Tuesday, June 17, 2014

2014 Maryland Free Fishing Days

Maryland Free Fishing Days:
June 7, 14 and July 4, 2014


Maryland's 2014 free fishing days are June 7, June 14 and July 4. No fishing license, stamp or registration is required to recreationally fish in State waters on these days.

Maryland also features 23 unique license-free fishing areas, where anglers can fish without a license throughout the year. However, a free Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration is required in these areas except on free fishing days.

As always, anglers must adhere to fishing regulations, including size and possession limits, which are available online in the digital 2014 Maryland Fishing Guide. Printed copies of the guide are offered at most Maryland tackle shops and any of the seven Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Service Centers.

Anglers 15 years and younger do not need a license to fish, year-round.

source: Department of Natural Resources

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Ocean City Md Striped Bass Fishing


The striped bass, also known as striper, or rockfish is one of the most popular saltwater fish caught at Ocean City, Md. Unlike most saltwater fish species, striped bass are caught during all four seasons; spring, summer, fall and winter.

Productive areas for catching stripers around Ocean City include the north jetty, south jetty, Rt 50 bridge, Rt. 90 bridge, Verrazano Bridge, coastal bays, and beaches along Ocean City and Assateague Island.

Casting lures is a popular technique for catching striped bass. Popular lures for catching stripers include bucktail jigs, jigs with soft plastic bodies, metal jigs, crankbaits, topwater plugs, gotcha style plugs, spoons, and others.

Striped bass are also caught using a variety of live and cut baits. Around bridges and jetties, live eels and spot are popular. For surf fishing, anglers employ cut baits including bloodworms, menhaden, mullet, spot, soft crab, sea clams, and other baits.

Although fishing for these heavyweight gamefish can be very specialized, anglers occasionally catch striped bass while flounder fishing.

Striped bass make excellent table fare. Fish kept for the table should be kept cold.

Stripers can be cleaned using either of three techniques;
scale first and fillet, leaving skin on;
remove the skin first by peeling off, then fillet;
or fillet first and then cut skin from fillet.