When striped bass are here
Striped bass out of Ocean City are listed as inshore, back-bay and near-shore fish, so the protected water behind the town is the place to start reading. Migration timing is covered in the species guide and, for the wider coast, in the regional view of the run (see also the Atlantic Northeast offshore fishing guide).
Fishing for stripers out of Ocean City is an inshore, back-bay and near-shore fishery, worked by inshore trolling and bottom fishing. This page covers where boats run, how the port fishes them and who targets them.
Inshore and back-bay fish
Listings place striped bass in the inshore and back-bay water behind Ocean City, within reach of boats working protected water.
Near-shore fish
The same listings also carry striped bass as near-shore fish. Boats that leave the back bays run out into the Atlantic.
Where boats run and the water that holds them
Ocean City Guide Service runs its inshore trips in the near-shore Atlantic and the back bays of Ocean City. Wrecker Sport Fishing lists striped bass, which it calls rockfish, among its species. Locally, rockfish and striped bass are the same fish.
Two waters make up the local picture:
- The back bays of Ocean City
- The near-shore Atlantic
The back bays
The back bays are one of the two waters where Ocean City Guide Service runs inshore trips.
The near-shore Atlantic
The near-shore Atlantic is the other.
How stripers are fished out of Ocean City
Inshore trolling and bottom fishing are the listed methods, both on the Muff Diver inshore list and in Ocean City Guide Service inshore trips.
| Method | Where it is listed |
|---|---|
| Inshore trolling | Muff Diver inshore list; Ocean City Guide Service inshore trips |
| Bottom fishing | Muff Diver inshore list; Ocean City Guide Service inshore trips |
Inshore trolling
Muff Diver and Ocean City Guide Service both list inshore trolling.
Bottom fishing
Bottom fishing appears on the same two listings.
Who fishes for striped bass out of this port
Three operators show up in the local listings for this fishery’s water and methods, though only Wrecker lists striped bass.
Wrecker Sport Fishing
Wrecker Sport Fishing lists striped bass (rockfish) among its species. The coastal and offshore gamefish guides cover the rest of its list. Wrecker is 57 ft, built from an Omie Tillett jig, with twin Cummins QSM 11 diesels.
Ocean City Guide Service
Ocean City Guide Service runs inshore trips in the near-shore Atlantic and the back bays of Ocean City, including inshore trolling and bottom fishing.
Muff Diver
Muff Diver’s inshore list includes inshore trolling and bottom fishing.
FAQ: striped bass fishing out of Ocean City
Do striped bass stay inshore or go offshore out of Ocean City?
They are listed as inshore, back-bay and near-shore fish. Ocean City Guide Service runs its inshore trips in the near-shore Atlantic and the back bays.
What methods are used for stripers locally?
Inshore trolling and bottom fishing, per the Muff Diver inshore list and Ocean City Guide Service inshore trips.
Which Ocean City charters list striped bass?
Wrecker Sport Fishing lists striped bass. Wrecker is 57 ft, built from an Omie Tillett jig, with twin Cummins QSM 11 diesels.
Is rockfish the same fish as striped bass?
Yes. Wrecker Sport Fishing lists striped bass as rockfish, the name used locally.
