Sampson: Fishing in downtown OC? It's all about the current

More so than any other part of the bay, there has always been a lot of fishing activity in Ocean City’s downtown waters.

The Route 50 Bridge and inlet are filled with so many fishermen vying for so many different types of fish, using a multitude of tackle and techniques — there’s a lot of crazy stuff that goes on in that chunk of water.

But whether they are in a boat, on a pier, or dropping lines from the bridge, they need to take into consideration what the current will do to their bait or lure each time they make a drop or cast into the water. It is the one commonality that all downtown anglers share.

Properly working the current is one of the most critical factors in fishing because most inshore species base most of their movements and feeding around the stages of the currents and tides. Obviously, just how the current will affect anglers' efforts is determined by what they’re trying to do. The most difficult scenario is when the current is ripping and someone is fishing from a stationary platform such as the bridge or an anchored boat.

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Under those conditions it can be challenging to get a bait or lure down to where the fish might be hanging, but there are a few techniques that will sometimes make things work — such as casting up current, and cranking the reel just fast enough to keep the line tight and allow the bait or lure work as intended. If the current is really strong this will require a super fast retrieve, and unless anglers can cast a country mile they won’t have a lot of fishing time between each cast.

Anglers can also cast across and slightly into the current like at the 10 and 2 o’clock position and allow the lure or bait to be swept along as you work it back. The result will be that the end of the line will travel in large arc, then, once it gets down-current it will be game over until the next cast.

Bridge fishermen can only cast to their left or right if they are on the down-current side of the bridge. On the up-current side, their terminal tackle will end up being swept into the bridge pilings. They can, however, use the current to their advantage by using a float above a bait or lure that’s set a specific depth and allow the flow of water onto their line pull the offering way out and away from the bridge.

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When currents are strong, anglers might do well to leave the extra-light line behind and use tackle that can apply adequate pressure to bring a decent sized fish into a strong flow of water. Particularly around the bridge, where it’s always possible to hook into a big rockfish that will turn side-to in the current and let the flow of water help keep it away from the angler trying to bring it in — bridge pilings just love to liberate big fish! 

Strong currents running toward the bridge create a safety concern for those fishing from boats. An engine failure at the wrong time can allow a boat to be quickly swept into some very unforgiving concrete and steel. No matter where they are operating, boaters should always have an anchor rigged and ready to deploy in case they have a malfunction and need to stop the boat from drifting. This is especially important when operating near a structure such as a bridge.

Strong or even just moderate currents can create wonderful opportunities for anglers to hook into some nice fish. But such areas are likely to come with special challenges and hazards. Anglers need not shy away from fishing areas such as our downtown waters, but they should always be ready with a plan that allows them to not only catch fish, but also be safe while doing it.