Summer fishing is hitting its stride out of Ocean City. The summer flounder (fluke) bite has been the inshore highlight, with fish coming from the back bays, the inlet, and the channels on Gulp baits and minnow-squid combos. The larger keeper-class fish have favored the inlet and the deeper channel edges on the moving tide.
Offshore over the wrecks and reef sites, the sea bass are biting well, providing steady bottom action and good table fare on clams and squid. A few tautog are mixed in around the structure for anglers working the bottom carefully.
Striped bass are around the inlet, the Route 50 bridge, and the back-bay structure on bucktails and live bait, while bluefish are blitzing bait pods in the inlet and along the beaches, offering fast light-tackle action. Anglers should review current striped bass regulations before keeping fish.
The offshore canyon scene is warming up, with the first tuna and a few early mahi being reported on the troll out at the deep edges as the warm water pushes in. The nearshore kingfish (sea mullet) and croaker action in the surf has been a fun bonus for beach anglers.
Plan around the weather windows for the offshore runs and fish the moving tides for fluke. The flounder and sea bass bite should keep building as the water warms through June.