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Friday, September 24, 2010

Fished yesterday from 11 to 3.  Trolled for Blues with metal planers.  Started at 77, went up to Cove Point, then to HI and west to the PR.  Hooked up with ten, landed six.  One of the last ones braided our lines nicely, so I have some homework before I go out again.  The Jensen lure that is silver with three plastic eyes in it and a small plastic tube over the hook worked best.  Next Tuesday looks like the next really calm day.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Woody Wheeler and I went out on Monday, and bottom fished in the Patuxent with less than outstanding results.  We went out and trolled the area east of the PR Buoy and hooked up with one Blue.  Started heading in and two rods went off at once between the PR and Officer's Club area.  Blues again! So, the day's total was three Blues, two Croaker, a Spot, a Perch and a Partridge in a pear tree!!   No Spanish!  No es bueno!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Sorry that I've been stuck at the dock for over two months.  But, with the help of Jim Frank fixing my boat and Dr. Ben (See below ) fixing my torn meniscus with a cortisone shot, I finally made it out for a couple of hours today.  All I did was troll small spoons behind metal planer rigs out to the HI Buoy and back looking for Spanish.  I came home with a couple decent Blues.  One was big enough to provide dinner for us tomorrow night.  I hope to get out again soon.  In case you don't know, the Spot are big and plenty at all the usual places.  Don't be afraid to fish in deeper water than usual.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

A little after 9:30, Dr. Ben Shaffer, who did such a great job fixing my Rotator Cuff a few years back, and his two terrific kids Noah (9) and Emma (11), came down to catch a lot of fish.  I sure am glad Ben is a better surgeon than I am a fisherman!  We went to all the good spots in this part of the Patuxent where I know they have been catching plenty of Perch, Spot and Croaker lately.  We had fresh bloodworms and some nice squid for bait.  Neither worked very well.  After over three hours of fishing we had caught only a goldfish size Spot and another Spot that was much bigger.  The savior of the day was a nice fourteen inch Croaker that somehow found our bait right off of Helen's Bar.  The neat thing was that Emma and Noah had a good time even when we were not catching fish.  Luckily, my crab pots were full of fat crabs and so the Shaffer's could take home over a dozen of them.  We threw all the fish back.  The payoff for me is the smiles on their faces and the fact that they want to come back and try again.  Ben has invited me to a Caps hockey game next season.  He is the Caps' team doctor and brought me a Caps' ball-cap and some of the BIG RED towels to wave at the game.  I take great pride in my Alex Ovechkin signed jersey that I've had for a few years.

Friday, June 18, 2010

A little after 5:00 on Wednesday I went out and did about the same thing as I did last Tuesday (see below).  Woody, his grandson, Caden, and his son-in-law Paul came along.  We really doubted our collective fishing abilities for an hour or so.  My friend Ed Lewis was catching lots of Croaker and directed us to them, but we only picked up one or two.  I thought Woody had snagged his line on the bottom. he handed it to me, I started to try to get it loose and all of a sudden there was a huge pull and shake at the end of the line.  Then --snap!  He was using 30 pound line.  We saw no signs of Skate around, and if that wasn't what it was, I sure would like to know what it was.

As the sun began to get low in the West, we went down between #9 & #11 in 97 feet of water and drifted into shallower water.  The fish-finder showed continual fish in the bottom and they sure started to bite.  By the time we quit, we had a dozen Croaker from 10 to 13 inches, a couple of Perch and , what I considered the catch-of-the-day, one SPOT!

Earlier on Wednesday and way down the Bay at York Spit. our friend Ray Morgan was  having a long, but successful, fight with a 42 inch and 27.5 pound Cobia.  I'm sure we'll see some of his huge Flounder soon.  Check back!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I went out with Woody last Friday night with some bloodworms.  We fished in 19 to 40 feet of water a bit up from Helen's Bar where the Gazebo is above the brick house .  A couple of decent Perch and an 11" Croaker.  Ed Lewis has been tearing them up in this area. It was low tide, so we moved down to Helen's Bar and caught a couple more Perch.  We went across to Hawk's nest, and they just were not biting.  Then, I explored between #9 & #11, saw a lot of fish on the scope and we started to catch them.  The sun was sinking, so after getting eight Croakers between 12" to 15", we headed home. I am going out tomorrow evening to see if there are any Spot yet.  Marty Stuble is traveling, so round two of our contest has been delayed temporarily.

 

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

For those of you anxiously awaiting the results of today's fishing contest between Marty Stuble and me, I submit the following:

After four hours of trolling on completely flat waters, we ended up in a tie.  Neither one of us caught more than the other.  So, we are trying to fit in a rematch as soon as schedules and fair weather permit.  The photo on the right is of Marty on June 5, 2008.  This shows that there really are Stripers both over and under 28" out there at this time of year.

Monday, May 31, 2010

I know it has been too long since I have posted, but I will try to do better.

  There is lots to report.  Last Wednesday, my friend Eddie Lewis was catching his usual large Croaker up at Second Beach, and he got an unexpected bonus.  He landed a 26 pound, 33.5 inch Black Drum!  My long-time fishing friend Keith McGuire now has a weekly column in the free paper, County Times, that comes out every Thursday.  He'll give you more details about Eddie's fish in this coming Thursday's column. (6/3)

There are a lot of Croaker around from 10" to 15" and biting the usual bloodworms and squid strips.  A Flounder or two have been caught, but few keepers are here yet.  The charter fleet continues to satisfy customers with limits of Stripers on most trips trolling  smaller, but similar, baits than in Trophy Season.  Some of us non-pros are doing OK on the Stripers too.  Had a report today of limit reached before all lines were in the water.  The larger of the two fish kept was 32".  The disappointment so far has been the lack of Spot .  Hopefully, that will change in the next couple of weeks.  When the Spot do arrive comes the fun of live-lining

Captain Sonney Forrest is trolling lighter lures on spinning gear so he can have more fun bringing them in.  After my New York adventure (see below) I will give it a try.  Book a trip with Sonney and get a lesson in light tackle fishing.

I'll be going out on Wednesday with my next-door neighbor, Marty Stuble.  We will be having our Annual Fishing Contest where we each troll four lines.  Then, whoever catches the most or biggest fish wins.  We sort of make up the rules as we go.  Check out here on Thursday for the winner.

If anyone is looking for a fishing boat  that's ready-to-go and, I think, reasonable, here it is.   If interested, contact me or e-mail robert.n.goddard@navy.mil  .  Here is picture and details.SOLD

Boat is an 04 Chawk 25' Pilothouse, motor is an 02 Yamaha four stroke
all ordered and purchased new in August 2003, I am the original owner.
Motor has been religiously maintained, have complete records of the
maintenance log.  Service manual and all documentation is also
available. 

Electronics consist of; Furuno 1623 16 mile radar, Garmin 320C fish
finder, Garmin 182C GPS plotter both color displays, plotter has an
updated cartography chip and an Icom 504 VHF with DSC.  All electronics
are using NMEA and are feeding one another plus the Yamaha fuel
management gauge.

US Coast Guard inspected last September.  Certified Un-inspected
passenger vessel (Certifying it for 6 passengers for hire).

Some changes/upgrades since some of these were taken... Installed a GOOD
windlass last Spring, and installed detachable planer poles this Spring.
Course there is now rod storage, trim tabs and the power winch for the
trailer...

Has a Saltwater wash down, replaced that last season, along with a live
well and onboard battery charger..

Currently listed on Craigslist for 25K with trailer, I can work with
offers.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Last Sunday, Bob Lerner and I drove to New York.  Never drive to New York on Sunday!   A usual 4 hour drive took 6 hours.  We had dinner in Brooklyn with a past business associate of mine who, for many years, ate lunch at Peter Luger's, with Peter Luger, six days a week.  So, guess where we ate?  It turns out that my friend Alan Gottlieb went to the same grade school as Bob, but, about a dozen years earlier.  Small world?  After the huge meal, we luckily had GPS in the car to direct us to our "el-cheapo" motel about a mile from JFK.

We got up at our usual time, 4:00 a.m., and departed the pier a bit before 5:00.  We were with Captain John McMurray on his 25 foot Contender center console with two 150 Yamaha four strokes.  The whole day, even five miles out into the ocean, the water was like glass with a ripple of breeze only now and then and temperature in the low 60's with a slight overcast.  Perfect!  We almost got out there before the birds did.  With a slack tide there was not any action in the first hour.

 Then it started happening!  For the next five hours we were going to fish that were rolling on the surface and casting where birds told us they were feeding.  Bob used a fly rod and I used some of the Captains top-of-the-line spinning gear.  About every 20th cast one of us had a hit, and we landed over 75% of them.  They were beautiful Stripped Bass with no red blotches or anything except sea lice on them.  Some had the luminous colors like a Dorado has when just caught.

When we headed in we had easily caught and released 30+ fish.  A couple were an inch or two smaller than 28" and the rest were in the mid 30" range. There were a couple around the 37'-38" size.  Nice fish and specially fun on light tackle.  Bob landed at least a half dozen on the fly rod before he switched to spinning gear.

I'll give more information later.  However, as you can see from the pictures, a black and gray Slug-o got more than half the fish we caught. We were supposed to fish Tuesday too, but foul weather washed us out.  So, we were up at 4, fished from 5 to 1, headed home at 2, stopped for a late lunch in Delaware and arrived at Bob's in Annapolis at 7:15, which got me home at 8:45.  A pretty long day for a couple old coots --- but well worth it!

 YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!  Just e-mail Captain John McMurray at john@nycflyfishing.com and  set up a date soon. You won't be sorry you did.  But, be sure not to drive up on a Sunday!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

As I predicted, winds and waves have kept me from going fishing.  However, my sources tell me that the charter boats, and some others, are still getting their limits down around buoy 72 and thereabouts.  Most Stripers have spawned-out by now.  This results in a lighter, skinnier fish, but less guilt for destroying all those eggs for future fishermen.  I hear that it was rough enough today for some of the paying customers to complain about while debarking.

I received an excellent report from my Echo-stress test up in D.C. yesterday. So, I guess I won't keel over while bringing in a huge Striper on light tackle fishing up in Jamaica Bay next Monday and Tuesday.  This will substitute for Bob Lerner and my Florida Keys trip we have taken the last few years.  Results will be posted here.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Back Online!!!

 Wow, It only took seven and a half months, a change in operating systems, a good friend and fellow fisherman who knows computers and stuck with me, getting Garnett well on her way to complete recovery from her cancer and enough energy for me to get off my big butt and do something about it.

About fishing!  I've been out trolling three times.  Bob Lerner and I caught a 35" and a 36", then, Woody, his grandson and another friend  got skunked, but the last time I went out (See picture above) with Gary Kaihara and Tom Brinson we pulled in these 34" and 36".  All the fish weighed around 17 pounds.  All bit double parachute rigs on the planers. All were caught around HI, Buoy #76 and Cove Point in 65 to 85 feet of water.  No color dominated.

I heard that most charter boats got their limit today, so the fish have not yet moved away and the MSSA fishermen didn't spook them last weekend.  It just seems to depend whether the fish feel like biting or not.

I probably will not be out fishing for a few days because they call for small craft warnings.  But at least I can now ask you to check back and I'll try to get some good info for you.  Sorry it took so long.

PAUSE!!

 

 

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I finally got out this afternoon and put four lines in the water about 4:00 pm.  A red and a yellow surgical eel and two green on silver Huntington Drones, all on #1 or #2 Sea Striker planers.  All I did for an hour and a half was circle the PR buoy and it produced four nice Bluefish and two 17" Spanish Mackerel in the box.  Since I was out by myself, one nice Blue spit the hook while I bringing another one in.  I was tempted to join the crowd of a half dozen boats chasing breaking fish with birds over them close-in on the Rip, but it was much more relaxing out in the deeper water by myself.  Three families had fish for dinner tonight.  I hope to get out on another day soon with calm seas and no storms approaching.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Marty Stuble's niece, Chelsy, came down from Pennsylvania for the week, and they made it out on the Bay to hunt down some Blues.  They didn't get skunked on their trip out to the HI Buoy and beyond, but this Blue Chelsy is holding was the best they could do.  I know Keith McGuire and Richard Everson brought home a couple of Flounder from the same area Ray Morgan fished last Friday. ( See below)  I hope to have some fishing stories of my own in the next few days.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Ray Morgan, the "Flounder King", sent me a picture of his granddaughter and two nice keepers she caught at Buoy #76 last Friday, but I am having a problem getting the picture from his e-mail to my web site.  Sorry!   They were caught on a rig with a bull minnow and a bloodworm attached.  How about that?  By the way, Ray said the weatherman called for 15 mph winds and 2-3 foot waves and the Bay was actually like glass.  So, what's s new?

Garnett is insisting I get out and go fishing soon.  Can you believe she needs a break from my hanging around being nurse/caretaker all the time?  I hope to make it to MSSA on Thursday night, the 20th.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I actually started my boat for the first time in a month yesterday afternoon at 3:00 pm.  I went out by myself over to Hooper's Island Light (72B) and trolled (6 mph) 2 Huntington Drones (#0 silver/green) and 2 yellow 10" eels on #1 and #2 metal planers.  Within 5 minutes I had the Bluefish I was looking for that was big enough for both of us to have a nice dinner portion.  So, I blind-trolled north to #74 along the 60 foot edge and then to HI and then PR.  I hooked up with 5 more Blues and landed 3 of them.  My bonus was a 15" Spanish Mackerel I caught near # 74.  The eels and the Drones caught about equally, but the Spanish took the Drone.  I gave away one of the Blues, kept two for Flounder bait and added the Spanish to my dinner. Not bad!  Stop back later in the week.

P.S. Keith McGuire will be happy to sell you my rig and lure stuff at the Tackle Box.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Things looking up around here.  I may be able to fish this week for a couple of hours!  Check back Thursday and see if I make it.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Due to a personal situation that will be successfully resolved within the next few weeks, I have not been fishing.  The darn winds haven't helped either!   Sorry I'm not out there and reporting to you.  Capt. Joe

Monday, July 6, 2009

Today I went out with Birger Ljungstrom (see June 24 below) and he brought his daughter, Charlotte, and his grandson, Lucas (12), who are visiting from Denmark for a few weeks.  They were all terrific to fish with because they baited their own hooks and removed the fish they caught.  We caught the most Spot up above Helen's Bar along with a bunch of small Perch and a couple of keeper Croaker.  About noon we went down to the bridge to live-line.  On the very first Spot I tossed by one of the piers I felt a tug and when I was sure it was hooked, I handed it to Lucas and he landed a pretty little 19" Striper.  We were sure we were in for a great day.  Wrong!  Although we fished for more than an hour more, and had four or five Spot get scaled by Rockfish and one get hooked and brake the leader, we never landed another fish.  So, we cleaned the one Striper and enough jumbo Spot. Perch and Croaker to make a dinner for four.  A good time was had by all!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Jeanette Goldstone joined Josh, Kathy and me today and we went out about the same time and did the same thing as on Monday.  (See below!)  The only difference was that we went down to the Route #4 Bridge and did a little live-lining.  Josh may be a good luck charm because we had two hits on the first drift by the piling.  We landed only one of them, about an 18.5" Striper, but definitely legal.  Over the next hour we got  one more slightly bigger one in the box.  That was enough for dinner for my crew.  But, Kathy had one on the line that was huge.  It kept bending the pole in half until it actually broke the Power-Pro line on the reel.  Jeanette had another good size on the line, but it broke the 20# leader before we could net it.  So, good fishing, good fisher-people, good fun and terrific "the-ones-that-got-away" stories.  Josh promises to come back and fish with me next year, and I hope he does.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Josh Gordon from Vail Colorado is visiting neighbor Kathy Gordon this week.  So, in spite of some strong winds and white caps on the river, we went out at 10:00 this morning for a couple of hours fishing.  Josh not only did a great job, but caught the biggest fish.  In addition to his 14" Croaker, we got lots and lots of Perch, Spot and smaller Croakers.  Kathy caught the most fish by pulling in several  doubles.  We probably threw more back than we kept.  In spite of that, the Gordon's kayaked home with a big bag of fish for their dinner tonight.  We may go out again before Josh flies back to Vail.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

We have now had almost four days without rain, so views like this out our window will be gone for a while.  This means I can go fishing.  Today I went out with a friend of "The Clay Queen", Renee Altman.  Birger Ljungstrom (Believe it or not, he's from Denmark!) lives up on Broom's Island and is an excellent fisherman.  We went out about 10:00 and it took us a couple of hours to fill the live-well with plenty of Spot plus some really decent Perch.  We tossed back a few smaller Croaker up to 10 inches.  We made our way down to the Route 4 bridge and today I found it much easier to maneuver around the piers, so I could fish and move the boat too.  Birger out-fished me 2 to 1, and we ended up with three Striped Bass from 19" to 22".  He has relatives coming to visit from Denmark soon.  I hope they can go out with me and we have good luck.  I have no idea when I'll be out again, but check back now and then.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Gosh, boys and girls, since we last went fishing, a week ago last Monday, a lot has happened!  The main event was my old friend and squash playing buddy, Dr. Ed Gilbert, shock waved that big ol' kidney stone that has been hiding in my left kidney.  All went well.  Ed's wife Gail happened to be in his office that day (a rare event), so Gail, Ed, Garnett and I had a reunion while I was in the recovery room from my anesthetic. X-rays in another 10 days will reveal how successful the blasting was.

Today Bob Lerner came down and joined neighbor Marty Stuble, Woody and me to live-line for Stripers under the bridge like I did last week with the Kaihara Klan. (See below!)  I was a smart-ass and went out last night after the storm and caught about 15 Spot to give us a leg up on fishing today.  I put them in my "crab keeper", which I have now renamed my "fish escaper".  They all were gone this morning, but it only took us an hour or less to get about 20 "volunteers" to help us catch Rockfish.  After no luck at the spot where we caught them last week, we went to the Calvert County side of the bridge and within 20 minutes had landed a 21" and a 23" fish.  That was it for the day!  They shut off on us and the wind and tide were such that we had trouble positioning the boat without banging it into a pier, so we gave up.  We tried a couple of other places up river to no avail.  Everybody went home with fish.  Woody cleaned and took home our bi-catch of Perch and a few Jumbo Spot we had left over.  I have no idea when I'll be out again.  

Monday, June 8, 2009

Gary Kaihara came down today with his Langley High School Class of 2009 son Cameron and Juja Sylvestre, a family friend and avid fisherwoman.  We went up the Patuxent and filled the live well with more than a dozen Spot for live-lining plus some Perch and Croaker.  I have been hearing from Keith McGuire how successful he has been putting "fish-on-a-leash" under the Route #4 bridge, and we gave it a try.  We hooked up with a 19" fish, which, upon later examination, we disposed of and didn't eat.  Soon after, we had a 24" Striper, but we decided to move after a 20 minute lull with no action.  We went out to the Rip and out on the oyster beds where yellow "D" used to be and is still on my GPS.  It's off the Officer's Club. We picked up a few more Croaker, but nothing outstanding.  Gary suggested we go back under the bridge, and I'm glad he did.  We got four more nice Stripers to 27".  Here is Cameron holding the biggest one.  All-in-all a nice day of fishing with good weather and great people.  I'll be out again later in the week.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

This week (June 6-13) is "Take a Kid Fishing" week.  Today, I did!  Woody came with his son-in-law Paul and his grandson Caden and we went out in the Patuxent for two hours.  The fish were not up where I found them on Wednesday, and the Croakers were nowhere near as big.  But, the four of us brought in about 25 fish.  There were a bunch of Spot and some were too big to live-line, so Woody filleted them.  You can see the Croaker were over 9", but none over 12".  A couple of Perch and a huge Bar-dog were in the mix too.  But, the bottom line was that Caden said he had fun and that's what it's all about.  I'm out with Gary Kaihara on Monday, so check back and see how we do.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Today, I finally went out between 1:00 and 2:00 pm for an hour of bottom fishing on the Patuxent right near Helen's Bar.  With some week old bloodworms I caught: One 11" Striper; Three nice Croaker up to 15"; Seven good size Perch; and, Three Spot from small to huge!  Not bad for an hour of fishing.  They are catching nice size keeper Striped Bass by live-lining in the Patuxent, up at the Gas Docks and various other sites all around.  I invite my friends to come down and get some fish and have some fun.  Call or e-mail me at joebow@verizon.net .  Oh, today I gave the fish to some boaters I came across anchored right outside our cove.  They were thrilled!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Bob Lerner and I fished Tuesday, Wednesday and a half day Thursday with Capt. Brian Cone aboard Contagious out of Islamorada in the Keyes.  The weather was ideal, except that there were thunderstorms at night which tend to spook the fish.  We got plenty of Dolphin in the 10 to 15 pound range (3 feet long), but the biggest was a 25 pound one that Bob brought in.  On Wednesday we came across a school of small Tuna. We only got a half dozen of them, but they are sure are good eating.  

We had Tim Rahn, the professional photographer for Saltwater Fisherman and several other national fishing publications on board with us.   (His shot of Bob and me above!)  He must have taken a thousand shots of Dolphin.  It was fun to bring them alongside the boat and then manipulate them back and forth to pose for pictures.  So, any future pictures of Dolphin in the water you see in magazines, you can assume they were caught by Bob and me! 

Here is a picture of a nine foot long Giant Squid that we came across about 35 miles out.  The Captain had never seen one before.  The mate tried to pick it up, but there was a reason no sharks or other fish were eating it.  The Squid had been dead for a while, was rotten and fell apart when he tried to lift it.  Big time smell!!!  We settled for pictures. 

On Thursday morning we tried everything, including kite fishing, to get a Sailfish or Marlin, but no luck.  Same luck looking for Permit.  We were at the dock by 1:15 with some Dolphin, and I was back here at the Bay by 10:30 pm.  As usual, it was a terrific trip with fish feasts at the Tiki Bar and all that sort of stuff, but I won't bore you with those details now. 

I'll be back fishing on the Bay soon, but the lawn grew a bit while I was gone, etc., etc.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Tom and Gary came down today.  It was gray, rainy and cold.  However, we trolled and got six nice Stripers.  We were a week too early to keep them though.  I got them right where I finished on Friday with the ladies.  Straight out in 35 feet of water.  I have nothing bigger than a 6" sassy shad on now and a lot of twist tails and 4".  They hit on white and chartreuse, high and low, umbrellas and doubles.  I hope to be out again on Friday.  Bob Lerner and I head for our annual Florida excursion next Monday.  Yippee, I finally catch fish!

Friday, May 8, 2009

After Renee Altman (The Clay Queen), her sister Joy (who cares for Manatees in Florida), and Jean Logan (a fellow pottery student of Renee and previous catcher of big Stripers) took a short tour down to the Nice Bridge over the Potomac on there way here from Alexandria, we got going and had lines in the water about 11:00 this morning.  I made a stupid mistake while putting out the planer line which caused a whole rig to go overboard.  But, in spite of this and no fish brought home for dinner, we had a spectacular day on the water.  We trolled up one nice 25" fish that will be legal after the 15th.  The sun was out, waters calm and we talked each others ears off.  Then, while approaching the mouth of the Patuxent, we spotted birds over fish.  Soon we had breaking fish all over the place.  We caught three more undersized (16" to 20") fish with our trolling rigs and cast a stingsilver to get another.  At one time there were acres of rolling Striped Bass.  We never could tempt the big one or two that were lurking under them -- maybe.  Great day for all, especially the Captain!! 

Monday, May 4, 2009

Is this fishing season?  Megabites is stuck at the dock again, and will be for the next few days.  Dr. Gary Kaihara and I decided to scrub today's trip and we are glad we did.  17 to 22 knot winds right now would have made for a rough ride.  Although I always enjoy Gary's company, tomorrow will be not as much, since I will be in his dentist chair for about an hour and not as mouthy as I usually am.  This will be after visiting my old squash playing buddy, Dr. Ed Gilbert, to see what to do with that 9mm stone lurking in my kidney.  Seems I know most of my doctors from sports.  Actually, Dr. Ben Shafer, who repaired my right rotator cuff, called the other day just to see how fishing is going.  He and his family have bottom-fished with me, and he has been trolling.  Ben is busy these days as the team doctor for the Caps, and will be down when that season is over.  Let's hope it's not until the Caps win the Stanley Cup!

Send me your fishing stories since I don't have many of my own this year.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Read this story of the "Twice Caught Fish"
By Ray Morgan
(Be sure to read all the way to the end)

Monday, April 27, 2009

Look what Jonathon and "Wolfy" Thibodeau helped their Dad, Joe, bring in up by the Gas Docks about 10:15 this morning! They all went out with me along with Gary Kaihara at 7:00 and we had our eleven lines in the water (six on planers) by a little after 8:00.  We fished all around where I caught the 40 incher yesterday with no luck.  I thought the boys at least should see the Gas Docks, so we wandered up there, dodging tugboats and sailboats all the way.  We never saw another fish caught today, and we never had another pull-down.  We got this 38" and 20 pound fish on, would you believe, the same type of rig I got the one yesterday.  In 54 feet of water she hit a white parachute behind an umbrella with 16 four inch white sassy shads and a 24 ounce weight pulling it down.  I had it back with 100 feet of line out.  So, I would suggest you try at least three or four lures down pretty deep.  I'm worn out after two early mornings (for me), so I'm staying in port until after the next front goes through and things calm down.

Guess what?  We stopped on the way in at two places, and, on the recommendation of my friend Eddie Lewis, we picked up three 10 to 12 inch Croakers!  Actually, the youngest fisherman, "Wolfy" caught all three fish with his brother and the two adults fishing within a foot or two of him.  We only had artificial bloodworms as bait.  There were lots of fish showing up on the bottom, so I'm sure we would have done better with real worms or squid.  "Wolfy" was a true sportsman and threw the still-lively fish back in the water at my dock.  Now I know I have Croaker in my cove. Jonathon was an excellent helmsman for me today and the whole family is welcome back any time.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

FINALLY!! Yesterday, Saturday, my neighbor Marty Stuble went out by himself at 7 a.m., and before he had all his lines out he had a 34" Striper in the boat.  Before he got the lines back in, he had another 34" and threw it back.  So, this morning at 6:30 Marty picked me up at my dock.  It took until 8:30, but between Buoy #77 and #76 in 78 feet of water a very nice 40" fish hit a white parachute behind a white four-arm umbrella with a 28 oz. in-line sinker on it.  I guess my shoulder isn't too bad, because I brought her in without much of a problem.  The real problem was that that was our only hit in four-and-a-half hours of trolling.  We were not alone!  We heard lots of chatter on the radio, but everyone who said they had fish caught them early -- very early.  Tomorrow Gary Kaihara and crew join me, so check back and see how we did!

  WARNING!! 
On the night of April 21st, THIEVES BOARDED dICK SCHMACHTENBERG'S BOAT OVER oN BRETON BAY.  THEY STOLE HIS GPS AND THE KEYS ARE MISSING.  HIS BOAT WAS ON A "TURNED-OFF" LIFT.  kEEP EXTRA VIGIL.  i CANNOT ADVISE YOU WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH THEM IN THE ACT, BUT I WILL DO ALL I CAN TO make sure the scum-bags don't get away!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Just as I figured, Orem did OK down in the vicinity of #72 today.  The Captain and six fishermen caught four nice Stripers, but none over 36".  I may just go gas the boat in the next day or two, but high winds and waves will keep me from fishing.  Check back and see if I make it out Friday.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

                        

Yep, two in a row!  Same thing today as yesterday.  But today there were only 20% as many boats fishing, and we never even saw a fish caught. Well, we did actually catch (snag) a fish.  When pulling in the lines we had a nice 10" Menhaden on one of the lures.  I kept and froze him for bait on another trip.

Gary Kaihara and I cancelled tomorrow's trip due to weather and lack of fish.  My spies tell me that the charters are getting some decent fish down towards Buoy #72, so Orem Hammett should do well on Tuesday, weather permitting.  Dick Schmachtenberg got two 33" fish yesterday and another exactly the same size today in the Potomac.  I'll be back at it later in the week, so check back.  There may even be a picture of a fish here -- someday!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Today was OPENING DAY of the Striped Bass Season and the Washington Caps played their second game in the first round of the Stanley Cup.  We did exactly the same as the Caps!  They lost 1-0, and we never got so much as a "pull-down".  It was wall-to-wall boats, and most had planer boards on each side that were 75 to 150 feet away from the boat.  This, plus the fact that about 90% of the Captains out there have no knowledge of the Rules of the Road, makes for a long day on the water.  Dave Jones will be here early tomorrow morning so we can do it again, hopefully with different results.  Check back tomorrow.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Computer fixed, prop on boat and went for short test run in the Patuxent today.  Ready to go on Saturday.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

All is well!  Prop is re-hubbed and Megabites will be up and running in a couple of days.  Now, let's keep the weather forecast about where it is so we can get out on Saturday!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

STRIPERS CAUGHT EVERYWHERE!  All I've heard from every fisherman I've talked to is that the Striped Bass are just getting bigger and bigger that have been caught during this "catch & release" part of the season.

All I can say is that I hope Megabites gets out there early (not ridiculously early) next  weekend, and everybody on board gets to test their arm muscles to the maximum.

I have been having troubles with this computer, so need to keep my stories short.  There will be a period next week when it will be in the shop.  Call me on the cell at 301-481-7144 if no answer to an e-mail.

Thursday, April 3, 2009

STRIPERS CAUGHT TODAY!!!  Bob Lerner was invited to do some Catch & Release today up the Bay.  Good news!  Even though their boat only got one 38" fish, one of the other boats, of the 4 or 5 that were out there, brought in and released ten fish.  They had two 47" fish on at the same time.  So, come on down after the 18th, and maybe we can get one or two ourselves.

I spoke to Jim Frank today and my propeller should be "re-hubbed" by next Monday (4/6) and Megabites, if all else goes well, should be ready in plenty of time for opening day.  

On April 18th the sun rises at 6:25 and High Tide in the Bay off of Solomon's is at 9:50.  That should draw a crowd!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Jim Frank, my expert boat-guy, had a lot of our waterman friends (?) who need their boats ready for the crabbing season in a few weeks, so he arrived here just today to start work on Megabites.  Bad news!  Even though I preach to myself and my fellow fishermen that we can't let the line get caught up in the propeller, somehow, some way it did last season.  The snagged line worked its way back and leaky seals caused water to get into the out-drive oil.  To make a long story a little less boring, he had to take home one of the props today to get re-hubbed.  He drained all the oil from the out-drive and will flush and refill that when he brings back the fixed prop.  He still is trying to get Megabites all squared-away and underway by April 11th.  That will give me a week to maybe do some catch and release before opening day.  Oh, my boatlift needs new steel beams, cable, brackets, etc., etc., but that's just more of the thrill of boat ownership.  Can't get that done until we finish fixing the boat.  Thank goodness the market only went down 250 points today! 

After being fingerprinted, photographed and FBI checked, I had my Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC) issued to me last week.  I think it may let me through security lines at the airport, but since I don't travel alone, who cares?  Anyone with a Coast Guard Captain's License is required to have one of these.  So, if you fish with me and we get stopped  by the Coast Guard, they will know we aren't bad guys!

Check back in a week or so and see how Megabites is doing.  In the meantime, call me and let me know when you are coming to fish.  April 18 to May 10 is usually best.  Let's hope the weather cooperates.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Striper Season opens on the Eighteenth

That's on Saturday, April 18th.  Let's hope we have a few nice calm days at the beginning of the season, But, if the weather is as it has been the past few years, don't count on it.  By the way. I got rid of that darn 5mm kidney stone a week ago today and all is well.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Here we are in the middle of February in a year with two Friday the 13ths! Not much good to report.  After a bad cold in the Middle of January, I ended the month with the stomach flu and then last Saturday morning I was in the St. Mary's Hospital ER for seven hours while they diagnosed me with a 5mm kidney stone. Here I am almost a week later, another visit to the ER, a morning appointment next Monday with a Urologist, but I still have the damn stone.  If you thought I was a miserable SOB normally, you should see me now!  I have no idea how Garnett puts up with me.  Thank goodness she doesn't know where the guns are.  If this hurts much more, I may show her.  Just kidding!  We are not quite at that point yet and at least I feel better today or I couldn't have dragged in here to write this.  Let's call today the "low-point" of the year!  I'll be back, and remember the saying, " This too shall pass!"

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Since the beginning of the year lots has gone on: Megabites is winterized; the bubbler is keeping the dock from heaving; we have our Maryland Driver's Licenses; all our banking is at Community Bank of Tri-County (Which, by the way, is a terrific Bank!); and, we avoided DC and all of the Inauguration festivities.

I wish the incoming President all the best because we need to come out of this lousy mess we are in.  I specially wish him extreme good health!  Why?  Take a look at the order of succession:

• The Vice President Joseph Biden

• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

• President pro tempore of the Senate¹ Robert Byrd

• Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Now, that is scary!

Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
House in Alexandria has settled!
We are now Maryland residents.
Never got to fish again in '08!

Thursday, December 25, 2008
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(nO FISHING THIS WEEK -- MAYBE NEXT!)

Thursday, December 18, 2008

This is the weekend of our "Estate Sale" at 220 South Lee Street in Alexandria (just in case you would like to go {please}).  So, Michael Early, who is running the sale, kicked Garnett and I, plus the two dogs, out of the house so they could set it up properly.  Am I ever glad he did!  This was the best day I could see, weather-wise, for the whole weekend, so Eddie Lewis and I headed out at 8:30 this morning to see if the big Stripers are still around.  They are!  It only took 20 minutes from the time we had our lines in the water until we had two fish on.  I just put my fish in the rod holder and helped Eddie get his fish in the boat, and then we reversed roles.  By 9:20 we had twin 19 pound and 37" Stripers in the cooler.  Not bad for amateurs!  We were back in by 10:15.  Marty Stuble passed by as we were getting ready to go out.  We maintained contact with him and he came in with exactly the same size fish a little later.  One of ours bit on a white parachute trailing a big white 39 ounce MOJO off the stern of the boat.  Bottom line is that they don't give a damn what you are trailing if they are hungry and ready to bite.  I hope to get out again before the year ends.  Check Back.

(By the way, we only caught two fish.  We are just holding both of them in the pics!)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

What's wrong with this picture?

(Taken at 10:30 am on 12/13/08 from deck outside dining room)

• There is ice on the Cove under my boat, so

• It must be cold as heck out, and

• The ripples where there is water show wind, so

• The Small Craft Warnings must be right.

Other than that, it's a great day to go fishing!  Even if I had been down here at the Bay last week, wind and rain would have kept me at the dock.  I'm back to Alexandria on Monday to help prepare for the "Estate Sale" that Potomack Auctions is holding at our house at 220 South Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria next Friday, Saturday and Sunday (the 19th to 21st).  Take a trip to Alexandria and rummage through our precious leftovers!  They want us out of the house during the sale, so next Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be my last shot at the Stripers for 2008.  Jim Frank puts Megabites  to bed on the day after Christmas.  We become Maryland residents on January first, and so Southern Maryland is stuck with us for a while anyway.

 I'll let you know if I get the boat out again.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

FINALLY, WE CAUGHT FISH!

Woody and I didn't get started until 11:00 today, and I had to stop to get 75 gallons of gas, but we had lines in the water before noon.  We only had two Mojo's out right behind the boat, and the starboard planer board with two double parachutes on it, when, about 12:15 the furthest out planer line went off and I pulled in a feisty 38" Striper that weighted 28 pounds.  Woody didn't have to wait too long until the same line yielded another even fatter 38" fish.  Before we could get the lines in, one of the Mojo's hooked a really big fish.  He, in turn, managed to swim all the way out and tangled one of the planer lines.  We almost had her in when she spit the hook.  This took a while, and when we were about to bring in all the lines to go home, another nice 34" fish hit the closest planer line, and we threw her back.  The four fish were two on yellow and two on white.  Planer lines had no weight and were out 80 to 100 feet.   All of this was within a mile or two of the HI buoy in 52 to 78 feet of water.  So, in  short time we had four hook-ups, three landed and two kept.  We never got the second planer board out and the most lines in the water at any time was five.  I guess the "bite" was on!  

Back to pack in Alexandria, but if the weather cooperates, I'll be back out next weekend.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The good news is that we sold our 1780 home in Old Town Alexandria.  It closes on December 31.  I will then become a citizen of Maryland and be at the Bay year around.  It has been, and for another month will continue to be, an ordeal for two members of the "over-the-hill" gang.

I did get to fish the Patuxent for three hours on Sunday with the usual results.  Lots of electronic fish on the finder, but none on the hook.  We probably saw 20 or more other boats, but, except for a non-keeper (under 18") double we saw one guy catch, we never saw a fish caught.  We keep missing "the bite", whenever that is.  Keith McGuire, who works over at Boater's World, told me yesterday he keeps hearing that same story over and over, so I guess I'm not alone.

Have a good Thanksgiving!

I'll be out some more this year before Jim Frank puts Megabites away for the Winter.  So, check back in December.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Finally!  Woody and I caught a fish today.  One lousy 28" Striper in 6 hours.  We trolled from #77 to #76 to HI to 72B, back and forth from 45' on the west side across the shipping channel to the eastern edge and back. Not as many marks or Gannets as I saw last Saturday, but lots and lots of Pelicans hitting the water.  We had 9 lines out with yellow and white parachutes, with four lines on planers. The one we got a hit on was a white 9" shad trolled from the planer out about 110 feet.  The pros caught lots of fish again today.  I heard most were caught down by Point-no-point light.  I guess we went the wrong way -- again. Orem got two in the upper 30's and one 19" yesterday on the eastern side down by #72.  I had a nice Rockfish dinner tonight that I figure cost me about $150 in gas!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Note: I heard from Woody last night that the fisherman who had caught the 40" fish on Friday went out late yesterday afternoon.  He only hooked up with one more fish than we did yesterday.  It was 42"!  (That is a 42" Striper I'm holding in the picture next to joebow.com above.)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

I wish I could tell you that Brad and Jen Kitner, Jen's sister Tiffany and her husband Joe were the good luck charms that helped me break my string of skunks, but I can't!

We headed out in pouring rain late this morning and plowed our way to the Targets in two foot seas, looking for birds or breaking fish all the way.  Nothing to be found!  We trolled around the Targets and were encouraged by a lot of good marks on the fish finder and my first sighting of Gannet's this year -- lots of them.  I made a few calls on my cell and found out that 40" fish had been caught yesterday late in the afternoon on the turn of the tide.  We trolled over to Hooper Island Light and 72B, criss-crossed the shipping channel a couple of times and headed north  on the channel edge.  We now had three Mo-Jo rigs out, which my sources said were what got the big fish, but again -- no luck.  As the sun was setting (around 4:00) we stopped at the Rip and jigged over fish and stopped near Drum Point and worked some areas where birds were hanging out over bait fish.  But, as you see, we earned another skunk.

My crew was very good about our lack of fish.  But it helped that we never saw another boat catch a fish all day.  The weather turned very nice right after noon and even gave us a beautiful sunset.  Catching fish would have been better!

Friday, November 7, 2008

The Monday, November 3rd, trip with Gary Kaihara was cancelled due to lack of interest by the fish, not Gary!  We'll schedule a trip later.  Now, tomorrow Jen Kitner, her husband and another couple are coming down to fish, and I just have to find them fish somewhere.  With that in mind, Woody and I went out in the Patuxent River this afternoon and trolled, jigged and cast for three hours.  We saw lots of nice cartoon fish on the sonar, but fishy no bitey!  Thus the skunk!  Check back to see how Jen and crew do tomorrow.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Welcome to November, the Fall Striped Bass season and time for the Skunks to come out.  Woody and I went out yesterday and we jigged, trolled a variety of lures with planers and in-lines, cast to imaginary fish and bottom-fished in the River.  Never a pull!  A wonderful five hour outing on a warm and cloudless Fall day, but one little 3" Perch would have kept us from the skunk. No such luck!

Gary Kaihara is headed this way with his brood  tomorrow, and I think I might try trolling the Patuxent.  It can't be worse!  Then it's back to town on Tuesday to sit in Gary's dentist chair and play "sell the house" games.  I better get Gary some fish!  Check back here and see if we had any success.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Oh my gosh!  Has it been a month since I posted any information?  I'm still here and trying to sell the Alexandria house.  My fishing expeditions have been few and far between and, when I did catch a fish or two, they were just run-of-the-mill Bluefish.  When this wind calms down a little, I'll be out a lot more and we'll be getting into the Fall Striped Bass season.  That's a good thing!

Capt. Orem has been taking his crew out every week and catching some decent Blues over on the East side of the Bay behind #72 trolling surgical eels.  Today he stayed on the Western side within about 5 miles north and south of Point-No-Point light and trolled up some keeper (up to 28") Striped Bass and some decent Blues.  There are a lot of birds and breaking fish around, but getting them to bite is a different matter.  That's about all the fishing news for now, but I promise it will get better.

On a personal note, I lost my Nephew Pat Bow last week.  Pat was a terrific fisherman and his ashes will be scattered off Key Largo by my other nephew Tim Bow where he and Tim had their best luck fishing.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

This morning at 7:30 Marty Stuble, Richard Everson and I went out to get a few Blues for dinner.  At 11:00 we were back in with four 16" Blues, a 20" Striper and two Menhaden for our crab pots.  We caught them using planers with spoons and small surgical tubes.  They were all in about 50 to 60 feet of water in the PR -- #77 -- HI triangle.  Lots of charter boats were fishing the same area.  No Spanish to be seen.  Adios Spanish!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Went out after four o'clock this afternoon with neighbor Kathy Gordon and Woody, and fished from PR to HI to #74 and back at 6 mph looking for Spanish.  Never hooked one or even saw one jump.  We did hook-up with a few Blues, but were able to only boat one that kept us from being skunked.  I had a nice big one on, but close to the boat he bit the mono and took off.  I've increased the size of my spoons and will go after Blues the next time with these and surgical hoses.  When that will be I'm not sure, but I'm in Alexandria until Friday.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Woody came over on Friday morning and we double-tied both boats to their lifts.  We then raised them as far as we could and cleared the decks and the dock of anything that would blow around or float.  As I write this Saturday evening we have not had the highest tide as yet, but it looks like it's going to be, "No big deal!"  The winds were only 45 mph at a maximum.  Hanna was no Isabel - - thank goodness.

I'm not headed to Alexandria before Wednesday.  But, with all this fresh water in the River and Bay and all the flotsam and jetsam  floating around from the high tides, I think I'll leave Megabites on the lift until next weekend.  Check back about the 13th and see what's up.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Last evening, about 5 o'clock, it was nice and calm, so I decided to take Megabites over to Solomon's to get gassed.  I had a couple of good things happen.  First, I got about 2.5 miles per gallon instead of the usual 2.2.  At $4.09 a gallon, that does make a difference.  When I finished gassing her up, I decided to pull a few planers with small spoons out in the deeper water of the Patuxent out towards the Bay.  I put four rods over with two #1 and two #2 planers.  For the next hour and a half I had some of the most fun I've had all season.  When it was all over, I had three very nice Spanish Mackerel and half a dozen or more Blues to 14".  About a dozen other fish tripped the planers or jumped before I got them in the boat.  (Remember, this is a "one-old-man operation".)  I gave away two of the Spanish to neighbors and split the Blues with Phil Schafer for crab bait.  That paid-off too because I gave a bunch of crabs away this afternoon.  I love taking friends out fishing, but when it is my turn EVERY time to bring the fish in, that's fabulous!

Last Sunday, August 24, my friend and house-fixing-up helper, Raphael brought his friends David and Hoyt down, and we spent three hours out around the HI and 72B buoys.  We got about the same as I did last night, with a couple of Spanish and some bigger, but not huge, Blues.  They went back up to Virginia for a big fish fry.  I'm back to Alexandria on Labor Day, but the end is in sight -- I hope!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Wow, I got to fish again today!  Woody Wheeler and I went out after 10:00 this morning and came back at 3:30 with a dozen Blues in the 14" to 16" range.  We used the metal planers on our lines and had four lines out.  At first we had two each rigged with small spoons and artificial eels (green and red), but when all the fish bit the small spoons we switched all to spoons.  We trolled through mildly breaking fish with no birds and started getting them them in 60 feet of water, along with a few throw-back Stripers, but then went across to 72B and got some in 115 feet of water.  We trolled back to the HI and caught a few there as well as on our way back home.  It was fun with a lot more fish hooked but they spit the hook, as Blues are apt to do.  We knew that you should never troll a conventional lure along with these planers.  We did -- we tangled -- we cut a lot of line and leader -- and we promise not to try again.  A fun day with no long periods of no activity

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

FINALLY!  Last Saturday I actually went fishing.  I went with my friend Raphael Delgado, who has been fabulous in helping me clean up the Alexandria house.  (By the way, in about 3-4 weeks all the painters, plasters, carpenters, electricians, roofers, floor finishers, organizers, helpers, family heirlooms and junk should be gone and I can be more vigilant in fishing for the Blues and Fall Stripers.)  Raphael came with his friend Dr. David Arrington, MD, PHD, who turned out to be a terrific fisherman.

We did the usual routine of bottom fishing in the Patuxent, and after an hour or so had a live-well filled with a couple dozen nice small Spot, plus a Perch and about three decent keeper Croaker.  It was lunchtime, so I put five rods out and we trolled from north of #77 to the Gas Docks.  I was right!  Not a thing disturbed our lunch -- not so much as a tug on a rod or blip on the fish-finder.  When we got up there we found a spot near my friend Sonney and the Fin Finder.  We put out three live-lining rods with nice peppy Spot on them, and I decided to put a couple bottom rigs off the sides baited with cut Spot.  It was fun watching the Fin Finder crew bring in fish, after fish, after fish while we sat there sunning ourselves.  (I think it has something to do with knowing what the hell you are doing!)  My cell phone rings and it's Sonney saying that, "His group of 16 has their 2 Stripers apiece and he's headed home. Would I like to have his place?"  Well, heck yes I would!  About that time, Doctor David has a big Blue gobble up the cut Spot on the bottom rig, and we get him almost to the boat and the Blue either breaks or bites the light line.  (He was one of those fish that you fight and fight, he comes close enough for you to see how big he is, gives you the "fish-finger", then breaks the line and swims off.)  So, Fin Finder, with it's cooler filled with fish and the crew filled with beer, loudly exits, and we dropped anchor exactly where Sonney was and the fish were.  Over the next hour and a half we used up about 20 Spot, but most were retrieved with a head or a tail missing, but no fish.  We did manage to land a couple of Blues and one nice 20" Striper.  But, as any decent fishermen does, we have an excuse.  Sonney left us with a big three and a half to four foot wing-span Skate patrolling under our boat and scaring all the fish away, until we caught him, fought him, brought him to the boat, netted him, had him bark like a dog at us several times, threaten us with his stinger tail, and then we let him go off to bug other fishermen in the area.  This was the never-to-be-forgotten thrill for Raphael and David, and made up for not catching more fish.  They went home with a cooler of filets anyway! A great day with a couple of good guys!

The next day, Sunday, August 10, Garnett and I had the thrill of meeting up at the new National Harbor with long-time friend Larry Rembold, who insists on still working. He was here for a Petco convention.  It was great going over old times and remembering incidents that dated back over 30 years.  It is wonderful to have a handful of people you have known through the years with whom you can relive the past and look forward to doing it again in the future.  Larry and I both lied and said we look the same as we did when we last got together over 10 years ago.  Thanks Larry!

(Please note that this web site manages to get by without using the words "awesome" or "absolutely"!)

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Every year Ray Morgan makes all the Flounder fishermen jealous with his catches down in the Cape Charles area.  Here are his most recent stories.

"Caught this 23.5 inch beauty down at buoy 42 yesterday 7-31-08 on squid and minnow. Had another 19.5 inch keeper too and a few throwbacks. Oh yes had my share of toad fish too. It was so hot I didn't think I was going to last out there but around three a rain storm came up and cooled things off. All day the boat would not drift right for the wind was coming out of southwest and tide was running out. I had to bump drift in order to move."

"Caught these down at buoy 42 north of Cape Charles Friday, July 18. The middle one is 23 inches and the others are between 19 & 21 inches. My Flounder partner was on board, and that's why there are six fish.  You can keep five per person. I caught about another 20 throwbacks and also a few toad fish too. I was down there Wednesday the 16th and had four keepers but forgot to get pictures of them. Got to wait now until 31st since flounder season is closed  from July 21st to 30th. Can't wait to get back into them.  I've seen a lot of flounder caught down there this past week."

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Garnett and I survived the Greenwell State Park Yard Sale today, got rid of a lot of junk (and some decent stuff too), and cleared over $300.  Glad it's over!

Since I was getting ready for the sale yesterday, Marty took Woody out without me, caught some Spot and went to the Gas Dock to live-line them.  Woody did great with this 30" beauty.  Marty's was a bit smaller, but he added a Blue to his catch.  Small craft warnings today and predictions of winds tomorrow will keep me from going to the Gas Dock in the next couple of days, then it's back to town to work on the house.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Marty Stuble, Woody Wheeler and I went out in the Patuxent River late this afternoon and had lots of fun hooking up with breaking Snapper Blues about 9" to 10".  Then, we caught nothing but small Croaker over on the Western Shore, but I think those pesky Blues scared the others away.  We tried several other spots on both sides of the river with minimal results, so we went down to just above #13, our always reliable spot.  It was!  Woody was able to clean a couple dozen fish which included several really large Spot and Perch up to 11".  Bloods worked best, but the Blues liked shrimp and squid too.  All-in-all a great afternoon with good friends.  Now, I'm off to Alexandria.  Ugh!  Be sure to come to our Yard Sale on Saturday.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

The bad news is that I didn't get to go fishing yet.  The good news is that there are fish, supposedly, out there waiting for me.  According to Fisherman magazine and other sources, private, charter and commercial boats are still over-fishing the north side of the Gas Docks with live spot and chum and bringing in Stripers in the mid-twenty inch class.  Then, if the seas are calm and you can get across the Bay there are nice Croaker and some Blues down by the Target Ships and the oyster beds way behind #72. 

I think I'll water my plants on the dock, clean-out stuff from the garage and cast for some Perch off the dock today, and go fishing for something in the River or Bay tomorrow.  Back to town Tuesday, then back here on Wednesday to get ready for the Yard Sale.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Sorry, my friends, for being so lax in getting fishing news to you.  Garnett and I have set a goal of having the house in Alexandria ready for showing by August 15th.  Even though there has been "mucho trabajo" done on it already, there is still lots to do.  Sorry about the Spanish, but I find myself speaking my broken Spanish more and more in order to communicate with the painters, roofers and other trades that are working with us.

I did take the boat out with Woody early last week, but after charging over $360 for gas I wasn't in a fishing mood.  That was just as well because we got caught in a downpour (no lightning) anyway.  I guess I got soaked two times that day!

But, I know there are HUGE Perch where they hav'nt been recently, south of the rip, and Striped Bass up to 30" abound up by the Gas Dock, or LNG Terminal if you want to get fancy.  

Here is my good friend Kieth McGuire's account of a trip he took last week.  (Thanks Keith for sending me this.)  Since every fisherman on the East Coast seems to know about this location and it's in the Enterprise, I feel free to pass it on to the one or two fishermen who haven't gotten the word:

Today, July second, I fished with my good friend Capt Bruno Vasta.  He wanted to take his friends to try live-lining for stripers.  We were joined by Tom Kemp, Sam Stuber, Russ Millar and Mike Reese.  We left the dock at 6:30 AM and made a brief stop outside the Patuxent

 River to catch a few spot for the live-well.  I soon learned that my spot-catching skills have not improved, yet in spite of my inadequacies, we caught plenty of bait.  We moved to the most popular location for live-lining in the area, which is just north of the northern most buoy marking the restricted area around the Cove Point LNG dock.  It was interesting to note that most of the boats already anchored there were flying their yellow commercial hook-and-line flags.  Undaunted, we managed to catch our limit within one hour.  The biggest fish measured over 30” and we kept nothing smaller than 20”.  It was amazing; like fishing in a barrel full of fish!  By 10:30 AM we were looking for something else to fish for, so we left the live-lining area to the commercial guys (who were apparently not finished) and proceeded to the Cedar Pt MARI reef to see if we could add a few spot to the live-well.  I baited a line with a small spot for flounder, but got no hits.  Capt Bruno moved the boat to the three-legged buoy (#3) and we tried for flounder there.  No luck.  Then, to finish the day, I hooked the wing of a 30lb (±) cow-nosed ray with my flounder rig and fought it to the boat to retrieve my hook.  It was good to fish once again with the old crew!"

I am headed North to Alexandria tomorrow, but I did catch and release a few nice (10") Perch down on my dock this afternoon.  Hope you had a good Fourth of July and that I'll be fishing on a regular basis in September.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I went out to Hawk's Nest last evening at 4 p.m. with Woody, his son-in-law Paul Hood and his grandson Caden (age 7).  We just drifted and caught most on Bloodworms.  Believe it or not, in two hours we didn't catch one Croaker.  But, we caught 50 Perch and Spot -- about half and half.  Woody cleaned every last one of them.  Caden is a terrific fisherman and loves to bait the hook and take everybody's fish off the hook for them.  He can mate for me any day!  
I got this report from Sam Stuber on his trip with Orem today: 

"I went out with Captain Orem and the guys this morning.  In the subject line, I said fishing.  Should have said boating.  It was so rough the toilet had whitecaps.  People go to Kings Dominion and pay for rides like that.  We did manage to catch a half dozen, or so, Hardheads, and a couple of Spot when we got back to the western side.  The Eastern side and Oyster Sanctuary showed some fish, but they must have been too busy trying to stay upright to think about eating.  All-in-all, we still had a fun time."

Glad it was Sam there and not me!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Woody went out with Orem Hammet's crew early, very early, this morning.  They got a lot of Spot & Croaker, but nothing big.  No Stripers and no Blues. They were out of St. Jerome's Creek.  I know because Woody is coming over to my dock to clean his fish, and we'll use the scrap to bait my crab pots.  Let me know some good news!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

About three years ago I started feeling lightheaded, and to solve it I stopped taking my high blood pressure prescription.  That took care of it and everything was fine -- until yesterday.  I had a three hour stay in the St. Mary's Hospital Emergency Room last night, (where I got to see the first three quarters of the Celtics romp in my little cubicle hooked up to machines).  With one little pill, they got the pressure down to a reasonable level, and I now am taking high blood pressure medicine again. I probably should drop a few pounds too.  Bottom line:  I better not go out fishing for a few days until we see how the new pill works.  But, I'll have my ears open and pass-on any fish stories I hear, so check back. 

Oh, what caused my blood pressure to rise was my working out at the Physical Therapy gym and pool, so I'm not all bad.  Am I? In case you need to know, it got up to 219/119

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Late this afternoon I went out to Hawk's Nest (5 minutes from the dock), and used three bloodworms to catch about 30 Perch and a few Spot.  I delivered them to neighbor Phil Shafer a little over an hour from when I left the dock. He'll have a long cleaning session, but a few nice meals.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Woody Wheeler and I went fishing today! I am not going to tell you about the two small keeper Striped Bass we got up north of the Gas docks, and not going to say a thing about the two really big Rock that bent our rods, but spit the hook, and not say a thing about the mess of Perch we got just above #13 in the Patuxent. Buuuuut, I do have to show you one of the four Stripers we released.  This 17" fish had a red, really, really red left eye!  I swear it did --- look!  It was like a shiny red glass marble had been put in its eye socket.  Too bad it wasn't an inch or so bigger so we could have kept it for scientific evaluation.  But, I take no chances with DNR, science or not!  What other site has a red-eyed fish on it?  Come back soon.  

Oh, only one sassy-shad tail bitten off by a small Bluefish so they are not in yet.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I went out with Richard Everson last Saturday in the fog before 7:00 a.m. and counted on it lifting quickly.  It didn't!  On the way in it lifted just as we went under the bridge about 10:30.  We saw John Fuchs (best fisherman on the Patuxent) drowning worms at Hawk's Nest.  We pulled up to him and asked how he was doing.  His rod answered for him as he pulled in a decent Spot.  All we had aboard was some of last year's "Fishbites", so we tried them for about 15 minutes and Richard caught a really nice Spot.  This kept us from being skunked!  A foggy day on the water is better than being in port -- no matter how much gas costs. 

I went to town last Sunday and just got back today.  I may try my luck tomorrow.  Check back!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Marty Stuble called me yesterday morning and asked me to join him to go look for Stripers.  Our power was still out, so I declined.  I did tell him Woody had heard that there are a school of 26" to 30" fish up by the Gas Docks.  So, Marty went alone and got his under 28" and over 28" fish at Cove Point and the Gas Docks on the same white umbrella rig with 8 oz. of weight.  If I wasn't so lazy, I'd be there this morning to try to get mine.  The wind has been keeping me in, but I guess that excuse to stay in and not fish is about over.  Now, I can say it's too hot! Let me know what you have been doing.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

I was at the boat shortly after 6:00 this morning, four of us went out at 7:00, and, when we quit at 11:00, all we had to tell about was one 17" undersized Striper.  This is NOT the Florida Keys and I sure am no Brian Cone!  Bob Lerner and his gang were fishing up by Deale and Edgewater and reported a 28" and two 19" fish caught.  But, a next-door neighbor, who shall remain nameless, was fishing out where we were and had his first skunk of the year.  Small craft warnings tomorrow and then Tuesday it's back to work on our Alexandria house.  So, just re-read my Florida reports again a few times.  That's what I'll be doing!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

I guess I'll have to go back to The Keys to get the wind to stop blowing.  Maybe I'll fish tomorrow.  In the meantime, here are the last of the Islamorada Adventure pictures!

Somehow, I only picked-up or was handed a rod when a Dolphin was on it, except for the 15 pound Permit last Wednesday morning.  Bob caught the variety fish, including this four foot plus Wahoo.  He also landed another one the day before.  I'm told that we goofed by not having the Captain give us some Wahoo filets, but we won't make that mistake again.  Lots of Tarpon gather under the cleaning station and take care of all the skin and innards thrown away.

When we fished for the Sailfish Captain Brian used a kite rig where the kite goes out and the line goes through a release that's run up the kite string and the bait is set so it splashes in and out of the water like the picture on the right.  It worked!  If you look closely at the picture on the left you can see a small splash of the Sailfish way out under the rain cloud that's about to come over our head.  The Sailfish ended up beside the boat, but spit the hook.  We would have released him anyway, but he denied us a good picture.  Sorry!

 At the Lor-e-lei Tiki Bar and restaurant we ate our fish two nights, but we have to admit we watched and cheered for Ettida (with the fantastic body) and Jason Taylor on Dancing with the Stars.  We both used our cell phones and each got one vote for them to go through -- to no avail.  They lost!  Last note: the staff at Lor-e-lei was beyond great and kept Bob's Diet Cokes coming throughout the week.  I drank Ginger Ale with bitters. 

 Well, all the fish stories on this site are true anyway!

Friday, May 23, 2008

and now, the rest of the story!

Here are pictures I took, some of which you wouldn't see on other web sites or in other publications.  Let's start out with our little lizard that kept guard at the "El Cheapo" motel where we stay on these trips. He was a couple feet long, but harmless. 

 See the picture of Bob and me holding the fish in yesterday's report. While getting ready for the picture I sort of slapped Bob in the face with my Dolphin's tail.   The Permit was still quite frisky as he swam away. 

Here are a couple of photographic tricks every good fisherman knows. Look at the perfect Dolphin I am holding up in the center of yesterday's pictures.  Ken Cone had him repaired using Photo Shop, because he got pretty torn up when he was gaffed.  Here is what his sail really looked like.  Much nicer without the hole! 

 Now, every fisherman knows how to make a small 15 pound Permit look almost as big as a 38 pound one. (Well, almost!) On the right is the same Permit as on the left.  But, I sure can make him look bigger!

Look at these "Schoolie" Dolphin filling the cooler on the boat, then look at them again ready to be eaten at the Lor-e-Lei Tiki Bar as the sun sets.  It sure doesn't get much better than this!

Check back in a day or so and I'll show you the Wahoo Bob caught and how we kite fished for the Sailfish.  I even have a long-distance picture of the Sailfish while Bob was reeling and reeling and reeling him in.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Bob Lerner and I had a terrific trip to Florida!

This 32 pound Dolphin wasn't close to the 47 pound one I caught last year, but Bob Lerner's 38 pound Permit was a very special catch.  Two years ago Bob caught a 23 pound Permit that he was very proud of, but this one, which took him 45 minutes to bring in, is extra special.  As soon as the picture was taken the Permit went back to challenge another angler.  Bob also caught a couple of Wahoo, an (estimated) 70 pound Sailfish, lots of 6 to 15 pound Dolphin and some little Jacks that wouldn't leave his bait alone.  Bob caught many of the "Schoolie" Dolphin on his fly-rod, but the two Wahoo were on a spinning rod and the  Sailfish was on a trolling rod and reel.  Besides all the Dolphin I caught, I did get a feisty 15 pound Permit yesterday noon.  We probably caught a total of 100 Dolphin, threw a lot of them back, but had a couple of fabulous meals at the Tiki bar and brought home 20 to 25 pounds of filets.  I'll have more stories from the Florida Keys with pictures in the next couple of days, so if this bores you, stay away until Sunday.  Small craft warnings the next couple of days will keep me from fishing.  I wish every one of my fishing friends could spend a day or two with Capt. Brian Cone on the Contagious out of Islamorada.  (MM 77)  He is a knowledgeable, personable Captain with an excellent mate, Al.  Come back soon!
 (By the way, Brian's dad, Ken, came along with us last Tuesday and took the three pictures above.  My thanks to Ken for his good company and excellent pictures!)

Friday, May 16, 2008

Sorry about the lack of reports, but I've been in Alexandria and then getting ready to fly to the Keys on Sunday.  Small craft warnings here today and tomorrow will keep me ashore until I get out in the Atlantic on Monday.  The good news is that they are calling for very light winds at Islamorada on Monday and Tuesday, so we should have a smooth ride out to get our Dolphin.  We fish next Wednesday morning too, then fly back that afternoon.  I should have photos of Bob and my catch on here by Thursday night.  But, in the meantime, here is the 47 pound Dolphin I caught last year.  I'll try to do better!

(See new May 5 & 6 pictures!)

Sunday, May 11, 2008

I finally got my fanny out of bed at 5 a.m., and Woody, Dick Schmachtenberg and I were underway at 6 a.m. headed way down to 72A.  (It seems much longer to get there at $4.08 per gallon than it did last year at $3.25!) We saw pelicans hitting the water, trolled through them and had some good marks on the fish-finder.  So, we started a turn back to try them again, and while we were in our turn a line hit and Dick grabbed it.  We were about to net Dick's fish when another line went off, and Woody pulled that one in.  But, before he got it to the boat, a third line started buzzing and I got my fish.  All were landed without any problems and we were limited-out by 7:30, pulled in lines and were back at the dock by 8:30.  So, it's Mother's Day fish for all!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

While Marty was fishing for Stripers, Ray Morgan was up to his old tricks again fishing down at Cape Charles.  He pulled in these nice 22.5" and 23" Flounder that make us all envious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, May 5, 2008

Gary, Billy, John and I were off before 7:00 this morning, but, from what I hear, the MSSA Tournament over the weekend scared all the fish from this area.  I found out tonight that the charter boats had to go south to the Honga River and below to get theirs today.  We fished the PR, HI, 74, 76, 77 area, but not until the last hour of a six hour trip did we catch a couple of keepers (28" & 32").  Bob Lerner, fishing with Richard Erlich, finally got a 37" or 39" after five hours of unproductive fishing.  Bob got the biggest, but we caught the most.  Our total was three, but the first one was only 27" and is swimming happily in the Bay tonight.  It also was a bit choppy, so tonight my hip and back are asking me what the heck I did to them today!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Q: "Captain Joe, why haven't you been posting any fishing reports?"

A: "Because the days I want to go out the wind is blowing and the waves are high, and when it's calm I'm in town!"

Yep, today was the third day in a row that I scrubbed a trip with good friends.  But, it looks like tomorrow Gary Kaihara and his gang may have sea conditions that will be OK.  Then, Tuesday, it stays calm for two or three days and, guess what, I'm in town working to prepare the house to sell. 

These last three days were the MSSA Spring Tournament and you can see why I don't enter anymore.  After paying an entry fee you feel obligated to get out there and fish, no matter what the conditions.  No thanks!  I spoke to the crew of one boat coming in on Friday and they did great.  Among their fish was a 38# one that was in the money, but I heard that the same group fished all day yesterday and only got one fish which was undersize.  That's why they call it "fishing".

Two weeks from today I head for Islamorada in the Keys where I know for sure Bob Lerner and I will catch lots of fish.  Check back here tomorrow night and see how (and if) Gary and his crew did.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Floyd Warren sends me the following report about his trip last Wednesday, April 23: 

" After a hit or miss weekend, we went out Wednesday. We made a pledge since all these big fish are female and have not spawned yet, we would release anything over 40 inches. We had our limit by 0920 of two 38" and a 35" and released a 40" and a 43" before going home. Not a bad day. The fog rolled in about 0800 and it was soupy until about 11 and then turned into a beautiful day. It was a fun day with fairly steady action.  The remarkable thing was 4 out of 6 fish were off the boards, 5 fish were on white and 5 were off the same lure, a CAPT Bob-a-Long small umbrella with flash.  We could have gone from a very good day to a day without luck if I had not bought those rigs this year. You just never know. Here is a pix of my buds, Mike Mikulewicz and Brad Ludwig, with the ones we kept: rough crew, huh! "

Three cheers for my longtime friend, Bob Reed. I guess he isn't all B.S. after all!  I highly suggest you buy his rigs.  I know  they work! Now, you send me a story of your successful trip.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sorry Fans!  Yesterday the weather was beautiful, but I worked in the yard.  I just cancelled trips with friends today and tomorrow.  I'm going to town Tuesday and Wednesday, but seas will be too high anyway.  Then, when I get back down the end of the week, it doesn't look promising either.  Let's make a deal with the charter boat Captains  - - - they go out exclusively when seas are 2 to 3 feet and over, and we, who they call "cracker boxes", have the Bay to ourselves when waves are under two feet!  Check back anyway, you never know.

Friday, April 25, 2008

My Saturday crew (which was skunked) went out with me again today and we barely missed the same fate.  I went up where we got our limit of three fairly quickly yesterday, but no such luck today.  Happily, Bob Lerner brought in this fat 40 incher after an hour and a half of trolling, but the next three and a half hours were to no avail.  She bit on a big chartreuse parachute trolled from a planer.  Marty Stuble out-fished us big-time again today.  He got his limit of four quickly then he even caught a fifth one while bringing in lines.   But, one of his crew brought his daughter, and was she ever thrilled with her first fish!  A stretch of bad weather may be ahead and then up to Alexandria to do some work again, but check and see if we get out.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Richard Everson, his friend Ron and I left the dock a few minutes before 7:00 and had lines in the water near # 77 at 7:50.  It took until 9:00 a.m., but, in about 100 feet of water, Ron brought in a 23 pound and 37" Striper.  About a half hour later Richard landed one that was 36" but a bit thinner.  It only took another 20 minutes before I also had a 37" fish in the boat and we had lines pulled in and headed for home at 10:30.  We saw lots of other fish caught today too.  Nothing like last Saturday's debacle!  Tomorrow I have the same two fishermen that I went out with Saturday, so we'll see if it was the fish or the fishermen.  I did something today that has not happened before.  We had a good fish on early and he broke the 80# Power-Pro line.  My fault!  I didn't pull off the first 25 feet or so of line from the reel, as I always do at the beginning of the season.  Be sure you do so, or risk having yours break too. Both white and yellow worked today and they hit high and low.  So, I guess they were just hungry.  Check back tomorrow!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Wind and rain prohibit fishing today.  Tuesday and Wednesday I'm in Alexandria.  Hope to fish Thursday and Friday if the weather forecast holds. Woody tried to go out with a friend yesterday and was stopped by the weather.  He checked with charter captains at Bunky's and they had fish, but told him they were really tough to come-by.  They go out at dawn and were coming back late afternoon.  Supposedly, fishing in the Potomac is good. I know somebody caught a fish on Saturday.  Scott McGuire sent me the video you can access below.  It is sort of slow, you see more feet and rear end of fisherman than fish, they claim it's 40", but I'm sure not a hair over.  But, "God bless 'em", that's one more than this old man got!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBzZ1WECfXY 

Saturday, April 19, 2008

First of all let me show you the curb in front of our house in Alexandria last night after my friend Dave Jones and his "crew" moved all the junk from the back and side of our house so the City of Alexandria could pick it up this morning.  It is the only day in the year they do this, so we have spent the past couple of weeks sorting, bagging and stacking 30 years accumulation of "stuff".  This, in addition to plasterers and painters doing their thing, which includes sanding plaster in many rooms including our bedroom. Choke! Sneeze! Cough!

Do you think I'm avoiding telling you what Bob Lerner, Woody and I did fishing today?  I am!  We had 11 lines in the water at 11:00.  (I needed my rest!)  We fished from the HI to #74 to #77 and across towards the PR, counted 134 other boats out there and never saw anyone catch a fish -- including us.

  My friend and neighbor, Marty Stuble, showed me up again.  I got  note from him when I got home.

"Caught two nice Rockfish within 45 minutes after getting set up opening day.  Then we fished another 2 hours trying to find a third fish, but no luck. One was 33 inches, the other 34 inches"   

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Well, I could be in California (the state), but I'm here in California (Maryland), and headed for Virginia to get some more stuff done to sell the old (1780) house so I can come back here late Friday to go fishing Saturday.

Jim Frank got Megabites finished up yesterday with the installation of a new wash-down pump.  We think we discovered where I've been getting water in the bilge the past couple of years when he found a small leak in the wash-down pump hose.  Just enough to add a few gallons when we ran the pump for a total of a half hour or so.  Let's hope that was it.

Randy Beckwith showed up on his barge yesterday to take a look at my aging boat lift.  No good news here!  He immediately replaced a couple of bolts holding the rear motor to the piling.  Now, he's figuring up the damage to replace rusting, creaking and cracking parts.  Probably will be a few bucks less than a new one. 

Here is a picture Bob Lerner sent me of a friend of his who caught and released over 40 fish up at the Power Plant last Tuesday, April 10th.  I hope this one is waiting for me when I get out on Saturday.  I'm not going out until about noon.  Phone me at 301-481-7144 and let me know where the fish are!

If the weather cooperates, check back here late Saturday and see how we do.

 

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Last Thursday I, regretfully, cancelled my trip to California next week for the 75th Anniversary of the Association I worked for over 20 years (1978-1999).  I was their president for from 1982 to 1999.  I was really looking forward to seeing the few remaining members that have lasted from my era, but my body just said "No!" to the early hours, long plane rides and the short period of time between them.  It was very gracious of the organization to invite Garnett and me, but this 75 year old body and two year old plastic hip need some TLC.  I continue PT twice a week.

But, I can still make it out on the boat and I invited all that will be at that meeting next week to come down and fish.  Jim Frank, my super-mechanic boat guy, has been held up due to weather conditions, but made it over to service my out-drive this week while I was in Alexandria working my little fanny off getting our house ready for sale. (Nice market conditions to sell a house!  Thanks George!)  But, Jim's coming over today and we'll have Megabites  out for a trial spin this afternoon.  Heck, if this was a fishing week, we couldn't get out on the Bay anyway.  I hope for all our sakes the weather is better next week.

The good news is that all my sources, printed and verbal, reliable and questionable, unanimously tell me that the fish are out in the Bay just begging us to come catch them, throw most back and keep one for the dinner table now and then.

Check back as time grows closer and we'll see what else I've found out.

Remember, April 15th! 

Friday, April 4, 2008

The good news is that my friend Bob Lerner caught and released a 28" Striper up by Thomas Point Light on Wednesday.  The not so good news is that I have to wait a couple more days to get the boat going.  Jim Frank, (who is feverishly trying to get the workboats squared away), won't be able to get Megabites put back together until Monday. I have to go to town the rest of next week to do a lot of stuff to our house in Alexandria before I leave for four days in California the next week.  I get back the night before opening day, so I hope my friends don't catch them all before I get out on the Bay in the early afternoon -- weather permitting!  I'll keep you informed as to my status and after April 19th will have all the true information for you.  Check Back.

Friday, March 21, 2008

I hope the weather is getting the wind out of it's system!  When I look at the Marine Weather it shows crappy seas with waves up to 5 feet for the next week.  Come the 19th of next month, four weeks from tomorrow, it better calm down.  The water temperature at Solomon's is now 50 degrees, so they are out there already waiting for us.  Jim Frank assures me that my boat will be ready at the opening gun.  Happy Easter!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Sorry to be away so long, but we are preparing our house for sale and yesterday the plasterer/painter came to scrape down and re-plaster walls and ceilings that have "blistered" as they do in houses built in 1780.  It is built with just the plaster on the outside brick, and yesterday there was more than one occasion where we saw the brick.  Oh well, we will probably have it ready for showing in 10 to 12 weeks!

We fish for the Stripers in five weeks, but below is a bit of what DNR is reporting as of this week:

"Fishermen have been practicing some catch and release fishing as striped bass flood into the Chesapeake Bay before they head up to their spawning grounds in the major tidal rivers. Many of the striped bass are already in the rivers now but there still are numbers of them available in the bay regions. The catch and release season has opened on the Susquehanna Flats but the area is flooded with runoff from the upper Susquehanna at this time. Fishermen planning to head out onto the bay waters this weekend should take note that there is a lot of floating debris heading down the bay.  The Calvert Cliffs Power Plant warm water discharge is a favorite place to check for some striped bass catch and release."

 

I'm calling Jim Frank as soon as I publish this to set up a time and date (soon) to re-commission Megabites!  Bear with me, fishing reports will not be neglected.

Monday, February 25, 2008

PREDICTION!

Billary will not lose a primary this week.

(There aren't any!)

Friday, February 22, 2008

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Not much going on the past few weeks.  We are preparing our house in Alexandria for sale later this year, so we have been running back and forth and working our buns off.  Today would be my Dad's 107th birthday!

Random thought: I wonder if when you are in Mexico and call information, do they ask you to press "two" for English?

"Oh crap! Obama won again"

 

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Here are a couple of web sites for you to visit that I think are interesting.  The first was sent to me by Sam Stuber.  It's about a 73 pound Striper caught in VA. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/chesapeake-man-shatters-virginia-striped-bass-record

The second is going to be repulsive to Redskin Fans.  It's about Jimmy Jones building his own memorial!  You better wear your walking shoes if you visit the new stadium in 2009!  Be sure you visit the whole site and see the "Fly-over" video. http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/

Friday, January 25, 2008

I missed the fishing show in Upper Marlboro last weekend, but that will make the MSSA Fishing Fair here in Solomon's on March 29 & 30 that much better.  Be sure to mark your calendars and help with the show if you can.  I finished 12 weeks of Physical Therapy last week, but walked a mile and a half yesterday, and went back to do PT for over an hour on my own today.  So, things are looking up.  Lots being written on next year's Flounder Season.  If anything is close to being decided, I'll let you know.  Yellow Perch in a few weeks.  Hang in there!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

 

Wednesday, January 8, 2008

HILLARY WINS!

New Hampshire, what were you thinking?

  (Crying pays off!)

Learn your ABC's

Anybody But Clinton!

Friday, January 4, 2008

HILLARY COMES IN 3rd

thank you iowa!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Welcome to the new year.  This year I hope my physical condition improves so I can fish more and get more information to you.  Yesterday Jim Frank put Megabites to bed for the winter and "T. J." Booth and crew finished up repairing 40 feet of my seawall that was hemorrhaging soil from the bank between our house and the cove.  Now I can sleep better on cold nights with high tides.

Here are some 2008 dates to mark on your calendar:

• January 19 & 20 - Fishing Show at Showplace Arena -Marlboro

• January 20 - Captain Joe's 75th (send Cabela's & Bass Pro gift cards)

• March 29 & 30 - MSSA Fishing Fair at Solomon's Firehouse

• April 19th - Opening day of Striped Bass season (One fish over 28")*

• May 2,3 & 4  - MSSA Spring Tournament

• May 14 & 15 - NO STRIPED BASS FISHING*

• May 16 -  Striped Bass fishing resumes (2 fish 18"-28" OR 1 over 28")*

• November 15 & 16 - MSSA Fall Tournament (Yes, two days this year)

Please note that those entries above with an "*" are the latest info I have, but I'm sure we'll be writing more about it on this and in many other sources.

good fishing in 2008!

DATES                  MATES           & CANDIDATES

 

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Denny Roderick sent me this picture of a great 40" and 24 pound fish that Dick Roderick and Mike Mikulewicz caught on the Mary Lynn on Saturday, December the 8th.  They got her down by Hooper's Light on a white parachute that they were trolling 260 feet back.  Boy, that's a long way to pull in that size fish, but always worth it!  Thanks for the picture, Denny!  Anybody have some other fish to show off? 

(By the way, this was the same day that Eddie Lewis caught the 41" fish on Megabites.   Must have been the day the BIG ONES were passing through!)

Friday, December 14, 2007

Last day of the season since tomorrow calls for small craft warnings all day.  Woody and I left the dock shortly after 9:00 a.m. in a pea-soup fog.  Thank goodness for my GPS Chart-map that allowed us to feel our way out to the Bay at about 10 m.p.h.  We got to Drum Point at 9:45, then, as called for, right at 10:00 a.m. the fog lifted.  We had eleven lines in water around 10:45 near the HI and then for almost four hours we didn't have so much as a tap.  We went all the way down almost to 72B and up to Buoy 76.  Then I headed back to HI, and about a half mile from it a line finally went off and I brought in a nice 32" Striper.  We then started bringing in lines when another line hit and Woody bested me again with a 35" one.  So, it was time to bring in the rest of the lines.  One of them was really tough to pull in and we thought it had snagged something.  It had!  There was a big 38" fish on it that had never caused the clicker to go off.  I guess we had tightened down too hard on it.  The other two fish had been on board for 20 or 30 minutes and I didn't feel confident that either one of them would have lived, so, with heavy heart and Woody arguing with me, I threw back the biggest fish we got all day.  I'm sure all my fellow MSSA members would have done the same thing!  It came within minutes of being a "skunk" day, but it ended the season with some good filets for the days and weeks to come. 

Thanks to all who stop by my site.  I'll keep posting stories and pictures others send me, and I look forward to April 19, 2008 when the quest begins again. (That's only 126 days away, but who's counting!)

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Today Woody Wheeler got his Fall Rockfish.  It was a really fat 37" one!  Not as big as the one Eddie got yesterday, but an inch or two bigger than the one I got.  No fish for me today.  We left the dock at 11:15 and headed north, instead of south like I've been doing.  We put lines in the water just east of Buoy #77 and headed across to #76.  Then, we headed south towards #74.  We zigzagged a bit and in 76 feet of water half way to #74 she hit on the same lure Eddie caught his on yesterday.  It was half-way out on the port planer with a double Parachute rig and a 12 oz. inline sinker about 120 feet behind the planer line.  The two white parachutes had black ruby-lipped heads with 9" sassy shads.  I think they were almost the same weight, and tend to bump each other.  According to the rules, I should have different weight heads and different length leaders, but heck, all they have done is catch a 41" and a 37" fish!  I think I'll let them stay the way they are.  They are Capt. Greg Buckner's lures that I recommend highly.  We quit at the HI buoy about 2:30.   Looks like some winds coming in, so I don't know when (or if) I'll fish again this year.  Check back.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Neighbor Eddie Lewis and I left the dock at 10:15 this morning and had lines in the water south of Buoy 72B at about 11:00.  It took about an hour and a half, but around 12:30 one of the double parachute rigs on a planer had a big hit and Eddie started pulling.  I could tell from the hit it was a big one and she took about 100 to 150 feet of line before Eddie could make any progress.  I told him I'd help him out if he needed it, but in a couple of minutes I had to take that back because I was also pulling a smaller fish on a small umbrella rig (four 6" sassy shads).  I brought a nice 36" fish in by myself in about ten minutes, then went back to see if I could help Eddie.  Since we would be through for the day when we got in Eddie's fish, I started pulling lines to get them out of the way of the big one.  I was able to get five lines in when we finally saw the leader of Eddie's fish.  We successfully got it into the net and weighed it up at 29 pounds.  Bunky's measured it at 41" with a 22" girth.  Eddie did a great job because as soon as I had the fish on the deck the lure popped out of it's lip.  A great day of fishing and I finally got to pull a fish.  Woody and I may go out tomorrow, so check back.  It looks like some more windy days next week and after next Saturday, it's all over.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Windy all morning, so Marty, Woody and I left at noon, stopped for gas, and had lines in the water out by the HI buoy about 1:20.  We had just gotten our last line in when Marty caught this nice 31" fish, and we thought we were in for a big day.  Wrong again!  We did have another fish on for a short time and maybe one or two other short pulls, but brought lines in and were home just before sunset.  Wind predictions look like it might be a while before I get out again.  I haven't pulled a fish yet this Fall, but the season goes through Saturday the 15th.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Last Sunday (see below) Marty, Eddie and I pulled in lines at 11:30 after four hours with one hit and no fish.  Yesterday I got the following message from Marty's friend Rob, who is a terrific fisherman on a C-Hawk.

"You guys were there too early, I started putting lines in around 11:30.  Didn't get completely setup before I released a 39".  After re-setting that line, I didn't drag it long before it went off again (white board line at 125'), released a 37".  Little further down the bay, two more board lines go...they turned out to be a pair of 34"ers.  I released one and the other was hooked too deep so I kept it.  One more fish when pulling in the lines at 3:00, a 36", she went back as well.  So.... what a difference a few hours make. Go figure!"

Tomorrow, if the winds stay down, I'll be out there from about 10:30 to 3:00.  That is, unless we get our limit before that!  Check back and see.

.Sunday, November 25, 2007

Eddie Lewis, Marty Stuble and I almost beat the sun up when we left the pier this morning.  After yesterday we expected a banner day.  Wrong!  We did the 72B to HI bit again with all the usual charter boats around us.  We never saw a charter boat bring in a fish, but observed three fish caught.  (One right beside us!)  We did have a big, but short, hit on a big chartreuse parachute that snapped it off of the planer clip and tore the 9" sassy shad just below the second hook.  We quit after four hours.  I think someone is trying to tell me to spend my Sunday mornings someplace other than fishing!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

FINALLY!

We left the dock about 9:30 this morning and had lines in the water down just below 72B at 10:15.  About noon Allison Guzman pulled in this nice 36" Striper with a little help from her dad, Paul.  Then, about an hour later Dave Jones hooked up with a pretty 32" one on the outside planer line and professionally crossed three other lines with it without a tangle.  Both fish were caught on white big-headed parachutes with 9" sassy shads on them in about 90 to 100 feet of water.  Nothing on the umbrella rigs.  I may go out in the morning, so check back.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Winds and appointments in town have kept me off the water,  and when I went I had nothing good to report.  Big Stripers up to the mid-40's are being caught from HI down to Virginia.  By 72 the Gannets are in abundance.  But, you have to be at the right place at the right time with the tides right, etc. etc.  I haven't!  I fished the Patuxent within 5 miles of my dock where a very reliable source had just limited out with two friends on 27" to 34" fish.  Richard Everson and I tried for over 3 hours on Sunday and never had a touch.  We saw about three fish boated, but none looked to be over 28".  Today Marty Stuble and I went out on his boat and followed and fished among some of the best Charter Boat Captains on the Bay.  We saw one fish boated, a friend of Marty's got a 37" one that was returned to the Bay, but the radio talk was very negative.  Again, never a touch.  We had 8 lines over and no planers.  Most of the other boats and all of the charters used planers.  I'm out on Saturday, if the gales subside, and will use planers and fish eleven rods if the conditions permit.  I hope on Sunday you will not see another skunk on this site.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Yesterday, Woody and I fished for Perch the same place I caught them on Monday (see below) and only got a couple.  We tried a few other places with no luck, so we trolled the river.  We chased birds over fish to no avail, threw the two Perch we did catch back (they were still quite lively), and called it a day.

Today Bob Lerner joined us and we went down to The Targets where I had been told by several that there were Stripers of a decent size.  We trolled over lots of marks on the Fish Finder with as many as 8 rods, and managed to pull in 4 or 5 undersized Rockfish.  We trolled to below St. Jerome's Creek and back to The Targets.  Very discouraging!  At least the boat wasn't too dirty and no fish to clean.  

Monday, November 5, 2007

Went out early this morning with Gary Kaihara, his sons, Cameron and Tyler, a friend of Tyler's Edward Sylvestre (in the middle), and Gary's daughter Jordan.  Only one female fisherperson on board, so we all know who caught the biggest fish -- Jordan!  I had heard there were some nice keeper Stripers around the PR buoy, but all we could scare up were a half dozen of those 14" Rockfish who have been hanging around that area.  We did get this nice four pound Blue and another two pound one.  We then drift-fished Bloodworms for an hour or so in 45 to 70 feet of water just east of the bridge, and got a dozen Perch up to 11 inches.  Here's Cameron with one of those.  Not a lot of fish, but a beautiful fun day with beautiful fun people.  

the saga of the fishing rod, the fish and the seagull!

On the way up to the Gas Docks last Tuesday, Woody and I stopped just south of Cove point when we saw breaking fish with birds over them.  We trolled some small bucktails on spinning gear over them to no avail, so we stopped to cast to them.  I left one of the spinning rods in the rear rod holder and started casting with another rod.  On about the third cast, I heard a thump and looked back to see a seagull flapping in the water.  I started to reel him in when I turned to Woody and asked, "Did you move the rod from the back rod holder?"  His reply was negative.  Great, I lost a rod!  I reeled in the seagull, Woody put a towel over its head, and I noticed my "Smoothie" lure hanging from the gull.  But, there was another line wrapped around him.  And, about four feet behind the gull was a 14" Striped Bass on another lure.  I pulled the fish in and immediately threw him back.  Then, we cut line and released the gull, who flapped in the water, realized he was free and flew off.  Woody pulled the remaining line hand over hand, and in a couple of minutes the rod and reel were back on board.  WOW!  A bird, a fish and a rod & reel on one cast.

What probably happened was that: the seagull ran into the line from the rod I was using; then tried to fly off ; hit the line on the rod in the holder causing it to pull out and go overboard; then, a fish hit the trailing lure as I brought the seagull to the boat.  I challenge anyone to match this triple catch!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Caught my Striper limit today!  They were 18.5" and 21".  Caught them on light spinning gear with twist tails at the mouth of the Patuxent over breaking fish and birds.  That's the good news!  Before that, Woody and I spent five hours trolling our surgical eels up in front of the Gas Docks north to the Power Plant and across to the Punch Island area without a touch.  (I find that Orem and his crew did exactly the same down south near the #72 area.)  We pulled up our trolling rigs and luckily found the breaking fish about 3:30.  Among the fish we caught were a couple of Blues with one going at 3 to 4 pounds.  Those breaking fish sure saved what was otherwise a sunny, beautiful, calm and fish-less day.  I have a true story to tell you that you won't believe, but you have to wait a day or two until I believe it myself!  Check back.  (No pictures due to camera battery drained.)

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Right now I'll happily trade the rain and the winds that go with it for being able to go fishing!  Ray Morgan just keeps catching Flounder.  He got this 22" beauty down by 72 on Monday.  Ray says that, because of all the crab pots, he stopped fishing up at Buoy 76, but he has taken home his limit of two every time he's been out.  I caught three Flounder this week!  They have been about 12" and in my crab pots.  The bottom of our cove must be covered with them.  Bad weather through the weekend.  Maybe next week!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Those big Blues we caught yesterday have tails -- and they used them overnight! Bob Lerner and I left the dock an hour earlier than yesterday and fished three hours longer and all we could come up with were three Blues.  One of them was the size of yesterday's, but the other two were a pound or two smaller.  We went out where we got the nine big ones (see 10/21 below) and then trolled in two-foot plus seas all the way to 74B and back.  We only hooked three and brought them all aboard.  They were about an hour to an hour-and-a-half apart and in 50', 65' and 88 feet of water.  All on red!  We trolled two red, a natural and a black hose.  Looks like weather will keep most in port for the next few days, including me. May fish this weekend.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Woody and I left the dock at 9:00 a.m. this morning, and by 11:00 had nine beautiful Blues from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 pounds in the cooler.  Neighbor Phil Shafer took seven of them off our hands and Woody and I each kept one.  We got them trolling  hoses with #2 and #3 planers.  Black, red and natural colored hoses all worked well.  We didn't have to go far.  They were right out between HI buoy and  PR in about 45 to 50 feet of water.  They broke a little and there were a few birds above them now and then.  Lots of fun with no tangles.  These big guys run back and forth and actually "tail-walk".  We did lose a few.  I hope they are there again tomorrow morning when Bob Lerner and I go back!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Richard Everson and I went trolling up the Patuxent this morning from 9:00 to 11:30.  Richard brought a "drop rig" with a couple of small bucktails on it, and I was trolling the same lures with in-line sinkers, plus a couple of hoses on planers  When Richard pulled in a beautiful 23" Striper up near Sotterley, I changed over to drop sinkers too, and got a fat 18" Blue.  Richard threw back a 15" Striper and we headed home to watch the Redskins debauchery! 

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Woody and I did the usual yesterday and came home with Blues for dinner.  They seem to hit on red hoses on sunny days, but prefer black when it's cloudy.  But, today I went out for a couple of hours with my friend Eddie Lewis so he could give me a fishing lesson.  We went over to the "Green Holly" area and anchored in about 35 to 40 feet of water.  Before his sinker hit the bottom Eddie brought up the first of several nice big Spot on a bloodworm.  In a short time we started catching some smaller Spot, which he successfully live-lined, and put some nice medium Blues in the cooler. I told you it was a day for learning, and Eddie is a great teacher. So, I guess I don't have to go all the way across the Bay for that Bluefish dinner!  Speaking of "across the Bay", Orem Hammett and his early-morning-risers filled their cooler with six-pound plus Blues  down in the buoy 72 area on Tuesday trolling hoses.   Winds coming the next couple of days , but I'll probably make it out over the weekend. By the way, Ray Morgan continues to get those "keeper-plus" Flatties over at #76.  Good job Ray!  I have heard of a couple 20" Flounder caught on hoses while people are trolling.  What a bonus!

Friday, October 5, 2007

Our daughter, Cynthia, is visiting from Denver and we went out yesterday to catch dinner.  We brought home four nice eating size Bluefish (about the size of those in the picture), and had them on the table within an hour or so after we got home.  So, today Woody and I hightailed it down to the HS Buoy. put lines in the water and then trolled north.  We were using mainly red hoses, but after we had boated a couple of fish Woody wanted to try a black one.  After the black one caught the next three fish, we switched another to black and it caught too! We saw lots of breaking fish, some with birds feeding, but never hooked a fish trolling over or near them.  Fish were caught from 120 feet down to 50 feet of water.  The hoses behind #2 or #3 Sea Striker planers seemed to work best.  With the planers out from 40 to 75 feet it gets the lures where the fish are biting.  I plan to use some planers on the Stripers this Fall and see how they work.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Fishing friend Ray Morgan sends me the following:
"Well Joe I finally caught a big one down at the cell 
just north of Cape Charles, Va. It measured 25 inches
and weighted 5 and half pounds. With my luck it has to be 26 inches or 7 pounds for citation. I plan on getting
a citation before this year's flounder season is over
if its possible." 

Thursday, September 27, 2007

I had to stick around home this morning, so Woody and I didn't go out to fish the Patuxent until afternoon.  We trolled from Helen's Bar up to just north of St. Leonard's Creek and back for a couple of hours.  All we had to show for it was a nice 20" perfect Striper and an 18" Blue.  We stopped to drift-fish at the end of the day and only picked up a couple of Spot where some anchored bottom-fishers were catching steadily.  A nice day, but it's good we stayed in the River since it blew pretty hard and is going to be worse tomorrow and Saturday.  Sorry about the bloody picture of the catch, but the Striper in the live well was still quite spunky when it was time to filet.

Monday, September 24, 2007

It is that time of year again -- the Autumnal Equinox  -- Big Stripers just a month away -- the end of the Hummingbirds  -- the beginning of Raccoons!  Yes, we still had one lone hummingbird flitting around the feeders yesterday and I caught my first Raccoon, who had raided and drank all of the sugar water out of the feeder the night before.  As you can see, it was a young one, so I'm sure he has plenty of brothers, sisters and cousins.  I'll be taking lots of relocation trips over the bridge in the coming weeks and months.  All my "Big-Rock" fishing friends should e-mail or call me for dates in November and up to December 15 when the season ends. 

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Looks like Thursday is the magic day this month.  Woody, Ralph and I headed out at 9:00 this morning, tried to get some Spot for live-lining, but grew impatient when we only had five in the live-well by 10:00, so we headed across to 72B near Hooper Island Light.  Had lines in the water by 10:30 and almost immediately caught a 2-pound Blue.  Then there was a lull and we headed north towards buoy #74.  We picked up a couple more decent Blues in the next half hour and then we spotted some breaking Menhaden.  Right as we went through the breaking fish a line went off, then, another, then another, then another.  Yep, four on at once and three fishermen -- and these were Blues, so you know what that means -- tangles!  We actually landed all four, but retired two rods that were too messed up to fool with.  We went through breaking fish a couple of more times and hooked up three or four more, but landed only two, with two more rods very intertwined.  With nine fish up to 4 1/2 pounds in the box, and not many rods left to fish with, we headed home happy!  So, tonight I re-rig!  The pictures are of the fish and the tangles that they cost us. 

Thursday, September 13, 2007

It hasn't been calm enough for me to get out and try for Spanish Mackerel yet, but I fished the Patuxent last Sunday and today.  Not great by any means.  Just got some Snapper Blues, Croaker, Spot and Perch.  Not a lot or of any size, but they provide bait for the crab pots.  Crabs haven't been too good either.  I had my annual physical on Tuesday and got the results today.  Everything great except the weight.  What's new?  It looks like there will be wind for the next week, but I'll try to get out.  The "real" fishermen are doing a bit better than I, but seem to have to get up very early and stay out longer that I usually want to.  Check back -- who knows what might happen?

Thursday, September 6, 2007

LOOK! ACTUAL FISHING NEWS.  Yes, as you can see, yesterday I actually went fishing -- big time (for me anyway!).  Woody and I left the dock at 8:15 and returned eight (8) hours later.  Besides burning lots and lots of gas, we fished:  below Pt.-No-Pt. lighthouse; at 72A; HS; & 72B.  We caught fish at every location.  A total of six nice Bluefish (up to 24" and six pounds) and an 18 1/2" Striper.  Although we were running a couple of spoons, all fish were caught on surgical eels.  We used small planers (size 1, 2, and 3) and inline weights too.  Both types of weights caught fish.  Of course we lost a couple or three nice Blues at the boat.  What's new?  I just went down to the boat this afternoon and rigged Drones and Clark Spoons for Spanish Mackerel, and hope the water will soon get as calm as it was yesterday so I can go out and try to find them.  Check back and see if I do!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

DOGS OWNERS FOUND!

On Tuesday morning at 6:45 the dogs owners showed up at the vets to pick them up.  We have no idea who they were, but hope they identify and take better care of them in the future. See story below.

WE FOUND DOGS!

Sorry about more dog stuff, but yesterday (Sunday of Labor Day weekend) I looked down at our dock and there were two dogs there.  I yelled across to a neighbor across the cove and found out that the two dogs had been around for a while and swimming around our cove.  They ended up coming on our dock because we have some steps they could get up.  They are a young female black  Portuguese Water dog and a Chocolate Lab.  They couldn't be more friendly and adorable.  They obviously were big buddies and stuck together.  We did all the phoning around to neighbors we could, I drove my boat out to all the weekenders anchored in the big cove beyond ours and did all else we could to locate their owners.  It was getting dark and Garnett fed them and gave them water, which they both appreciated.  We had no place to put them and didn't want to desert them at night.  No kennels were open.  So, we luckily got in touch the Vet who owns St. Mary's Vet Hospital, and one of his technicians was there.  They said to bring them down, so I got them in my truck and about 8:00 last night they had a room for the night.  Today, Garnett and I posted a couple dozen signs all around the area and at Giant, WAWA, Petco, etc.  We have heard nothing yet.  So, my friends.  If these were just dogs that were "dumped".  They both had collars, but no tags.), be prepared for an appeal from me to adopt them.  After an hour or two with them, we would do it if we didn't already have Abbey and Pippin.  I promise I'll be fishing this next week, but anyone who went out with the crazy Labor Day boaters the last few days had to be nuts!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

No, my site hasn't been down!  Actually, I've been fishing three times, but the results and my recent energy level kept me from putting anything on the web.  Today I finished the second half of my root canal with the lovely and talented Dr. Paula Russo.  I hope that the next time you read about her here is when she comes down and catches some fish with me.  I've been out with Dick Schmachtenberg on one of those days with predicted calm seas and actual two foot waves, so all we got was a few Spot, which we threw back.  Woody, who you see here cleaning a nice 20" Striper, which we got trolling between 77 & 76, also took home a nice dinner of decent sized Spot.  But, we were out for over 6 hours.  Then, I went out to mess around at the Cedar Point Rip for an hour with no results, stopped to bottom fish with one bloodworm I had left and got a Toadfish and a Perch.  At least I wasn't shut out.  I love to catch and cook Spanish Mackerel and hope to find some up this way soon.  I'll let you know.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

A few weeks ago I said I'd rather have a root canal than vote for Hillary.  Yesterday I did, and I still feel the same.  It used to be that I saw my friend Gary Kaihara most of the time when he came down here fishing, but lately I've seen him hovering over me with some kind of instrument or drill in his hand.  Luckily, he has a Dental School (Georgetown) classmate that not only is pleasing to the eye, but is an expert at root canals.  And, best of all, she took me in late on a Friday so that she even had to change her dinner reservations.  I owe her a successful fishing trip!  If you need a damn root canal, try to get an appointment with Paula Russo up in DC on K Street.  

So, now that it has cooled down. the wind is blowing up 3 foot waves and I'm on drugs for a few days (legal ones, that is!).  I promise to have some fishing news here soon and hope it includes some Spanish Mackerel.  Please call or e-mail if you see any jumping and let me know where to go.  Thanks!

SPECIAL REPORT

Fishing buddy, Dave Jones, flew to Cancun this week and had a very successful day on the water. I don't know why he is scowling so much while holding up that nice King Mackerel.  Maybe he made a mistake and drank the water!  Included in the catch were Yellow Snapper, Trigger Fish and a couple of Barracudas.  I'm sure all of these fish will grow longer by the time Dave gets back to tell us about it!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

I just cancelled my planned fishing trip for early tomorrow.  It's just too damn hot!  I do hear that within the last week there have been big schools of Stripers up north on the Eastern side of the Bay opposite the South River.  Bob Lerner has picked up his limit a couple of times using his fly rod.  He says most are 17 to 22 inches.  A few Blues mixed in, but mostly Striped Bass.  Marty Stuble quickly got his limit of decent Blues down by the Targets last week.  I guess anyone who ventures out in this heat will at least be rewarded with fish.  I'm grilling steak --- inside!

Thursday, August 2, 2007

I haven't been out since Monday, but have reports of lots of really big Blues south of where I usually fish, and Flounder of keeper size at the 3-legged.  Good luck!

Monday, July 30, 2007

Bob Lerner, Bob Sherwood and expert Flounder fisherman Keith McGuire joined me at 9:00 this morning to go live-lining at the Power Plant.  We were not as lucky fishing for Spot to use as bait out at the mouth of the river, but when we got a dozen or so, we headed north.  It took a little while but soon Keith was calling for a net to bring in our first fish.  Since it was Keith, guess what it was?  A big 18" Flounder.  We then brought aboard a throwback Striper and a couple of keepers to 22".  Keith then brought in a 20" Flounder and Bob Sherwood another that was over 18".  We cast to breaking fish up there too, but had a Blue jump off at the boat and an undersized (by about 8") Striper hit our lures.  I hooked a really huge Skate and was too cheap to lose my line and hook, so I fought him for 10 minutes or so until we could net him -- not an easy task,  Keith was able to get the hook out of his mouth and we saved it. The other guys talked me into letting it go.  I had seen some of Garnett's cooking shows on Saturday that made Skate actually look tasty, but I gave in and freed the monster.  Sorry, but too busy to take a picture.  We trolled and ate lunch up by the Gas Dock with no hits at all.  Thunder sent us home, but a good time was had by all.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Faulty bilge pump was replaced this morning, and new "Backup System" to be installed soon in case it happens again.  Yesterday was the first time in ten years , the bilge pump didn't work, so I can't say it is a constant problem!

Friday, July 27, 2007

Bob Lerner and I left at 7:45 this morning and proceeded to "First Beach" just north of the Patuxent River mouth, where we drifted between a couple of the anchored boats there, and quickly picked up fourteen Spot that, all but one, were actually too big for live-lining the size Stripers we have now.  Then we hightailed it towards the Gas Dock.  For about 90 minutes we trolled and got nothing but Blues.  One, as you can see from the picture was a nice one over 22 inches.  We came around and trolled north as close to the 500 yard markers as we could get without people on the Gas Dock  calling out the Coast Guard Zodiac's with the 50 MM guns mounted.  We started catching Stripers, and finally one was 18.00015 inches and we kept it.  So, we decided to go up to the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant and use our Spot.  When we got there I remembered that my bilge pump had not been working too well lately.  Luckily, we checked and, lo and behold, there was water about 6-8" deep in the bilge and the pump would not turn on.  Yipes!  We pulled the trim tabs up and put the engine down so the boat would ride as flat as possible, and made it back to my dock averaging 25 mph in decent seas.  My boat-fixer-upper-guy-extraordinaire, Jim Frank, will be here in the morning to make it all better.  We had fun anyway and Bob has plenty of fish for dinner.  I hope I get rained out on Sunday, but, if not, I may go out.  Check Back.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

When Woody and I left the dock after 8:00 this morning, I had no intension of being in 3 to 4 foot waves up at the Gas Docks at noon.  But, the lure of breaking fish and hundreds of birds sucked us up there just before the wind came up.  A really rough ride home was almost worth the nice 24" Striper we got plus the seven Blues we landed.  We threw back only one other Striper for being undersize, but lots of Blues shook the hook on the way in.  We wasted a lot of time early in the day bottom fishing in front of PAX, with only a few foot long Croaker to show for it.  My largest and smallest baits worked best.  A 4 oz. white bucktail with a 6" sassy shad and a trailer hook got the Striper, but a tiny 1/4 oz.  white bucktail with nothing attached hooked at least a half dozen blues and the small Striper.  My sore back and hip will have to rest for a day or so, but I'll be out again. (Damn old age!) Thanks, Mr. Weatherman, for calling for 1 to 2 foot waves and no small craft warnings when in reality the waves were 3 to 4 feet.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Winds still blowing today and tomorrow will be no better.  So, today I went over with Woody to his garden and harvested some veggies.  There were tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, three kinds of squash, lots of sweet and hot peppers, some Yukon Gold potatoes, two kinds of eggplant and lots and lots of beets.  Soon there will be corn, melons, okra, sweet potatoes and who knows what else.  Most early mornings Woody is at his garden tilling and pulling weeds.  Take a look of the size of this garden he maintains.  I contribute some plants I grow from seed and others I buy, and he puts them in a section he calls, "JoeBowRows".  Most of my friends down here have their own gardens, but luckily, there are enough that don't that can use my excess harvest.  I hope to have some fishing news for you again soon.

Friday, July 20, 2007 

Heat and appointments in town have kept me in port, but I understand that if you go down around #72 there is a huge conglomeration of really decent Blues.  Boats with five lines out have reported all down at once.  Flounder and Croaker can still be had over on the eastern side of the Bay, but the last time I tried my Patuxent special spots, the Perch, Croaker and Spot were there, but very sparse in the middle of the day.  I'm sure early and late are much better.  Hint:  Try good old fashioned surgical eels on those Blues.  I'm going to do my best to get out at least by Monday, but the wave height that's predicted for the next few days is not conducive to the health of my new hip!

Saturday, July 14, 2007 (Addendum) 

Mark Williams sent me this picture of the catch he got with his nephews on Saturday up at the Power Plant.  Nice size fish for this time of year, and maybe they glow in the dark.  Maybe!

Friday, July 13 & Sunday July 15, 2007

Woody and I overcame the Friday the thirteenth luck, and were able to get our limit of four Stripers up at the Gas Docks within an hour or so, and only had to throw two undersized ones back.  But, we were not as lucky with the Flounder at #76 with one throwback for our effort.

Gary Kaihara, along with Jordan and Cameron, went back up to the Gas Docks with Richard Everson and me this morning (Sunday), and we caught lots and lots of Stripers.  Problem was that we had to throw the vast majority of them (to 17 3/4") back.  As you can see we kept three from just over 18" to 22", and Garnett and I are having Blues for dinner.  Cameron wanted to make sure you knew he caught the biggest fish.  Winds and waves came up big time, so we headed home.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Look down to July second and see the Kaihara family I took fishing that day.  It was too windy to get in the Bay, but we caught lots and lots of bottom fish in the Patuxent and one lousy (but big) crab.  This is the thank you note I got from them today.  Don't you wish everyone would raise their kids this way?  They are most welcome to come fishing anytime!  My pleasure.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Wind and having a tooth pulled by an oral surgeon has kept me in port, but I've heard some good fishing news.  There are still some nice sized Croaker over on the eastern side of the Bay.  Striper limits of the small 18" to 24" ones are available from right our in front of the Patuxent north to and past the Gas Dock.  Nice Flounder are there for the taking at buoy 74 and 76.  Bluefish are hitting in the same areas as the Stripers.  So, it looks like I better get out there when it's not to hot to fish.  My friends say it's not so bad on the water, but when you come in, and, clean the boat and the fish, it's not too pleasant!  I think you could go out and catch a 18" Striper, an 18" Croaker and an 18" Flounder the same day.  If you do, send me a picture.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Gary and Shelly Kaihara came down today with their three terrific offspring (I can no longer call the "kids"), Cameron, Jordan and Tyler.  It was much too windy this morning to go out even near the Bay, so we hung around the Patuxent close to home.  From the time we first wet our lines about 9:00 a.m. until we finished past 2:00, we were continually pulling Perch, Spot, Croaker and Tyler even caught a small Striper.  We used bloodworms, fishbites and some squid, and they all worked.  Lots and lots of doubles.  Not much size to any of the fish, but big enough to take Phil Shafer a bag full for his dinner/breakfast. We tried crabbing for less than an hour, but with only one big crab to show for it, we went back to Hawk's Nest to finish off the day on a positive note.  Always a pleasure to have nice people aboard who love to fish and know how to do it.  I enjoyed having Gary aboard so much that I'm going to see him again on Friday so he can prepare a broken tooth I have for another crown.  (Two in two weeks just shows ho badly I'm falling apart!)  I'll be at a Nationals game on Thursday night thanks to my friend and Orthopedic Surgeon Ben Shaffer, who is the doc for the Nationals.  I hope they can win for us!!  I may go out fishing tomorrow, but, if not, Saturday will be the next time.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

I had a nice two hour visit with my fishing buddy Dr. Gary Kaihara this morning, and luckily, I just needed a crown with no root canal.  Yea!  Now I have to be nice to Gary and get him a 40+" Striper this Fall.

This is my beautiful step-grand-niece (figure that one out) Kristin Flynn and her brother Kyle with a 30 pound Snook SHE caught last weekend down in Florida.  I think she's trying to top Uncle Joe's Dolphin!  Great catch!  They are both avid fisherpersons.

Too hot to fish!  Maybe Saturday or Sunday if it gets decent.

Monday, June 25, 2007

No fishing since Thursday, but things still happened:

• I caught a nice 13" Flounder (in my crab pot)

• I transported four more squirrels to Calvert County

• We had a Downey Woodpecker in the house & he got out

• We have a Salamander in the house -- where, I don't know

• Small Stripers are still abundant at the PAX river mouth

• You have to catch 4 or 5 to keep one

• Some Stripers are showing up with nasty sores

• I have to go to town tomorrow for a possible root canal

• I rather have that than Hillary as President!

I'll be fishing later this week, so come back.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Out at 7:39 with Richard E. and his turkey hunting buddy Don. Stiff wind and 2-3 footers in the Bay.  We wanted to go over to #74 and # 76 for flatties, but was too rough to cross.  So, we trolled right in front of the river for about an hour, pulled in 5 Stripers and the fifth one was just big enough to keep.  It was calming down, so we trolled across most of the way with no action, then drifted for Flounder for over two hours in all depths from 15 to 40 feet with not a bump.  We had good minnows and squid strips.  Richard did pull in a nice crab, but that was it.  Back to good old reliable Hawk's Nest to get Ron some Perch for dinner.  That WAS successful.  Good morning fishing with good people.  What's better? (At my age anyway!)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Away from the dock before 6:00 this morning and looked for Stripers for 90 minutes to no avail.  Then went into 20 to 25 feet of water to drift for Croaker very successfully as you can see from the picture.  The big one is well over 18".  Then we went up and trolled for Stripers near Point-No-point light and managed to get one throwback in an hour or so of fishing.  It was a thrill to have this sailing vessel go by us.  I may go Flounder/Striper fishing on Thursday.  Check and see how we do!

Monday, June 18, 2007

On Saturday (6/16) I took out Dr. Ben Shaffer, his wife Jill and their son Noah (6) and daughter, Emma (8).  They had been skunked trying to bottom fish on their own up near Annapolis last weekend, so they were extremely pleased when we started pulling in lots of Perch and big Spot, with lots of doubles, at Hawk's Nest just a 3 minute ride from my house.  They were great kids and good fishermen, so I was kept busy baiting hooks and removing fish.  I did the same thing about a week ago (6/11 & 6/12) with Richard Everson and his friend Dave one day and Woody and his grandson Jordan (a Navy man stationed in S.C. studying nuclear mechanics) the other day.  Both days we left the dock at a "gentleman's time", which is after 8:00 a.m.  The pictures are of the catch the three of us made on Monday the 11th and Woody and his terrific grandson.  We got all the Stripers in about 45 feet of water straight out from the Mouth of the Patuxent.  More tomorrow after I fish with Orem very early in the morning.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Welcome Back!

Obviously, something has been wrong with this site! 

For five weeks I have been trying to figure out how to get it back.  Laura Allison of "Keep It Simple" has been very patient with me and given me advice on how to get back on line.  I finally had the guts to sit down, punch a few buttons, and give it a go.  Here I am!  Back again, but without the buttons to be able to jump to former years fishing history or other stuff I had on here like recipes.  Sorry, I'll work on it and get those back when and IF I can.  I appreciate your being back!

First, let me show you the pictures of my trip to Florida with Bob Lerner from May 20 to 23.  The wind blew at 25-35 knots the whole time we were there with 6 to 7 foot waves, but we got out to Dolphin territory one day and to the Reef just offshore another day.  The third day Bob went with our Captain, Brian Cone, and had eleven hookups with big Tarpon  in a little over an hour with his fly rod.  Not Bad!  My 47 pound Dolphin would have earned either first or second prize ($10,000 & $3,000) in the "Coconuts" Dolphin Tournament held the three days before we fished.  There were 536 people fishing in that tournament for 3 days and so this was a great fish caught on spinning tackle.  Bob caught two others over 40 pounds which would have been money winners too.  I'll be back with other "catch-up" stories , but this is enough time at the computer for me today!  Here are a couple of our pictures:

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Yesterday morning Dave Jones, his uncle and I went down to a little north of the "HS" buoy and had eleven lines in the water shortly after 8:00 a.m.  then, in the next several hours we:
1)  Put a nice 34" in the box in about 35 feet of water just below HS
2)  Released a pretty 24" fish that will be legal next week in 40 feet 
3)  Battled a Citation fish for 25 minutes that slipped the hook 20 feet out
4)  Had another huge fish pulling line on me 300 feet out for a few minutes
5)  Released a big 38" Striper that we found while pulling lines in

So, the bottom line was that Dave's uncle got the only keeper, Dave got to pull three fish, threw two back and lost a heart-breaker, and I was scared to death when I had a monster that had pulled line so she was 350 feet from the boat and was going to have to pull her in -- but she put me at ease when she bent the hook and swam away to fight another day.  The first three fish were all on the same rig -- a black 32oz. MoJo fished with about 80 to 100 feet of line out, and the other two were on top lines way-way out.  The planers did nothing!  If the weather holds, I'll be out Monday and Wednesday.  Check back. 

Saturday, May 12, 2007

(Due to a commitment I have in town, details of my early morning fishing trip with Dave Jones will appear here on Sunday afternoon.)

Thursday, May 10, 2007

WOODY DID IT!

The last two times Woody Wheeler went out with me this year we were skunked.  Not today!  After Woody, Ralph McGregor and I waited out the fog, and had no luck bottom fishing for croaker, we went out and fished around HI for a while and then decided to head for #74 red buoy.  About a quarter mile from it in deep water this 42+" Striper pulled down one of our white double tandem parachute rigs.  Unfortunately, he got hooked on the outside of his mouth and so Woody was pulling him in sort of sideways.  Not an easy task on a Charter Special reel that the knob had come off of the handle. (The replacement handle came in the mail today!)  After about a 25 minute fight, we got our only fish of the day into the boat. Fortunately, there was no roe left in her, so she weighed in at a little less than 30 pounds.  We marked a few fish, but they were few and far between.  I'll be out Saturday and I hope these flat seas continue.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Finally got out this morning with Richard Everson and Ralph McGregor and we had lines in the water just east of the PR Buoy a little after 8:00.  It took about an hour and a couple pull-downs until we landed a nice 34.9" Striper.  She tangled up three other lines, so we had something to do while waiting for the next one to bite about an hour later.  We stayed out until past 11:00, but never got our third one.  We just kept around the HI buoy and got both fish in about 57 feet of water on a MoJo rig and one on the planer.  One on white and the other on chartreuse.  Marty Stuble got his limit of two today fishing further north, and the photo of him is from yesterday when he got a 34.8" one in the Potomac with friends.  Dick Schmachtenberg reports that he got a big 43" fish and one other over 40" yesterday plus several others further south.  Reports are that the fishing is picking up.  I'll be out several times next week after tomorrow's big blow.  Check back.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

I recovered a couple of the pictures of fish caught 5/1/07!

After being blown out yesterday, I went with Orem this morning with 5 companions.  Unfortunately, my computer crashed this afternoon while I was transferring the pictures of the three fish we caught, so you'll just have to use your imagination and picture us handsome guys holding fish.  Not that you haven't seen us before!  We had lines in the water shortly after 6:30, but it was almost three hours before Sandy Woodard caught the first fish on a MoJo rig and had to throw back a 38+" beauty.  I was up next and about 15 minutes after Sandy caught his, I was reeling in a 35.5" Striper on another MoJo rig and we threw him back too.  It was well over an hour before Dick Schmachtenberg got our only "keeper" on, (guess what?), a MoJo rig.  It was a bit over 32 inches and escaped the dreaded 35" to 41" slot.  So much for fish not biting close to the boat, as these MoJo's were the closest rigs to the boat.  Three guys didn't get to pull a fish at all!  Again, I'm sorry for no pictures, but I did remember my camera today, so that's a step in the right direction.  I'll try to get out this weekend, but the MSSA Tournament will be taking place, and I don't relish the crowd.  Check back!

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Today, I defied the weatherman and, just my luck, today was the day this month he was right!  Woody, Richard E. and I went out at 7:20 and as we were putting lines in the water saw a couple of charter boats bring fish aboard.  So, we thought we'd get ours early and beat the winds.  Wrong!  We were skunked and the winds came up about 9:00, and by the time we headed in at 11:00 they were two-footers-plus.  I never saw a fish on the meter, but we did see a couple of other boats pulling them in about 45 feet of water at the mouth of the Patuxent.  Marty Stuble also gave up and went in shortly before us with the same luck.  As far as I know, Dick S. was fishing down where we caught all the fish last Tuesday on Orem's boat.  He too was not seeing or catching fish.  Unless conditions are supposed to be better than today, I'm staying in port tomorrow.  I probably will go out with Orem again on Tuesday,  Bah Humbug!  On the way in I towed a Boston Whaler a short ways back to under the bridge.  The captain of the Whaler had fished with Sonney yesterday and they kept 7 of the 9 fish caught.  He went a ways north of the Patuxent.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Here are a couple of e-mails and my comments.  First, from Brad Hoffmaster:

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Up at 4:00 a.m. to go out with four friends and Capt. Orem Hammett on the Bay out of St. Jerome's Creek about 20 miles south of where I usually fish.  I forgot my camera, so I can't show you the five beautiful 32" to 34" keepers we caught.  Away from the dock before 6:00 a.m., and threw back a great 38" fish shortly after 7:00.  The next one was, believe it or not, just shy of the 28" legal minimum.  Then there was about an hour lull, sort of the quiet before the storm.  Then, at 8:30, shortly after high tide, the "bite" was on.  In twenty minutes we landed all five keepers, plus a big one of 38" or so broke loose right at the boat.  At one time we had three fish on at once.  We were trolling through an area where about 20-30 Gannets were feeding - - - that's the clue where the fish are!  Then, when we got untangled and lines back in the water, we never had another hit.  The Captain didn't want a fish anyway!  I'm out with Dave Jones on Saturday and may fish between now and then.  Keep checking.
Oh, the depth where we caught them was between 50 and 80 feet and they went for both colors and all the types of lures we had.  The secret is being over fish when they get hungry, usually on the change of tide.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Bob Lerner, Gary Kaihara and Billy FitzGerald took off with me at 6:40 this morning, because we heard the bite was on early.  Wrong (for us anyway)!  Gary pulled in our one and only fish about a quarter of a mile below Red buoy #74 in 40 feet of water at about 9:00 a.m.  He hit on a big white 20 oz. parachute fished in tandem with a 5 oz. one about 110 feet back.  She was a real fighter and pulled lots of line from Gary before he landed her.  Another 34.5" fish!  That's five fish in a row this year for Megabites that were between 34 and 35 inches.  Are we lucky or what?  The small craft warning winds didn't come up until we were headed in at 1:00 p.m., so it was a beautiful smooth day up until then.  I'm out tomorrow with Orem, who has moved his boat to St. Jerome's Creek, since I guess he was not doing great on the Potomac.  Check back and see how we do.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

No fish pictures!  No fish!  Marty Stuble, Woody Wheeler and I had lines in the water at 7:30 today right where we caught all the fish yesterday -- not today!  We fished until 1:30 -- six hours.  And, the worse part was that, unlike yesterday, the boat traffic was horrendous.  The worst offender was a charter boat, "Rod Bender", captained by Keith Alston, who broke every nautical "rule of the road", and made a left turn right into my path, took no evasive action, and slammed his port planer into the back of my boat.  Luckily, it seems as if there was no damage, but Jim Frank will let me know when he services my out-drive.  Needless-to-say, I was royally pissed-off.  I ended up finding his cell phone number, calling him, and getting nothing but lip about the small boats out there fishing on HIS Bay.  A lousy captain and worse attitude.  Luckily most Charter Captains are decent citizens.  It's a shame a few like Alston are so miserable.  The weather and company were great.  I guess I'll chalk it up to Earth Day, and just say our contribution to saving the earth was not taking any fish away from their habitat.  Wish me better luck tomorrow with Bob Lerner, Gary Kaihara and Billy FitzGerald.  Check back and find out if your wishes did me any good.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

All of the preparation was worth it!  Eddie Lewis, Richard Everson and I left the dock at 6:30, had lines in 55 feet of water by 7:00 just north of HI buoy, and were bringing our first fish on board at 7:22!  It was close, but she stayed below the magic 35" throw-back mark.  In 65 feet of water, white umbrella with two 5 0z. white parachutes and 6" white sassy shads, with 8 oz. weight and 80 feet back.  Next one, a 34", was on a big 16 oz. white parachute with a 9" shad which was in tandem with a smaller 5 oz. one.  No other weight on this rig fished 80 feet back in about 60 feet of water.  I located the second one while I was headed for an area with twenty or so Gannets diving in the water.  Why there were no other boats headed there, I have no idea.  The third one was a mess.  It was my turn and, as luck would have it, the 300 foot line went off.  I had my, just recently, repaired Penn 220 GTO reel on this line, and the minute I pulled on it the gears stripped and Eddie and I had to bring in those 300 feet of Power Pro braided line hand-over-hand using gloves with another 34.5" fish in tow.  This one also hit a white 5 oz parachute and I had a big white spoon on the line also.  We were just starting to pull in the lines when another went off, and another keeper was landed and immediately returned with a promise from it that it would come back tomorrow. This one was on a chartreuse tandem rig that had an 8oz. and a 4 oz. parachute with 9" and 6" shads.  I think we were the first boat I saw headed home and, believe me, there were several hundred out there!  We finished before 9:00.  Back out tomorrow and Monday, then Tuesday I'm fishing the Potomac with Orem Hammet.  Don't buy a Penn 220 GTO.  JUNK!

Friday, April 20, 2007

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

OK, by now I: have my 2007 fishing license; bought new flares; know the new Striped Bass Regulations; have had all my reels re-conditioned by Joe Cox; spooled them with Power Pro or Penn monofilament; rigged all new 80# leaders; purchased a whole bunch of new parachute lures from Greg Buckner; mounted the new Garmin Chart-plotter; had Jim Frank de-winterize Megabites and get it running perfectly; moved that damn Nor'easter up the coast; calmed the wind and the seas; and turned up the outdoor thermostat so we get some sun and 60 degree weather.  What have I forgotten?

I'm taking a short trip to Alexandria today and back tomorrow.  Then, it's load the boat time, and away we go for a new season early Saturday morning. Check back for last thoughts on Friday, and then reports start Saturday. 

HERE IS WHAT THE TIDES ARE DOING AROUND CEDAR POINT ON SAT. & SUN.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Uncle Sam doesn't care if you like how the government is spending your money or not.  Pay your taxes!  Don't be a Marion Barry, tax-evader and former mayor of D.C., who once said, "If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate." , or an Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC non-voting Member of Congress, who, "During her 1990 campaign it came to light that Norton and her husband had paid no D.C. income taxes between 1982 and 1989. Norton blamed this tax evasion on her husband, although she is a Yale-educated lawyer required to sign joint tax returns."  You just can't trust any of those damn Yalies! Willie Nelson, definitely not a Yalie, owed the IRS $16 million, but, to keep the agency at bay, he gave it a royalty interest in his album, Who'll Buy My Memories? (The IRS Tapes).  Willie ended up only paying $12,6 million of the $16 million he owed.  So, unless you can sing and smoke pot at the same time, I say again, "Pay your taxes!"

Thursday, April 12, 2007

On Tuesday I went to New York for lunch and walked all the way from Penn Station up to just next to Grand Central Station  (33rd & 7th to 44th and Park <4th>).  So, I guess the old legs and hip are ready for fishing season.  It was cold and windy there too.

No pre-season fishing for the next week if the forecasters are anywhere near right about wind and waves.  Keep checking back, and as soon as there is any fishing news, it will be here. Nine days to go!

Remember now, 28" to 35" and over 41"!   35" to 41" NO! NO!

Saturday, April 7, 2007

T'was the day before Easter,                 I looked out my sash,                                       And, what I beheld there,                             I ran with a dash,                                                To get my ol' camera,                                      And flash a few pics                                              Because what I looked at                        Might give you some kicks.      

The forecasters were right once,             Just wouldn't you know.                          
And, there was poor Megabites             
All covered in SNOW!              

Sunday, April 1, 2007

In 1922 T. S. Eliot, a better poet than I, wrote:

"APRIL is the cruelest month, breeding

 Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

 Memory and desire, stirring

 Dull Roots with spring rain"

I thought it was a good time not to fool you, but to bring you a little culture!
(I suggest you Google "April is the Cruelest Month" then look at Eliot's whole poem and try to figure out what the heck he's talking about.  I never could, and that's why I wasn't an English major!)

By the way, did you realize that the 28.5" fish that Richard caught yesterday will be legal this year, but was illegal last year, and the 37" one I caught was legal last year and illegal this year?

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Marty couldn't make it, so Richard Everson and I went up to green #77 and arrived about 8:00 a.m.  We put out what I call my "J.V. Tackle" which is a mishmash of stuff I don't use anymore during the regular (serious) season and a couple of big spinning rods.  I trolled six lines with four double parachutes and two umbrellas.  We went all the way over to 76 and might have seen a fish or two way down deep (65'), but there was lots of bait.  I have a new Garmin chart map and so I went southwest to the 60 foot line and started following that towards the HI buoy.  About 9:30, and we hadn't seen any fish on the fishfinder, one of the umbrella lines went off and Richard pulled in a beautiful 28.5 inch Striper that would have just been legal.  We snapped its picture and had it back in the water right away.  About 10 to 15 minutes later, the same line went off and I landed a 37 inch and illegal in 2007 fish.  We photographed it quickly and got it back in the water post haste.  Both fish were absolutely perfect.  There wasn't roe in either nor were there any sea-lice on them. No Gannets spotted!  So, we proved there were nice fish out there and we could catch them, even with barb-less hooks, so we pulled up lines and headed home before we disturbed any more of them.  On the radio we heard someone say to a buddy, "How are you doing?"  The reply was, "We're up to five!"  So, even though we only saw about 3 other boats out on the Bay, they seem to be catching too.  As we came in the DNR Police boat was going out.  So, be sure your flares are up to date, your fire extinguisher is in the green and your throw pillow is handy and you are not sitting on it like I do!!! The pictures are of the two fish and the lure that worked.  The umbrella was attached right to my 80# mono line with no weight, but the single lure was a 24oz. parachute.  It will be a while before I go back out.  Lots of yard work, etc, to do.

    Friday, March 30, 2007

Richard Everson, Marty Stuble and I are going out for a few hours tomorrow morning with light tackle and barb-less hooks just to see if there are any fish hanging around.  It is supposed to be fairly calm, but I don't think the wind can stay down very long this time of year.  Check back Saturday afternoon to see if we did and how we did.  Jim Frank put a new ignition switch in Megabites yesterday, so at least we won't have that problem.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Yea!  Jim Frank got Megabites de-winterized this afternoon and we took a short test run.  Everything was fine until we hit a small wave and all the power disappeared for a couple seconds.  Smoother waters took care of the problem, but Jim said to look at the ignition switch as soon as we got to the dock.  It's good we did.  One of the screws in the ignition was actually missing and when I hit a big wave it disconnected, and then when it got smooth, it re-connected and it ran fine.  That will be fixed!  Eddie Lewis worked on the Honda 35 on my Carolina Skiff and solved the gas leak problem, but it still is running rough.  We think there is gunk in the fuel line.  We'll solve that another day.  We really will!  (I mean Eddie will.)  

By the way, the Flounder limits are the same as last year.  Two per day over 15" in the Bay.  (That's two more than I got all year, but, come to think of it, I didn't fish after mid-June.)  I may fish for Perch or Striper Catch and Release the end of the week or next week, so check back.  Also, let me know if you go fishing and what you get - or don't.

     Friday, March 23, 2007

Here is Nicola's e-mail to me this afternoon:

"Cap'n Joe -

The TC wrapped up it's call yesterday and, as shown in the Washington Post, decided on the following for the spring season:

April 21- May 15: 1 fish 28-35" or 41" or greater
May 16-June15: 2 fish 18-28" with one allowed over 28" (i.e., the 2006 regulations for this part of the season)

Part of the reason for this particular slot limit (protecting those fish 36-40"), is to protect the strong 1996 year class, assuring the presence of large fish in the spawning stock.  The original proposal was 28-36  or 42" or greater, but the TC felt the harvest was likely to go over the 30,000 fish target this way, thus the change to protect the large number of  fish expected to be harvested at 36". This switch did permit the 42" to be lowered to 41", so at least there is that.

I hope your trip to DC was pleasant yesterday. I think the sun came out for a little while!

Regards,
Nichola"

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

OK, here is the latest from Nicola Meserve from ASMFC: 
"I don't have the answer you are looking for yet, unfortunately. The Technical Committee had a marathon call up until about 4:30 today, to be continued Thursday (morning I believe). The TC could not come to a consensus that the regulations Maryland proposed (April 21- May 15, 1 fish 28-36" or 42" or greater) would keep the harvest of migrant fish below the 30,000 fish target. So, some recommendations were made, Maryland will revise the proposal, and the TC will review the reworked proposal on Thursday. I expect the answer will be revealed by Friday at the latest!"
So, it's going to be worse than we thought it might be.  I will be out of town Thursday night, but be back to check on this by late Friday afternoon.

Monday, March 19, 2007

I just heard from Nicola Meserve that the phone call to determine our Striper regulations for this spring will be tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 and will take a while.  So, check this site Tuesday after 5:00 and we may have the answer -- finally!

 Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I just got the following e-mail from Nichola Meserve of ASMFC:

Good Morning, Joe  -

I realized that I gave you the wrong date for the Striped Bass Technical Committee's review of the proposed regulations for the spring trophy fishery. Originally the TC was to review the proposal on Monday, but due to some scheduling conflicts, the conference call was re-scheduled to the 20th of March. I expect the results to be made public within the week. Sorry for the confusion.

Best regards,
Nichola

Nichola Meserve
Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
ph: (202) 289-6400  f: (202) 289-6051

As I said yesterday, the proposal is 28" to 36", and then over 42".  So, it looks like we will know for sure on the Vernal Equinox -- next Tuesday!  I'll stay on top of it and let you know as soon as I do!  (Looks like I now have a friend at ASMFC!)

    Tuesday, March 13, 2007

I just spoke to Nichola Meserve, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator of the ASMFC.  She said the present proposal for Stripers between 4/21 and 5/15 is 28" to 36", and then over 42".  (For those of you who wear their baseball caps backward, that means you carefully release all fish over 36", but under 42".)  One per day per person can be kept.  It has NOT been voted on as yet and she did not know when it would be.  But, I have an idea this is what it will be.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

In today's Washington Post, Angus Phillips says the 2007 Striper Spring Trophy Season limits have been decided.  They are different than the ones I posted below from the 2/14 Baltimore Sun .  April 21 is the date, but he says the slot is 28 to 37", not 28 to 35" as The Sun reported.  Also, he says anglers can keep one trophy fish of over 42" per day, not per season.

We'll see what they are when they become official!

Either on my boat or on a fishing party there were 35 Stripers caught between April 15 and May 15 last year.  If the 28" to 35" slot had been effect, we would have had to throw back 17 of the 35 fish, but if it is 28" to 37", we would have only had to throw back 10 of them.  So, you can see either way it will conserve fish -- if people obey the law.  Lots of luck on that!

Spring Season Striper Regs.  from the Baltimore Sun:

• Season Begins on 4/21, as previously noted

• One fish per day from 28" to 35"

• One fish per season over 42"

That means no fish kept over 35" except one 42"!

That 42" fish is not in addition to any fish you catch in a day, but if you catch a fish that is 42" you may keep it. You can only do this one time during the Spring Season.

CHARTER CAPTAINS ARE SQUEALING LIKE STUCK PIGS! 

I guess I don't blame them, but, as a recreational fisherman, I can live with these regulations and still have lots of fun.

Here is the complete Baltimore Sun article:

The Department of Natural Resources is expected to receive permission
from state lawmakers and the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission
for a season that substitutes a "slot" of 28 inches to 35 inches for a
minimum-size restriction. The season will begin later, on April 21,
which is expected to save 18,000 fish.

State fisheries chief Howard King also is expected to get approval for a
plan to allow anglers to keep one "super-sized" fish larger than 42
inches.

The revised regulations are to keep Maryland from violating, for a third
consecutive season, the spring allocation set by the ASMFC, the
regulatory board that consists of representatives from eastern seaboard
states.

The commission has the authority to alter state regulations or impose
sanctions that would, in effect, cancel the month-long season that is
worth as much as $7 million to the state economy and represents almost
half the income of Maryland's charter fleet.

"It's about the best deal we could hope to get under the circumstances,"
said Capt. Ed O'Brien, vice president of the Maryland Charter Boat
Association.

But charter boat Capt. Glenn James, who fishes out of Chesapeake Beach,
predicted that occasional anglers and visitors will take their business
elsewhere.

"Virginia is hurting us terribly. They've taken a lot of tourist
dollars, and this is only going to make it worse," he said.

The more complicated slot formula is expected to trigger an increase in
violations by the state's 260,000 tidal water anglers, many of whom will
refer to a DNR guide book printed late last year.

"People are so reliant on the guides. They are unaware of any changes
that come after publication. They just go fishing," said Martin Gary, a
DNR fisheries biologist. "The charter boat captains are dialed in. It's
the rest of the anglers we have to be concerned about, the ones who
don't belong to fishing clubs and don't get newsletters."

Sgt. Ken Turner, a spokesman for Natural Resources Police, said patrol
officers are likely to cut anglers some slack early on.

"With any new regulation, we're not going to be out there kicking butt
and taking names," he said. "You've got to get the word out. You've got
to give people a chance to get up to speed."

Gary said DNR staff will work with tackle shops, marinas and other
contact points to alert anglers to the new regulations.

Maryland is treated differently from other coastal states because the
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are the spawning grounds and nursery
for more than 70 percent of the East Coast's striped bass population.
Fish migrating up the coast swim into the bay to spawn before continuing
north.

Bay anglers in the past two seasons exceeded by more than 50 percent the
annual quota, despite the state's effort to curtail the harvest by
imposing tougher regulations that included raising the minimum size from
28 inches to 33 inches and delaying by two weeks the start of the
tournament season.

Two weeks ago, the ASMFC rejected Maryland's proposal to remove the hard
cap and give state fisheries managers the independence to regulate
catches the way other eastern seaboard states do. Instead, it agreed to
set a target number of 30,000 migrant fish - less than half of what
anglers caught the past two springs - and let King and his staff
determine the best way to meet it.

King said the plan will be reviewed by the ASMFC technical staff "to
make sure our mathematics and reasoning are correct." Then, he will ask
the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review
to approve it. State lawmakers rarely refuse a DNR request.

                    Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Another non-event snow-ice-sleet-rain storm here in California last night.  If we did have a lot of snow, we know how the government would get rid of it.

Check here on Saturday for a Striper Season update.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

ASMFC screws us ROYALLY!  (Read this and see why!)

Originally published January 29, 2007, 4:30 PM EST
From the Baltimore Sun 
ALEXANDRIA, Va. // Chesapeake Bay anglers will be allowed to catch half the number of striped bass this spring than they did in each of the last two seasons, a regional regulatory board decided today.
By a vote of 7-6, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission rejected a proposal by Maryland and backed by Virginia to eliminate the spring cap and allow the two states to fish under regulations similar to other Eastern Seaboard states.
Instead, it approved a target quota of 30,000 fish--about half the total caught in each of the last two years.
"This cripples us," said Rich Novotny, executive director of the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association, which represents thousands of recreational anglers. "We imposed a moratorium to save the species . We've done a lot for conservation and now they've penalized us."
Charter boat captains in the audience looked stunned after the vote. Many of them derive almost 50 percent of their annual business during the four-week season that begins in mid-April.
Maryland anglers in the last two seasons exceeded by more than 50 percent the annual quota set by the ASMFC despite efforts by state fisheries managers to set tougher regulations.
Fisheries chief Howard King argued that the rules set for Maryland in the 1990s were no longer needed because the striped bass population has recovered from overfishing and is robust. The state imposed a five-year moratorium in the 1980s after the number of striped bass plummeted to record-low levels. The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are the spawning grounds and nursery for more than 70 percent of the East Coast's striper population.
But the commissioners, who represent the federal government and states from Maine to North Carolina, were unmoved.
In an attempt to save the season, King then asked commission members to approve the target quota. The vote was 10-3, with two commissioners abstaining.
Maryland fisheries managers will meet with fishing clubs, charter boat captains and conservation groups to attempt to design regulations to keep the state in compliance when the spring season begins.

I'll try to get the latest on regulations and publish them on this site.  But, if you remember the minimum Spring fish was 33" in 2006, so look for 34" to 36" and maybe a season that won't start until April 28th or later.

    Monday, January 8, 2007

I heard through the grapevine that the "Hook & Line" commercial fishermen can hardly get a line in the water before they have a fish on.  And, they are the big ones with sea-lice on them from the ocean that we were waiting for all Fall.

Keep your eyes open later this month for the decisions that are to be made about our Striped Bass limits for this coming Spring.  Angus Phillips in the Washington Post proposes that it be catch and release only.  I've also heard that banning planers or allowing only one rod per fisherman are being proposed.

If we do have to cut back on the number of large fish we can catch, here is my proposal for the Spring season from April 21 up to June first: 
One fish over 32" for every two (2) fishermen on board.  Catch and release is permitted. 
This would allow every fisherman to pull a fish and take home one filet, which, from a fish over 32", is plenty to have several meals.  I guess if you fish alone you would be on your honor to only take one fish home every two trips. Or, if an odd number of fishermen, you would be able to take home the extra fish so each person gets at least one filet.  No way to police single fishermen, but if someone is going to be a pig, like Barbara McKulski's buddy over on Tilghman Island, they'll find a way around any regulation.

I'll do my best to keep you posted on this.  Let me know if you hear anything.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Captain Orem sure came through in the last days of 2006.  On Thursday, December 28th he took Dick S. and Sandy W. out and they brought home a nice 31" fish from the Potomac.  But, he saved the best of 2006 until the last.  Tim McCleaf writes as follows: "Please check out this monster caught on Captain Orem Hammett’s boat the last day of fishing in the Potomac .  Captain Orem is my wife’s uncle.  He was kind enough to call me Saturday night after we had to cancel that day because of fog.  He drove the boat for nearly an hour before dropping the lines over based what he saw on the depth finder.  When the rod hit, he immediately told me it was a big fish and to take my time bringing it in (no need for that).  It took nearly twenty minutes to get the fish next to the boat.  Here are the vitals: 49 inches in length, 31 inches in girth, 52 pounds in weight. Caught in the Potomac on December 31^st, 2006. Caught on a tandem rig with a MOJO lure, 30 lbs test, steel line." 
If that isn't the fattest fish caught this year, I don't know what is.  I try not to ever lie about a fish, but I would have been tempted to say that was 50" long instead of 49.  There is a very short list of 50/50 members! Congratulations Tim and Orem.  In addition, Capt. Vinny Fisher writes: "I have waited all year long for some great fishing and the last two days have been unbelievable, catching so many rockfish, the largest one today was 32 inches. We are catching our limit and still catching wonderful fish. I know you would love the fishing, jigging with sting silvers and loving life." 
I'll post the pictures Captain Vinny sends me, and where he got them, as soon as he sends them.  What a great way to start 2007!  Keep sending info and pictures and I'll post them.

End of 2007   Click on "2006 Fishing" on the left to see last year or 2005 or 2004