Take a Kid Fishing - Kids Fishing- Oyster Bay Tackle, Ocean City, Maryland

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      August is a wonderful month to go night fishing in the Ocean City Maryland. The pay piers and Route 50 Bridge all have bright lights that shine down on the water. The lights attract the bait fish which in turn attract the larger fish such as trout, stripers, and bluefish. Anglers jig bucktails with curltail worms attached, Got-cha Plugs, Swimming Shad Lures, MirrOlures, Windcheaters, Bombers, spec rigs, and Rattletraps beneath the lights to attract the fish. Three hours before and after high tide, after dark, is the best time to go night fishing.
      Fishing the Ocean City Maryland or Indian River Inlets at night will also keep you in fish. Work lures on this same tide and you will come up with trout, blues, and stripers. During the daylight hours, you can catch snapper blues as well as a few trout. The very best fishing for stripers is right at dawn.
      By day, anglers can catch sea bass, tautog, and triggerfish around the rocks at the Inlets. The triggerfish are quite good to eat and can also be caught around the Rt. 50 Bridge and the 2nd through 4th Street bulkhead. Anywhere there is structure, you can find triggerfish in August. They like pieces of crab, sand fleas, or squid.
      Surf fishing is great in August. You won't catch any huge fish, except for sharks or rays, but there is plenty of action. Kingfish, Norfolk spot, sea trout, small stripers, snapper blues and an occasional pompano is the fare. Your best bet is to use a kingfish rig which is made with colored floats and size #8 hooks. Bait up with a piece of bloodworm and you are ready for action. Yes, bloodworm and small hooks and you will almost be guaranteed to catch fish! It's a great time of year to take kids fishing.
      There are three factors to consider when deciding when to go surf fishing. First is the tide. Like almost any other kind of fishing in the Ocean City area, two to three hours before and after high tide is the best tide to fish on. Any troughs, sloughs, or drop-offs hold more water, bringing fish closer to the shore.
      Second, is the time of day. Fish in the surf tend to bite best between dawn and 10 A.M. and between 4 P.M. and dark. They come closer towards to the shore to feed. In the middle of the day, the fish hang a little further offshore, possibly scared away by the bright sunlight and beach traffic. This certainly does not mean you can't catch fish in the middle of the day. All we are saying is that given a good tide, fish will bite better in the early morning or dusk hours.
kids fishing, Ocean City Maryland, croaker and spot

kids fishing, Ocean City Maryland, croaker and spot

      The third and very important factor is wind direction. If you have a light East wind, your chances of having good fishing is greater than if the wind is from a Westerly direction. Ocean breezes give you clean, clear water. These breezes seem to bring fish closer to the beach. When the winds are from an Easterly direction, there are less problems with flies on the beach as well. West winds mean a land breeze. If you are fishing in one of the State Park areas be sure to take the bug spray along on a West wind.
      In Ocean City, Maryland, Fenwick Island, Delaware and Bethany Beach, Delaware anglers are allowed to surf fish before 10 A.M. and after 5 or 5:30 P.M. when the lifeguards go off the beach. If you do want to fish later into the day because the tide is better, go into one of the state park areas and pay to park and you can fish all day long. The Delaware Seashore State Park is very close to Ocean City, just North of Fenwick Island. Assateague Island is just South of Ocean City. Going west across the Route 50 Bridge, turn left on 611 and you will find the Assateague State and Federal parks which both have fishing areas where you can fish all day.
      Many vacationers like to crab in August. And yes, crabbing has been decent this year. Some of the places you can throw in a chicken neck on a crab line are: --125th Street and the bay where there is a public pier behind the Recreational Center; 41st Street and the bay where there is a small public pier and bulkhead behind the Convention Hall: the Isle of Wight where there is a public bulkhead and rocky beach. Cross the Route 90 Bridge at 61st Street and travel west. In the center of the bridge is an island. At the flashing light, made a left. You will see the area right away. Walk to the bulkhead towards Ocean City.
      Assateague has a crabbing and fishing pier. Cross the Route 50 Bridge going west. Make a left on Route 611. Travel this road till you see the bridge going to the island. To the left, you will see a public pier. Ayres Creek has good crabbing. As you travel Route 611 towards Assateague, make a right on Route 376. A few miles down this road you will come to a small bridge crossing Ayres Creek. Herring Creek also has good crabs. Go west across the Route 50 Bridge. A few miles out of town you will see a small bridge crossing Herring Creek.
      Along the marsh or under the Bridge off Route 54 near Harpoon Hannah's Restaurant has also been excellent this year. August is a good month to go out on one of Ocean City's many party boats. Full or half day will catch you some sea bass, ling cod, trigger fish, and tautog. Some days they may drift for croaker, flounder and sea trout.
kids fishing, flounder, Ocean City, Maryland

kids fishing, flounder, Ocean City, Maryland

For a complete guide while on vacation, pick up Ocean City's Fishing and Crabbing Guide for only $5.99 to keep you informed on where to go and how to fish and crab in each location.
You do not need a license to fish or crab in Ocean City's bay or surf. If you have any questions about fishing or crabbing in the Ocean City area visit us at Oyster Bay Tackle at 116th Street or our newly expanded Fenwick Tackle (Maryland Ave. - Oceanside) in Fenwick Island, De. Feel free to give us a call at 410-524-3433 or 302-539-7766. Visit our web page and weekly fish report at www.oysterbaytackle.com.