Coastal Fishing Reports

Coastal Mid-Atlantic Fishing Report, December 1 Update:

November treated us to some great fishing in our coastal areas and December is looking to offer up some great opportunities too. It looks like phenomenal black sea bass action isn’t letting up at the inshore wrecks and reefs, and Captain Monty on the Morning Star has continued to enjoy excellent action including limit catches. Keeper flounder and tautog are also being caught at the bass grounds. Fish In OC checked in with an epic late season report from the offshore grounds. Angler Robert Lamoreaux checked in with them after catching nine yellowfin at the Poorman’s canyon. Robert was fishing on board the private boat Bad Habit when they found a 59-to-67-degree temperate break where they “killed them on the troll.” Now that is awesome!

Surf fishing has taped off for the moment on the northern beaches, but a reader casting from Sandbridge said roundhead (kingfish) and puffers were still biting small doodlebug rigs baited with Fishbites bloodworm. We did have one successful report from a surf angler that spent a day fishing the north end of Ocean City where he caught a spiny dogfish, a clear nose-skate, and one bluefish using shrimp. He then headed down to the inlet where he landed one under-slot rockfish, two tautog, and a few eels using both shrimp and swim jigs.

Fishing in the back bays and around the inlets has been good for anglers braving the colder weather. We saw a report from a kayak angler that hit the south rock jetty at the OC inlet and had a fantastic day. He caught a limit of slot rockfish, a limit of tautog, a keeper black drum, and a keeper red drum. Fish will be on the dinner menu for a few days after a trip like that. Another group of anglers fishing both jetties at the inlet caught four keeper tog up to 18 inches during a mid-week trip. Bridge anglers at the Route 50 and 90 bridges are still catching rockfish while casting artificials around pilings and rock structure. Most fish are under the slot, but a few fishing meeting the 28 - 31 inch requirement have been caught.