It's the last weekly Coastal Fisherman for the year. I've covered lots of
topics on inshore fishing and hope I've been able to help. Being in the
retail tackle business my employees and myself answer lots of questions
every day.  The following are some of the most "frequently asked questions."

 "Where can I go around here without a boat?"

· The Route 50 Bridge has a causeway where anglers can fish both day and
night.  It is located just south of 1st Street.  Anglers generally use bait
by day, and lures by night.
· The Oceanic Pier, which is a pay pier at the southern most end of
Philadelphia Ave., is a very popular place to fish in Ocean City.  It is
open spring, summer, and fall.  Generally anglers fish bait by day and lures
by night.
· The Ocean Pier is a pay pier that juts out into the ocean.  Park in the
Inlet Parking lot and you can walk right up onto the pier. You generally
catch any fish that you would catch in the surf from the Ocean Pier.
·  The Ocean City Jetty and sea wall is located at the southern most end of
Ocean City.  Anglers either lure fish or bottom fish. You will lose some
tackle bottom fishing.
· The 9th Street Pier is a public pier on the bayside located on 9th Street.
It is small and can get crowded, but has a variety of fishing action.
Anglers usually bottom fish here with bait.  Stay clear of the pilings to
the right of the pier, or you will get snagged.
· The bulkhead from 2nd through 4th Streets is a public area that can be
good fishing on the slacking tides.  The current runs hard through here and
is difficult to fish during the running tides.  It is a good area for tautog
and little sea bass.  Occasionally anglers catch flounder, stripers,
triggerfish, croaker, drum and spot.
· The bulkhead behind Convention Hall at 41st Street offers light fishing,
crabbing, and clamming.
· The pier behind 127th Street, North Side Park offers light fishing and
crabbing.
· Indian River Inlet is part of the Delaware Seashore State Park.  It is
located approximately 15 miles North of Ocean City.  Anglers cast lures or
bottom fish.
· Surf fishing in the city limits is allowed before 10 A.M. and after 5:30
P.M. in the summer season.  Once the lifeguards go off duty near the end of
September, anglers can fish the surf anytime.
· Delaware Seashore State Park has several areas where anglers can surf fish
all day.  The two most popular areas that are closest to Ocean City are: the
Fenwick Island Bathhouse, located just ¼ mile north of Fenwick Island; and 3
R's located on the ocean just South of the Indian River Bridge.
· Assateague Island that is located at the end of Route 611 has surf fishing
areas, crabbing and clamming areas, and areas for light fishing on the
bayside.

"What are the best baits to use around here?"

For flounder you want to use live minnows or frozen shiner with a strip of
squid attached to the same hook.  For little fish such as spot, croaker, or
little sea bass, a small piece of bloodworm sandwiched with a small strip of
squid on the same hook is best.  For tautog, you want to use any kind of
crab.  For stripers you want live eels or live spot. For surf fishing,
finger mullet is the bait of choice for bluefish.  Bloodworms are good for
any kind of smaller fish.

"What are the best lures to use around here?"

Got-cha Plugs, bucktail jigs with a plastic worm attached, Storm Wild-eyed
shad lures, Gummy Shads, MirrOlures, Rattletraps, Rebel Windcheaters, Spec
Rigs, and Hopkins lures.

"What do I need to fish the surf?"

Surf fishing is one of the simplest; "easy-to-do" type of fishing you can do
around here.  All you absolutely have to have is a 10 to 11 foot surf rod
and reel spooled with 15 to 20 pound test line, a sand spike, a 5-gallon
bucket, a couple surf rigs with Styrofoam floats to keep the bait off the
bottom, a couple 3 and 4 ounce hurricane type sinkers, and some bait,
(finger mullet, squid, or worms.)

"When is the best tide to go fishing?"

Usually the rule of thumb is to fish 2 to 3 hours before high tide and one
to two hours after high tide.  However, if you are fishing the surf, time of
day is very important as well.  Fish the tides any time during the day but
also fish from dawn until 10 A.M. and from 4 P.M. until dark regardless of
the tide.  In the fall, surf fishing becomes very popular and my rule of
thumb is this:  If it is nice, go fishing!  Sometimes people wait for a
certain tide, and by the time the tide is right, the weather may not be in
their favor.

"Does the rain affect the fishing?"

Rain doesn't affect the fish as much as the fishermen.  Actually, it is the
wind that is our fishing enemy.  When the wind blows, the water gets stirred
up and can become dirty.  Water clarity is very important when it comes to
fishing; if the fish can't see the bait, the fish aren't going to bite.

Fishing is actually good on a falling barometer, right before a storm or at
the beginning of it.  Fish do not usually bite as well the next day after
the storm is over.  The water can be dirty and the barometer may be rising.

"Does the moon affect the fishing?"

It seems that we have the better fishing leading up to a full moon.  After
the moon has been full and wanes, the fishing can be slower.  This is
especially true for nighttime fishing. Some anglers believe that if the moon
is full and bright all night, that daytime fishing is slower because the
fish are eating all night and are full.  (In this case, you might find an
"afternoon bite" is more likely than a "morning bite".)

"What do they catch on the party boats?"

Party boats in our area generally fish for sea bass most of the year.  The
full days usually always target the sea bass, while the half-day boats may
target croakers, flounder, or trout.  The full day boats can go out further
and fish longer, so if you are making a choice, try to pick the full day
boats.  In reality, full day is not really all day anyway.  The boats leave
at 7 A.M. and are usually back in by 2 P.M. or 3 P.M.

"Do bloodworms bite?"

Bloodworms have suckers that can latch on to you and will scare you more
than hurt you.  Your best bet is to keep them cool, handle them quickly, and
cut each worm into pieces.  Once they are cut up, they are dead and can't
bite you anymore!

"What is better for flounder, live minnows or frozen shiners?"

Both are equally good.  Many anglers believe that shiners work best next to
sandy shoals and that minnows work better in the back bays close to green
marshes.  I believe that both work equally well, and that on some days one
will work better than the other because that is what the fish are feeding
on.  Both generally work best with a strip of squid wiggling beside the
shiner or minnow bait.

"How do you hook the bait?"

Hook live minnows and eels through the lips.  Hook shiners through the eyes.
You can hook several shiners on one hook.  The more the merrier!  But only
hook one minnow on a hook at one time.  Cut your squid into strips and only
hook them once so they dangle attractively off the hook.  Thread bloodworm
pieces on the hook.   Cut finger mullet into chunks, or fillet the side off,
or use whole on a "finger mullet" rig.
"Where can I find phone numbers for party boats and charter boats?"

Pick up a copy of the "Coastal Fisherman!"

Thanks for a great year.

Good fishing.