Mid-Atlantic Coastal Fishing Report 12/29/2017 Update:
The ocean-run stripers have finally made a strong showing in our region, with reports from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia’s coast all including some fish being caught. There have been plenty of stripers confirmed inside the three-mile limit, and even surf anglers have been able to get in on a bit of the action (though every report we could confirm from the surf was of under-sized fish). The past week has been hot mostly for boats trolling umbrellas, tandem rigs in chartreuse and white, and Stretch 25’s and 30’s. Most of the fish are in the 30’s but plenty of fish over 40-inches are also being caught. Read Trolling for Winter Ocean Stripers, to find out the details of how to target these fish on the troll.
Birds have been marking the hotspots lately, especially in the Ocean City vicinity and up to 10 miles to the north (though we note that these fish are likely on the move – this can change from day to day). That means jiggers have also been able to get in on the action in a big way; again, white and chartreuse have been the colors. The trick has been moving around until locating a good slug of fish, with Ocean City anglers seeming best-positioned as the fish are stretched from north to south right now. A good pair of binoculars which you can use to spot birds from afar is a very good thing to have onboard, if you want to target these fish with light tackle.
If you want to try for these ocean-run rockfish now’s the time to act, as the bitter cold we’re currently experiencing could keep them moving south at a rapid pace.
A bigger surprise is that Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em has still had plenty of reports of flounder, less than in past weeks but by now everyone figured they’d be long gone. Most are being caught on strips of squid, mixed in with the sea bass bite. Deeper water has been better, especially for flounder, which have been moving farther offshore. Wreck anglers in Maryland waters will be shifting to tautog as of the first of the year, when that species comes in and sea bass go out, but that’s assuming they don’t turn their efforts towards those stripers. Virginia anglers are also steadily picking away at the wreck fish and flounder, which have provided the steadiest bite according to Ocean's East and Bishop's. Squid has become the favored offering, for this fishery.
Mid-Atlantic Coastal Fishing Report 12/22/2017 Update:
12/22 7:00 PM Late Breaking update: First reports of big stripers out of Ocean City! Just a few, but some were caught today so if you have the urge to give it a shot in the next few days, go for it!!!
Happy holidays, anglers! Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em recommended leaving the inlet this week, as the majority of fish have been out on the wrecks. Few if any flounder are remaining in the inlet, as most have moved into deeper water. Tautog fishing has slowed a bit at the Ice Breakers and Brandywine but has stayed good a bit farther offshore on the wrecks, as has the sea bass bite. Strips of squid have been the best bait, finally taking back over for clam. Capt. Monty on the Morning Star has been focusing on the sea bass out of Ocean City, and has had a couple of limit-catch trips lately. He says he hopes to get in a few more before the sea bass season closes and tog re-opens (on the first of the year), and interested anglers should look for trips posted via email and Facebook (look for Morning Star Fishing).
A bit farther south, Chesapeake Bait & Tackle reports for the Virginia coast are much the same: bass and tog (note that tog are off-limits until the first of the year) are on the inshore wrecks, and squid has been producing best for the sea bass. They're still seeing a handful of flounder at the Virginia wrecks, as well. The big oceanic stripers, however, remain MIA.
On the beach, it's been a waiting game as anglers keep hoping the big schools of stripers will push south. But it just hasn't happened yet. A few surf anglers and fishermen working in Indian River and Ocean City inlets have caught some throw-back stripers, mostly in the inlets and near the Rt 50 bridge in Ocean City. All the reports still place the main body of stripers well up the coast, in Jersey waters. Coastal Correspondent John Unkart is in Atlantic City this week, and reported seeing over 30 boats trolling off the beach, visible from the 38th floor of his hotel.
Mid-Atlantic Coastal Fishing Report 12/15/2017 Update:
High winds have kept the majority of anglers off the water this week, however Ocean’s East reported those who were able to get out and head to the inshore wrecks enjoyed some productive sea bass fishing, a bite that has been going strong since early fall. Doormat flounder are still hanging around, however they’ve moved out of the inlet, and are increasingly hard to find inshore. Some rockfish have been in the inlet and bayside, however we didn't have any solid reports on where they are, or what they’re being caught on. On the Maryland coast, Coastal Correspondent John Unkart reports that they’re still waiting for stripers to show up. A few boats have made the run north to Jersey waters, where a few fish were caught off Cape May (more are being caught farther up the coast). Otherwise, it's bass on the wrecks. Capt. Monty on the Morning Star has had some good sea bass catches when the wind has been down and is expecting to crank back up on tog starting January first.
Reports of stripers from Delaware are much the same, with most of the boats reporting success having made a run to the north into New Jersey waters. We heard from a friend up in Jersey this week that the stripers are incredibly thick on the beach in in some areas, with anglers catching them by the dozens, though most caught in the surf are throw-backs. Reports from tog anglers hitting the Ice Breakers and Brandywine thinned out this week, but that’s likely due to the weather as much as the fish.
Mid-Atlantic Coastal Fishing Report 12/8/2017 Update:
Anglers looking to head out on the ocean from Delaware have been fishing the inshore reefs, catching tautog, sheepshead, black sea bass, and flounder. Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em reports that flounder fishing this fall has been stellar, with doormat-sized fish being reported frequently. Most have been in deeper water offshore, however a few have been reported in the inlet and bayside, hitting jigs bounced off bottom. On top of the wreck bite, the first of the big ocean-run stripers have appeared in Delaware waters - though not in great numbers. A few fish were reportedly caught by trollers, within the three-mile limit, just north of Indian River. No reports of big stripers as of yet from Maryland, but throw-backs with an occasional barely-legal are being caught in and around the Ocean City inlet and the Route 50 bridge. The big news to come from OC lately is, of course, that the Primary Search returned to the inlet with ANOTHER opah – this one even bigger than the first one, which was reported in the November Coastal Report. Aside from this oddity, the reef bite is what's keeping most angler's rods bent. Captain Monty on the Morning Star has been reporting a solid sea bass bite with some big flounder mixed in, but also the occasional dogfish invasion. That's always a possibility at this time of year, but he says he expects a good pick on sea bass for the immediate future.
In most of the region surf fishing has slowed down to an end for most species, with just dogfish, a few small kingfish, and even fewer anglers chasing after them, still in the area. Brave souls willing to face the chilly suds with large chunks of cut mullet fished on bottom should have a shot at stripers, however, for the next few weeks. There's always the possibility of a serious bass blitz on the beach, too, so keep that surf gear ready for a little while longer and stay up on the reports.
Mid-Atlantic Coastal Fishing Report 12/1/2017:
With cold weather keeping anglers from heading too far offshore, the most productive costal fishery has been the inshore wrecks, which have been putting out some great doormat-sized flounder recently. Jigs bounced off bottom have been the best way to target them along the Delaware coast, according to Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em. Mixed in with the flounder, they’ve seen tautog (out of season in Maryland and Virginia waters now until the new year but still legit in Delaware), black sea bass, and still some sheepshead as well, giving a great variety of species. Clam is still the best bet for the sea bass, some of which have been quite large, while green crab and sand fleas get the tog. There have also been improving tog catches at the ice breakers and Brandywine, for anglers dropping green crab or sand fleas. Fleas get more bites, but crab catches bigger fish.
In the inlets there are still lots of mostly undersized tog being caught, a few keepers too, and in Indian River they’re still legal. Sand fleas are the best bait. Stripers have showed up at both Indian River and Ocean City during the past week, but the vast majority were throw-backs and the few legal fish were barely-legals. Word has it that the main body of fish is sill up north, off Jersey.
Coastal Correspondent John Unkart checked in to let us know that the Angler came in from fishing the wrecks off Ocean City with three flounder over five pounds, and one over 10 pounds caught by angler Ben Semiatin.
Bishop’s is reporting that flounder are the name of the game off the Virginia coast; see the Way South and VA report for more.
We have no solid reports from the surf this week (Unkart’s too busy hunting!) We also have no reports from offshore.