Ocean City Surf Fishing

[5th Tuition]

I really have to figure out how to post photo's from my phone. Scott will post a couple pic's I sent him from O.C.

Well; I talked to a couple fishermen at the jetty, the 4th St bayside fishing pier, and to surf fishermen on the beach. Nobody was catching.

The wife and I made the trip to Assateague and stopped for some bottom rigs, sinkers, hooks, and fishbites baits. The day was supposed to be mainly a day on the beach, reading, watching people, and enjoying the sound of the waves. Fishing was secondary.

Once I arrived at the beach, I rigged up, took off my shoes & socks, and ran to the waters edge to cast an 8ft rod with 3 oz sinker. Needed to get out a little further. Rolled my pants leg up to my shin and got into the water a little further to cast. Still needed to get out a LITTLE further. Rolled the pants up to the knee and went further out to cast. Damn the water was cold, but I was determined to hit that sweet spot just past the breakers. The wife was laughing at me as I timed the egress of the wave. I would run down as far as possible, cast, and backpeddle quickly as the next wave came in. Damn, still need just a little more distance. Screw it; pants got soaked, and I got the extra distance I needed.

After you were in the water a while, you couldn't feel the cold.

Nobody was catching. However, coming down the beach was a pod of porpoise. Looked like about 5 or six. They would breach, and come up about 50 ft down the beach.

I must have timed it perfectly. The cast fell right in front of the pod and I hooked up a nice 40-50 pounder. The drag sang so sweetly. I expected a jump or two, but the porpoise stayed deep. There was a lot of line on the big reel, but I couldn't turn him. I tried running down the beach to keep from using all the line, but eventually, it popped when all the line was gone.

It's probably best I lost him. If I posted photo's of a bloody porpise, someone would claim I was holding it wrong, not supporting it's weight, didn't release him correctly, or something.

I know the Japanese catch them in nets while tuna fishing and I think they grind them up with the tuna and can the meat. I don't know what the steaks taste like.

I didn't have a cooler large enough anyway.

Well, we head home tomorrow. Had some swordfish steaks for dinner, delicious.

5th (Marty)