The Ocean City fishery is in transition this week. The spring striper migration is past its peak with fish pushing further north, summer flounder are building in the inlet and back bay, and the offshore tuna bite has been productive at the canyon edge. Several windy days cut into trip count but the productive windows produced.
Inshore — Stripers Tapering, Flounder Building
The striped bass migration is past peak. Fish are still being caught on the Route 50 Bridge structure, the inlet rocks, and the lower bay channels on the moving tides — but numbers and average size are declining as the bulk of the migration pushes north into NJ and Long Island waters.
Live eels remain the most consistent producer for the remaining keeper-class fish. Cut bunker chunks on circle hooks at anchor are working the slower bite. Light-tackle anglers continue to find action on Storm WildEye Live Mullet swimbaits and 5-inch soft plastics on weighted hooks.
Summer flounder fishing has built significantly this week. The Route 50 Bridge channels, the East Channel, and the back bay structure are all producing fish. Standard rigs — bucktail jigs in white/chartreuse tipped with Gulp! 4-inch Swimming Mullet, drifted along the channel edges with the tide. The Thorofare and the channels through the back marsh have been the consistent producers.
Bluefish numbers are building as the water warms. Snappers in the 1-3 lb class are common; bigger choppers (5-10 lbs) are mixed in. Trolled tube-and-worm or cast diamond jigs are the standard.
Offshore — Tuna at the Canyons
The canyon tuna bite has been productive when weather has allowed runs. The Washington and Norfolk Canyons have produced yellowfin in the 30-80 lb class and a handful of bigeye on the deeper water. Trolled spreader bars, daisy chains, and ballyhoo with chuggers in the spread are the standard. Chunking on the anchor with butterfish in the late afternoons has produced the better numbers.
Mako sharks continue scattered on the inshore canyon water. The Jackspot and Massey’s Canyon have produced fish in the 100-200 lb range. Trolled or chum-fished mackerel is the standard.
A few mahi are starting to show on the offshore weed lines and around the lobster gear floats. Light tackle with squid or ballyhoo strips produces the better action.
Wreck Fishing
The inshore wrecks in 60-100 feet are holding sea bass in legal numbers, scattered tog (catch-and-release in some seasons — verify MD DNR), and the occasional summer flounder. Bait fishing with squid, clam, or fresh-cut menhaden on bucktails is the standard.
Cigar minnow jigging on the wrecks for cobia, kings, and the offshore mix is starting to produce as water temperatures climb.
Surf
The OC surf is in transition. A few stripers are still caught on cut bait at the inlet beaches and the OC piers, but the bulk of the bite has moved off. Bluefish on cut bait are reliable. The first sand fleas and small whiting are showing up — pompano numbers should build through June.
What’s Ahead
The summer pattern is settling in. Water temperatures climbing through the 60s with the inlet hitting the 70s by mid-June. The summer flounder bite is the inshore headliner from now through August. The canyon tuna season is in full swing.
For this weekend: flounder in the back bay channels, kings and bluefish trolling outside the inlet, canyon runs in the calm windows.
Tight lines.