What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Ocean City, Maryland for the first time?

Answers by verified FishingBooker anglers who went fishing in Ocean City

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Chris Kim
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Chasin' Tides Charters on June 21, 2025
If you really want to catch certain fishes talk with captains first ti figure the best time. If you want to have fun don't mind catch fish or not. It is fun and will be fun anytime and ang type of fishing trip.

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Stephanie Beech
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Day On The Bay Charters on June 4, 2025
Understand there is no guarantee you will catch fish when you book a charter. If the weather is bad don’t go if you have children. If you have children and the are unruly then don’t take them. No one wants to deal with that. Take the experience as a fun time out and go with the flow. It’s fun regardless if you catch the big one or not.

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Sterling Bell
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Unshakable Charters on October 30, 2024
first, we should be able to fish the fish that we initially asked to and instead of fishing for other fish we wanted to catch sea bass and we were taken the sea bass spot 4hours into the trip which it was bad and did not try another spot to catch sea bass. the other thing is it were good reviews online about how good the fishing that how we found out about the boat.

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Dawn Cook
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Unshakable Charters on October 6, 2024
The absolute best trip you could hope for We are a local family that have been on many local charters. We have never been so welcomed by a captain and his crew. They led us to the best fish and greatest time. We couldn't recommend them enough. Thanks for an awesome day :)

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Mike Knouse
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Local Hooker Charters on September 3, 2024
Go on the private charters or head boats. The experienced crew and captain will help you have a good time. Hopefully catching fish, but even if you dont catch you will see the bait, rigs and lures that work

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LaToya Blakey
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Day On The Bay Charters on August 13, 2024
Wear comfortable gear that might get wet (we didn't get wet at all, but I see where you could), follow the captain's instructions (even if you have experience fishing, there's a lot you can learn from here), and have a great time! ?

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Ryan Lerew
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Just A Toy Guide Service on July 27, 2024
Its the ocean.... You never no what to expect and could catch some unusual fish. You could catch nothing, or weather conditions could cause a last minute cancellation. Those unknowns are what makes it exciting.

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David Shaw
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nanticoke Outfitters Ocean City Fishing on July 23, 2024
Experience wasn’t what I expected because it was better! I assumed it’d be like the happy hooker I’ve done before and be a big a boat with 20+ people on it. It was a very relaxing and private trip with my son. It was exceptional.

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Lori Woodrum
United States
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Bottom Bouncer Fishing on September 27, 2019
You can fish for a number of species in Ocean City, whether it be something easier to catch for you first timers, or something that has a little more weight to it for those of us that appreciate a fight on the end of our line. You also have several areas available for throwing your line in the water or you can catch a charter for a few hours of overnight. And if you don't catch what you're looking for your first day, just go out the next day. It can change overnight!

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Jeffrey Custer
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nanticoke Outfitters Ocean City Fishing on June 18, 2024
If you have never fished in the ocean avoid the chance of getting sick. Pop a Dramamine the night before and the morning of just to be safe. We had one young guy on our trip who thought he was good to go as he had been out on charters before, but never in the ocean. Constant rollers got him almost instantly.

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Ted Smith
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Reel Naughty Sportfishing on June 10, 2024
I think June in general is a good time but it heavily depends on whether the big fish are here at that time. From what I understand, they haven’t arrived yet and so the fishing is limited to the smaller species, so this may not be representative of a normal June.

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Matthew Frentzel
Avondale, PA
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Whatever Guide Service on July 28, 2023
Never book Coastal Charter Services LLC. Worse charter experience ever and that was before we even stepped foot on the boat. Complete bait and switch. The guy had his lawn mowing cousin be our "captain" for the day. Completely unprofessional would be an understatement.

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Genevieve Otto
Arlington, VA
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nanticoke Outfitters Ocean City Fishing on July 12, 2023
Just have fun, look for smaller charters. Those guys are usually from around the area and know good spots because they fish them themselves. Bigger charters sometimes mix parties and are busier, there is A LOT going on. A smaller charter you get focused attention and instruction if you need it. This might be better if it's your first time or if you have kids in tow. Happy Fishing!

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Rick Hammond
Scranton, Pennsylvania
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Reel Naughty Sportfishing on July 8, 2023
read the reviews , but more importantly talk to the captain, if he sounds like a jerk he's probably a jerk. Got a boat one time out of Lewes , great reviews, but the captain and mate were drunks and wanted to spend the entire day telling nasty jokes. The boat was an old wooden tub, very bad experience

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Bill Auld
Silver Spring, MD
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Chasin' Tides Charters on August 24, 2019
The weather changed from many days of heat, to a cool fall like air temp...a windy day, we did not expect to be at all lucky, but were incredibly surprised. Kevin & Shane were very knowledgeable on how to land these nice size fish!

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Steve Bocian
Selbyville, DE
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Bayside Guide Service on July 29, 2019
Look for small charters (like the Bayside Guide Service) around the bay for flounder during the day and rockfish & blues at night. Also try the Oceanic Pier at the inlet; especially good on moving tides and at night.

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James Davis
Northfield, OH
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Saltwater Adventures, LLC. on July 26, 2019
Book an evening trip with Captain Tony from Saltwater Adventures and tell him you want to catch blues under the bridge, it will blow your mind if you've never done it, I've fished all my life and you will never fight a fish as strong as a blue pound for pound. CRAZY FUN!!!

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Darlene Lewis
Abingdon, Maryland
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with On The Run Charters on July 14, 2019
Do a private charter vs. the bigger boats with 50-60 people. The bigger boats a little cheaper but you have 4 people trying to fish in less than a 4 foot spot....lots of tangles and less opportunities to get fish with so many lines in the water.

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William Chesla
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Running Tide Charters on June 21, 2025
I would definitely recommend booking a trip with Vince. He has a wealth of knowledge and is willing to share it to ensure you have a wonderful experience.

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Mark Kowalsky
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Spring Mix II Sport Fishing Charter on June 16, 2025
To make sure you bring the right gear for the weather, Rain gear or sun block are very important. I would also bring a lunch and snacks along with plenty to drink to stay hydrated,

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Pradeepto Sen
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Shore Life Fishing Charters – Ocean City on May 10, 2025
Book with Captain Robert Bruff and ideally choose the morning or evening slot to give you the maximum odds

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Tanesha Savage
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Coastal Guide Service LLC on June 9, 2025
Not sure.. everyday is different just because I have bad day someone my be better.

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Carolyn Jefferson
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Running Tide Charters on September 1, 2024
Bring sun screen, layer clothes, have an open mind and be ready to have an experience. Good or bad that’s up to you.

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Donald Grieco
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Coastal Guide Service LLC on August 26, 2024
Be open to targeting any species that comes up. The bite changes often and you need to be open to fishing everything.

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Beccy Cottrill
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Day On The Bay Charters on August 23, 2024
Captain Josh was great! He made sure hooks always stayed baited, and that he took us to places where the fish were biting! He's just a stellar down to earth guy who will make your trip perfect!

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Natalie Mumford
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nanticoke Outfitters Ocean City Fishing on August 15, 2024
Check the tides! High tide is always better. Ask your captain questions - fishing for every specified is different

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Mike Kallam
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nanticoke Outfitters Ocean City Fishing on August 15, 2024
Just pack some drinks and snacks and let captain Dave take care of the rest. Great guys! They’ll put you on the fish.

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Peter Combs
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Sick Day Sportfishing on August 6, 2024
Combined with a beach trip, I believe there is better fishing is in April and November, but great time eitherway

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Edward Coffin Jr.
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Nanticoke Outfitters Ocean City Fishing on August 5, 2024
Water was a little dirty from all the boat traffic. It was the opening day of the White Marlin Open. This made the fishing a little harder, but still a great time

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Michael Pastore
VERIFIED  
Went fishing with Bottom Bouncer Fishing on July 16, 2024
Started a bit slow, but with multiple lines in the water, we caught about 30 Spots. Made the wait for the big boys to bite well worth it and a lot of laughs.