A couple of party boats run out of Crisfield on the Chesapeake’s Lower Eastern Shore. These boats run during the fishing season for a variety of species, depending on what’s running.
Charter boats in Crisfield will also occasionally act as pseudo head boats and promote make-up or mixed charter trips to help small groups of anglers cut costs. They will mix and match individuals for a day on the water. It seems this happens more often than not during the Chesapeake striper run. To find out about getting in on charter make-up parties, check with the local marina.
What Fish The Lower Eastern Shore Headboats Catch
Party boats, because of the nature of their business, usually target seasonal migrations of several types of schooling fish. This strategy basically means more fish for a larger group of anglers. Thus, popular species will include spot, seatrout, croaker and rockfish around the Chesapeake.
Croakers are the go-to fish for Crisfield party boat anglers. This hard-fighting, little crowd pleaser becomes the focus from late spring through early fall. Crisfield boats will also target spot, flounder, black drum, seatrout, and bluefish, especially during the summer months.
By late summer and early fall, it’s not uncommon for anglers to return to dock after having caught a half dozen different species. Chesapeake late fall fishing includes chumming for school sized rockfish, which is always a blast on head boats. In the past year, head boat fishermen caught some of the nicest yellowfin spot in years, as well as good-sized flounder only a short ride from Crisfield Harbor.
What To Bring Party Boat Fishing
Party boat fishing is only as complicated as you want it to be. Most boats will supply you with all the tackle you need, such as rods and rigs, for a nominal fee. Most of this gear is good quality stuff. They want you to catch fish, and they need tough tackle to stand up to the punishment of daily use by both amateurs and seasoned veterans alike.
Some anglers, like myself, like to bring their own gear. In the Chesapeake, conditions are not as testy as fishing over wrecks. Here, the angling is done either drifting over sandy bottom or anchoring up over oyster shell reefs.
My favorite rod is a 7-foot, medium-spinning outfit, spooled up with 20-pound test line that can handle both terminal tackle and jigs. It easily handles school stripers, sea trout, flounder and croakers.
Sometimes, I opt for a conventional rod, which is a 7-foot, medium outfit, spooled with 20-pound test line. I prefer to use it if we are drift fishing.
Besides fishing tackle, other essential survival gear on a party boat includes sun block, shades, hat, junk food and sandwiches, camera, plenty to drink and a cooler to hold it all in along with your fish. Some boats don’t like a pile of big coolers clogging the deck, so check before you board. Most boats also limit rods to no more than two per angler for the same reason.
Try Fishing Aboard The Party Boats and Hook Up!
Head boats, party boats, it doesn’t matter. They all mean the potential for great day on the water with a group of anglers who all love to catch fish.
