Drifting Easy by Sue Foster

“We’re coming to Ocean City in June. Where should we go and what should we
expect to catch!”
June is the month when the kids get out of the school, and families are
ready to go fishing. Some anglers bring their boats along on their vacation
and ask where to launch their boats and leave their trailer there while they
are fishing. The Commercial Harbor in West Ocean City offers a large, free
boat launch that most everyone uses. The Gum Point Road ramp is smaller
but nice for launching smaller boats. The Assateague Island State Park has a
large area for launching and they do charge a fee.
Assateague Island State Park, Route 611 at Assateague Island Bridge
Gum Point Road off Route 589, West Ocean City
O.C. Commercial Harbor, 12806 Sunset Avenue, West Ocean City

If your rental unit has a boat slip, trailer parking is available at the
100th St. Municipal Parking Lot for a fee if you need to leave your trailer
while on vacation in Ocean City. For information, call the lot at
410-524-0038. Boat trailers may not be parked on the public streets,
alleyways or public parking lots from May 1 though October 1.
Flounder fishing is the mainstay of Ocean City fisherman drifting in boat in
the Ocean City bay. In June, flounder fishing can be quite active though
there’s usually lots of throwback flounder in the mix. Snapper bluefish are
also in the mix, making for some fun pullage for the kids. June is too early
for croaker, so most anglers stick to the “tried and true” flounder baits of
live minnow with a strip of squid or frozen shiner with a strip of squid
dangling on the same hook.
(pic of bait on hook)
If the angler has a larger boat, the offshore wrecks, fish havens, and
Artificial Reefs give up some nice sea bass and flounder in June. There’s
not much in close to the beach except for snapper blues, skate and sand
sharks, so plan to cruise out at least 8 miles for decent sea bass fishing.
“When can we fish off the beach?”
Surf fishing is decent in June. The bigger blues are usually gone and mostly
snapper blues in the 10 to 16 inches are around. Occasionally anglers will
catch larger ones. There are also some pretty good-sized sand sharks around,
tasty kingfish (whiting) and Norfolk spot towards the end of the month.
Stripers are about, but catching a “keeper” is usually very “hit or miss” on
the Ocean City beaches. Anglers seriously trying to catch keeper stripers
should fish right before dark and very early in the morning. Plain hooks on
either a top and bottom rig or a single-leadered hook, set up on a fish find
rig is best for stripers. Bluefish like a whole finger mullet rigged up on
a “mullet rig” or any kind of cut bait hung on a double hook surf rig. For
Kingfish and spot use bloodworm or Fish Bites Bloodworm Alternative on a
kingfish rig. These rigs have smaller size #6 or #8 hooks to accommodate
these fish that have small mouths.
(pic of Fish Bites)
“When can we fish off the beach?”
Before 10 A.M. and after 5:30 P.M. when the lifeguards are off duty, anglers
are allowed to surf fish as long as they are not within 50 yards of any
swimmers. Early in the morning and late afternoon towards dusk and after
dark is the best time to surf fish anyway. If you want to surf fish all
day, go to Assateague State or National Park and pay a fee to fish in the
parks. OR, you can go to the Delaware Seashore State Park and pay to park in
any of the parking areas from just North of Fenwick Island to Cape Henelopen
and fish all day. $8 to $10 to park and fish all day is not a bad deal!
“We don’t have a boat and I don’t want to surf fish. Where can we fish from
the shore that’s any good?”
Since there’s not much in the way of croaker and spot yet in June,
especially the early part of June, you need to fish the fishing areas closer
to the inlet. The pier behind the Recreational Center at 127th Street and
the pier behind the Convention Hall at 41st Street will be mostly for
crabbing early in the season.


One of the better places to go without a boat in June is either the Ocean
City or Indian River Inlets. Cast lures such as bucktails, Got-cha Plugs,
Spec Rigs, Spoons, and Swimming Shad Lures for snapper bluefish, trout, and
stripers--Use sand fleas or green crabs for tautog. Use squid, mullet, or
shiners for bait for the flounder and bluefish. The incoming tide is
usually best. Either slack tide (low or high) is also good.

The Route 50 Bridge located 1 block South of 1st Street is famous for
excellent summer flounder fishing by day. Early in the morning and at night
anglers cast bucktails, Spec Rigs, spoons, or Got-cha Plugs for snapper
blues, trout, and stripers. Tautog fishing is still decent in June for
anglers dangling sand fleas or green crab sections close to the draw and
pilings of the bridge.

The Oceanic Pier is a pay pier located at the Southern most end of
Philadelphia Ave. near the inlet. Anglers catch flounder and snapper
bluefish by day and cast spec rigs and gotcha plugs at night for shad,
trout, and bluefish. Usually we see a decent run of sea trout in June there.
The Oceanic Pier is a very good place to go on the incoming tides. Tautog
are also lurking around at the end of the pier for anglers using sand fleas
and green crab sections.
The Ocean Pier, another pay pier that runs parallel to Ocean City Inlet, is
a good alternative to surf fishing. Enter from the Beach Parking Lot and
walk up the stairs. Use bloodworms for bait for kingfish and some early
Norfolk spot. Lots of sand sharks and skates are caught there on squid.
Snapper blues come in and out there with any kind of cut bait. Flounder can
be caught there with shiners and squid combinations. Stripers bite close to
the wash. Occasionally, anglers also pick up some trout there in June.

The Homer Gudelsky Park can be a decent place to fish in June for snapper
blues, flounder, and trout. 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 small beach with rocks along
the shore. Cast shiners and squid combinations for bait or live minnows for
flounder- Use fishing lures early in the morning or after dark for blues and
stripers. Anglers cast Swimming Shad Lures, Got-cha Plugs, Spec Rigs,
MirrOlures, bucktails, and Rattletraps. 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.
In June anglers still do pretty well on tautog using sand fleas or sections
of green crab. Don’t cast out; fish straight down. Use shiners and squid
for bait for flounder, bluefish and sea bass. There’s always lots of little
sea bass for the kids to catch. 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. Usually the Route 50
Bridge and the Oceanic Pier is better at night though.
9th Street Pier is a free public pier located on 9th Street and the bay. In
June, it’s good for flounder and snapper blues. Use shiner and squid
combinations. Kids can also catch blowfish using bloodworm and squid or
better yet, Fish Bites Bloodworm Alternative on size #6 hooks.

If you don’t mind driving out of town go to the Cape Henlopen State Park and
fish off the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier. 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.
Anglers fishing the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier in June use bloodworms for
bait for spot, kingfish, and croaker. Flounder are caught on live minnows,
shiners, or squid strips for bait. Stripers, blues, and trout are taken on
fishing lures such as Got-cha Plugs, swimming shad lures, spec rigs,
bucktails, and any kind of soft bodied lure. Cast out from the pier, and
slowly retrieve in.

June is a good month to hop on a boat for a day or half day and fish the bay
or ocean. Check out the Coastal Fisherman newspaper, and all the ads are
for boats are in there!
Good fishing…