Weather cooperated but not the tuna

As beautiful as it was yesterday, boats had trouble getting the tuna to bite, lots of tilefish and mahi caught yesterday. The inconsistent bite trend is continuing, but I don’t think it’s gonna last too long. We have a few different filaments and Eddys beginning to form off our coast that could hopefully turn the bite on! There is a nice band of Bluewater pushing down into the Lindenkohl and Spencer canyon that may reach the Wilmington by Tuesday. There’s also a stretch just outside of Poormans, and another big area down just south of the Norfolk. If you add in the inshore lumps there is lots of options of places to fish and potentially have success! For now we will be keeping an eye on the blue water and eddy to our north and see what happens out there today! Tight lines!

Calmer than expected today

The water is calmer than expected on this beautiful Sunday! Quite a few boats fishing today the big eye bite still seems to be good in the Washington, however the inshore bite appears to be moving further north, if you are thinking of trying inshore I think Masseys, Chicken Bone or Hambone would be great spots to try, the same water that was down near Lumpy Bottom and to the south appears to be slowly moving north east. I will check back in later this afternoon to see how boats did today! The Billfish bite has been in the Wilmington, but I think you could also find them deep in the Poormans and or the Norfolk depending where you are leaving from!

More big eyes yellowfin and mahi

Friday seemed to be the day to get out and fish! Saturday we saw a bit rougher conditions and lots of boats out fishing. Split Bill sport fishing had limited out at Lumpy Bottom on Friday so we decided to stop there and ended up catching one yellowfin we lost at the boat, along with a peanut mahi too. Split Bill was in that same area again and went 1 for 2. I think the overcast conditions and crowded waters made fishing a little tougher on Saturday. Even the boats who went out to the Washington didn’t have success like boats did Friday. Hopefully we get more weather windows to get back out there soon. The inshore lumps should all be getting better and better specially the ones to the south of OC inlet. Quite a few boats overnighted in the Washington Thursday and Friday and did catch some big eyes. There was a marlin bite in the Wilmington but that was all we heard caught up that way was Marlin and Sharks. Washington and Norfolk still seem like the best bet for tuna, we will be keeping a close eye on the SST shots and blue water and will keep you guys in the loop!

Big Eyes, Yellowfin and Mahi

We had a beautiful day for fishing today, and quite a few boats got out and took advantage! Jon Henry was out with the Reel Chaos who caught 2 big eyes and then Jeff and Alex on the Bad Habit. boated 6 yellowfins and 1 stud big eye, and a couple mahi, they were both fishing in the Big Eye Hole in the Washington Canyon. Mahi were caught in the Baltimore and Poormans also and it was big numbers which could be some fun for charter boats on slow tuna days. It appears that water is moving fast now that the wind has laid down, it is already in the Washington and is on course to collide with the other piece of blue water that’s in the Norfolk. We will be keeping a close eye and also most likely be fishing either tomorrow or Sunday, if we’re lucky both! The Big Eye ate a magic hoo captain America and most of the yellowfins hit the 353 custom Spreader bars. Tight lines!

Good weather is on the way!

Today as I type this it is pouring down rain! thunder and lightning the whole nine yards so I’m guessing not many boats fished today, but I know some of the big charter boats have still been fishing and catching Yellowfins and big eye. Capt. Jeff and mate Alex on the Bad Habit have a charter tomorrow and are planning on fishing in the area between the Poormans and the Baltimore, that blue water that was in the Wilmington holding all those fish during the tuna tournament last weekend has made its way south down into the Baltimore canyon and is continuing along that path, so we will be keeping an eye on that. There is also still that big piece of blue water in the Norfolk, I haven’t heard any reports from the Norfolk but based on the SST temps and chlorophyll shot, there’s gotta be some fish in there! Another option as we have been telling you all the last week or so is the inshore bite! The inshore bite is slowly developing and getting better and better, we’ve gotten reports of yellowfins caught from the Hot Dog to Massey’s as well as those bluefin in the mix! I think the inshore lumps to the south would be a good option anywhere in the Deli, Hambone, Chicken Bone, Sausages and the Hot Dog would all be a solid bet, even Jack Spot and Massey's, it’s getting to that point in summer where it should continue to develop and get better and better. If any of you offshore guys enjoy inshore fishing in the bay, the bite at Route 50 bridge has been hot with lots of big chopper bluefish as well as slot sized and over slot striper, which is always a blast! We use artificial like jig heads and paddle tails, but you can also drop live spot for them as well, fishing the tide is key, make sure you are fishing the incoming or outgoing and get there to fish the beginning or end of the tide, that’s when we’ve seen the most action. Good luck to everyone fishing this weekend and tight lines! We’ll report back tomorrow!

Wind and rough conditions on the way…

The weather is back…we did venture out yesterday but I was in a 24’ center console, so we didn’t end up staying out there to long, and I think we were the only private boat out there, def one of the only center consoles, and the next couple days aren’t looking much better, hopefully things shape up by the weekend! A couple of the charter boats like Talkin Trash did go out and get some Yellowfins in the Wilmington. As of right now the bluest water still seems to be in the Norfolk and Wilmington so those are the areas we recommend fishing, however there is an inshore bite developing at places like the Hot Dog, Jackpot, Massey’s, Hambone, they are certainly worth trying! The bite and water is slowly trying to push south towards the Baltimore, but we have had strong south winds for the last 2-3 days, we will be keeping an eye on things till this weekend, will keep y’all updated…

Big eye bite continues..

The big eye bite continues! Talking Trash came back to the dock with 4 stud big eyes! The Wilmington still seems to be the hot spot at the moment! We’re keeping an eye on a piece of water just outside the Washington as well. I will be headed out to The Hambone today to see what’s going on with this inshore bite and will report back this evening! There is confirmed life on the inshore lumps so let’s see what happens! Wilmington is still gonna be the best bet for anyone canyon fishing, don’t be afraid to put a stretch/nomad in your spread, the big eyes love em! Tight Lines y'all will check in with an evening report!

Big eyes in the Wilmington

Man! One of the many tough choices when fishing a tournament and implying a strategy is what species you will target, the crew caught a nice bluefin before the tournament and then another nice bluefin Friday, so we stuck with that game plan hoping to catch another big bluefin and unfortunately, the crowds were out and about on Sunday and the calm conditions didn’t help matters, but was still a great tournament in the new Sea Hunter! If you happened to catch our post from yesterday and made it to the Wilmington chances are you did good! 3 boats caught big eyes in the Wilmington yesterday with a couple yellowfins mixed in! Didn’t hear of anyone catching bluefin they seem to like when there is less boats around and rougher conditions, but the fishing seemed good in the Wilmington! Our buddy Remo went out for Happy Hour and absolutely crushed 5 big eyes! Hopefully the bite will only get better from here! We’ll have a couple decent weather days this week too, so get out and fish!

Last day of Tuna Tournament

Finally we get a break in the weather! Let’s hope it doesn’t slow the fishing down to much. There has been a decent inshore bluefin bite as you may have seen a few weighed in at the scales, from Massey’s to Ham Bone to the Hot Dog things are finally starting to pick up a little bit inshore, nothing like previous years but there are fish around. There is a piece of water pushing into the Wilmington that looks good, for anyone going to the canyons, depending where you leave from Wilmington and Norfolk seem like the best bet according to SST and chlorophyll, not to say you can’t catch them in other canyons, but those seem like the areas with the best water! Good luck to all the anglers in the tournament and tight lines!

Lots of bluefin and nasty weather

It’s Saturday morning and the conditions are rough! Jeff and the Bad Habit crew are currently sitting in 3rd place with their 125.5lb Bluefin as of now for the 2024 Tuna Tournament. We only saw one big eye come to the scales yesterday, and 3 or 4 Bluefin, only problem with Bluefin is you can only kill one which makes it impossible to get a good stringer with Bluefin alone, luckily we still have Sunday to get out there and kill more tuna! For anyone fishing Sunday you’ve got a couple options, I personally like a nice break that has landed right in the Norfolk, there s a nice temperature break and the blue water that was south of the Norfolk has now pushed up north and almost into the actual canyon or just barely south of it, but with more south wind blowing today it could continue to move right into the mouth of the Norfolk. The Baltimore is still providing some fish in the deeper water, and some boats in the tournament also caught as far north as the Spencer Canyon. If you don’t wanna make a far run, try inshore! That’s where everyone is catching the Bluefins, 20-30 miles out, on the inshore lumps and wrecks. The Marlin bite is also still there but does no good for this tournament, we saw Game Changer released another marlin yesterday but most boats avoided the rough seas. Sunday is looking like the day to fish! Tight lines and good luck to everyone in the tournament!

day 1 of tuna tournament

Today is the first day of the 2024 Ocean City Tuna Tournament, 51 boats competing for over $600k! Conditions are rough but not as bad as we were expecting! Today and Sunday look like the best days to fish! The water is slowly moving south, that band of warmer blue water is now pushing down south east of the Poormans headed down towards the Washington. We also have a small eddy moving into the Wilmington as well! Lots of options right now but I imagine the only people fishing this weekend are those in the Tuna tournament. If you are recreational fishing on Sunday now would be a good time to start trying the inshore lumps and wrecks inside the 100 line as we’ve been saying, the bite is still trolling bite I don’t think its quite time to start chunking yet but maybe soon! Massey’s or The Deli would be a good starting point! Good luck to everyone out there and tight lines! We’ll check in this evening after weigh ins! Think the Bad Habit crew stuck a good one this morning that could have them in contention!

Rough weather for tuna tournament

Unfortunately the weather does not look like it’s gonna cooperate this weekend for the tuna tournament, gale force winds, and potential rain storms could make for some tough fishing conditions. As of 11am no boats have registered yet, which is a sign of just how rough it’s looking, even the big boats are waiting till the last minute to register. It is a lot of money to spend so teams are trying to be logical about entering the tournament this year. Let’s hope the forecast looks worse than it is and maybe some boats will be able to get out and fish! The weather has made it difficult to read satellite shots as well however things haven’t changed all that much, with that south wind pushing against the Labrador current the eddies are moving a bit slower than usual, almost sitting still, so the fishing should still be good southeast of the Baltimore and Poormans. There is also some Bluewater up southeast of the Spencer and just north of the Wilmington as well as a band of blue water just south east of the Norfolk, so depending where you are running out of and how far you want to go you’ve got some solid options! Then for those with smaller boats the inshore lumps and wrecks are starting to pick up and defiantly worth a try! If running out of Ocean City, I’d say choose one to the south of OC inlet, but at this point in the season hard to say for certain. The deli looks like a good inshore area to work, Sausages, Chicken Bone or Ham Bone. Tight Lines y’all!

Blue Marlin in the mix now

Yesterday we saw both the Pumpin Hard and Game Changer with Blue Marlin releases! A few tunas came to the dock as well as a few mahi, the weather will make it difficult for smaller boats the next few days, we’ll have strong south winds till about Sunday then its forecasted to lay down a bit and come from the south west. Let’s hope the forecast is wrong and everyone fishing the tuna tournament will have some decent weather, but hey what would a tournament be without a little wind and swell! LOL The eddy to our north providing insane fishing for the guys in Jersey and NY is slowly starting to push south but still far from our canyons. The eddy in the Baltimore and Poormans still seems to be hanging around as well but is moving towards the south. There is some blue water just north east of the Wilmington as well that looks fishy, and big band of blue water southeast of the Norfolk as well! The Baltimore and Poormans is still the closest run for Ocean City boats and is still seeing consistent fishing. Tight Lines and we’ll see y’all tomorrow! Check out the YouTube channel we’ve got a new episode up from our tuna trip the other day!

Bluefin tuna

If you were here this winter, you may have saw just how much we love bluefin tuna. We spent days and hours in the cold this winter chasing bluefin tuna as close as 3 miles off the beach, but just cause it’s summer doesn’t mean they aren’t around! Jeff and his mate Alex ran out yesterday mainly out of curiosity but also to continue to scout for the upcoming tuna tournament. They ran all over staying inside the 100 fathom line, stopping to troll over different lumps and pieces of structure. At 4pm they got the bite they were looking for and landed the 144lb bluefin. Jeff knew they were still around and had caught them in the past, so it was a great feeling to go scouting and looking for a bluefin and actually find one and catch. Like we said yesterday its gotten to the point in summer where almost anywhere from the Hot Dog and JackSpot to the Hambone and Parking Lot, if you put in some time chances are you can find some tuna or even other species. The weather isn’t looking like its going to cooperate but we will be keeping an eye on it and hoping for the best, we’ll also be analyzing the current, blue water, and surface temps over the next few days. The Baltimore and Poormans is still producing fish if your going to the canyons tomorrow that’s still probably the best odds of catching but the tuna are starting to spread out, and the bite should continue to pick up.

Marlins, Mahi, and tuna

We saw a nice mix of fish coming to the docks yesterday from big eyes to bluefin, and lots of marlin flags flying! The tuna bite is slowly starting to heat up, more and more boats are consistently catching them however the numbers are still low compared to previous years. The crap weather trend looks like it’s going to continue into this week but let’s hope we get a few decent days to fish. The Baltimore and Poormans still seems to be the hot spot, with consistent fish activity, both billfish and tuna as well as some mahi. At the same time the bite is getting better, so getting away from the crowds and “fleet” can also pay off, whether you try some of the inshore lumps and wrecks or the Wilmington or Washington, we are at that point in the summer where the water is warmed up enough inshore that the tuna are starting to spread out and settle in. Trolling is still the most productive being able to cover water, but chunking could become an option very soon. Jeff and the crew on Bad Habit caught 2 yellow fins Sunday morning just south of the Washington, trolling near the 100 line working structure and a break in the water they found, there was a few birds around but not many, they had to dodge a lightning storm on the way out so they didn’t get to the spot and get lines in till about 630. Then they trolled south missed a bite at 7am and a possible billfish bite at 745am then caught their first yellowfin at 815 trolling a 353 custom tackle purple spreader bar. The second tuna came as they were putting the lines back out and hit a green daisy chain. They also caught a peanut mahi and pulled off one other. Look for those breaks, temp changes, birds, whales, dolphins, any signs of life work it, structure, steep ledges, color change in the water, ripping current, you can use it all to your advantage. Tight lines! If you have questions before your trip email us alwaysbentfishing@gmail.com

More marlins and tuna on the dock!

Sunday the Bad Habit crew went out and picked off 2 nice yellowfins and a couple small mahi. Lots of boats catching white marlin Christie Marie released 9 on Sunday but many other boats did as well. Also saw tuna trickling in a couple big eyes, and quite a few yellowfin, most being caught in the Baltimore and Poormans still in deeper water, however we also received confirmed reports of both bluefin and yellowfin caught at Massey’s so the tuna may be beginning to push further inshore which is a good sign! If you're fishing Monday Baltimore and Poormans is the safest bet. If you wanna gamble run north to the Wilmington there is a piece of blue water pushing into the Wilmington right now as well that is most likely holding fish! Also if you want to try inshore, masseys would be a great spot to try! Tight lines y’all!

Marlin, Mahi, and a mix of tuna!

The July 4th weekend is always a busy one and this years no different! Lots of boats fishing despite the conditions, we are seeing more and more tuna brought to the docks, but still lackluster numbers compared to years past but it is getting better! Jon Henry fished on the Reel Chaos and found a stud 200lb big eye! Wrecker sport fishing also managed to find 3 in the Baltimore. The Baltimore seems to be the current hotspot but billfish and tuna are being caught in the Poormans and Washington as well. There’s a nice inshore eddy to the south for anyone running ourt of Chincoteague or wanting to run further to the south and stay inshore, basically inshore of the Norfolk or south west of the Norfolk, looks like a good area to try! For those headed to the canyons that blue water is still hovering just east of the Baltimore in 500-1000 fathoms, however some boats are catching them in the dirty green water as well, start on the 100 line and work towards the deep! Reports are getting better by the day! Unfortunately the Sea Hunter had to get a few quick repairs, but Jeff and team Bad Habit will be back in action soon!

More Windy conditions ahead..

Again the weather is gonna make for some tough fishing this week, but we did see some more yellowfins come to the dock, and some good white marlin action as well. Yellowfins were caught from the Baltimore and Poorman's to as far south as the Washington, a lot of them were caught in deep water 500-1000 fathoms, but there were a couple caught on the 100 fathom line and even a couple in 80 fathoms. Hopefully it will only get better from here as the tuna begin to settle in to the area and feed for the next couple months. Tomorrow looks rough, but being a Saturday there will most likely be a few charter boats who fish so we’ll see how they do. Sunday is looking better but still rough, and Monday should be fishable the ocean will still be churned up but the wind is supposed to lay out. If you are fishing, the Baltimore and Poormans have been producing consistently, start in the mouth of the canyon and work east toward deeper water. There is a nice eddy of blue water just east of the Baltimore. Look for breaks and color changes in the water and of course look for life. Still not hearing to much about the inshore bite but I’d bet there’s some tuna and other life at the Jackspot worth looking if you're staying inshore anyways or on a smaller boat with less range. Tight Lines.

Night Update happy 4th of July..

Just to update lots of tuna were caught today both by charter boats and private boats which is a good sign, however its still only a handful of tunas for most boats, I think one boat had 4 and that was the most all the others had either 1 or 2, which is again very low numbers this far into summer. The Poormans and Baltimore have been consistent with a few caught in the Wilmington and Washington as well but very sporadic, you're lucky to get 2, the silver lining is we are seeing nice mahi as well as white marlin in the mix too which is great to see. There was also one reported Blue Marlin released today as well. Im happy we have something to report and glad to see boats catching, but still really hoping the tuna bite heats up soon!! Tight Lines and Happy 4th of July!

More White Marlin than Tuna…

Lots of boats got out to fish in the beautiful weather and conditions we had yesterday, but we are still seeing the same trend continue, sporadic fishing. Quite a few boats caught tuna and mahi but not in any real numbers 2 or 3 here and there, which just isn’t the norm for this time of year. Sea Hag was one of a few boats to capitalize on the White Marlin bite releasing 6, and quite a few other boats released white marlin as well. Tuna were caught in both the Baltimore and Poorman’s yesterday, and the blue water didn’t seem to important, let’s hope things are starting to pick up and the tuna will push even further inshore!