Drifting Easy by Sue Foster

“I’m coming to fish in September. What should I expect?”

Many anglers believe September is when the big fish start to run. While we 
do get some larger fish, the big stripers and bluefish generally run in 
October and November. BUT if you want to try to catch a big flounder or your 
first red drum on Assateague, September is the month to come to Ocean City. 
Besides that, September weather is OUTSTANDING. It is probably the best 
month of the year to come to Ocean City and just enjoy the water and the 
fishing.

“So what’s biting in September?”

Basically, the same fish that were biting in August are biting in September. 
We do have more snapper blues biting in September.  Almost anywhere in the 
channels of the bay or in the inlets bluefish in the small to 5-pound range 
run feeding on little bunkers, mullets, and shiners. During the day you can 
catch them on any kind of cut bait. At night or anytime at the inlets, you 
can catch them with lures. Bucktails tipped with a plastic worm or a strip 
of squid will always catch you a bluefish. Many anglers rig the bucktail 
with a monofilament or Fluorocarbon leader (30 or 40 pound test) about 12 to 
18-inches long. The angler ties one end of the leader to the bucktail and 
the other end to an inline sinker anywhere from three quarters to one and 
half ounces.   This way the angler can cast into the inlet with extra weight 
to get some distance without having to go to a larger lure. It also allows 
the lure to sink towards the bottom where the fish are often feeding during 
the day.

Cast the bucktail UP CURRENT and let it sink as the tide carries it along. 
Wait about 7 to 10 seconds as it sinks. Then start jigging the bucktail up 
and down, still not reeling in until it passes by you with the tide. When it 
finally passes by you, THEN you can reel it back in as you jig it in. 
Anglers also jig Gotcha Plugs, Spec Rigs, and spoons for the blues.

SEPTEMBER FLOUNDER!

Flounder fishing can be excellent in September. There are lots of natural 
baits in the bay such as the little peanut bunker, shiners, spot, and finger 
mullet. Flounder are “chowing down” this time of year; they are getting 
ready to move offshore to their wintering grounds.  On the high outgoing 
tides in the main east channel anglers can catch some REALLY nice flounder. 
They seem to “stack up” next to the Route 50 Bridge.  Anglers “live baiting” 
spot or finger mullet have the best chances of catching some of the BIG 
ONES. For anglers using dead bait, a long strip of cut fresh spot, 
lizardfish, or bluefish can work wonders. So can a dead finger mullet or a 
smelt. Smelts look like large shiners and work really well. (You need to 
give the flounder a little more time to eat them though!) Large live minnows 
also work well.

Forget about the back-bay areas in September. Even the famous Thorofare can 
be unproductive. Concentrate on the deep water near the Route 50 Bridge and 
around the Inlet. Remember, the fish are getting ready to MOVE OUT towards 
the ocean.

“Where did the croaker go?”

Anglers looking for the schools of croaker that were in the bay all summer 
will be disappointed to find that they are NOT THERE.  The schools generally 
are gone from the bay by September.  You may catch some small ones near the 
Route 90 Bridge, or some larger ones in the Inlet or around the Route 50 
Bridge at night. But most of them will be just offshore on the shoals. 
Anglers with bigger boats can find them at Little Gull Shoal, Big Gull 
Shoal, and on the reef offshore of 28th Street. Sometimes in numbers…. 
Sometimes not….

TROUT?

Every year is different when it comes to the trout. Generally, gray trout or 
weakfish can be found just offshore running with the croaker. They won’t be 
large. Just around legal size and up to 15 or 16 inches. If they are there, 
you can catch them with squid strips on monofilament top and bottom rigs 
rigged with flounder sized hooks. Sometimes they are South of the South 
Jetty or right outside of the Inlet.  Other times you can find them one to 
five miles off the coast of Assateague or around the Artificial Reef 
offshore of 28th Street. Little Gull Shoal and Big Gull Shoal are other 
popular trout holes. Offshore trout fishing in the fall used to be VERY BIG 
in Ocean City in past years. Since sea trout have “fallen off” over the past 
few year’s anglers seem to have forgotten about them. But they are there, 
though not running as large or as plentiful as they used to.

FLOUNDER OFFSHORE?

Yes, yes, yes…. In September you will find some nice fluke lurking around 
the offshore wrecks and on the Bass Grounds. They will be traveling with 
some decent schools of sea bass.  Bait up with long strips of squid, live 
spot, long strips of bluefish fillet (my favorite), shiners or minnows 
(always works), small finger mullet, smelts or even a small whole California 
squid. Some anglers like to jig a large bucktail off the bottom with a strip 
of cut bait or whole squid. I sometimes use a squid head with good success. 
Be sure to carry your net because some of these flounder are BIG.

If you don’t have your own boat, September is a great month to slip out on 
one of Ocean City party boats for sea bass, croaker, and flounder.

SURF FISHING?

September sees the annual RED DRUM run on Assateague. Some years it happens 
better than others, but if it happens, drum like peeler crab, clam, spot 
heads, and bunker. Fish just like you would for BIG STRIPERS.

In Ocean City’s surf we’ll see an array of species.  There will be flounder, 
snapper blues, kingfish, blowfish, croaker, spot, small sea trout, and some 
stripers. Most of the stripers will be under the size limit of 28-inches but 
as the weather cools down, we’ll see more and more keeper rockfish. 
Although we get few large red drum in Ocean City, we usually see some puppy 
drum (smaller red drum.) They will take any kind of cut bait.
Schools of finger mullet will start running in the surf and snapper blues up 
to 5 pounds will be right behind them. Finger mullet on a finger mullet rig 
is good for these hungry fish.  Fat kingfish are still around and they take 
Fishbite bloodworm or small pieces of fresh cut bait such as mullet or 
bunker on smaller hooks.

NOT SURE WHAT TO FISH FOR?

Throw out one rod with a whole finger mullet or spot head. Throw a smaller 
rod out with a kingfish rig baited with worm and see what’s biting!

WANT TO THROW A LURE FOR FUN?

Get a small rod with 12-pound test and cast 3 to 4-inch trout killers or 
Calcutta Split Tail shads or some other small soft body attached to a lead 
head into the wash at dawn or dusk and catch some stripers.  Most will 
probably be short but occasionally…. Well, you never know!

NIGHT TIME striper fishing picks up from the Route 50 Bridge and Inlets for 
anglers casting swimming shad lures or live eels and live spot.  Anglers do 
best on the high tide. Fish three hours before high tide and one hour after 
high tide. Invest in a Bridge Net if you plan to spend much time at night on 
the Bridge, as some of those stripers are LARGE!  Many anglers make a tandem 
rig out of two soft-bodied lures. They tie one lure on a longer leader and 
another lure on a shorter leader and tie them both to a three-way swivel. 
This way, you can use slightly smaller lures but you have that extra weight 
to get you closer to the bottom.

In September, tautog fishing starts to pick up along the jetties, bridge, 
and the bulkhead along 2nd through 4th Streets. Tautog fishing will be 
better later on, but you’ll catch a few if you use sand fleas or green crab. 
(Note: Tautog season is closed for most of September in Delaware but remains 
open in Maryland.)

September fishing can be quite productive and the WEATHER IS GREAT!  The 
crowds are gone and LIFE IS GREAT!

Good fishing….

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