Crabbing- 10/7/11

Much to my dismay, Summer has faded into Fall and there is not much I can do about that.  Fall is typically a busy time for my family and I, and I usually watch my outdoors opportunities vaporize with the advent of September.  And, this year is no exception.  In fact, it seems as though I have over-committed myself once again.  After Labor Day, my first opportunity to return to Deal Island was Oct 7.  Since I was hungry for some crabs, and this time of year usually is really good crabbing in the Dames Quarter marsh, crabbing superseded fishing.  If all went well, the plan was to fish on Day 2- as the reports of top-water speckled trout action were plentiful.

After conquering waist-high grass in the yard, buddy Eric and I got the jon-boat out into the marsh at around 12:15, and set anchor at our spot around 12:30.  Of course, this is the marsh impoundment at the Deal Island Wildlife Management area at the end of Riley Roberts Road, same place I have been crabbing since a teen-ager.  The bite was on almost as soon as we got 2 or 3 lines in.  It was a sunny but cool day, with high temp around 72F and light steady breeze.  Nights had been in the upper 40’s for nearly a week, so the crabs were active come mid-day as expected.  The ratio of male-to female crabs was unfortunately about 1:3.  The crabbing was steady (but not too fast) throughout the afternoon until we pulled anchor around 4:45.  The keep was ½ bushel of really nice males.  The toss was over a full bushel of absolutely gorgeous and heavy sooks.  The DNR had put sooks off-limits to recreational crabbers in 2010, and also limited them to the commercial crabbers.  I would like to see the restriction lifted in October for recreational, same as commercial- but I don’t make the laws.  I usually follow them, and today I did.

After trailering the boat, we left the impoundment area.  The road in and out is unpaved and rather rough, allowing for a 20-25 mpg cruise pulling a boat.  Almost to the end of the wildlife area and just before hitting asphalt, the leaf spring on one side of the trailer collapsed, which then pancaked upon the axle and split it as well.  With no road shoulder and about 150 yds to go, I drug the collapsed trailer to a place suitable for pulling it off the road.  Realizing it was already after 5pm on a Friday, October 14, 2011, it was clear we weren’t going to be able to solve this dilemma until the next day.  So, after loading the contents of the boat into the back of my Explorer, we departed the area, leaving the stranded boat and trailer.  At our evening venture to Lucky’s (the local gas station/restaurant that just happens to also sell draught beer), we were able to identify someone willing and able to assist us in retrieving the trailer and boat, albeit at a price.  The next day, the trailer and boat were returned to my yard- at the cost of $100.  Ouch !!  Back in the day, we would have been helped for free.  Oh well, everyone is struggling to make a living down there so no big deal,…  I don’t know when the next opportunity to crab will be, and I also have no idea if I will wet another fishing line this year.  The day 2 fishing adventure never materialized- the buzz kill of the trailer collapse was too great.  Not exactly the way I had hoped it would turn out, but I am learning with age to just go with the flow.  So, until next time- ADIOS!

Deal Island, Labor Day Weekend- Part II- Sinking Skipjack

For over 30 years now, I have watched the annual Labor Day Skipjack Races as a land-lubbing spectator.  I’ve always wanted to see it from the water, and I’m not really sure why I never have.  This was the year all that changed.

My friend, waterman Captain Danny Benton extended an invitation to my son Blair and I to join him on his workboat.  This was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.  Danny is a highly skilled captain, evident even in the marina by the effortless manner in which he whipped his 72-year old workboat in and out of the slip.  We launched from Wenona at 8 AM, accompanied by his friend and first mate Mo Bussinck, Mo’s parents, brother, and her brother’s girlfriend.  And a nice laid-back crew it was.  No surprise, the wind was whipping at 20-25 knots from the south, resulting in 4-5 ft waves as the wind opposed the tide.  After heading north to the Deal Island harbor, Capt. Danny was summoned by phone to provide a tow to skipjack “City of Crisfield”, piloted by his uncle and oldest skipjack captain, Art Daniels, a.k.a. “Daddy Art”.  It was an honor to just be a passenger as we pulled the skipjack out of harbor, past the bagpipe player giving it all he had.

I had always wondered exactly how the race worked.  From land, it often appeared as a haphazard tangle of skipjacks scurrying in every direction.  Once explained by Capt. Danny at sea, it all began to take form and to make sense..  Running with the wind, the boats initially made quick time to the first turn.  After making the turn and now facing the steady heavy wind, things quickly got interesting.  Powered only by sail, these working craft, all 11 (actually 14 were afloat) racers were forced to tack in order to gain ground.  The various skipjack captains chose different strategies for this section of the race.  City of Crisfield held a decent lead through the first turn and then for awhile longer, but was overtaken on his way to et 2^nd turn at Wenona.  Eventually, Daddy Art’s sail developed a tear, and we were treated to him singing over the marine radio as he withdrew from the race.

As we accompanied the leading skipjacks rounding the 2^nd turn, Capt. Danny noticed one of eth skipjacks, “Kathryn” sitting low to the water and speculated from a distance that it was taking on water.  A quick approach to Kathryn confirmed the Captain’s fear.  Not only was Kathryn taking on water, she was quickly sinking.  The recreational crew of perhaps 20-25 head had not discovered the leak until it was too late.  Their bailing efforts were quickly outpaced by the rapid on-take of water.  As Captain Danny maneuvered us closer to Kathryn in order to provide more buckets, 1^st Mate Mo had the brilliant idea to place a call directly to Deal Island fireman Ryan Evans to bring a powerful pump out to the sinking skipjack.  And now, waiting for the arrival of Ryan and the pump seemed like an eternity.  The Kathryn grew closer and closer to the water’s surface, and she began to unload some of her elder passengers to other Deal Island workboats which had flanked her for support. 
I felt nearly helpless in this situation, realizing that my efforts would have to be focused in praying for the safety of the skipjack and her crew.  And as I prayed, I was relieved to see the pump arriving.  The fire department boat was just in time.  After about 20 minutes of pumping, it was clear that the pump was making headway in ridding Kathryn’s hull of saltwater.  Captain Danny continued to accompany Kathryn to the harbor’s approach.  I can attest to the fact that, had it not been for the quick thinking of Mo, this story would have had an ugly ending.  A call to 911 rather than   directly to Ryan would have cost precious time, likely more than Kathryn had to spare.

I am so grateful for Captain Danny having us aboard for this race.  Even without the near sinking, this was an experience I will forever remember.  And I hope that it won’t be my last race to view from sea.  But I do hope that it will be the last one in which I witness a skipjack almost sink.

Deal Island, Labor Day Weekend- Part I

Since this venture was effectively the end of my 2011 bottom-fishing efforts, this post will serve as a de facto re-cap of my 2011 bottom-fishing experience.  No two years are the same, that’s for sure.  But when you string together multiple years, patterns may emerge. 

Labor Day weekend typically signals an almost immediate transition in fishing conditions, largely connected with shorter days, cooler air temps, and rapidly dropping water temperatures.  This particular Labor Day was immediately preceded the week before by hurricane Irene, the impact of which was really no more than a typical Nor’easter.  However, we got a lot of rain, lots of wind, cooler temps- and everything fishing-wise changed.  And true to form for this summer, when I got down to Deal Island to fish, the wind blew, and blew, and then it blew harder.  Our one mid-day outing framing the high tide yielded just two 10.5-inch hardhead.  Location and depth seemed to mean little, the fish simply either weren’t there or weren’t biting.

Looking back at the summer and my previous blogs, the following is what I can conclude:  1) We got a seriously late start due to involvement with the new camper and major problems with the boat engine.  So, we missed an entire month of fishing on the early end of the season.  Although I’m not sure what that first month would have yielded, it is typically a time in which the waterman’s crab pots fill up with croakers.  Also, the largest croakers tend to show up here.  That said, I cannot recall a year in which I have failed to catch fish greater than 14-15 inches in length.  2) The wind blew harder and more frequently than I can ever recall.  Countless trips were either aborted or ended early.  Night-fishing never materialized, as I have a healthy respect for safety on the water, and I know that fishing rough water on my 17.25-foot boat requires all of my senses and concentration.  Night fishing can be great, but it’s foolish to try to fight the weather while doing it.  3)  This was a hot, dry, summer- period.  I can report that I do not recall water temps being as consistently high as I have observed them to be this year.  For most of the summer, surface water temps were 85-90F, sometimes greater.  I can only guess that dissolved oxygen levels were lower as a result, since oxygen is less soluble in warmer water.  I can say that I have not been seeing as many fish on my depth finder, particularly schooled fish.  That may be a subjective observation, but I believe it to be true.  4) My fishing opportunities were many.  I was down at Deal Island most every weekend from mid-June until mid-August.  And each time, I was usually able to get out on the water twice.  Compared to years past, that adds up to a lot of fishing opportunities.  But, were they quality opportunities?  They should have been, but if you factor in the conspiring elements of weather (wind and temperature), timing, etc- the answer is=  perhaps not.  Overall, comparing this year to years past- I fished more and caught less.  Although I did not blog or journal my efforts last year, I also noticed a decline in my catch- enough so that I reported it to the Maryland DNR, for which they replied with some interesting perspectives.  My conclusion- the Chesapeake is indeed in trouble.  Whether it be sedimentation or nutrification, fishing is getting worse and not better. 

I cannot help believe that the fishing (success rate) is a barometer of the health of the Bay.  The theory that these are natural cycles holds some water, until you take a wider view and consider that the sea trout are gone, the oysters are all but gone, the crabs are fewer, etc.  For many years now, in terms of fishing in the Tangier Sound area I have decided to pick the low-hanging fruit.  This is what I grew up on- loading coolers with sea trout just by dropping cut soft crabs in 45 ft of water.  This transitioned to croaker in the last 2 decades, and for awhile it was easy picking.   Heck, why should I chase Rockfish by trolling or jigging when I can only keep two fish?  Or why should I chase the illusive speckled trout, only to be able to land a single 15-inch fish?  What about Drum?  They’re not really good to eat, but I have never caught a big one.  Bluefish?  Yuck.  I’m not sure what the answer is, but I can say that due to other commitments for the next two months, my 2011 fishing efforts have all but concluded.   So, I have plenty of time to consider what’s next and to dream of 2012.  I’m lucky that my wife let my son and I go fishing as often as she did.  I’ll consider myself even luckier if my job allows me to stay here after this year, as I have recently learned that my department is transferring to Nebraska.

Calm before the Storm, 8/27/11

My hillbilly college friend would have called this “pre-frontal success”.  With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the east coast, I saw a window of opportunity to get in a quick fishing venture.  Had originally planned to make it 2 days of fishing, but a front with accompanying storms forced me to only pursue Day 2.   I arrived August 27 at 9 AM, hoping to get out on the water right away to catch the 12:15 pm high tide.  Arrival of Irene the next day necessitated me getting off the water early in order to clean-up and secure the fishing camp, so fishing the 6:30 low tide which normally would have been my preference was not an option here.

Arrived to rain showers and dark skies.  Waited these out and as soon as the radar had convinced me that it was safe, I launched from Wenona at 11:30 AM.  For a change, I found seas to be less than one foot and almost calm at times.  Headed straight to buoy 12 southwest of Wenona (see pic) as I had a hunch the bite would be on as soon as I got my lines in the water.   Water surface temps had fallen to 79-80°F, and a mid-day bite was now more probable than previously.  A gentle southeast breeze pushed me from shallow to deeper water, while the tide pulled me up the bay.  It didn’t take long to figure out that the croakers were biting at around 45 ft, +/- 1 ft.  This was a pretty tight depth tolerance- I think one fish was beyond the standard deviation at 50 ft.  Caught 2-3 fish every drift, throwing back probably ten 10½” fish.  The remainder were all 12-14”, and I kept 7.  Consistent with the rest of the summer, no monsters.  Well, things started to fade after around 2 pm , and by 2:45 I had called it quits.  I used squid, clam, and shrimp- but today there was a distinct preference for squid, which is I carry multiple baits.  You never know.  Soft crabs are scarce and expensive right now and besides- all the waterman had pulled their pots out of the water with the storm approaching.

As I write this, Irene is rolling in.  A gentle rain started this morning at 5:15 AM at Deal Island and was continuing to increase gradually as I departed the island at 7:30 AM.  I prayed to God throughout the day yesterday that my camper would be spared harm and also the homes of all the people on the island unharmed.  At 11:45 AM, the rains and wind continue to build at home here in Millsboro.  The storm has weakened somewhat in terms of wind, but the rain and storm surge appear to be potentially serious.  I'm also wondering whether this might be the end of my 2011 bottom-fishing,...

And the rough waters persist- August 18/19, 2011

There’s simply no escaping it for 2011.  Wind. Small craft advisories.  And now, finally- violent thunderstorms.  Thursday August 18, since I had already taken off work and made my plans, I braved the small craft advisory and 3-4 ft waves.  Launched out of the harbor on the north end of Deal Island, just to give myself a back-up option in case it got too rough.   And good thing I did.  After getting my brains beat in for about an hour just northwest of Wenona and only catching one nice hardhead, I decided to take up plan B, and sped back to Law’s Thorofare, the sheltered creek behind the island.  This has historically been a real large croaker hot-spot, particularly late in the day and timed with the peak high or low tides.  But this evening, fate would not have it and the place seemed to be infested only with skates.  I was fishing two rods and naturally could only hold one at a time.  The first of the 5 I caught, I nearly lost rod and reel.  Decided to make a meal of it too.  Had tried cooking skate in the past but hadn’t been too pleased with the outcome.  I didn’t like them deep fried, or broiled like I do a hard head.  Anyway, caught and kept another but released the final three after eviscerating them.  They really are a pain to handle on the deck of a small boat solo, not to mention they monopolize the space in a 54 qt cooler.  Furthermore, they are a total pain in the butt when it comers to cleaning them.  They have a thick hide so are tough to fillet, and then you are left with a huge and heavy carcass to dispose of.  You are able to cut a really nice hunk of fillet off of each wing though.  More about eating them later,..  After the skate cleared out (and little else bites when they are active in this creek), I did manage to catch a few decent spot and even one small sheepshead- a species I hadn’t caught here in about 8 or 9 years (see pic).

The next day brought calmer waters (for awhile) but a never-ending threat of late day severe thunderstorms.   I launched around 2:45 pm for a 6pm high tide, hoping to get some fishing time in before the storms took over.  Spent most of my time fishing around buoy 12 just southwest of Wenona, and caught 4 nice croaker (12-14”) drifting between 30 and 42 ft of water.  Never could find a pattern though.  Shifted to the west side of the channel, a little farther north- where I often turn to for making a change.  I had maintained my VHF weather radio on the whole time, as there were a never-ending string if storms coming across the bay.  They are spot-on accurate for telling me when one is headed my way, and if anything they are a little too conservative.  So when the warning came that there was one headed to Tangier Sound and the inland waters of Bloodsworth Island, and warning boaters to get off the water and seek shelter- I did just that.  Crap, foiled again.  This was my last shot for this trip, as I would be cleaning up and departing in the morning.  Later that evening, after the storms never hit- I crossed the Deal Island bridge just at sunset and looked out at beautiful and calm water.  Figures.

Parting thoughts- I scored some nice hard crabs off my friend Captain Danny Benton.  Brought them back to Millsboro and enjoyed them with my favorite crab beating buddy, 83-year-old Miss Pat from next door.  Wow they were good.  And for the skate-  I just finished eating them and they were FABULOUS !!  Followed a recipe I found online (http://www.aboutseafood.com/recipe/zesty-grilled-skate) and grilled them.  Had cut the meat into one inch cubes, and it literally fell apart as I pulled it off the grill.  My next experiment- smoked croaker.  My buddy Bruce Davis just gave me a Big Chief Smoker, and as soon as I get time enough to set it up and run it, I am going to smoke some croaker,…. Took my first hot shower at the camper using my new water heater.  It was great and looking forward to many more.  And so, the next trip and perhaps final bottom-fishing venture for 2011 is scheduled for Thursday, August 25.  The following weekend is Labor Day and have not finalized my plans, although my son and I plan to be down at the island.  The crowds are pretty heavy and I’m not much into waiting for the boat ramp, but we’ll see.

Vacation and a different scene- lower Chesapeake

It’s always nice to try something different from time-to-time.  And so, I capitalized on the opportunity during our family summer vacation to explore some new fishing grounds.  Our “camping” trip (air-conditioned cabin) at Cherrystone, on the southern tip of Virginia’s eastern shore provided a seeming excellent launching pad.  We were basically right on the Chesapeake, and only a few miles also from the Atlantic.  My plan was to launch out of the Cherrystone boat ramp either 2 or 3 days, depending on conditions and on whatever else we had going on.  Launch #1 came on Monday August 8, later in the afternoon.  Conditions were near perfect- approaching peak high tide at about 5:30 pm, and with 1-2 ft waves out of the Southeast.  Departed the harbor, which is bordered on the other side by the lovely Cape Charles, and headed south.  The channel is pretty focused but well marked, and we stuck to it all the way past the south end of Cape Charles.  Following a pretty decent marine depth chart I had picked up at the campground, I then headed southwest an addition 3+ miles to a reef which stuck up out of the water, so it was quite obvious.  Most water was 10-20 ft all the way out.  Just pas the reef, it tapered down to 120 ft, although I never explored past 60 ft.  We drifted in various depths and offered squid, shrimp, and clam (recommended by the local guy at the Cherrystone tackle shop) as bottom-fare.  The bites were frequent and plenty, just small.  Caught probably a dozen Kingfish, none were big enough to mess with.  The nature scene was more engaging than the fishing however.  We were surrounded by dolphins surfacing on a number of occasions, so close you could hear and see the spray from their exhale-blows.  Another really cool sight was that of skates (or small rays) swimming at the surface-in a FORMATION!  This was so cool, I was so amazed I forgot to take out the camera and capture it.  They swam in a wedge, just like geese flying. 

Launch #2 came two days later, only this time headed north after exiting the Cherrystone harbor and clearing the channel markers (careful, shallow water at 4.5 ft on a high tide).  Again conditions were right as we headed to another reef at buoy 36A, seemingly popular with other fishermen (and one solo fisherwoman who impressed me).  I’m not sure what the structural draw was at this location but there were 8 or 9 other boats fishing it, drifting and then re-setting to cover the same small piece of water.  More small fish, only this time it was croaker and sea bass.  I really came away disappointed at the quality of fishing in this part of the Bay, as I somehow had a preconceived notion that it would be really great.  However, the owner of the tackle shop at Cape Charles confirmed that there was little if any action in this region of the Chesapeake right now.  My only other observation to share was that of the water- which was much clearer and cleaner (“blue-er”) here than farther north in Tangier Sound.  Also, it seemed to roll more like ocean water, rather than the familiar “Chesapeake Chop”.

I did have opportunity to scout some other areas while down at Cherrystone.  Directly east and on the coast inside the barrier islands was the “town” of Oyster.  There was a public launch there at which were parked probably 50+ boat trailers, so I assume SOMETHING was going on out there.  From what I had read, navigating these back waters was pretty tricky due to shifting channels and it was advised to follow someone local.  The only thing that really kept me from doing this was that I had no idea it was so heavily fished.  Next trip, this will be my first launching point.  Flounder are reported to be thick here (I really need to develop my flounder skills anyhow) and tarpon up to 80 lbs are also caught.  Another launch I got to look at was at Virginia Landing Campground, south of Quimby and 40 minutes from Cherrystone.  My friends Loran and Pam camp there and we have been trying unsuccessfully so far to rendezvous.  Again, tricky water but very little fishing pressure is almost irresistible.  Croaker show up there thick for just a couple of weeks, and they were there this week.  Note to self- return there mid-August in the future.  Last place I laid eyes on that I want to chronicle was the wildlife refuge at the south end of the peninsula, just before the bay-bridge tunnel.  Fee to launch, but oh how spectacular it looked.  Dumped into an east-west trough called The Ditch, which separated it from an uninhabited island to the south.  One exit came out on the Chesapeake, the other the Atlantic.  The reports of this area are that it is top-notch, and I intend to make it launch #2 next time down to Cherrystone.  A final note to self- the naturalist at the refuge gave is great detail about the launching ramp at Kiptopeke State Park.  There are sunken concrete ships that serve as reefs, just off the launch- and which hold tautog and spadefish, 2 species I’d like to get to know better (I have caught Tautog off Ocean City but that either involves hugging the jetties or anchoring over sunken reefs, neither of which are practical for my rig).  Until next time,… which is actually only a couple of days away- and back to Tangier Sound.  Hoping for calm waters so I can cover some ground and burn off some gas, but it isn’t looking good.

Deal Island Fishing- July 28-29, 2011

As the wind blows,…… I know this is becoming a recurring theme, but I cannot recall any past year that was as windy as this.  Having fished almost 2 days each week of June and July, there have been a total of 2 days in which waves were less than 3 ft.  So, here again on Thursday it was 3-4 feet at evening launch, and built to 4-5 feet after about an hour.  With my boat only being just over 17 ft in length, 4-5 ft seas make for a pretty miserable time on the water and also tends to have a negative effect on the fish bite.  As a result, after about 2 hours of getting beat to death and catching only 2 fish, we called this one off early.

Friday 7/29 rolled around, fulfilling the forecast of 95-96F.  Another condition component consistent with this entire summer has been the extreme heat.  I’m sure there have been prior years equally as hot, maybe as I get older I am more sensitive to the heat.  No doubt though that this has been a hot year.  With frequent daytime air temps between 90-100F, the water surface temp has hovered in the upper 80’s.  That has definitely had an impact on the fishing, as the daytime bite had all but turned off.  I would not be surprised if there were oxygen depleted dead zones in the area, as I am marking many fish without any action.  Also, I seem to be marking a lot of fish suspended off the bottom.  We launched around 4:45 pm for a 7:30 low tide.  Fishing was quiet the first 2-2 ½ hours, as the sun was still high and the heat pretty intense.  My fishing companion son Blair had given up so by 6 pm I was the only rod in the water. At about 7 pm, the bite came on, as if someone had flipped a switch.  I put 7 nice fish in the cooler in rapid succession, the last being a double header of a 14” and a 12”.  Depth was a pretty focused 45 feet, on the west side of the channel, and just due west of Wenona harbor (this is just a bit south from where I usually fish on the west side of the channel, with a more gentle slope from 30-60 ft).  It was at this point, around 7:20 pm, that Blair indicated he had to urgently use the bathroom.  And, we weren’t talking about hanging it over the side, it was gonna be bucket-worthy.  So, like a good dad, I headed back for the harbor in a rather quick way.  And I guess Blair was serious, as he raced for the bathroom in the parking lot as soon as we got to the dock.  Oh well, we probably missed the best part of the fishing, but we’ll go on to fish another day.

Finally got the water heater and plumbing issues at the camper completely straightened out, fixing the residual leak.  The new water heater works well too.  Taking a break from Tangier Sound fishing, as the family and I are going to Cherrystone for a week.  Taking the boat to Cherrystone and planning to do some fishing there in unfamiliar waters.  Back at Tangier Sound to fish around August 19.  Gosh, this summer is almost over, Blair starts school 8/22 and full-day football practice 8/15.  Looks like I’ll fish solo the rest of the way out (until Labor Day) or recruit someone to join me.  

Fishing (attempt), 7/21/11

I've always wondered what the high temperature limit is on bottom fishing in Tangier Sound, and I think I have now discovered it- 100F.  Debated all week about whether or not to brave the heat, projected at 99+F.  I also realized the functional limit of my camper's A/C.  And I also realized what clinical heat exhaustion feels like.  So, after conquering the A/C, installing a new water heater, and beating heat stroke, I finally launched the boat out of the north harbor at Deal ISland at 7pm, a mere 1/2 hour before high tide.  Had hoped to get out by 5pm but no dice tonite.  Took a quick trip back to Laws Thorofare, anchored, and caught one nice hardhead and one skate before deciding to relocate at 8:15.  Surface water temp = 92.5F- OUCH!! Boogied out into the Sound as the sun was setting and drifted at different depths from 25-45 ft after the crab-pot line drop off at 15 ft, but nothing biting on this muddy bottom despite showing many fish on the depth finder.  Nothing to brag about this trip, and doubtful I will ever attempt to fish again in heat that extreme.


Oh Yeah, fell off a ladder working on the camper- long story.  After hitting the ground, my first concern was whether or not anyone saw me.  Second concern was whether or not I broke any bones.  Two days later I am still extremely sore, but able to laugh about it,... sort of.  Next trip- July 27-28.  Time is running short and summer is disappearing like sand running through my fingers.

Deal Island Fishing- July 14/15 2011

So, I have realized that I have an interesting dilemma with respect to this blog.  And my problem is- I am actually fishing frequently enough this year that is difficult to keep up with chronicling my ventures here in this blog.  Oh well, not a bad dilemma to have I guess.

Embarked on a 2-day fishing adventure starting on a Thursday, 7/14/11, with both my son Blair (14) and buddy Loran fishing with me this time.  An unusual mid-July cool front passing through coincided with our fishing plans, the result being extremely windy (and rough) conditions for the front end of our trip.  Every single attempt to catch a late evening tide change (this one at 8pm) this year has been accompanied by big winds.  Nonetheless, braving persistent 4 ft swells (actually 1 – 2 ft when we first went out), we managed to dangle enough squid, shrimp, and soft crab on the bottom to put 16 fish in the cooler, largest being around 13-14 inches.  The fishing pattern was much the same as it has been the last month, drifting to find where the fish were biting, and in this case it was again around 35-45 feet of water, on the ledge of the west side of eth shipping channel, just north of Wenona.  This has pretty much been my hot spot this year, with some occasional action near the #12 buoy just south of Wenona.  Would like to explore some more distant areas soon, and also try and target some other species, but need better converging conditions (time, tide, and wind).

Friday, 7/15/11 unfolded with completely different wind, while maintaining a northerly direction from yesterday it had subsided to about 5 knots, which was qwuite comfortable with temps in the low 80’s and partly cloudy.   After another trip to the Hideaway in Rumbley for lunch (thanks Loran for the crab cake), we set out to catch the 3pm high tide. 

 On the way back from Rumbley, we stopped in the 25-30 ft hole not far west from the 1^st Rumbley channel marker.  Not much doing here with what we were offering, but I could tell that it was a soft bottom.  Returned to our aforementioned spots and enjoyed a simply glorious day, again catching lots of hard head, releasing most, and keeping 9- largest was 14”.  Have yet to catch any fish exceeding 14 inches.  Plan to return next Friday for one day of evening fishing, with a 7:30 pm high tide.  Bought a new water heater for the camper and hope that it arrives in time for me to bring it and install it.  Until next time,...

Flounder fishing- Folly Creek

Got home from Deal Island (exhausted) just after noon on July 3, only to get a phone call from my buddy Bruce Davis, the greatest flounder fisherman there ever was.  I fished once with Bruce a few years back and was quite impressed with how much he knew about this fish, even though we hadn’t caught many on a cool March day.  But this was different, Bruce was calling to tell me that he had been fishing the last 2 weeks at a place in Virginia and had never seen the fishing so good- tall words from this guy, and that we ought to go together the next day, July 4.  After initially declining but after thorough consulting with my wife Candy, I called Bruce back and told him that we were on.  Yes, I had just committed to awakening at 4 am to meet up with Bruce at 5 am in Delmar.  Got to bed early and made the 5 am connection with Bruce, thankful that he was driving and that we were taking his boat, an 18 ft jon that he has specifically configured for slaying flounder.  An hour and a half to 2 hrs later, we were at the ramp on Folly Creek, just east of Accomack, VA.  What a beautiful place, probably one of so many that I am not even aware of here on the eastern shore.  The VA eastern shore fascinates me any way, with borders on both the Atlantic and the Chesapeake.  So, we launch and follow the creek out about 2 or 3 miles to Metompkin Bay, which promptly empties into the Atlantic Ocean.  The water coming out was clear and adequately deep, and I wondered what finned treasures it might hold other than founder.  We commence fishing in a labyrinth or creeks and guts, all pulled along well by the now incoming tide.  Immediately I caught a flounder which measured 18 inches, a keeper.  Our rigs were interesting and very specific.  3 foot looped fluorochrome leaders, looped as to not present any knots to the fish in order to maintain invisibility.  No weight, using a ¾ oz naked jig head, rigged with a Gulp worm (Pumpkinseed, specifically), plus a live minnow (good sized minnows). We later augmented this to include a small strip of flounder belly and also a frozen shiner.  The idea was to not spook the flounder with an additional weight.  The worm was the same color as a species of shrimp which Bruce claimed was their favorite food.  The last element of our success was the electric trolling motor, as Bruce was able to maneuver the boat with great accuracy over shoals and holes.  The fishing was spectacular, we caught at least 80 flounder, a slow day by Bruce’s standards but beyond anything I had ever done, plus it was nice to catch a fish other than Croaker.  By 12:30 pm we had caught our limit of 8 (4 each), with one at 25” and another at 23”.  Netting these larger fish was critical- the flounder were really good at shaking out the hook.  Two pieces of instruction Bruce gave me for hooking fish, critical since I had not yet developed a good feel for hooking flounder, were 1) gently pull back on the line when feeling a strike or anticipating the fish taking the bait, and 2) maintaining pressure on the reel once I started winding one in.  Bruce still out fished me, but I felt like I was getting the hang of it.  Must return some day soon  !!!!

Deal Island fishing- long July weekend

Been busy fishing, so slow to get this blog updated.  Went to Deal Island June 30, didn’t return until July 3. Bait = squid and shrimp.  Fishing evening of 6/30, wind blowing hard out of NW, and even though the time of (low) tide change was perfect (~8 pm) seas were 3 ft and it just wasn’t pleasant. Again.  Managed to catch some fish, kept 6 smallish hard heads. 

Pics of the campsite,...

Got up Friday 7/1 and after toiling in the yard all morning, began my all-day fishing adventure.  Wind seemed to have laid down a bit, so I seized the opportunity to motor over to Rumbley, MD.  I have been intending to visit here by boat  since I first visited about 2 yrs ago by car.  There is a restaurant at the marina that looks pretty cool and claims to have the best crabcake in the world.  Get to “The Hideaway Grill” around 11:30 after about a 20-25 minute boat ride, taking it slow since I wasn’t familiar with these waters.  Tied right up next to the gas pump, not much traffic since it was during the week and also middle of the day.  Got me a cold beverage and sat out on the sandy veranda that was in some ways like a tropical place, anyway it was very cool as I was only steps away from the water and watching the waterman return from crabbing.  Ordered a crabcake from the friendly waitress and oh MAN was it good, worth the $14 for the crabcake.  It is hard to find a crabcake any more that is not made from asian crab meat, but this was the real deal.  After my 2^nd beverage, I reluctantly returned to my boat in order to rendezvous with the fish at the 2:30 pm (high) tide change.  No sooner did I leave the Rumbley harbor when the NW wind picked right up where it left off yesterday.  As expected, the water was rough and the fishing sparse, only putting one in the cooler.  NW wind here spells doom to my fishing.  Note to self- one significant 25-29 ft hole just outside of Rumbley in the midst of 8-16 ft depth all the way from Deal Island.  Could this hold fish at some point? Flounder maybe??  Must return to see, and have another crabcake.

Returned to Wenona exhausted from the sun (didn’t use the Bimini top today) and unfulfilled in terms of fishing.  Seeking to change my luck, I loaded up the jon-boat in attempt to hit the larger croaker back in the creek with the 8:30 am tide change.  When I got there around 6:30, the wind was dropping.  Timing was right, and I managed to catch 5 really nice fish (12-14 inches) before calling it a day at around 9 pm.  I love this time of year if for no other reason than the length of the days.  Retuned to the north-end harbor and a North wind, which blew my boat around and made it nearly impossible to get my boat on the trailer solo.  Note to self-  need to rig up a stern rope, even install a bigger cleat if necessary.  Eventually had to drive the boat onto the trailer, but not before the DNR game warden checked out my boat.  Wanting to know if I had a bow light.  Well, having been there before- yes, I indeed had a clip-on bow light, which I had dismounted after pulling in, as it sometimes slips its clamping after being docked.

The final fishing day, 7/2/11- head out around noon.  Oh man, it was DEAD CALM, or “slick cam”.  Like a lake, and hot too.  No choice but to use the Bimini top today.  Managed to put 6 fish in the cooler, all caught between 40 and 42 ft.  The drift was so slow, no sock necessary.  And, I only used 3 ozs of weight.  Caught many fish, just that the majority were throw backs.  Hoping some nicer fish roll in through the rest of the summer.  Called it a day by 3:30, it was hot, I was tired from all-day fishing the day before, and they were having karaoke at Lucky’s at 8 pm. Lucky’s is a convenience store in Chance.  They have a grill in the back and will cook just about whatever you want.  They also have really cold draft beer, the “cold” being necessary when you are sipping the cheap stuff.  I have eaten crabs there the last few weekends- I think they charged me $14 for a dozen of #1’s, which were not huge, but very full, tasty, and hot.  I think what I enjoy most about the Deal Island area is the culture and the people.  And the only way to really experience that is to get elbow-to-elbow with these folks and to meet them.  Even the newcomers are an interesting bunch since they are mostly like minded folks, having relocated here to retire and enjoy the Land of Pleasant Living.  I see it starting to change the character of the island somewhat, but one thing you cannot stop is- change,…. Had a cold beer with my friend Capt. D (names abbreviated to preserve people’s privacy), and met a new friend- Patty, the Crisfield blogger (a.k.a. Georgia Peach, as named by Daddy Art), then went back to the camper to grab a bight to eat.  Returned for the karaoke- WOW the place was packed !!  Oh what fun, as the night wore on people became more adventurous and yes, even I sang “Take Me Home Country Roads” before the night was over, fulfilling a promise to my friend “M” that I would sing if she would.  It was so nice to get away, I wish the whole family found this as much fun as I do.  My son Blair didn’t join me this time- he was away with the church youth group at “Creation”.  Until next time,…

Deal Island Fishing- June 24, 25: As the Wind Blows, and Blows, and Blows,...

June 24-25, 2011

June 24 was a true spur-of-the-moment venture.  Again the winds were blowing hard, this time as a cool front was moving in.  In fact the forecast was such that I had pretty much bagged the idea of fishing.  Well, I got off work at 11:30 am and set to work on my daughter’s car, thinking that the job would take all afternoon (I am not a great auto mechanic but I can just do enough to get me in trouble).  Good fortune prevailed and I found myself completed by 1:30.  Knowing that I had a 9:15 pm high tide and just past the summer solstice, I couldn’t resist the urge and bolted for Deal Island.  Unfortunately I couldn’t convince my son to drop everything as well, so I went solo.

True to for, the wind was blowing a gale when I got down there.  Well, at least 10-15 knots, with gusts to 20.  I watched the conditions closely throughout the afternoon and immediately prior to launch time I zipped down to the marina at the north end of the island, which is about ¼ mile from my place.  The water conditions looked fine, so I pulled the boat down to Wenona and launched around 6:30.  I knew things were going to be dicey as I exited the harbor and the waves began to smack into the bow of my boat.  Darn, I should have gone back into the thoroughfare instead.  Oh well, too late now so I pushed on, pretty much straight west and crossed the main channel.  Starting at about 25 ft depth, I noticed that this was the depth to fish at today.  More shallow than usual, not only was it slightly less turbulent than in deeper water but I also caught a fish or two right off the bat.  Used the drift sock which held be on my target depth pretty well.  Noticed the charter boat captains in the same area but deeper water, and I seemed to be catching more fish than them.  These guys, having bigger boats and with hydraulically retrieved anchors, are able to repeatedly anchor in spots in which it is not practical or sometimes even possible for me (I am no longer a fan of hoisting anchors by hand in depths greater than 40 feet).  Since the charter boat guys are trying to keep their customers happy, frequent moves and no tangled lines seem to be the name of the game.  I only have to please myself, and catching fish is a top priority, next to safety and comfort of course. At around 8:15 the water had settled enough that I chose to anchor at 25 ft, which I did until pulling out at around 9:15.  I motored back to dock just as it was getting difficult to see.  Calmer waters would have kept me in place into the dark and through the 1^st hour of the outgoing tide.  I think I kept 8 fish, released maybe 5 or 6.  The keepers were decent, again around 11-12 inch average.

Back to the camper, and assessed the weather for Saturday on the 11 pm news.  Forecast was for calmer waters, so early to bed and set the alarm of 0630.  Woke up, made a pot of coffee, grabbed my bait and headed back down to the ramp.  All looked great until I got out around the south end of the island, at which point the blustery northwest wind countered the incoming tide and played an entirely new set of havoc with me.  Wow, this was even more rough than the day before.  I am beginning to wonder if the wind will ever stop blowing in Tangier Sound in 2011.  Started drifting in 25-35 feet of water on the west side of the channel just north of Wenona, and caught a double header right off the bat.  So, this seemed encouraging !!  However, it turned out to be the highlight of the morning.  For whatever reason I had a really rough time getting the hook set on the bites I was getting, like surreal almost.  Endured the NW beating until the tide changed at about 0945.  Kept 6 fish, one of which was 14 inches.  With croaker, when you start dealing with fish 14 inches and larger, they fight REALLY well and are great fun to catch.  In fact last summer I had both a 14” and 16” fish on as a double header and felt something “pop” in my right elbow, leaving me with weakness and pain in the elbow that took until this spring to heal.  I had begun to believe the damage was permanent, especially since I had known of other people to damage their elbows fishing (Google it- there are a lot of these fishing injuries believe it or not).  Bait for both days was squid and shrimp.  May score some more soft crabs next trip down, which should be July 1 if all works out.

June 16-17 solo fishing, Deal Island

June 16, 2011:  Goal was to get in an evening fish to coincide with the tide change at around 9:15 pm.  The weather was particularly iffy upon arrival so I immediately opted to load up the smaller boat (14.5 ft jon boat) and fish the creek (Law’s Thorofare) behind Deal Island.  Wind blowing a steady 20-25 knts, and then the rain came.  Managed to catch 4 nice croaker (12-13) before having to flee for the dock.

June 17, 2011: Much nicer day, around 85F and with wind at 10-15 knots out of the SW.  Launched the bigger boat from Wenona, solo.  The new ramps at Wenona are awesome, and solo launching is so much easier.  Got out in the Sound at about 1pm to target a 3:45 pm high tide.  Crossed the main shipping channel to target the steep shoal on the other side, about 0.5 – 1.0 mile north of the Wenona harbor.  Bait was squid and shrimp, didn’t bother with softcrabs this time.  Started drifting starting 30 ft and ending at about 55 feet, trying out my new DRIFT SOCK.  I bought a medium sized sock just as an experiment, and ran it about 25 feet behind the boat.  Immediately started catching fish in shallow water, a bit unusual for a warm sunny day in June.  In fact, caught around 12 on my first few drifts, all in about 30-40 feet, and none in deeper water as the reports had indicated.  The sock worked reasonably well, as the wind and tide were both conspiring to push the drifting boat pretty quickly.  And then it all changed.  The wind dropped to about 5-10 and shifted to due South.  For about 2 or 3 drifts, I caught only a few small fish, quickly discarded.  Then I started catching them in 40-52 ft of water.  With the wind shift, I was able to hang on this depth for nice long drifts using the new sock.   I played this game until about 45 minutes after the tide changed, at which point I had reached my legal limit of 25 croakers.  Too tired to continue, I gladly called it a day.  The 25 fish ranged from 10.5 to 13 inches, with the average probably 11 – 12.  I threw back maybe 10 fish.  Was glad for the abundant catch but would have been happy for some bigger fish.  Hoping to get out for an evening fish sometime soon,..... The weird looking croaker above- I caught him and noticed he was missing half his dorsal fin, one of his pectoral fins, and had a lot of scarring.  Perhaps had been attacked by a bluefish earlier in life??

Late start to fishing; June 11 fishing report

Wow, FINALLY got going, much later than planned.  Initial delays focused around 1) traveling for work 3 out of 4 weeks , starting later April, and 2) replacing the 1984 camper with one from 1995.  The camper is working out well, it's bigger and nicer than the old one.  Not perfect but it will get me through a few more years (goal is 6 - 8 yrs). Sure would like to put up a permanent structure again someday.  Anyway, my son Blair and I finally launched the boat (17+ foot center console) on 1st of June only to have the motor quit 1/4 mile outside of the harbor.  To make a long story short, water had contaminated the fuel.  The story has a happy ending, no real damage and I fixed it myself.

Boat fixed, launched June 10 from Wenona.  Wow, the state of Maryland had closed the old ramp and replaced it with two really nice new ones.  Nice ramps, steep and long like they should be.  Needed to tilt the motor up more- note to self.  The wind was blowing a steady 20 knots out the east-southeast, which made for a churning mess in Tangier Sound.  So much for forecast of waves less than 1 ft.  Compounded with an incoming tide, holding a rig on bottom while drifting was nearly impossible.  My little center console was really overmatched with the chop, and on top of only catching two small fish, my son Blair and I got soaked coming back to Wenona after aborting the trip early.

June 11 was a little different.  Wind out of the due south resulted in waves about 2.5 feet but defined enough that it was workable.  Launched out of north end marine and diddled around on the 40-45 ft flat toward Sharkfin Shoal, which was a huge waste of time.  Finally took the plunge and barrelled toward the south end of the island.  Fished on the west side of the channel, holding pretty well in 40-60 foot of water.  The fish were there in about 45-55 ft, as expected for mid afternoon on a hot day.  Regret not making this move sooner, as we moderately-steadily caught croaker until the tide changed (about an hour) at which point it shut off (tide now coming in, along with the wind- pushed us hard).  We caught 17 fish, kept 11.  Most keepers were in 12-13 inch class, no monsters but nice fish.  Still hoping to get an evening fish in and catch them in more shallow water.  Final note- ordered a drift sock after this trip, which I had long thought about and am anxious to try.

Deal Island Fishing, 2004 --> present

So as promised, I will get into the importance (or relevance) of fishing while drifting vs fishing anchored.  First, let's consider any potential advantages of fishing anchored.   If you find a hot spot that is holding a large number of fish, anchoring up will obviously put you in a position to catch more of these fish.  That's about it.  What I have observed is that anchoring worked well in this area of Tangier Sound for bottom fishing in years past, but not so much recently.  If I had to venture a guess, it would be that there is a lot more oxygen-depleted water, particularly later in the summer, and fish seem to be more mobile than stationary.  This trend may change, but truthfully I expect it to continue and be more of an issue, particularly in years of below average rainfall.   Disadvantages of fishing anchored are for the most part the converse of advantages of drifting.  One notable disadvantage is the physical aspect of having to get your anchor set and then having to free it up when you decide to move, and then having to hoist anchor.  This is less of an issue in 20-30 feet of water, but becomes obviously more problematic in 40-60 feet of water.  Speaking of which, I have noticed a trend in the last 5 years of the croaker being caught in increasingly deeper water (more on this later).  Also, the older I get (I am 47) the less fond I am of dealing with the anchor in water deeper than 30 feet.  Last disadvantage is that when fishing from a smaller boat (which I do) and in rough water due to wind and tide (commonplace in the Tangier Sound), anchoring up can really beat the snot out of you as your vessel is so at the mercy of the wave action, and I don't hesitate to fish in 3-4 foot seas, even in my 17 ft boat.  I do take notice that the charterboat captains bottom-fishing in Tangier Sound anchor up exclusively.  I'm guessing that this is mostly to minimize the entanglement of their customers' fishing lines, which is of exponentially greater risk when drifting.  Their use of mechanical anchor hoists eliminates the physical disadvantages of having to manually hoist anchor, and they are quick to hoist and move when a new spot doesn't produce (and to keep everyone onboard happy).

OK, on to drifting, which I have obviously become a big fan of in recent years.  The greatest advantage of drifting is that you can rapidly cover more territory and discover where the fish are biting.  On any given day, and even within a day or even a particular tide, things can change.  So the mobility is a huge advantage, and especially so when your optimal fishing time may only last 2 - 3 hours or shorter.  In fact, what I have seen in the last 3 or 4 years is that even when drifting, a good bite may only last 30-45 minutes at best.  Since croaker often seem to be inclined to feed in areas of rapid drop-off or slope, drifting can give you an opportunity to move over these drop off areas, catch a fish, then circle back for another run.  This works well for me, although I often need to resign myself to frequently pulling my lines in and returning back over the area.  Sometimes I find that the fish are holding at a certain depth and biting for a mile-long section at that specific depth.  An example would be areas north and south of the #10 buoy, just off Wenona.  Often I will find that fish are biting in this zone at either 35-40 feet, or at 40-45 feet, and if the wind is generally out of the south, I can usually hug that zone without much effort on an incoming tide.  On the flip side, sometimes the wind and tide will move you east and west rather than north and south.  This makes drifting more difficult but not impossible.  I prefer a north-south drift, since you tend to be able to stabilize the boat over a particular depth for a longer period.  So, the bottom line here is that with drifting, I can usually discover a depth, location, or pattern in which I will catch some fish and then exploit this until the conditions change or the fish stop biting, and this is how I now work it greater than 90% of the time.

In 2004 I finally bought my own boat big enough to be capable of navigation in the frequently rough waters of Tangier Sound.  This boat, a 1968 18 foot Thunderbird with the original 85 hp Johnson, was quite a heap.  Actually, as a high-sided tri-hull it was very seaworthy.  Bot rotten floors and a worn-out engine made it a temporary vessel at best.  Nonetheless, I held onto it for a few years and caught hundreds, perhaps over a thousand fish from it, despite the fact that it left me stranded more than once.  Had it not been for blowing a head gasket I probably would have kept this boat longer.  My next boat was not much better, an 18 foot bowrider, an early '80's boat with a late '70's version of a Johnson 115.  Plenty of power, but this boat too was unreliable and although  I caught quite a few fish in it I was glad to see it go after only 2 years.  It nearly sunk on its last voyage.  In a fitting last bit of drama, the guy I sold it to later sued me over title issues, I case I easily won in court.  In 2009 I bought a 1999 SeaSwirl Striper 17'3" center console with a 2001 Johnson (Suzuki) 70 hp 4-stroke.  This was the first boat I actually confident in bringing me back to the pier, and I can say that as a result I will never own another 2-stroke engine.  The engine starts right up every time and is so quiet that you almost can't hear it run.  Although a little smaller boat then I would have liked and more of a bay type hull, it is solid, seaworthy, and easy to launch and trailer for one person.  And since I usually fish alone or with one other person, it works well.  And with a bimini top, I can fish mid-day if I need to and not burn up.

Although it is possible to catch croaker most any time of day or night, they generally seem to bite better later in the day or even at night, when the sun has relented to heat their waters.  In fact, night time fishing for them can at times be spectacular.  Night fishing in Chesapeake Bay can be tricky for a number of reasons.  One is that the weather can change so quickly, and calm waters can turn rough within 10-15 minutes.  Also, dodging thunderstorms, a feasible activity by day, is at night down right suicidal.  Another tricky component to night fishing that Tangier Sound is thickly populated with crab pots, and the waterman will not hesitate to lay them in the navigation channels, so a spotlight is critical to return.  Careful, if the water gets rough, using a spotlight is nearly impossible.  I have 2 spotlights- one runs off 12V and the other is a rechargeable.  Both work well, but the rechargeable doesn't last long after a couple of years.  Another necessity for night fishing is a battery-powered lantern, unless your boat is equipped with enough deck lighting.  I have a simple Coleman rechargeable that works great and will run for hours off of a single charge.  Last thought- I wouldn't recommend fishing at night alone, it just seems like a good idea to have a companion to assist with whatever on the boat.  My favorite time to fish is probably the last 3 hours of daylight.  Enough natural light to function, the day has cooled off, and this fish will bite well if you get the right tide.  Speaking of fishing tides, I can't emphasized enough the importance of fishing the right time of the tides.  By that, I mean the last 2 hours of an incoming or outgoing tide, and the first 2 hours of an outgoing or incoming tide.  So, 2 hours on either side of peak tide.  Outside of this, the fish tend to feed very little.

Every year fishing in Tangier Sound has been different fro the year before.  What worked one year does not necessarily work the next.  And this has applied to fishing high tide vs low tide, fishing location, where to drift, and at times even which bait works best.  Weather patterns are part of this equation, I am sure.  For example, last year I never could connect with a night fishing opportunities where the wind was not blowing 20 mph plus. Last year, squid seemed to work better than in the previous 3-4 years.  On a yearly basis, for the last 4 years I have increasingly caught fewer fish.  That's not to say I am bringing fewer fish back home, its just that I have had to work harder for them (not only do I fish for fun, I also fish to put meat on the table).  In 2010, croaker did not show up in earnest until July, while in tears past I have begun catching good numbers the 3rd week of May.  Every year is different, and unless you spend time trying to figure it out, you are taking a pig-in-a-poke.  What I intend to do with this blog is to chronicle my individual efforts beginning in 2011.  Hopefully, they can be of use to myself and to others.  Please feel free to comment or contribute.