Drifting Easy

“Where can I go fishing around here? What bait or lures should I use.”

Anglers without a boat are limited to shore assess. Ocean City is growing 
and there are only so many places you can throw in a line.  One of the 
easiest places to fish is the beach!  The vacationer can simply walk out on 
the beach and throw in a line. There’s no snags or crowded conditions as 
long as you get up early! Anglers in Ocean City are allowed to surf fish 
between 5 A.M. and 10 P.M. before the lifeguards go on duty.
During the day, swimmers rule the beach and surf fishermen have to wait 
until the lifeguards go off duty at 5:30 P.M. Then, between 5:30 and 
midnight, anglers are allowed back out on the beach to fish.

Fishing the beach is relatively easy as long as the surf is not too rough. 
Anglers cast out just beyond the crest of the wave with a surf rig weighted 
with a pyramid or hurricane type sinker, so the weight does not roll back 
in. Bait up with cut mullet, squid, bunker, bloodworms, or Artificial 
Fishbite Bloodworm Alternative.  In the summer, don’t go overboard on your 
hook size. You’ll catch more fish with smaller hooks!

Look for contours in the beach. Fish a slough, rip, change of bottom, dip, 
or backwash. White water is shallow water. Dark rolling water is deeper 
water. Cast into the deeper water!  Hint: You can find “holes” on the beach 
during the day while you are swimming.

If you want to surf fish during the day you find surf fishing areas in 
either the Delaware Seashore State Park or Assateague State or National 
Park.

Fenwick Island Bathhouse
 is part of the Delaware State Park and is located on the ocean just 1/2 
mile North of Fenwick Island.
3 R's Road is part of Delaware State Park and is located on the ocean just 
South of the Indian River Inlet Bridge. This is one of the most popular Surf 
fishing areas in the Delaware State Park because it has a quick drop off. 
A surf rod and reel in the 8 to 12 foot range with a reel spooled with 15 to 
20 pound test works well.
North of the Indian River Inlet, you will find Conquest Road and Haven Road, 
two other parking areas where you can pay to park and walk over the dune to 
surf fish all day. These two areas are less crowded. You can also fish the 
beach on the North side of the Indian River Inlet.  You can also buy a 
yearly 4-wheel drive permit to drive on the beach.
Assateague State and National Parks
are located at the very end of Route 611. Both these Parks have fishing 
areas for a fee. Yearly 4-wheel drive permits are also sold to drive on the 
beach in the National Park.
Indian River Inlet
is also part of the Delaware State Park, located approximately 15 miles 
North of Ocean City on Route 1. This is a wonderful place to fish for the 
experienced angler. There are two rock jetties that anglers can walk out on. 
Or the angler can cast from the cement walkway on either side.  You can 
catch all kinds of fish here depending on how you want to fish. You can use 
bait and bottom fish or you can cast lures. Anglers use sand fleas,  green 
crab, or clam for bait for tautog, triggerfish, sheepshead, and black drum 
and fish close in near the rocks. Anglers cast shiners and squid for 
flounder, or cut mullet or bunker for bluefish, and worms and squid for 
croaker.   Bucktails with plastic worms attached, Swimming Shad lures, 
spoons, spec rigs, Salt Water Flies and Gotcha Plugs are all good for 
stripers and bluefish. Usually bluefish run on the incoming tide during the 
day. Stripers tend to bite very early in the morning and after dark on the 
beginning of the outgoing tide. Rule of thumb for lure fishing is light 
colored lures during the day and dark colored lures at night.   Live eels 
are tossed into the inlet for stripers at night. Fairly sturdy fishing 
tackle is needed to fish the swift waters of the Indian River Inlet. A 
medium-heavy to heavy rod and reel rated at least 10 to 20 pound test is 
needed. A surf rod and reel can also be used.
Cape Henlopen State Park
is also part of the Delaware Seashore State Park.  From Route 1, take Route 
9 towards Lewes, Delaware and follow the signs. 42 Cape Henlopen Drive, 
Lewes, DE 19958 (302-645-8983) Cape henlopen State Park sits east of Lewes 
with 5 miles of shoreline where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. 
Anglers can surf fish or fish from the 1/4-miles Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier. 
On the pier, anglers catch flounder, croaker, spot, trout, and snapper 
blues.
“Where can I fish in Ocean City?”
Ocean City Inlet
is located at the Southern most end of Ocean City. Like the Indian River 
Inlet, anglers use lures such as bucktails, Got-cha Plugs, Spoons, Swimming 
Shad Lures and spec rigs for bluefish, trout, and stripers. Anglers use sand 
fleas, green crabs or clam for bait for tautog. Anglers use squid, mullet, 
or shiners for bait for the flounder and bluefish. At slack tide, anglers 
use live eels for bait for stripers.
The Ocean Pier
is a pay pier that runs parallel to Ocean City Inlet. Enter from Beach 
Parking Lot. Use bloodworms or Fishbite Bloodworm Alternative for bait for 
spot, kingfish, and croaker. Use squid and shiners for flounder, and cut 
bait for bluefish, shark and skate.
The Oceanic Pier
is a pay pier that is located at the Southern most end of Philadelphia Ave. 
near the inlet. Use shiners, squid or live minnows for fishing bait for 
flounder, bluefish, and trout—bloodworms, Fishbites or nightcrawlers for 
spot and other small fish. Fishing lures are the tackle to use at night. 
Cast Got-cha Plugs or Spec Rigs for blues, shad, and trout.
The Route 50 Bridge
is located one block South of 1st Street and has excellent summer flounder 
fishing for anglers using frozen shiners in combination with a strip of 
squid for bait. Worms are used for bait for spot and other small fish. Blues 
hit fishing lures such as bucktails, Spec Rigs, spoons, or Got-cha Plugs or 
they take bait such as squid and shiners. Anglers catch    tautog and black 
drum using sand fleas or green crabs fishing near the draw. Use fairly heavy 
fishing tackle on the Bridge as it's at least 30 feet off the water. Night 
fishing is generally good working fishing lures beneath the lights. The best 
fishing lures on the Bridge are Got-cha plugs, bucktails with 6-inch plastic 
curl tails attached, Swimming Shad Lures, Zoom soft bodies tied on lead 
heads and fished in tandem.   Anglers also use live eels at night for 
stripers.
Homer Gudelsky Park
is a free Public area. Traveling west over the Rt. 50 Bridge, make a left at 
Golf Course Road (next to Royal Farm Store) and make the next immediate left 
(Old Bridge Rd.) This area is a beach with rocks along the shore. It’s a 
very popular spot for fly fishermen! Cast shiners and squid combinations for 
or live minnows for flounder- Use worms for bait on small hooks for sea 
bass, croaker and spot.- Use fishing lures early in the morning or after 
dark for blues and stripers.   One needs fishing tackle that will cast into 
the main channel. A 7 to 8 foot rod and reel or even a surf rod and reel 
will work at this park.
2nd thru 4th Street Bulkhead
is a free public area located on the bayside. Use shiners and squid for bait 
for flounder, bluefish and sea bass—bloodworms or Fishbite bloodworm for 
bait for Norfolk spot and croaker.  Sand fleas or green crab will work for 
tautog, triggerfish, sheepshead, and stripers. When the tide is running 
hard, fish straight down. When the tide subsides, you may cast out into the 
channel. Some anglers fish here at night for stripers, trout, and blues with 
fishing lures such as bucktails, spec rigs, Got-cha Plugs, Rattletraps, and 
Swimming Shad Lures.
9th Street Pier
is a free public pier located on 9th Street and the bay. Use shiners or live 
minnows for fishing bait for flounder-- squid strips for seabass and 
bluefish-- worms for Norfolk spot and croaker.
Convention Hall
offers a free public bulkhead and pier behind Convention Hall at 40th 
Street. It’s not the greatest fishing area as it’s not very deep here, but 
it can be good crabbing and fair fishing on the high tide. Use live minnows 
for flounder bait—bloodworms or Fishbites for spot and croaker bait. Light 
fishing tackle for a rod and reel is all you need here.
Isle of Wight
Cross Route 90 Bridge at 62nd Street going west. At the traffic light in the 
center of the bridge, turn left. This public area is good crabbing with 
traps. (It’s a little too high for lines.)  As the water is not real deep 
here, most the fish are going to be on the small side. Use worms for bait 
for spot, croaker and sand perch. Use live minnows or squid for bait on the 
high tide for flounder or bluefish. Light fishing tackle for a rod and reel 
is all you need here.
125th Street Pier
Public fishing and crabbing pier just north of the Recreational Center at 
125th Street is another good crabbing area that offers light fishing. It’s a 
good place to take the small children. Go on the high tide or not much will 
be happening. Small hooks and small sinkers with bloodworms or Fishbite 
bloodworm Alternative is what you want to use here for spot, croaker, and 
sand perch. Light or ultra light fishing tackle is all you need here.

Good fishing!







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Sue Foster ~ Oyster Bay Tackle~
11615 Coastal Hwy. Ocean City, MD 21842
(next to the Green Turtle- bayside)
phone- 410-524-3433 / fax-410-213-7642
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Fenwick Tackle~ Rt.1 and MD Ave.
Fenwick Island, DE, 19940
(next to the Atlantic Book Store- Ocean Side)
Phone- 302-539-7766
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web address~ www.oysterbaytackle.com
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online shopping~ http://shop.oysterbaytackle.com
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Email:  mailto:sue@oysterbaytackle.com
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