Getting caught up with October

Just as I expected, after Labor Day I would not return to the island until October.  September was a full month- a mission trip to Guatemala, business trip to Philly, a football game in Baltimore and one in Morgantown WV.  Whew,.....

Friday Oct 4, I got out crabbing in the afternoon.  It was sunny and about 70F, a nice day.  As soon as I anchored next to the 2nd dike in the Dames Quarter marsh and got about 5 hand lines out, I began to catch crabs as fast as I could move.  I never did get more than 6 lines out.  Two and a half hours later I was truly exhausted.  The trouble was- 95% of the crabs were female and off limits to us recreational crabbers.  They were nice, heavy female crabs and it broke my heart to throw them back.  The tide was rolling hard into the marsh very quickly, taking the lines with it and making things a bit hard.  So, I ended up settling for about a 1/3 bushel of male crabs, mostly nice but nothing compared to what I was to come into a week later.  Before I move on, want to report that the jon boat trailer I had worked on all summer served well to carry and launch the boat.  Getting it trailed was a little trickier but like all different trailers I think I will get the hang of it.

Fast forward a week, Oct 11.  I came down to work on skipjack Kathryn.   Had a great time working with Mike and the crew, fitting a knee to a frame and rib.  Got out crabbing the next day in the midst of a nor'easter, complete with wind and sideways rain.  Luckily the temps were up enough in the 60's to make it do-able.  Got out to the marsh and instantly noticed these orange signs everywhere, warning me that gas powered outboards were not allowed in the impoundment from Oct through March.  Nice.  So here I am out there in the middle of a storm, loaded and ready to go with my Johnson 9.9.  No one else is in sight, and no law enforcement on a day like this.  So, prepared to plead ignorance I start the outboard and motor out to the crabbing spot.  Tide not a problem today, and have my heavy anchors in preparation for the wind pushing the boat.  So, same scene as last week except now I am catching 85% nice heavy big male crabs.  Jimmies.  Yep, it had changed that quickly.  I filled the bushel without room for even another crab, all in less than 2 hrs.  And man were they goooooood to eat.  

My next trip down would be 2 weeks later, Oct 25 and another Kathryn work trip.

 Had a great time working with the inmates from ECI on Kathryn restoration, love these guys.  The following day I had planned to fish the high tide in shallow water, scheduled for 7:30pm so I am looking at a sunset fish.  The wind was blowing 25 knots plus out of the SW and I am thinking no problem, I will stay near shore.  Big mistake.  I have never had my boat in such rough water.  I literally was half scared just trying to scoot around the south end of Deal Island.  well, my buddy Mark and I made it ok and anchored in 3 ft of water, casting to the same point I had caught rock at back in August.  We bottom-fished for about 2 hrs, braving the wind and upper 50's.  I caught two rock, one about 18 and into the cooler.  The return trip was taken following sheltered water, through this gut following waterman-laid sticks, and back into the harbor.  Next time this happens, I'll bring the jon boat and cut through both ways.