Drifting Easy

“Going out on a party boat. What will we catch?  What kind of tackle will I 
need? ”

Party boat fishing out of Ocean City pretty much means going fishing for sea 
bass this time of year.  You may catch a tautog or flounder, but the 
targeted species is usually sea bass.  Sea bass bite in earnest from June 
until November.  The colder months of January through early May are saved 
for targeting tautog. Mid to late summer and early fall find flounder, 
croaker, and sometimes sea trout.

So let’s talk about sea bass!  Black sea bass can be found from Cape Cod to 
Northern Florida, with the largest abundance of them occurring between the 
Capes of New Jersey and North Carolina.  So yes, we’re right in the middle 
of them!!!

The largest black sea bass caught in Maryland weighed in at 8 pounds, 
however, most mature sea bass do not weigh much more than a pound and a 
half. A 12-inch legal sized sea bass weighs around a pound, while an 18 to 
20-inch bass goes around 3 pounds.  We often see citation fish of 
exceptional size go 4 and 5 pounds taken on local party boats.

Black sea bass are hermaphroditic! Sea bass are born female and after 
producing eggs, switch and become males!  Larger blue-headed sea bass are 
almost always males.  Sea bass spend the winter at depths from 240 to 600 
feet. Some have been found at depths of over 1000 feet offshore of North 
Carolina! That’s why in the colder months some party boats go way offshore 
and catch sea bass in these very deep waters. I read one article where the 
anglers ran out of line by the time they finally got close to the bottom 
when fishing in 300 plus feet!

Sea bass migrate inshore in the spring and fall. That’s when anglers find 
them on “open bottom” when drifting. The bass are on the move!  In the 
summer months, the black sea bass hang around rocky bottom, ship wrecks, 
fish havens, artificial reef sites and any obstructions on the bottom in 
depths less than 120 feet.  That’s why in the heat of the summer; you really 
need to be on some structure to catch nice sea bass!

Sea bass spawn from February to early summer. The eggs float and hatch a few 
days later. The larvae drift into bays and inlets where the baby sea bass 
feed on little crabs and mussels. That’s why we find so many little black 
sea bass in our bay and inlet. They are rarely of keeper size, but there are 
hundreds of them in certain places near docks, pilings, mussel beds, rocks 
and bridges. Kids have fun catching and releasing the little black sea bass.

“OK, I’m going out on a party boat. What should I take? What kind of rod and 
reel do I need?”

Sea bass are easy to catch and do not require any extravagant tackle. The 
main thing is this. You need to have a rod and reel that will handle a 5 to 
8 ounce sinker without bending in two just to handle the sinker weight. 
Another words, you need a medium-heavy spinning or conventional type outfit 
spun with 15 to 20 pound test monofilament or 30 to 40 pound test Spectra 
line (Power-Pro, Fire Line, or Sufix Braid).   A 6 to 7 foot rod is best.  8 
foot is really the maximum length I would take out on a party boat.  If your 
rod and reel is not heavy-duty enough, simply rent one on the boat. Keep in 
mind, most party boats rent the conventional type of rod and reel. If you 
are unfamiliar with it, get the mate to show you how it works.

If you plan to fish often, the Spectra lines are the best because the sinker 
goes to the bottom faster and you can feel the bites better. Tie on a couple 
feet of 30 or 40-pound test leader into the braided line and simply tie in 
two dropper loops two or three inches in length and slip in two loose Kayle 
hooks in the #1/0 to #4/0 size range. If you don’t know how to do any of 
this let the mate tie on your rigs for you.

The nice part about fishing on a party boat is that you can walk on with 
virtually nothing except a cooler with ice for your fish and some food, and 
the mate and captain will fix you up! (For a fee of course.)  But that’s 
better than trying to rig up something that’s not appropriate.

Although they work fine, wire top and bottom rigs tangle up and drive mates 
and captains crazy.   Rigs with long leaders that you can get away with when 
fishing on your own boat get tangled up with your neighbor more easily than 
rigs with shorter leaders.

OK. The boat finally gets to the fishing grounds.  The first thing to do is 
bait up with squid or clam.  If there’s pieces of clam, hook on the white 
hard part first, then pierce it through two or three more times placing the 
dark yucky stuff on the point of the hook. Sea bass like this the best!  If 
there’s squid cut up, just put some on the hook. Bigger baits usually catch 
the bigger bass.

When the boat stops, get to the bottom as fast as you can.  The best, 
fastest action usually happens right away.  If there’s 50 people on the boat 
and 200 fish down there, he who gets to the bottom and catches a couple, and 
gets back down quick, is more likely to catch more before the action slows 
and the captain has to move again.

Go to the bottom until you feel the sinker hit the bottom. Then reel in any 
slack. When you feel the bite, set the hook.  Wait and a second or two not 
letting any slack in your line and you may get a second bass on the other 
hook.  Then reel up fast before the fish gets in a snag.


If your bait gets washed up and has been on the hook for a long time, change 
it. If your squid strip is puny because the bass has nibbled it away to just 
a small piece, put a larger piece on.

Some anglers like to add a little three or four-inch swimming minnow or 
mullet grub just above the hook for extra attraction.  Chartreuse or white 
are good colors.  They can be plain rubber or the Berkley or Fishbite 
scented ones.  Never hurts!

“How do I catch a tautog?”

Put on a piece of clam, sand flea, or green crab with a slightly smaller 
hook.  Generally you need to be in a decent amount of structure to catch 
one. If they are there, you’ll catch one along with the sea bass.  Ask the 
Captain, if you are likely to catch one or not. He’ll know if he is in 
tautog territory or not!

Some party boats go out for a full day, usually in the 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. 
range.  Others go for a half- day, such as 8 A.M. to Noon and 1 P.M. to 4 
P.M. or so.  Half-day boats don’t go out as far and offer less fishing time. 
(It still takes a while to get there!)  If you are seriously after fish for 
the table and maybe the freezer, go on a full day boat.  If you just want to 
wet your feet, see what the ocean is all about, or taking young children or 
a girlfriend or wife that has never been out on the water before, the half 
day is the one for you.

Get your info and call in advance to make a reservation if the boat requires 
it.  All the phone numbers, hours, and location of party boats are right 
here within the pages of the Coastal Fisherman!

Good fishing….



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