“We want to go on a party boat!”

Ocean City and its surrounding areas have several party boats.
Your first decision you need to make is this: Do I want to venture out into
the ocean, or do I want to go into the bay. The bay party boats primarily go
out for flounder in the spring. Later, in the summer, there will also be
croaker fishing as well.

“Where will I catch more fish?”

Fishing can be hit or miss, no matter where you go, but fishing
on a full day boat in the ocean will probably give you the best chance of
catching dinner. In the spring, sea bass congregate over the wrecks and
offshore obstructions. They are not hard to catch when the fish are
cooperating, and they are very good to eat. Sometimes, in the heat of the
summer, sea bass fishing can fall off, due to fishing pressure. But by
then, there are usually some other species the boat captains can pursue. In
late summer, croaker, sea trout, and bluefish along with some flounder are
offshore, giving the sea bass a chance to regroup. So by fall, when the sea
bass start to migrate, the “bite” can be on again.

There are several boats that go out of Ocean City and the Indian
River area. If you have a choice between a full day trip which is usually
between 7 A. M. and 2 P.M. and a half day boat that is between 8 A.M. and 12
P.M. or 1 P.M. and 4 P.M., you are much better off going on a full day trip.
The captain can venture off further and you will have more fishing time. The
one time that I would suggest going on a half day boat is if you are going
with a small child or a partner that has never been in the ocean before.
Then, the half-day boat can give the person a “taste” of the ocean without
subjecting them to it all day, in case they do not like the experience.
(Small children have a short attention span as well, and may get bored on a
full day outing.)

“What should I take?”

There’s one thing about hopping on a party boat. You can show up
with nothing and still go fishing! But it is much better to be a little
more prepared. Every party boat is different and offers different
amenities, so I would call or better yet, visit the boat in the afternoon
when it comes back to port. Some of the party boats have galleys where food
is offered. Some have their own liquor licenses. These boats do not allow
you to bring your own beer.

I think the most important thing you can bring along is a cooler
with ice so you can keep your catch fresh. Then, if you do decide to bring
along your own lunch and some sodas or water, you can keep those cool as
well. Another important thing to take along is some sun protection as the
sun reflecting on the water can give you a nasty sunburn if you are not
careful! A hat and a pair of sunglasses is another good idea. If the wind is
from the west, some bug spray is also a good idea. (You will be surprised
that those pesky biting flies can find you 20 miles offshore!)
A rag to grab the prickly sea bass when taking it off the hook
is another good idea. Never grab a sea bass with your bare hands as their
fins have sharp spines that can cut your hands. They don’t have much for
teeth, but those fins can certainly “get you.” It’s also nice to have a rag
along to wipe your hands after baiting up. (Some people like to have some of
those disposable “wipes” to get that “squid or clam” juice off your hands
before biting into a sandwich!)

If there’s any possibility of seasickness, have some
precautionary chewable motion sickness pills along. If you “know” you are
prone to seasickness, take one one hour before your trip. If your child has
never been offshore before, you may have some idea whether they are “prone”
to seasickness if they have ever been ill in a car, plane, or amusement
ride. (That’s me! I take my Marezine, and then I’m fine!)

If you do feel ill out in the ocean, stay outside in the fresh
air. Don’t go inside and never go in the “head.” Nibble on a saltine or
pretzel. And if you have to go over the side, hey, it’s not anything anyone
hasn’t seen before!

“What kind of rod and reel should I take?”

You can use a spinning or conventional type outfit with 15 to 30
pound test line. The most important question you need to ask yourself before
carrying your rod and reel aboard is this: Will it handle a 5 to 8 ounce
sinker? If it is too light to handle the weight, leave it at home and rent
a rod on the boat. If the boat is crowded, it is especially important to
carry a rod and reel that will handle the weight. The mate is happy when all
the sinkers go down at the same time in the same direction, to avoid
tangles.

“What kind of hooks and sinkers should I carry?”

Wide gap styled hooks in the #1/0 to #2/0 size range is fine.
You can buy snelled hooks and heavy-duty top and bottom rigs and set your
rig up with a 5, 6, or 8-ounce bank type sinker. Or you can buy loose hooks
and make two dropper loops (three or four inches long) in your line or in
some 30 to 40 pound test leader and make your own rig. Some anglers dress up
their hooks with plastic squids, bucktail on a brass sleeve, or four- inch
curltail grubs. Chartreuse seems to be a popular color out on the party
boats.

“How about bait?”

Party boats supply the bait, but you can always bring along some
of your own if you like. Most use squid and some use clam. So if you want to
bring something extra along I would suggest a cup of salted clam and some
kind of crab such as sand fleas or green crab if you want to try for a
tautog.

“What is the technique?”

Sea bass are relatively easy to catch. If the captain anchors
you will learn that the biggest bass are usually caught right away. So when
the captain says the word to drop your lines, get down to the bottom right
away. As soon as you feel the bottom wind in any slack line and wait for the
bite. As soon as you feel a bite, set the hook, and reel the fish in. If you
miss it, get back down to the bottom.

Don’t be afraid to use a good-sized bait. A lot of little
throwback sea bass are down there nibbling. If you reel in, and there’s just
a small amount of bait left on your hook, add another piece of bait before
you go back down.

Party boat fishing can be a fun day. Pick your days and check
out the Marine Forecast before making the trip. Go to the Noaa web site, go
to Coastal Marine Forecasts and then go to “ Coastal waters from Fenwick
Island, DE to Chinocteague,VA and out 20 miles you will get a good idea of
the winds and weather. If it calls for over 20 miles per hour, and waves
over 5 feet, you may want to lay a day.


You may not always fill your cooler, but the experience of being
out on the water on a nice day meeting new friends is well worth the day.
(And probably less expensive than a day at the mall!)

Good fishing…

PARTY BOATS IN THE OCEAN CITY AREA

· “Angler”—Talbot Street and the bay—full day—410-289-7424

· “Morning Star”—Shantytown Road and Rt. 50, West Ocean City—full
day—410-520-2076

· “Ocean Princess”—Old Towne Marina at Dorchester St., full
day—410-289-6226--

· “Judith M”—Bahia Marina at 22nd Street—two half day trips—some
evenings. 410-213-7438

DELAWARE PARTY BOATS

· North Indian River Marina—Cross the Indian River Inlet Bridge going
north, and make an abrupt left—302-226-2214—(Party boat and charters)

Further north—Lewes, Delaware offers fishing in the Delaware
Bay. Party boats and charter boats go for trout, blues, drum, tautog, sea
bass, flounder and stripers. If you are interested in night fishing, this
is where you need to go. There are two large marinas in Lewes that have
several party and charter boats:

· Fisherman’s Wharf—Angler’s Road in Lewes (by the drawbridge)
302-645-8862

· Angler Fishing Center—Angler’s Road in Lewes (located 200 yards past
Angler’s Motel) 302-644-4533

·
· Tradewinds II—Delaware Bay Head Boat—Bowers Beach
302-422-FISH

· Tradewinds—Charter Boat—Bowers Beach
302-335-FISH

· Reliable II— Delaware Bay Head Boat-- Bowers Beach—
302-335-3500

BAY PARTY BOATS

· “Bay Bee”—Shantytown Road, West Ocean City—half day bay trips, 8
a.m-noon and 1-5 p.m.—410-213-1121

· “Tortuga”—Bahia Marina at 22nd Street and the bay—half day bay
trips- 410-289-7438

· “Happy Hooker”—bay fishing only- 410-289-0000

· “Pony Express”—Dorchester Street in the bay. Capt Howard Cleaver- 2
hour bay trips 410-289-2565- or 410-289-6720