So, let's start with fishing. Straight up- 2019 was downright magical. It started a little late, but Memorial Day weekend my buddy Mark caught a 42" Red Drum aboard my boat- which I am proud to say I netted by hand. He followed that up with a 24" Speckled Trout 45 minutes later, and I did not use the net for that. Neither were my own personal catch, but I shared in the joy so much that it felt like it were.
I discovered a new fishing hole that is the most magical rockfish spot I've ever encountered. This spot produced rockfish all Spring, all Summer, and into the early Fall, as long as we had softcrab for bait. We didn't pull any monsters out of this spot, but I knew I could always catch fish there. We caught a fair number of Specs there, and I cannot WAIT to get back there again in 2020.
I didn't get to do nearly as much Fall fishing for rock as I've done in the past or I would like to do. It seems like every time I had opportunity, the weather conditions conspired to crap on my efforts. I did get out 3rd week of November jigging (my last trip), when the rock should have been shredding the menhaden which typically school up in Tangier Sound, but I was unable to steadily connect. We caught a few fish, but they were smaller and certainly scattered. In fact, I don't know anyone that connected with them in this way. Some of the charter captains I know connected with them steadily by trolling, but that's just not my scene. I hope to have more success in 2020 catching rockfish on artificial lures.
Turning now to deer hunting, I drew an unusual total blank in 2 full days of hunting in West Virginia. For whatever reason, my WV hunting buddies also stuggled this past season, especially the first week of rifle season (which is when I hunted). Upon returning to Maryland, I hunted rifle season at Deal Island and connected with an unremarkable yet appreciated button-buck on Day 4. After 3 full days of seeing nothing, the button-buck was a welcome sight. I saw this deer get spooked off to my right (I was sitting on the edge of a small cornfield) and I realized it had 3 choices- 1) turn right (which I knew was doubtful), 2) go straight (which I also doubted, as it was really thick, and 3) turn left and cut across in front of me on the way to the cornfield. I prepared for scenario#3 and got my rifle barrel sitting on my tripod, looking through the scope and waiting for the deer to jump into my field of view. Lucky for me (and unlucky for him), that's EXACTLY how it played, and I squeezed off a shot at a distance of 155 yards and dropped the young buck right in his tracks. Unfortunately, I hot him a little more in the rear than I had intended, and some of the meat was ruined. No worries, I sill had venison leftover from 2018 and I was also the benefactor of another deer earlier in the week.
I cannot wait to get outdoors. I'm hoping for an early opportunity with some perch, and I also to take a few days and turkey hunt in early May. Until then, this is @Dealislandrandy, talk to you soon !!
