May 21st, 2012

Water Temp: 60.1 degrees

Fishing Report by Sue Foster

Fishing this week was good till the Northeaster hit! We had stripers in the 
surf along with some black drum. There were bluefish runs at Indian River 
Inlet, Ocean City Inlet and the Route 50 Bridge along with some stripers. 
Boaters caught a few flounder, but not many. Some legal tautog were caught 
in Ocean City where the season is open and anglers are allowed to keep two 
per person.  Some stripers were caught at the South Jetty. Sea bass is now 
open.

There is something I've been promoting since the spring of 2010. I wrote 
letters, made phone calls, and to be honest with you, after a year, I was 
ready to give up. Then the Coastal Bay Fisheries Advisory Committee, the 
Town of Ocean City, and some other tackle stores picked up on the subject 
again in 2011. Last month, there was a telephone conference with Maryland 
Sport Fish Advisory Committee which I was involved in and then a public 
hearing at Ocean Pines. Now it looks like it might finally happen! Two free 
fishing zones in Ocean City may be available by mid to late August! 
Northside Park and the Chicago Avenue bulkhead (2nd through 4th Street 
Bulkhead.) It's not etched in stone yet, and may not do us much good for 
this season,  but hopefully, it will become reality!


(Note: Oyster Bay Tackle will be open this week:  7-7 during the week and 
we'll be open 6 AM until 10 PM throughout the Memorial Weekend.  Call 
410-524-3433.  E-mail
Sue Foster at:  Oyster Bay
Tackle The  online mall 
is open!)  Fenwick Tackle is now open weekdays till 7 and we'll be open 
until 10 during the Holiday Weekend. We have DEL licenses at our DEL 
location.  Please get your MD licenses and boat stickers at our Oyster Bay 
location.

 
2012 White Marlin Open T's are here! Long and Short Sleeve! Online and 
instore.
YES, we now have 2012 OC Shark Shirts in the store! If you want one shipped, 
give us a call at 410-524-3433.

Surf fishing was good until the Northeaster made it nearly impossible to 
hold bottom. Jim Thompson stopped by on Wednesday to have his picture taken 
with his personal best! The biggest striper went 45 inches weighed in at 34 
pounds and a 43 incher weighed in at 29 pounds using Bunker heads and Clams 
from the Delaware Beach during High Outgoing tide on Wednesday 5/16/12.

On Thursday, Jim Gumsallus of McElhattan, PA came into Fenwick Tackle with a 
43 inch- 24lbs 7oz striper he caught  from the Fenwick Beach. He was fishing 
with Ed Jackman of Lock Haven, PA who caught a 37-inch black drum.

Jim Heinz from Berlin, Md caught a Rock fish on May 10th on the incoming 
tide at Assateague. Fresh bunker it measured 38".

Vicky Strickroth, caught a 4lb, 22" flounder in the surf at Assateague on 
Monday,May 14th. She was using cut Bunker.

Philip Shlossman landed a 26Lb 3oz 40-inch Striper on BUNKER off Fenwick 
Island Beach on last Tuesday, the 15th.

Chris Neumann e-mailed in his picture last Monday. He caught a 43" (25lbs) 
and 40" (29lbs) caught off Cape Henlopen at 11pm last Friday night.  He also 
caught 2 others 38" each.

All these pictures are in our  Surf 
Fishing Photo Gallery.

Assateague saw good action during the week but horrible conditions over the 
weekend had anglers frustrated. I saw one report of an angler that caught a 
35-inch striper on Sat morning before the wind got bad again. To top it off, 
some of the beaches on Assateague were closed to nesting birds over the 
weekend.

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!

Tire 
Deflators!  Free shipping on the Oasis Trailheads.

 
Surf Packages, complete with sinkers. (Also flounder, Aqua-Clear, Swim 
Shad, and Got-cha Plug Packages.)


Route 50 Bridge saw good action on snapper blues and stripers on Friday 
afternoon when the NE wind was blowing. Another angler came into the store 
to say they were catching blues at the Inlet Wall on Saturday with spoons.

Tautog! Had a customer say he caught a keeper, 16-inches, at the bulkhead on 
Saturday. With the wind gusting to 30, any report of fish was a good one! 
Some were caught from the Oceanic Pier as well. One customer reporting 
catching lots from the bulkhead at 2nd street with one being a keeper. 
Another customer reported doing well at the South Jetty before the wind.

Inlet stripers. Had an angler say they did very good on keeper stripers from 
the South Jetty one day last week casting white swim shads and bucktails.



Oyster Bay Tackle now has the MD 2012 fishing licenses and boat stickers. We 
are now on the new computerized license system. Bring in your driver's 
license or official ID card. Kids 16 or older that do not have a Driver's 
License need their State Issued ID, Learner's Permit Card, or School ID 
number will work in a pinch! Be prepared to give us your phone number, s.s. 
number, and e-mail address (optional.) Please bring cash for licenses!!!!


 Oceanic Pier (410-289-2602) 
reports a 19-inch tautog over the weekend and a 17 1/2 inch flounder. Shad 
and blues are biting at night.  The Oceanic Pier is the one place in Ocean 
City you can fish without a fishing license.


"Helbent Charters"  e-mailed in: " This weekend the score was Mother Nature 
"2" Fisherman "0"! After looking forward to a busy weekend with lots of 
eager folks looking to catch fish mother nature turned up the wind meter to 
high for three straight days. As I sit watching the weather channel Saturday 
morning and looking at the NOAA Marine Weather Forecast on line at 6:00 AM 
with my first cup of coffee in hand the wind forecast has increased to 15 to 
25 gusting to 30. If that was not enough she threw in the first tropical 
storm of the season of the Carolina coast. It does appear the storm is going 
to move north east and out to sea so lets hope she is long gone by the 
Holiday weekend. Next week is Memorial Day so lets hope she gives us a break 
lets us get out on the water and do what we like do FISH! It's not to late 
to book a trip so give me a call at 717-574-4010 or email me at 
helbentcharters@hotmail.com. See you on the water. "


Larry Jock of the Coastal Fisherman tells us how the wind has really messed 
up the fishermen!

Larry Jock of the  Coastal 
Fisherman reports on Sunday: "SUNDAY,Same ole story. Very windy in OC. 
Rainy this morning. SATURDAY, It seems like the wind will never end! Been 
blowing since Wednesday. Too rough to fish the jetty or offshore. The "Bay 
Bee" did fish this morning and returned with a 22.5-inch flounder caught 
near marker #14 on a squid and shiner combination. Thursday, Striper bite 
has turned back on in the Indian River Inlet. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 
the best bite was between 1 and 3 during the morning incoming tide. 
Wednesday's bite was slower. This morning the good bite was during the 
incoming tide until about 7:15 am. The end of the IRI jetty has been 
consistantly good. (Don't go out there without cleats!) Wednesday, (one of 
our nicer, sunnier days)  "Get Sum" had 2 winter flounder and some throwback 
summer flounder during their morning trip. "Bay Bee" had 2 keeper flounder 
during their afternoon trip.Tuesday, Anglers fishing around the South Jetty 
and the Rt. 50 Bridge did well during the afternoon/early evening. Stripers 
were as large as 35-inches. Caught on bucktails and spec rigs.

Walter Moore of Oyster Bay Tackle gave us some first-hand flounder reports 
from the bay:
On Wed, "I went fishing today 5/16/12, started up in the thorofare and 
didn't get or see much. I tried down south of Bahia Marina north of the 
bulkhead area and got nothing. Then I decided to burn some gas and make a 
nice long run deep into the Sinepuxent bay down to the southern end of it 
and found a stretch of clean water with some holes in it. First drift on a 
Spro lure dressed with a white gulp along with a squid teaser dressed with a 
gulp above it I got a nice 20.5" flounder to bite. DNR verified it later up 
by the Rt.50 bridge where I caught shad and a keeper blue towards the end of 
the incoming tide. It was a pretty day on the water. The Sinepuxent is still 
dirty it was just that stretch of water I found that was clean with no 
slur."

On Friday, a very windy day, Walter e-mailed in: "We went fishing again 
today 5/18/12 with my dad (Walter Sr.). He got me back for all the fish I 
caught while I was alone on the boat. I found really clean water in the 
sinepuxent bay my dad got his first fish on the boat about an hour in 16.5" 
throwback. On the next drift he pulls up a nice 19" keeper flounder that put 
up a really nice fight. The winds picked up and my once clean and clear 
tropical looking water went to mud. We then toyed around up north of the 
bridge until the birds came up. He then decides to show me how its done 
while I bumped in and out of gear around the bridge pilings he caught one 
keeper bluefish, lost one on the rail, one gigantic shad, and a short 
striper. I managed to squeeze out one keeper blue and striper though I had 
many bites the blues were in thick with the shad and saw many anglers on 
boats dancing around the bridge picking up shad and blues. Nice day on the 
water until the ride home the wind came out the north 20-25 gusting to 30+ 
and we took a beating up to the dock the worst I've seen our bay on such a 
sunny day...."



  
Flounder and Surf, Rig and Lure Packages, Selection of Swimming Shads or 
Gotcha Plugs! - Free Shipping! 

Joe at  Lewes Harbour Marina 
gives us a report from his "neck of the woods" on May 17th:
"May 17, 2012 - Looks Promising for Trout
Commercial netters have had good catches of weakfish over the past few 
weeks, and now that water temperatures have risen, hook and line anglers 
have caught trout too. Trout are showing up again in some of their regular 
springtime haunts from years ago, and fishermen are happy to see them. Adam 
Ford was working a squid tipped bucktail off Broadkill Beach when he hooked 
a 6.1 pound tiderunner. Frank Gaworski and Barracuda Bob McNamee got into 
several trout while casting Tsunami lures from a small boat in shallow water 
along Broadkill Beach. The largest was Frank's 3.45 pounder. Most of the 
others were spikes in the 13 to 16 inch range.....Several other customers 
told of catching trout along Broadkill Beach and around Roosevelt Inlet. 
Most were tempted with lures like Gulp! Swimming Mullets, small bucktails, 
Bass Assassin Sea Shads, Fin-S Fish, Storms and other soft plastics. Current 
regulations allow you to keep one weakfish 13 inches or longer per day. Even 
with the restrictions, many anglers just enjoy catching and releasing the 
hard fighting beauties. Striper action continues good. Beach casters had 
bass in the surf from Cape Henlopen to Gordon's pond while soaking clams or 
bunker. Early morning, evening and after dark hours were most productive, 
with best bites at the top and bottom of the tide.....Judah Lynam landed 15 
rock over 33 inches while fishing the beach Friday and Saturday nights using 
bunker. Dave Furio checked in a 21 pound rockfish. Lacey Moffett showed up 
the boys by catching her limit of linesiders measuring 34 and 36 inches at 
Herring Point with clams. Mike Shockley scored a 21.2 pound striper on 
Broadkill Beach. Black drum settled in on the Coral Beds. ... Flounder have 
been pulled from Lewes Canal when the water is clean. .... The report from 
offshore brings news of tuna...."

 His full report is  here.


 E-mail Sue Foster at:  Oyster Bay 
Tackle with your pictures and/or reports.  Vacation Pictures are 
welcome! (Please send me a real picture and not a link to a "Kodak moment" 
or a Facebook page.") Phone pics are fine.
E-mail me your name and where you are from so we
can put you in our weekly fish reports and/or Gallery!


Anglers now need a DE Fishing License to fish, crab, and clam in DEL: 
Individual Delaware Fishing Licenses are now available  
online
   Stop into Fenwick Tackle and get your license. 302-539-7766.


Capt. Monty on the " 
Morning Star  Is now fishing for sea bass.  He e-mailed in his report 
5/17:

 Sea Bass Open 5/19
Mother Nature
Two Kinds Of People
The Morning Star will be fishing for sea bass and whatever else lives on our 
reefs nearly every day until October 11th..
Advance Reservations Recommended. See 
http://morningstarfishing.com/index.htm for more info.  We'll also try to 
pick up a few tile trips this summer which will be announced right here. 
"    (Unfortunately, the weather forced the party boats to cancel their 
trips this weekend.)

E-mail Capt Monty at:  Capt 
Monty about upcoming trips or to subscribe to his newsletter: 
mhawkins@mediacombb.net

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservation Line 410 520 2076
http://www.morningstarfishing.com/

Watch the 
weather.



Capt. Victor on the  Ocean 
Princess is now fishing:

-12 hour wreck fishing trips May 22nd, June 1st and June 8th. Boat leaves 
at 6am returns at 6pm. Cost is $110 per person. Reservations required, call 
410-289-6226, boat limited to 35 anglers. Discounts do not apply to 12 hour 
trips.

-8 hour wreck fishing trips 7am to 3pm on Wed. May 23, Thurs. May 24, & Fri. 
May 25. Cost is $75per adult and $28 for kids 12 and under (plus tax). No 
fishing license required, free bait and free parking. For information and 
reservations call 410-289-6226.

-Memorial Weekend Fishing
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday 2 trips daily 8am to 12noon and 1pm to 5pm. 
Cost is $42 per adult and $22 for kids 12 and under (plus tax). No fishing 
license required free bait and free parking.

-Spring Special
5½ hour fishing beginning May 29 through June 15, one trip a day. Boat 
leaves the dock at 8am and returns at 1:30pm. Cost is $42 per adult and $22 
for kids 12 and under (plus tax). No fishing license required free bait and 
free parking. For information and reservations call 410-289-6226.) 


 The  Angler Party Boat posts on their 
website: "Wreck trips for seabass, tautog, flounder, and bluefish. Sailing 
daily from 7:30 to 230-3pm. Rods, and bait included. $62 Please call 
410-458-8343 or 410-289-7424 for more information and reservations. Thanks 
and hope to see you soon!
(10 hour Seabass Trip May 25th 6am to 4pm $85pp)


  Stop by to the Oyster Bay Tackle location and buy your 2012 Ocean City
Reef Foundation Charts. The donation fee for these charts are $25. $27 if 
you use a credit card. These charts pin-point all the GPS numbers for all 
the
Artificial Reef materials that have been scattered near offshore wrecks, 
reefs, and
obstructions. The charts give you hundreds of numbers to find fish. All the 
money collected goes back into the Artificial Reef Foundation.    Come to 
Oyster Bay Tackle or buy  
online.

Check out the link on our web site to the local chapter of the  MSSA.   They are keeping us 
abreast on all the Fishing Issues.  From our  Oyster Bay Website, go to "More 
Fishing Info" on the left hand side, and click on "MSSA Atlantic Anglers".

Check the weather before driving hours to go offshore or fish the surf.  Go 
to  
Coastal Marine Forecast to get an idea of the weather and height of the 
waves.

Capt. Rick Yakimowicz of the "Thelma Dale V" fishes out of Fisherman's 
Wharf:
"If you would like any more information about trips sailing out of the Wharf 
or you are interested in booking a private charter or you would like to 
reserve a spot on an upcoming special trip please give us a call at (302) 
645-TUNA."

His full report and boat info is  
here.

Capt. Rick Yakimowicz
Thelma Dale V
catchfish@verizon.net"

Old Inlet Bait and Tackle (302-227-7974)  reports: "The good news - blues 
and shad in the Inlet on the incoming tide. All 4 lanes of the Indian River 
Inlet Bridge are now open!!
" 

Bill Sports Center (302-645-7654) in Lewes reports a hot bite of stripers 
from the beach around Cape Henelopen and Herring Point before the North 
Easter. He checked them in up to 44-inches. Most on bunker or clam. Also 
some nice stripers checked in from other areas of the Delaware State 
Beaches. Blues up to 20-inches at Indian River Inlet.

 i

Pretty cool web site... Lots of pics and discriptions and directions to get 
to some of those fishing places in DEL everyone talks about but you might 
wonder where they are! The site is  DSF Delware Surf Fishing. 
(http://delaware-surf-fishing.com)

 Capt.Dan Stauffer (866-623-4746) of the  Fin Chaser does wreck, 
inlet and trolling trips.  "Fin Chaser's 2012 season has begun! "8 Hour 
Wreck Trip for up to five anglers $525.00. Available Monday through Thursday 
from 04/19 through 06/13."  


 VA 
charters.
(Wilson Cropp Charters and Guide Service. Cape Charles, VA- 1-434-531-6376) 
Stripers....Flounder....Drum...  Speckled Trout....Tog...    Eco tours as 
well.

  


 
Saltiga Interline 3-piece surf rods....

 (Just a note to say to my readers that many of my fishing reports are from
other anglers and party boats that come over my e-mail. When I "copy/paste"
their reports I try to leave them intact. It keeps the fishing reports
lively and interesting. But any comments/politics within the quotes are
their comments and views, and not necessarily mine.)

Need info on where, how, when to fish, crab, and clam? Go 
to  
Drifting Easy Archives and READ UP! It's all in there and it's 
FREE!!!!!!

 James A. Donofrio, executive director of the  Recreational Fishing 
Alliance
has been actively working on the fisheries crisis. The RFA believes the 
future of our fisheries is dependent on fixing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act which has laid down strict time-frames that 
do not take into account livelihoods and that a fishery is rebounding 
steadily.


Need to tie a knot? Click 
Here. This is really cool! You can also click  Here!


Maryland Fishing License

Anglers fishing in Ocean City will need to purchase a  saltwater fishing
license. This license will cover both the Chesapeake Bay and the coastal
waters and surf of Ocean City and Assateague Island. Yes, this includes surf 
fishing. If you already have a Chesapeake Bay Saltwater license you are good 
to go!  Anglers will be able to purchase the license  online or come 
to Oyster Bay Tackle to purchase one. Please bring cash to buy your fishing 
license in our store.  If you go online, Logon if you have ever had a MD 
fishing or hunting license in the past or Enroll if you never had. Fill in 
all the information and click on "Purchase License"  The
license you want to choose is "Bay and Coastal Sport"  You can either choose
a year-round or 7-day.
If you know you are coming to Ocean City,and you want to get it done ahead 
of time you can
also call a toll free number (1-855-855-3906)
or print and mail in an   application.  Boat 
Licenses: $50 and everyone on your boat can go
fishing without a license. You will get a personal license along with your 
boat license, so you can go shore fishing as well. They will send you your 
sticker for your boat in the mail.  If you come to Oyster Bay Tackle, we 
have the stickers now.

Mail the application to their main office:

Maryland Dept. of Natural resources
Annapolis Service Center
P.O. Box 1869
1804 West Street, Suite 300
Annapolis, MD 21401


If you are going to be fishing on a private boat with someone who has a Boat
License, you don't have to buy a license, but you do have to   register 
online. This
is free and is done on the same site that you would buy a license. Logon if 
you have ever had a MD fishing or hunting license or Enroll if you never 
had. Fill in all the information and click on "Obtain Registration" to print 
your free registration. Print out your number and keep an id with
you when you go fishing. You can also call 1-855-855-3906 during daytime 
hours.


Another interesting note about the license is that if you buy a VA license,
it is good in MD, and vice versa. If you are fishing in MD with a VA licence
you do need to register with MD online. Again, this is free. This is so each
state can "try" to figure out "how many" fish are being caught in their own
individual states.  (VA Free 
Registry)

If you want to go fishing in Ocean City without a license, your choices will
be the "Oceanic Pier" or to go fishing on a party or charter boat.  You can
also go crabbing and clamming in Ocean City without a license. Or you can
fish off your own private dock.

Senior citizens 65 and older. Cost is $5 if you have a MD driver's license 
and are a resident of MD,
but if you are a non-resident there is no break. No break for boat licenses 
either. $50 resident or non-resident,
plus around $3 for the internet fees.

Contact Info
If you have any questions regarding Maryland's sport fishing license
requirements, you may contact Fisheries Service via e mail:
customerservice@dnr.state.md.us or by calling (410-656-9526).


Following is the fee schedule for 2012:

Senior License (year round) - $5.00
Resident License (year round) - $15.00
Resident License (7-day) - $6.00
Non-resident (year round) - $22.50
Non- resident (7-day) - $12.00
Pleasure Boat Decal (covers everyone on boat - year round) - $50.00
Commercial Fishing Pier License (year round) - $290.00

No license is required for:
Boat decal passengers
Those fishing in "free fishing" areas
Those fishing from their waterfront properties
Anglers under 16 years old
Anglers fishing on a licensed charter, party or guide boat
Anglers fishing commercially under a valid license

For more information, log onto www.dnr.state.md.us

 Need a gift card? Give us a call at 410-524-3433   You can also buy
them 
online.

 2012 White Marlin Open T's.  Popular Calcutta T's 
both short and long sleeve!    Order  ONLINE.

Preview our selection of  
hooks, sinkers, and swivels along with the ever popular sputnik sinkers.



We have Calcutta hats, visors, t's, long sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, tanks
and new 
T-shirts on our online mall. We have the  
Bloodworm scented
Fish Bites in stock. Also the very popular Gulp and Fin-Atics Fish Oil 
in Shedder Crab and other flavors.  You can buy these items    
online.



Tire Buddy III deflators are great! Call Oyster Bay Tackle at 410-524-3433 
or order  on 
line.


We also now carry the  Oasis 
Trailhead Tire Deflators. 59.99 for set of 4.  Free shipping online!

To buy a dozen assorted flounder rigs for $24.99.  
Order Online.

To buy a selection of a dozen of the most popular Got-cha Plugs in our area
for 49.99 
Shop Online.

We have a great value on a stuffed surf box

Big surf box for 49.99- a $56 value- available on line, at both our
stores.

We offer a great value in our stores or on our web site of
a package of 12 assorted surf rigs for $23.99. 
Surf rigs buy online.

To buy a big stuffed  
Flounder box
for 49.99 stop in our stores, Shop Online, or call 410-524-3433.-

We have 
6-packs of bucktails   and we
have 
fishing
books.


Visit our  online mall year
round.  Check it out and 
e-mail me with any comments or suggestions.
 -->
We have a   
Australian Gold
Suntan Lotion web page that shows all the Australian Gold Suntan
Products available in both our retail stores. Oyster Bay Tackle~410-524-3433
and Fenwick Tackle~302-539-7766. E-mail 
 Sue for pricing and availability or call 410-524-3433.

Visit our  Website.

Visit our 
Drifting Easy Archives  to learn where and how to crab, clam and fish in
our area.

 Sale! 

We have lots of rods and reels out for this season by
Daiwa, Tica, Sea Striker and Okuma.

If you have any fish reports please  e-mail
Sue Foster at:  Oyster Bay
Tackle.  E-mail me your name and where you are from so we can put
you in our weekly fish reports!



Tire Deflators, Calcutta t-shirts, 2011 White Marlin Open Shirts,
 Gift Cards, Got-cha Plugs, Ugly Sticks,
Tica rods,  Okuma surf rods, Daiwa reels, Windcheaters, Mann's, Stretch
25 lures, Mullet Rigs,
Aqua-Clear Tangle free Rigs, Tsunami Shads,  Tandem Rigs, Spec Rigs,
Beach Runner surf rods, Penn Reels, Okuma reels,
Collapsible Bridge and Pier Nets, Rat-L-Traps, Calcutta Hats, Stuffed Tackle
Boxes and more. Stop in to our shops or  Order Online. -->

E-mail Sue Foster at:  Oyster Bay
Tackle
if you have any questions about our inventory or if you want to place
an order for an item we do not have on-line.

  Shop Online    



 
Holiday Shopping
 
Coupons




Good fishing...

Tides: These are ocean tides, add 2 hours for the bay, approximately 1 hour 
for Indian River:

High Tides: (Add approx 6 hours for low tide)

 Monday, May 21st- 8:27 A.M. and 8:49 P.M.
Tuesday, May 22nd-  9:08 A.M. and 9:30 P.M.
Wednesday, May 23rd- 9:49 A.M. and 10:10 P.M.
Thursday, May 24th-   10:31 A.M. and 10:51P.M.
Friday, May 25th-    11:13 A.M. and 11:34 P.M.
Sat, May 26th-    11:59 A.M. and 12:00 P.M.
Sun, May 27th-    12:19 A.M. and 12:49 P.M.



 Our  
2012 tide charts are hot off the press! They are now online (under More 
Fishing Info)  and you can print them out if you like.

This page can be printed out on your printer/simply utilize the printer icon
or under the print feature under the file pull down menu at the top of your screen.