Fishing Report for week of 10/11/26
The fall bite continues to build around Ocean City, with bluefish, tautog, sea bass, and striped bass all providing anglers with plenty of opportunities from the surf, back bays, inlets, and offshore reefs.
Bluefish around the Island
Bluefish action has been good this week, with fish showing up all around the island. Anglers are finding consistent catches in Corson's Inlet, Great Egg Inlet, throughout the surf, and around the back bays. Metal lures remain one of the most effective options, especially during moving water and low-light periods.
Those fishing bait are finding success with fresh-cut mullet and bunker, which continue to draw aggressive strikes from both school-sized and larger bluefish.
Tautog Bite Remains Strong
Tautog fishing continues to improve as water temperatures cool. Good numbers of blackfish are being caught around local bridges, jetties, and reef structure.
Top-producing locations include:
- 9th Street Bridge
- Ocean City-Longport Bridge
- Corson's Inlet
- Local inshore reef sites
Green crabs remain the go-to bait, while sand fleas are also producing quality catches for anglers targeting structure-oriented fish.
Bigger Sea Bass on the Deeper Reefs
Offshore anglers are reporting some larger black sea bass moving onto the deeper reef sites. Boats fishing hard bottom structure have been finding the better fish on clam and squid baits.
With favorable weather windows, now is a great time to take advantage of the improving offshore bottom fishing.
Striped Bass Showing in the Backwaters
Striped bass are beginning to appear more frequently throughout the back bay systems and tidal rivers behind Ocean City. While the migration is still developing, anglers are reporting more consistent encounters with bass around creek mouths, sod banks, and deeper channels.
Effective presentations include:
- Soft plastics
- Topwater plugs
- Live eels
- Live spot
The best action has generally occurred during moving tides, particularly around dawn, dusk, and after dark.
Outlook
Fall fishing is definitely gaining momentum throughout the Ocean City area. Bluefish are providing steady action in the surf, bays, and inlets, tautog fishing continues to improve around structure, larger sea bass are showing on deeper reefs, and striped bass activity is increasing in the backwaters every week.
If current trends continue, anglers should expect the striped bass bite to strengthen significantly as more fish move into the local waters over the coming weeks.
Good luck on the water! 🎣
