7.25.20 11:23 am

Sat - 7/25 - 

The big fishing news this weekend it the HUK Big Fish Classic Tournament being held at Talbot Street Pier.  106 boats registered bringing the award monies to over $900,000.  With most of our captains who share fishing reports in the tournament, I do not expect much info this weekend.  The boat "Trip Wire" with Capt. Croft Upchurch did bring a 83" & 243.5 lb swordfish to the scales last night.  As they were going back out he did not share location, but did connect the fish on squid.

Weather - 

Inshore - Partly sunny, slight chance of tstms throughout the day.  Highs in the upper 80's with winds E 5-10

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore- 423 AM
TODAY  Variable winds less than 10 kt, becoming E to NE, then,  becoming SE. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered showers and tstms.  
TONIGHT  Variable winds 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered  showers and tstms.  
SUN  Variable winds less than 5 kt, becoming S to SW 5 to  15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered showers and tstms.

Weds - 7/22 - 

9:00AM - Tuna bite still on at the Hotdog, however we are not seeing as many boats back with double digit to limit catches.  Capt. Luke Blume on the "C-Boys" got back to the dock a little after noon with 14 yellowin in the box.  While they hit a lot, he shared others were picking off one or two.  All still chunking.
Capt. Monty Hawkins on the head boat "Morning Star" found the sea bass to be 'fussy' yesterday.  His anglers found some fish, but no limit catches and only a few double digit one.  He added 2 hours to the trip to get his group more time on the reef.
Matt Romanowski and Rick Stewart caught two flounder while drifting gulp and minnow combos behind assateague. Capt. Nick Clemente on the charter boat "Get Sum" reported several keeper flounders over 20" while fishing in the south bay using white Gulp.

Weather -

Inshore - Very hot yet breezy day.  Highs in the upper 80's, but a heat index of 103.  SE winds 10 - 15.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  423 AM
TODAY  W to SW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming SW 5 to 15 kt, then,  becoming S to SW 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered showers  and tstms.  
TONIGHT  S to SW winds 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.  
THU  SW winds 10 to 15 kt, becoming S to SW 15 to 20 kt. Seas  3 to 5 ft.

Tuesday - 7/21 - 

9:00AM - The big news offshore continues to be yellowfin tuna action inshore on Sat and Sun.  Specifically chunking at the Hotdog has been producing limit or near limit catches first thing in the morning.  Several boats have been coming back to the docks at 9AM after getting their fill in 90 - 120 minutes, having 3, 4 and even 6 on at a time.   Second spot would be the Rockpile.  The marlin bite seems to be south lately with reports over the past few days of releases in the Washington and Norfolk.
Nearshore/Inshore reefs/wrecks still producing sea bass and mackerel.  Recent reports are African Queen, Elephant Trunk, Great Gull, bass grounds and 19 Fathom Lump.

Weather -

Inshore - You already know this - Hot Hot Hot.  The heat will raise chances for tstms in the afternoon.  Winds N/NE shifting to E in the afternoon.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  1024 AM
TODAY  W to NW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming S to SW 5 to 15 kt.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Chance of showers and tstms.  
TONIGHT  S to SW winds 5 to 15 kt, becoming W to SW. Seas 3 to  4 ft. Chance of showers and tstms.  
WED  SW winds 10 to 15 kt, becoming S to SW 10 to 20 kt. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Chance of showers and tstms.

Sat - 7/18 - 

9:00AM - Looks like a nice day for fishing.  Lots of boats in the OC bay already on my drive in and LOTS of trailers at the ramp and trucks at Sunset and the OC Fishing center.  I expect it to be crowded offshore again, especially the Hotdog.  Lots of chunking going on.  Further out the yellowfin action is still string in the Massey, Washington and the Poor Man's Canyons.  White releases reported in the Washington and Poor Man's.
The warm weather will heat up the bays making flounder fishing more difficult.

Weather -

Inshore - Partly sunny with slight chance of rain.  Highs in the 80's, SE winds 5-10.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  419 AM 
TODAY  W to SW winds 5 to 15 kt, diminishing to less than  10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Chance of showers and tstms.  
TONIGHT  Variable winds less than 5 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Chance  of tstms.  
SUN  Variable winds less than 5 kt, becoming S. Seas 3 to  4 ft.

Fri - 7/17 - 

9:00AM - Looks like a lot of boats went out to the Hotdog this morning.  Capt. Buddy Whetzel on the charter boat "Bubblehead" out of the Bahia Marina reported a bumpy ride out at 6:30AM. Winds were ESE and tight waves. Weather settled down a bit around 7:30.  His new anglers on board enjoyed the wave actions over the bow!  He will be trolling to start around the Hotdog, moving to chunkin if not successful on the troll.  He reported at 9AM that there were about 30 other boats with him there.

Capt. Cade Seely from "Chasin’ Tides" charters shared "We were doing some nighttime fishing last night and I was able to get angler Jan Smith on a 42 inch red drum (that was safely released) using bunker."

Weather - Partly sunny with a slight chance of tstms late.  Breezy with highs in the 80's and winds S @ 15-20.

Inshore -

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  434 AM EDT
TODAY  S winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to  4 ft.  
TONIGHT  S winds 10 to 20 kt, becoming S to SW 10 to 15 kt.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered showers.
SAT  W to SW winds 5 to 15 kt, diminishing to less than 10 kt.  Seas 3 to 4 ft. Tstms and scattered showers.

Thurs - 7/16 - 

4:02PM - Short update from Capt. Nick Clemente on the charter boat "Get Sum" - He is fighting the east wind in the south OC bay, making it more work for him to manage the drift.  He reports the water is still a little dirty from last Friday's storm but he has keeper flounders in the box and is getting several throwbacks as well.  They have also seen several spanish mackerel jumping.

9:30AM - Not a lot of reports from yesterday offshore. Several boats at Sunste Marina reported good yellowfin tuna action at the Poor Man's Canyon.  Mahi were in the mix as well as several white marlin releases.
Inshore Capt. Chuck Cook of First Light Charters reports he caught a 5lb, 24” flounder on cut squid while fishing in the Old Grounds.  The inshore wrecks continue to produce amazing flounder action.  

Weather -

Inshore - Partly sunny, highs in the mid 80s.  Winds SE 10-15.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  431 AM
TODAY  E to SE winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
TONIGHT  SE winds 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 5 to 15 kt. Seas  3 to 4 ft.  
FRI  S winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Weds - New Issue is out. - 7/15

4:00PM - Capt. Chris Watakowski on the charter boat "Springmix II" reports - "Offshore and not to bad. Springmix II was 2 for 3 on whites, missed a blue  marlin.  3 yellowfins and 7 dolphins.  That was in the poormans."

9AM - Was delivering papers yesterday, did not get a chance to post the rest of Capt. John Oughton's updates.  He continued to get several more yellowfins on ballyhoo and one on plastic.  Getting the fish one at a time with several slow periods.  Also had several hookups break off including one that got off right at the boat.  he also commented that the fishing "Sounds good down the road on Lumpy."

Weather - 

Inshore - Mostly sunny, highs in the mid 80's with N winds shifting to E this afternoon at 5 mph

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  428 AM
TODAY  Variable winds less than 5 kt, becoming N to NE, then,  becoming E to NE. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
TONIGHT  E to SE winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
THU  E winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Tues - 7/14 - Delivery Day!

7:56AM - Lastest from Capt. John - "Catch another single bite, picking away slowly. All Yellowfins"

7:25AM - More from Capt. John - "Sounds real slow on the other spot down the road. Patiently waiting them out sure they'll start fighting again soon"

7:07AM - More from Capt. John - "Getting slow now, did get another single bite. No wind slick calm and getting hot"

6:31AM - Lastest from Capt. John - "Catch another single yellowfin, slow pick for the boats here so far"

6:09AM - Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "That's Right" reports - "Good morning fishing inshore again today flat calm seas 74° Catch a couple single Yellowfins  Scattered bite."

Weather - 

Inshore - Mostly sunny, highs in the mid to upper 80's.  Winds N 50 to 10 then shifting east in the afternoon.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  419 AM
TODAY  N to NW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming N to NE. Seas 3 to  5 ft. Scattered showers and tstms.  
TONIGHT  Variable winds less than 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
WED  N to NE winds less than 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Mon - 7/13 -

10:18AM - Capt. Adam Wilson on the charter boat "Chasin' Tides" reports - "found a decent mackerel bite on trolled spoons this morning and are now on the offshore wrecks finding a surprisingly good sea bass bite."

10:00AM - late start today due to late night at the Ocean City Tuna Tournament!
The offshore action for us was dominated by the Ocean City Tuna Tournament.  29 boats went out and 21 came to the scales!  While the tuna action was mainly yellowfin, the top fish and stringer for the tournament were bigeyes.  Nice to see them back at the dock after an ~2 week absence.  Nothing unique called out for the spread, basic ballyhoo and spreader bars were the common answers.  Location did vary with lots of yellowfin found at and around the Hotdog followed by the Poor Man's Canyon.  Bigeyes were reported from the Poor Man's, south of the Baltimore and in the Washington Canyons for the top winners with bigeyes: "Big Stick", "Espadon" and "Point Runner".  Full results of the tournament can be found at 
https://octunatournament.com/maryland-fishing-results.

Weather - 

Inshore - Partly sunny, chance of tstms.  Highs in the upper 80's, wind NE at 5 mph.

Offshore- Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  435 AM EDT
TODAY  W to SW winds 5 to 15 kt, becoming variable. Seas 4 to  7 ft. Scattered showers and tstms.  
TONIGHT  S to SW winds less than 10 kt, becoming variable.  Seas 3 to 6 ft. Scattered showers and tstms.  
TUE  N to NE winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming E. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Sun - 7/12 - 

12:42PM - Update from Capt. John - "Bringing home a nice Mako, male 75" caught him in the troll. Good day, headed home"

11:42AM - Update from Capt. John - "Short day for us catch a few. Getting ready to head back in. Overall it sounds slow, some quick bites early then seemed to dry up fast."

8:15Am - Latest from Capt. John - "Catch another single, scattered bite in this area. All nice Yellowfins"

7:40AM - Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "That's Right" reports - "Morning, couple days off back at today. Catch a few so far in 23 fathoms. No wind seas are flat calm Nice yellowfins"

7:30AM - Many boats stayed in yesterday with questionable weather, however 3 brave boats in the 33rd annual OC Tuna Tournament ventured out.  The "Marli", "Ed Bandidos" and "Sushi" came back to the weigh station with all yellowfin tuna.  The leaderboard for heaviest fish is tight, with Marli in the lead at 50 lbs. and "El Bandidos" 2nd @ 49 lbs and "Sushi" 3rd, also at 49 lbs.  They all reported a little chop on the way out, but that the weather settled down quickly to reveal a nice day on the water.  Capt. Mark Hoos on the "Marli" reported a quick hit of 5 yellowfins first thing in the morning.  No notable comments about what the tuna were hitting in their spreads.
Capt. Nick Clemente on the charter boat "Get Sum" took to the bay in the morning, but found the winds and previous day weather had made the water too dirty forcing a cancellation of the rest of the day's outings.  Hopefully the water settled down over night and there is a light breeze this AM.

Weather -

Inshore - Sunny - high in the mid 80's.  SW winds at 5 mph increasing to 10-15 this afternoon.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  452 AM
TODAY  W to NW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming variable, then,  becoming S. Seas 3 to 6 ft. Scattered showers.  
TONIGHT  S winds 10 to 15 kt, becoming SW. Seas 3 to 6 ft.  
MON  SW winds 5 to 15 kt, becoming S. Seas 4 to 7 ft.  Scattered showers and tstms.

Sat - 7/11-

9:00AM - Been busy and the weather has not been cooperating the last few days.  Few Capts. that report to us went out Thursday, but we did get a call from Capt. Jeremy Blunt on the charter boat "Wrecker" to take a pic of his anglers 11 yellowfin.  Caught on a steady bite in the SE corner of the Poor Man's Canyon.  Water in the upper 70's.  Last one caught as they were pulling in the lines.  Friday was a washout. 
Update on OC Tuna Tournament - it has been changed to a 2 day, fishing 1 day tournament.  We understand 32 boats registered and 3 went out today, the "Marli", "El Bandidos" and "Sushi" from oregon Inlet.  I would not expect much info today, most of our reporting captains are not out.

Weather - 

Inshore - Breezy humid hot day with chances of thunderstorms early afternoon.  Winds S/SSW 13-16 mph.

Offshore -  Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  510 AM
TODAY  S to SW winds 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 15 to 20 kt. Seas  3 to 6 ft.  
TONIGHT  SW winds 10 to 20 kt, becoming W to SW 5 to 15 kt.  Seas 4 to 6 ft.  
SUN  Variable winds less than 5 kt, becoming S to SW 5 to  15 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft. 

Weds - 7/8 - 

1:26PM - Latest from Capt. John - "Not much to report, some Bad luck for us today pull the hooks on three or four fish had a few swings Misses . frustrating give it about another 30 minutes"

11:08AM - Latest from Capt. John - "Catch another single. Slow slow pick nice fish 50-60lbs"

10:32AM - From the charter boat "Chasing Tides" - "Trolling spoons inshore today with Capt Cade Seely. Scattered Spanish mackerel bite but nothing great" & "Just pulled another released Mylar balloon out of the ocean, bringing our total up to 17 since we began counting two weeks ago."

10:11AM - Capt. John Oughton reports - "Catch another single, few short bites. Frustrating hear a few bites scattered about."

9:10AM - Capt. John Oughton reports - "Good morning! Fishing up north again 75° water pretty day catch two single so far"

9:00AM - Slow day offshore yesterday.  We were delivering papers yesterday, so here is a summary from Tues:
- Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "That's Right" reported he went north to try something different.  By 10Am he had 3 yellowfin in the box.  Early on it was flat calm and 75 degree water.  By 11AM the fishing had slowed, but they got one more yellowfin out of 2 bites.  By early afternoon the bites were gone.  Chatter on the radio seemed that everyone was slow.  The storms were not helping either.  Other than the catch in the morning it was a "very very slow day".

Weather - 

Inshore - Partly sunny, highs in the low 90s.  Winds SE at 5-10 mph

Offshore - 451 AM
TODAY  SE winds 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered showers  and tstms.  
TONIGHT  SE winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Isolated showers  and tstms.  
THU  E to SE winds 10 to 20 kt, increasing to 20 to 30 kt.  Seas 5 to 9 ft. Scattered showers and tstms.

Tues - 7/7 -

7:30AM - slow day yesterday.  Reports of some yellowfin tuna and bluefish.  Capt. Monty Hawkins on the head boat "Morning Star" reports yesterday's - "... sea bass bite was mostly fussy with an occasional decent pick around the rail. Nice fish too. ... They came on better after it was time to go home. Seems every species bites better when it’s time to leave.".  He stayed and a couple anglers got their limits.  Very unusual for July!

Weather -

Inshore - Mostly cloudy this morning with rain showers, then becoming partly sunny.  Highs in the mid 80s. Winds S 10-15mph.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  514 AM 
TODAY  S winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming S to SE 5 to 15 kt. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Chance of showers and tstms.  

Mon - 7/6 - 

1:48PM - Capt. Buddy Whetzle reports - "Bubblehead released the white marlin in the South Baltimore Canyon wall.    -"

1:46PM - Last of the day from Capt. John - "Headed home catch a few yellowfins and some bluefish. Seemed a little slower today. Try our luck again tomorrow"

11:26AM - Latest from Capt. John - "Not much to it. Hear a bite every now and then. We are wondering now looking for a few more bites"

10:00AM - Capt John Oughton shares - "Bluefish bite has slowed down, shew. Just catch another Yellowfin"

9:48AM - Capt. Chris Watakowski on the charter boat "Springmix II" reports - " 1/2 day inshore trip. All the Spanish and bluefish  you want. Going shark fishing here in a bit let you know how that is"

9:00AM - Morning reports:

From Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "That's Right"
    - 6:04AM - "Morning. Started out inshore. Catch a release aMako  SW wind 2/3 foot 74 degrees"
    - 7:44Am - "Few bites, scattered about in 25 fathoms. All Yellowfins"
    - 8:23AM - "Few bluefish few tunas not as crowded. Nice out"

From Capt. Buddy Whetzel on the charter boat "Bubblehead" - "Bubblehead started out just north of the poor man's Canyon in 80 fathoms, working my way out. Seas 3 to 4, at five seconds from the south. Water temp 72"

Weather -

Inshore - Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  507 AM
TODAY  SW winds 5 to 15 kt, becoming 5 to 10 kt, then,  becoming S 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
TONIGHT  S winds 10 to 20 kt, diminishing to 5 to 15 kt. Seas  3 to 4 ft.  
TUE  S winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Sun - 7/5 -
"He that has a fifth on the fourth shall not come forth on the fifth...."

2:25PM -  That is it for Capt. John today - "That's it for us today try again tomorrow, hope everyone had a great 4th of July!! Happy to have a handful of tunas"

1:25PM - Latest from Capt. John - "Few bites here and there  Still real pretty out."

1:00PM -  quick check of the OC bay from our office shows about a 'billion' boats and jet skis plowing the waves.

11:15AM - Capt. John and our other charter captains need some help.  They could use some room around their boats as they fish and especially when they have fish on.  Last note from John - "Hear a bite here and there. Be nice if all the center consoles would give the charter boats a little room ?????. We get bit and they just swarm you." & "Just something to keep in mind, little Curtsy goes a long way. Thanks. Still looking around in 45 fathoms."

8:07AM - More from Capt. John - Just catch a double Yellowfins outta 3 bites. 31 fathoms

6:53AM - Capt. John updates - "Hear a couple fish caught but not ugh to it yet. Lot of bait, conditions look good"

6:05AM - Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "Than's Right" reports -"Morning. Started on the hot dog. Catch a pair right off the bat. Flat calm 73 degrees"

Weather - 

Inshore - Coastal Waters Forecast 611 AM EDT 
TODAY...SW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming S this afternoon. Seas around 2 ft. Mainly SE swell with a dominant period of 9 seconds.  A slight chance of showers and tstms late. TONIGHT...SW winds 10 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft. Mainly SE swell with a dominant period of 9 seconds. .MON...SW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming S 10 to 15 kt late. Seas around 2 ft with a dominant period of 9 seconds.

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  509 AM
TODAY  N winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming variable, then, becoming  S. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
TONIGHT  S to SW winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
MON  SW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming S to SW 10 to 15 kt. Seas  3 to 4 ft.

Sat - 7/4 - Happy Birthday America!!

Fri - 7/3 -

11:32AM - Capt. Buddy Whetzel on the charter boat "Bubblehead" out of Bahia Marina reports - "Got covered up several times at the hotdog with bluefish. Pushed off shore to the Baltimore Canyon, just bought it a nice yellow fin.  2 foot seas winds gusting 10 to 15 kn, water clarity is clean. Fishing Inlet Baltimore Canyon" & "Probably 40 boats scattered about here at the 300 line..."

10:36AM - Capt. Chris Miller of 'first white marlin 2020!' fame reports - "3/5 on yellowfin so far, slowed up around 9:30". He is fishing in the Washington Canyon.

5:38AM - Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "Than's Right" reports a cryptic message this morning!- "Notta very slow week for me"

First day of the Ocean City Marlin Club Canyon Kick Off - good luck to all the boats!  Looks like a lot when out today.

Weather - 

Inshore - Coastal waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA out20 nm-630 AM.
TODAY...NW winds 10 kt, becoming SW this afternoon. Seas around 02 ft. Mainly SE swell with a dominant period of 8 seconds.
TONIGHT...SW winds 5 to 10 kt, becoming N late. Seas around 2 ft. Mainly SE swell with a dominant period of 8 seconds. 
SAT...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft with a dominant period of 8 seconds. 

Offshore - Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore-  446 AM

TODAY  W to NW winds 5 to 15 kt, becoming variable. Seas 3 to  4 ft.  
TONIGHT  W to SW winds less than 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.  
SAT  N to NE winds 5 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft.

Thurs - 7/2 - 

11:00AM - More from Capt. John - "Not much to report some bites first thing, slow now. Not finding much bait. Fog has lifted."

10:30AM - Capt. Adam Wilson on the charter boat "Chasin' Tides" reports - "In the Baltimore today. Slow overall but just put an eyeball on the deck. Taxman took his fee on it. Ate a green machine.

8:30AM - The yellowfin bite was on yesterday in the Washington Canyon.  Charter boats "Boss Hogg", Shorebilly" and "White Lighting" returned to the dock with nice catches. 

6:20AM - Capt. John Oughton on the charter boat "Than's Right" reports - "Good morning. Had to do a little boat work yesterday back at it today. Starting off in the flats on the west side of the Washington. Very foggy flat calm" & at 7:10AM - "Catch A single yellow fin 55 Fathoms 73° water lotta fog"

W