. Offshore fishing for stripers.
Stay within the 3-mile limit! Boaters follow the birds diving up and down
the coast. They jig, troll, or cast. Bucktails, Mann's Stretch Lures,
Swimming Shad Lures, Diamond Jigs.... It all works!


night with me."


Anglers now need a DE Fishing License to fish, crab, and clam in DEL: The
state has published a very good
FAQ on the license requirement.


Individual Delaware Fishing Licenses are now available
online.


This year, Delaware anglers will also need a F.I.N. number, similar to a
hunting H.I.P. number. It is free, very simple to get, but necessary. DNREC
has e-mailed us how to get it!

To obtain a F.I.N. number or for more
information, anglers may visit www.delaware-fin.com, or call 800-432-9228,
any time of day, any day of the week. Those needing live operator assistance
may call 866-447-4626 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EST). "

Anglers are responsible for calling and getting this FIN number. (You do
have to update your FIN number every year. In 2010 you need to go online and
apply again. It only takes a couple minutes. Simple, easy.... )


(Maryland will have a similar FIN number in the year 2010. It will be free.
Registration is quick and easy. Beginning January 1, 2010 anglers will need
to log on to www.countmyfish.noaa.gov and click on the Angler Registry link,
or call the toll-free registration line at
1-888-MRIP411 (1-888-674-4411).

Anglers will need to provide the following:
Name
Date of Birth
Address
Telephone Number
After completing the registration you will receive a registration number
that will allow you to begin fishing immediately. After approximately 30
days, you will receive a registration card in the mail.

The Angler Registry is an important tool that will help fishermen and policy
makers work together to better account for the contributions and impacts of
saltwater anglers on ocean ecosystems and coastal economies. It is part of
a national overhaul of the way NOAA collects and reports recreational
fishing data. The goal of the initiative - known as the Marine Recreational
Information Program, or MRIP - is to provide the most accurate information
possible that can be used to determine the health of fish stocks. Reliable,
universally trusted data will in turn aid anglers, fisheries managers and
other stakeholders in their combined efforts to effectively and fairly set
the rules that will ensure the long-term sustainability of recreational
fishing.

For more information visit www.countmyfish.noaa.gov or call the MSSA office
at 410-255-5535


Oyster bay tackle
11615 Coastal Highway
Ocean City, Md
410-391-0222
http://www.oysterbaytackle.com/