UTERBlack sea bass fishing in Delaware Bay and Ocean City
In Delaware Bay and Ocean City, black sea bass peak May–October and are around April–February, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Ocean City and Lewes party boats on the coral lumps and wrecks; squid and clam.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Black sea bass in Delaware Bay and Ocean City, month by month
- JanuaryAroundDeep winter fish on the offshore wrecks — check whether the season is open.
- FebruaryAroundThe coldest month: tog and the offshore wrecks on calm days. Crabs on the deep wrecks for tog; watch the weather windows.
- MarchNot here
- AprilArriving
- MayPeak
- JunePeakOcean City and Lewes party boats on the coral lumps and wrecks; squid and clam.
- JulyPeakCanyon season opens up: yellowfin, mahi, white marlin. Run to Poor Man's, Baltimore and Washington canyons for marlin and tuna; fluke move to the ocean wrecks; croaker and spot in the bay and inland bays.
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberPeak
- NovemberLeavingThe striper run reaches the Delaware and Maryland beaches. Bunker chunks and big plugs off the Delaware beaches and Assateague; green crabs on the inlet rocks and the ocean wrecks for tog.
- DecemberAroundLast of the migration on the beaches; tog on the wrecks. Big stripers running south along the beaches and the inlets at night; tog and sea bass on the deep wrecks.
Where to fish black sea bass near Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City
Delaware Bay's big, shoaly estuary with the lumps and sloughs off Slaughter Beach and the Coral Beds; the Delaware, Maryland and Assateague surf; the inland bays and back bays behind them (Rehoboth, Indian River, Assawoman, Sinepuxent, Chincoteague); Virginia's wild seaside barrier islands; and the offshore lumps (Jackspot, Hambone) out to Baltimore, Poor Man's and Washington canyons.
Fish Scouter charts 150 wreck, 52 artificial reef, 1 ledge / hard bottom spots in the Delmarva & Delaware Bay map area — the kinds black sea bass hold on.
What to use for black sea bass
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Leader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook2/0–7/0
- Braid30–65 lb
Feeds in 52–78°F water, best at 58–72°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch black sea bass in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Peak season is May–October. Black sea bass are in Delaware Bay and Ocean City April–February. June: Ocean City and Lewes party boats on the coral lumps and wrecks; squid and clam.
Where do black sea bass hold in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Look on artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom, wreck — around Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape May.
What is the best bait for black sea bass in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Live bait: squid, live shrimp. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 30–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 2/0–7/0, braid 30–65 lb.
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