Maryland Charters, Chesapeake Bay and Ocean City Fishing Charters

Maryland is famous for its superb saltwater fishing and abundant fishery which keeps the Maryland charters busy nearly year round. Much of this angling is done in the Chesapeake Bay, but the state also has 31 miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean, with relatively easy access to the famous fishing grounds of the Gulf Stream. Most Maryland fishing charter boats that fish offshore leave from Ocean City, an important center for sportsfishing.

About fifty miles off Maryland’s Atlantic coastline is the Continental Shelf, where canyons and underwater mountains can be found. There are also steep drop-offs that are almost a mile in depth. Places like this are favorite haunts of big fish. You will find Ocean City sport fishing charters will frequent these offshore hotspots to target white marlin. The biggest white marlin tourament on the east coast is run out of Ocean City called the White Marlin Open and it attracts sportfishing boats from all regions of the east coast.

The Gulf Stream off the coast of Maryland is a fertile ground for gamefish, also. Since these waters are only about thirty miles offshore, you won’t spend all your time getting to the fish. Among the most sought after blue water species are billfish, and these waters are home to both the blue marlin and the white marlin. In fact, Ocean City is touted as the “white marlin capital of the world.” The state record white marlin weighed 135 pounds, and the record blue was much bigger. The state record blue marlin weighed 942 pounds. If you want to land the fish of a lifetime, contact one of the Maryland charter fishing boats.

Charter Fishing in Maryland

Trolling offshore can also produce catches of wahoo and dorado, also called “dolphinfish” or “mahi mahi.” Mahi mahi means “strong strong,” and you’ll understand the moniker once you hook one. The same goes for the wahoo, one of the fastest swimmers in the sea. Maryland’s state record dorado weighed 67.5 pounds and was landed 53 miles off Ocean City. The record wahoo tipped the scales at 111 pounds.

Another type of charter fishing in Maryland is shark fishing. You’ll find fishing tournaments devoted solely to catching these fanged opponents. Shark species in the state include the sand tiger, the sandbar, the scalloped hammerhead, the blacktip, the blue, the great white, the dusky, the great hammerhead, the tiger, and the most thrilling fighter of all, the mako. Surprisingly, Maryland’s state record great white was not the largest shark ever caught in the state’s waters. It wasn’t even the second largest. The largest was a tiger shark that weighed 1,210 pounds, and in second place in the size contest was an 876-pound mako. The state record great white weighed “only” 476 pounds. You can find several Maryland fishing charters that specialize in shark fishing.

If you prefer to stay inshore, you can find some great saltwater fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Perhaps the most popular fish here is the striped bass. These are large fish that move around as the water temperature changes. The state record was a 47 pound-2 ounce brute. Other fishes you can catch in the bay include flounder, trout, redfish, and blues. Scores of Maryland charter boats fish the bay every day and much of the action happens during rockfish season which is open April 15th give or take a few days. The Maryland charters call this trophy striper season and spend the latter part of each winter getting their charter boats and gear ready for this kick off to the summer fishing season.