Ocean City- Assawoman Bay trip planned end of month. tips?

[thedutchtouch]

hi all, we're heading to the beach (probably.. COVID?) for a week at the end of the month. Likely not doing much of the "usual" stuff like boardwalk etc due to coronavirus, so hoping to have more time to fish than i normally do. We're renting on the water (bayside) with a dock and reserved some cheap SOT tandem kayaks for the week so i'll be able to get out on assawoman bay a bit from our rental - anyone have any tips/ tackle/bait suggestions? i'll likely be bringing a variety of gear- trying to get the 2 and 4 yo interested in fishing so perhaps i'll get them to fish on the bay a bit, perhaps i can get them to reel something in on the sand.

[Slobber Bob]

There isn't too much going on in the upper reaches of the bay, depending on how far up your place is. Bottom fishing with fishbites or small cut and strip baits like squid, mullet, clam, etc. should yield some small sand perch, spot, and croakers to entertain the kids. You'll probably reel in a fair amount of crabs doing it too; and surely a ray or two. You can try for flounder as well, but I think from the Rt. 90 area and south is better for them. The marsh islands on the west side of the bay will hold some striper, specks, and the occasional puppy drum, but I'm not sure if there is much of a bite over there in the dead of the summer.

Clamming is another option. I've taken my 4 year old with me clamming from the kayak a few times this summer already and he's enjoyed it a lot. I hop off the kayak and tie it off to my life jacket so I can rake the clams or feel them with my bare feet. If the tide is low enough, my son hops out too and becomes my "helper" - I hand him the calms I find and he washes them in the water and then puts them in the kayak. Look for areas that are a mix of sand and mud. Too muddy, or too sandy, and you won't find many. I usually find clams can be clustered together, so if you aren't finding any try another area.

If you want to fish the beach you have to go before or after the lifeguards are on duty. I find the early mornings easier to fish from the beach because there will still be a fair amount of swimmers in the water after the lifeguards leave for the evening. Again, fishbites and small cut bait will catch you spot, kingfish, and croakers. Medium to large baits will attract rays, sharks, and bluefish. Spanish mackerel and bluefish can show up virtually anywhere in the ocean right now so it's always a good idea to have some small metal with you.

Fishing options are a little better near the inlet, but it's not a spot to bring the kids along with you.