Fish Report 6/6/25
Long-Long CBass Monday - 6/9/25
Sea Bass Fishing Remains OK
Reservations Open Through 7/14/25..
A Letter To The Secretary of the Navy.
Fishing Sea Bass Everyday Weather Allows - Catching too - fewer limits but solid catches aboard most trips..
Reservations Are Now Through Mid-July - (7/14/25.)
I'll hold late July & all of August in reserve to see how mahi play out this summer; do dearly love that catching.
Sailing Monday Long Sea Bass - 6/9/25 - 6 to 4 (so likely 5:30 to whenever I get back) $180 - 18 Sells Out (..and derned unlikely!) Jigs, as ever, welcome. Electric reels are not.
Sailing Saturdays 6:30 to 3:30 at $165.00 — Weekdays & Sundays 7 to 3 at $145 - All Sea Bass Trips Sell Out at 18 Anglers. I sail 1/2 an hour early on all trips if all are aboard..
Am now charging 10% gratuity for parties of five or more as a failsafe for crew. Most will surely see robust effort and sweeten that figure..
My long time friend and reigning Reef Queen (handles reef matters & mail!) - Marisa has taken over the helm on my reservation line.
Truly a sharp gal; she is but a one person operation & with a toddler at that. I'm quite confident of many more live answers and faster voice mail/text responses than in recent years though. Have had many positive comments about Marisa already. She might be slammed when I hit send (I hope!)(or maybe not!) If she cannot pick up, (she might be putting her 1 yo handsome future angler down for a nap or any other Mom duty!) ..leave her a message or text her. She's been getting back to folks quickly.
Reservations at 443-235-5577 - The line closes at 8pm and reopens at 8am. Marisa won’t take reservations for trips that are not announced - but she can note & pass along your desires.
If you want a spot for a summer sea bass trip call Marisa on the reservation line at 443-235-5577.. Emailing me is no good. I have plenty on my plate without following the blow by blow of reservations. I won't have real time info on what's available - Marisa does. I do check email for questions, however, & Facebook messenger from 'friends' too..
***Be a half hour early! We always leave early!! ..except when someone shows up right on time.
Clients arriving late will see the west end of an east-bound boat. Seriously, with a limited number of reserved spots, I do not refund because you overslept or had a flat.. If you’re reserved and are the last person we’re waiting on - you’ll need to answer your phone. I will not make on-time clients wait past scheduled departure because of a misfortune on your part.
Sea Bass Size limit 13 inches - 15 per person. A precious few summer flounder/fluke about now also. 17.5 inches on them.
I try to always leave a half hour early (and never an hour early!) I rarely get in on time either. If you have a worrier at home, please advise them I often come home late. It’s what I do.
Trips Also Sometimes Announced on Facebook at Morning Star Fishing
https://www.facebook.com/ocfishing/
I post after action reports (or lack thereof) (and sometimes detailed thoughts on fisheries issues) for EVERY TRIP on my personal FB page and Morning Star page. Posts including OC Reef Foundation work will be included on those pages as well. You do not need to be a registered FB user to see my posts.
Bait is provided on all trips. Jigging is always welcome - it doesn't always work, but when it does? Fun and productive - we'll have jigs you can borrow too.
No Galley. Bring Your Own Food & Beverage.
If You Won't Measure & Count Your Fish, The State Will Provide A Man With A Gun To Do It For You. We Measure & Count — ALWAYS — No Exceptions!
It's Simple To Prevent Motion Sickness, Difficult To Cure. Bonine seems our best over the counter because it's (supposed to be!) non-drowsy. It's truly cheap & effective insurance. If it makes you a bit sleepy - but not suffering extreme reverse digestive disorder? That's a great trade!
"The Patch" -Scopolamine- however, is an anti-nausea prescription that beats all comers.
If the ocean still wants to get the better of you? Zofran (anti-nausea frequently given by physicians and especially in surgery) can be a day saver. iI you have it left over from a prescription, bring it - if only for someone unprepared. We sometimes have a few aboard also.
Honestly - If you get to go on the ocean once a month, once a year or even less; why risk chumming all day?
Ahhhh, then there's the ebullience of youth! Of course you can party hard all night and go on a moderately calm ocean..
No you can't!
If you howl at the moon all night? Chances are good you'll howl into a bucket all day.
Get Rest & Take Preventative Medicine!
Please Bring A Cooler With Ice For Your Fish – We Do Not Mix Catches - A 48 Quart Cooler Is Fine For A Few People. Do Not Bring A Very Large Cooler. We have some loaners - you'll still need ice. I want your catch memorable even after the dishes are washed! Should you catch some monstrous fish, we’ll be able to ice it.
No Galley! Bring Food & Beverages To Suit. A few beers in cans is fine for the ride home.
Our daily fish pool is a $20 Split Pool - half goes to the heaviest sea bass (or advertised species announced in AM. Perhaps summer flounder/fluke for instance) - and half goes to our daily 50/50 reef raffle. Reef building works wonderfully off our coast. I do all I can to fund/build & promote it.
Reef Blocks - As of 5/24/25 we have 43,529 Reef Blocks (mostly in units) & 2,343 Reef Pyramids (170lb ea) deployed at numerous ACE permitted ocean reef sites. There are also 1,336 pyramids deployed by MD CCA at Chesapeake Bay oyster sites working to restore blue ocean water. Counting those awaiting deployment at cement plants, there have been about 6,000 pyramids made since my crew and I fashioned a prototype mold in late August 2019.
Currently being targeted oceanside with reef nlock units: Ryan & Shari's Bay Breeze Reef 208 Pyramids - Uncle Murphy's Reef 284 Reef Blocks; Rambler Reef 468 Reef Blocks & 13 Pyramids - Pete Maugan's Memorial Reef 156 Blocks & 14 Pyramids - Calder's Reef Improvement 224 Blocks & 12 Reef Pyramids - Virginia Lee Hawkins Memorial Reef 570 Reef Blocks (+98 Reef Pyramids) - Capt. Jack Kaeufer's/Lucas Alexander's Reefs 2202 Blocks (+57 Reef Pyramids) - Doug Ake's Reef 4,194 blocks (+16 Reef Pyramids) - St. Ann's 3,035 (+14 Reef Pyramids) Unnamed Spot at Jackspot Reef (Now Gratitude Reef - TY TF!) 304 Blocks & 12 Pyramids (many w/bamboo added) - Another New Reef at Jackspot - 60 Blocks - and still Another new reef at Jackspot - 140 Blocks - Sue's Block Drop 1,810 (+30 Reef Pyramids) - Kathy's Cable 318 blocks (11 pyramids) - Rudys/Big Dad's Barges 140 Reef Blocks (+9 Pyramids) - Benelli Reef 1,552 (+18 Pyramids) - Capt. Bob's Bass Grounds Reef 5,182 (first reef to cross 5K) (+ 119 reef pyramids) - Al Berger's Reef 2,038 Reef Blocks (48 Reef Pyramids) - Great Eastern South Block Drop 260 Reef Blocks (+10 Pyramids) - Cristina’s Blast 140 Reef Blocks & 2 Pyramids - Capt Greg Hall's Memorial Reef 362 Blocks (+2 Pyramids) - Kinsley's Reef 964 Pyramids - Bear Concrete Reef 512 Pyramids, 44 Blocks plus 16 pipes..
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Greetings All,
I've posted this letter to facebook twice now in the past few days. Please believe I'm confident this isbthe best chance we'll ever have to get the Navy helping to improve fishing all along US coastlines. This letter is not just about Maryland's marine reef building. It is intended to be shared to any state's artificial reef advocates so they might act to increase every coastal state's reef footprint. Feel free to cut and paste it to reef builders anywhere..
Our new Secretary of the Navy is not only a seriously sharp businessman tasked with saving money in a distinguished branch of our armed forces; I hear it said he's also a dedicated saltwater fisherman. I'm sure of it.
Doesn't the Navy have a bunch of ships in storage just sopping up federal dollars with maintenance and wharfage expenses? Doesn't the active fleet conduct numerous training exercises and especially require target practice to be mission ready?
Hmmmm...
Now, just in case you're thinking what I'm thinking, you too should send this gentleman, The Honorable John Phelan, Secretary of the Navy, a snail mail letter similar to mine below too.
Yup.
Snail mail.
Best to use your own words, but cut and paste with a personal note will also work.
The Honorable John Phelan
Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon, Room 4D652
Washington, DC 20350
Dear Secretary Phelan,
I suspect few are as aware as yourself that an unused boat or ship not only becomes less operable - even inoperable, but will often become a maintenance money-funnel tying up valuable wharfage in our busy ports - a true waste of federal money. Is this not also so for the US's mothball fleet? Though not as numerous as they once were, ships stored for future use (mothballed) are soon outdated and require heavy spending to become, if possible, operational again.
Surely you're also aware, Sir, the great value artificial reefs have had on increasing temperate coral growths at least as far north as New Jersey and with incredibly greater tropical growth down to Florida and around the Gulf states. Above the temperate zone artificial reefs have also become important marine habitat. Surely not just corals; fish especially live on new reef habitat. They feed, grow to maturity, contribute to the prey base of large gamefish & spawn - all as is called for in the Magnuson-Stevens act's habitat provisions. There is no doubt: artificial reefs provide excellent diving & fishing opportunities for US coastal region residents and their many visitors from afar.
Were the Navy to dispose of unused ships (perhaps with a bit of cleaning) by using them for target practice (inside the thirty fathom line where possible) defenders of our nation at sea could enjoy true live-fire target practice while creating marine habitat that will last into centuries. If adding to existing reef perhaps inert munitions would be best. Lots of small holes sinks a ship just as surely as one big one.
I suspect every sailor alive--that ever lived, would happily have sunk ships and boats for target practice.
It is also true that every ship sunk at sea inside 100 fathoms in calamitous circumstance - true shipwrecks - and this despite a complete absence of cleaning, nor removal of cargo, has become a marine habitat haven enjoyed by anglers, divers & explorers around the world.
Indeed, most of our armed forces have boats and ships of little value being stored - especially the Army Corps of Engineers & Coast Guard. Even the Army has boats and pontoons for bridges that outlive their use. A far more noble purpose than scrap; might not all these unused vessels better serve our country as target practice for the Navy that, once deployed as reef, soon bolster marine habitat & US fisheries?
Consider too the frequently scheduled tug and barge/ship transport exercises with our active duty fleet. If loading and delivering free miscast/off-inventory precast cement such as pipe to a reef site were seen to meet an exercise's goal; new habitat created of cement would likely, as seen in ancient Roman works, last into millennia as fish habitat.
Those same miscast pieces could also be cabled together in large heavy units and deployed in such number that they'd defend coastal cities from storm waves - while also serving as nearshore reef habitat.
I surely think using military surplus and training to better US fisheries a more noble goal than ships wasting away at a wharf to become scrap, or barges running light in training.
It's my sincere hope you'll not only agree and explore these possibilities, but that you will also hear from many others who wholly support such..
Promise, Mr Secretary, the Navy is in a unique position to better our marine habitat & fisheries - perhaps along all US coasts.
My Sincere Regards Sir,
Capt. Monty Hawkins
Ocean City Reef Foundation