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 7th, 2009

Fishing Report by Sue Foster

Water Temperature (WTMP): 54.1 °F

Big blues hit early in the week, then of course, the weather set in us once
again. Some nice stripers were caught off the Route 50 Bridge and also
offshore. Fish are there! All we need is weather! (And a warm coat!)

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Surf was up early in the week. Some anglers caught fish and others got
skunked. Just had to be in the right place at the right time!

"Poppy" posted on Stripers Online on 12/2. He didn't say what beach he was
fishing, but it sure was a good one! : "I have not fished much of late
and of the times I did it was slow.couple of smaller fish. But figured I
better get a trip in before the next storm.Weather last night was really
nice-little wind (westerly) and clear skies to start out.water sitting at
about 53 degrees.beach to myself ...

It was slow just before sunset.a few swipes at my plugs, but no hookups.but
after sunset and as the moon-FULL btw -rose, I landed a short Striped Bass
and a good size Blue. The action slowly, but steadily increased and after
about 90 minutes I had landed about 10 fish .mostly Stripers to about
32".the Blues were 30" - 34". Pretty good I thought.because most times
sustained action on lures is short lived on our coast.so I knew the party
would be ending soon.

I was wrong .

For the next 2 hours the action actually increased! At one point about every
cast there was a hit and/or hookup. The fish-mostly Stripers in the 24" -
32" range, but some big Blues too-were coughing up small bunker and some of
the Blues had pieces of what looked like Hake in their mouths.actually
snagged a few bunker during the melee. I was cut off a few times and I
dropped a few fish.and as usual when the action died it was quick.but when
it ended I am sure I had landed over 25 fish ...

All caught on surfster style wood plugs.no teasers used.and all fish
released.

One of the better nights I have had .and to be clear, this mostly had to do
w/ very good luck-right place at the right time."


"Coop" posted on 12/3: "Fished yesterday...ended up with several chompers,
(big bluefish), doggies and skates and my buddy, new to surf fishing, got
his first caught beach striper...a fat 33"er...I am not sure who was more
stoked, him or me."

Saturday was a really nasty day, and I can tell you, we had very few anglers
even thinking about fishing.... But
"FishDaddy" fought the elements on Saturday posted his luck on Stripers
Online: (He usually fishes the Delaware Seashore State Park) "Got a text
and then a call from a good friend about 7:30 am. The text read "IT IS ON".
I called him and all I got was "hey Morty" and the line went dead. I had a
good idea where he was so I was headed south in a blink of an eye.

Finally, I reach him and tells me where he is. It was just where I thought
he was, so I put the hammer down. Go to "the spot" and the weather was SUPER
chitty. Just the way I like it. Wind was NE 10-15 and raining, the water was
clean, with white water everywhere. I set up just north of him and it was
on. Landed a 30 something blue. I didn't even get the hook out of the first
one and it was on again. Landed another 30 something blue. I looked towards
him and he just shook his head.

The weather was really getting bad now. The winds 15-25 with higher gusts,
the white water was turning to foam and 10 oz's wasn't holding. We discussed
leaving and trying another spot, I asked to hold that thought so I could
land another fish. We decided to leave that spot for a spot he saw a few
stipers taken out of.

Got to that spot 10 oz's still wasn't holding and it wasn't holding any fish
either. I had another friend fishing just north of us and he said they could
only fish 1 rod, they were getting so many hits. Well, we packed up once
again. By this time the wind was N 20-30 and gusting higher, the rain hurt
when it hit you, sand was blowing all over the beach and it was hard to
stand.


We get to the next spot to see 3 nice blues laying on the beach. We wet our
lines and waited and waited and waited. No bites and the weather was nasty
and getting much colder. I was soaking wet from the sideways rain, even with
chest waders and raingear. Finally I get a nice blue, fought like a champ in
the rough conditions. My friend gets a sweet pulldown and missed it. I get a
pulldown as well and missed it too.

It was now getting close to dark and I was soaking wet and freezing. I
packed up and headed for shelter. Not much after that, here he comes headed
for shelter as well."

Well, that was quite a story, and we didn't hear many fish reports after
that. Weather was just TOO nasty!



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.

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!

Last weekend, so many reports were coming in that they all didn't get up.
Michael Moss e-mailed in: -"Great weekend on 146st. Caught 6 Big blues and 2
small Shark-lost a monster blue and a striper in the surf." His picture is
in our Ocean City, MD Photo Gallery under Surf
Pictures.

Big Mike e-mailed in: "Fished Herring Point Sunday and caught 12 blues all
over 32 inches got them on cut bait and metal .the best part of the day was
the mini blitz!!!!! bait popping blues jumping and bunker on the beach!!!!
haven't seen that in years a lot of fun."

We at Oyster Bay took one surf picture this week. Last Monday morning Alex
Urban of Ocean City, MD came in with a 31-inch and a 29 1/2-inch bluefish
caught from the Ocean City surf on finger mullet. His picture is in our
Ocean City, MD Photo Gallery under Surf
Pictures.

My web master, Dan Smith was on the beach snapping pictures and got the surf
fishing experience captured in pictures on his blog. You can really see the
configuration of the beach, and see the bars out there in the water. At low
tide, anglers can walk out on these bars and cast way out there. Check it
out! It's really neat. Tis the Season to
go Fishing! Ocean City MD Beaches.



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 was happening on the Route 50 Bridge. Some are biting
during the day but more are biting after dark. 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. We had one really nice striper weighed in from the Bridge this week.
It was 20.1 ounces and was caught by David Rippy. He says the stripers are
very picky and you have to offer them several different dark colored lures
till they find one they like! His picture is in our Photo Gallery under
Ocean City, MD Inshore
Pictures.

Anglers fishing the Inlets in boats are picking up some stripers. They are
working for them, but they are there. Offshore fishing for stripers and big
blues has been good. 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!

Ocean City Inlet has been producing some stripers. Bob Grady fishing with
Bud Heim on the Flounderin' Around sent me a picture of Bob Grady from last
week with a 34 1/2 inch striper. They also had a 28", 27 1/2" and a 21".
He picture is in our Photo Gallery under Ocean City, MD Inshore
Pictures.
Every day you can ride to the inlet and see lots of boats in the inlet
drifting for stripers.

Nick of the Get Sum has been
fishing for stripers. He has had some very good trips. Blues and stripers
offshore!


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