Ocean City Maryland fishing report from Capt. Mark Sampson

Ocean City, Maryland Fishing Report
Capt. Mark Sampson - Fish Finder Adventures
Contact Capt. Sampson at 410/213-2442 or sharkmail@aol.com
Check out his awesome Mako photos at bigsharks.com

Daily Times
Coastal Outdoor Report
By Mark Sampson
Last week I got a call from a client who had a charter fishing trip scheduled with me in a couple days. He wanted to let me know that he and the others in his group were all experienced fishermen, so if I wanted to give my mate the day off, it would be ok with them.
Folks who have fished aboard a charter boat or a headboat have no doubt seen the mate (or mates), among other things; cutting and rigging baits, setting out lines, netting and gaffing fish, dealing with tangles, chum buckets, bags of ice, measuring fish, cleaning the boat, as well as assisting and sometimes entertaining the fishermen. Of course these are just a few of the things the anglers see the mate doing while they’re on the boat, and for the most part, much of it could indeed be done by clients who have even just a little bit of fishing experience. But what most customers on charter and headboats don’t see are the many tasks preformed by crew members before the fishermen arrive at the boat in the morning and long after they left the dock at the end of the day – not to mention the time spent getting the boat ready in the winter and spring for the upcoming season.

Because it’s not exactly a “high-paying” job, captains and mates typically choose to work on charter and headboats first and foremost because they really love to fish. All the “getting ready” work they do in the off-season as well as the long hours of maintenance and repair done between trips is so that the boat, equipment, and bait will be in top-notch, trouble-free shape when everything is put to the test out on the fishing grounds. For most crewmembers, the actual fishing trips are the “easy” part of the job that makes all the smelly, grimy, and sometimes backbreaking aspects of this business worthwhile.
Since most crew members don’t make a dime for all their troubles until they actually get out and fish, it should be easy to see how telling a mate in the middle of the season “hey, the gang tomorrow knows how to fish, so we don’t need you, go ahead and take the day off,” might not be very well received!
Besides all the work they do before and after every trip, mates are a also great asset to have aboard if there is any kind of problem because they’re going to know a lot more about the boat and its equipment than any of the clients will. In an emergency the captain doesn’t need the extra hassle of being the only one aboard who knows how to operate pumps, inspect for damage, locate equipment, drive the boat, talk on the radio, make repairs, and possibly administer first-aid.
Some “experienced” fishermen are of the notion that if a mate is working the deck he (or she) won’t let them bait or set their own hooks, net or gaff the catch, or any of the other routine stuff fishermen do when they’re fishing on their own. But I’ve never known a mate that wouldn’t relinquish these duties to any client who let them know they want more involvement in the operation.
Like fishing reels, diesel engines, and fresh bait, mates on charter and headboats are integral parts of fishing operations who assist in promoting a successful catch, help ensure a safe and enjoyable time, and are a real asset to for everyone aboard. Whenever someone suggests that we don’t need a mate on their trip I simply ask them, “so does that mean you’ll come in the night before and prepare the baits and rigs, stay late and scrub-down the boat, bleach the coolers, oil the reels, clean the head, help change the oil, grind some chum, and anything else that might need doing to be ready for the next day?” If anyone would say “yes” to that I still wouldn’t leave my mate behind. But so far - no one ever has
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Historically, man has done little besides take as much of whatever he could from the sea and not worry much about what he’s destroyed in the process. Technology has allowed us to so efficiently pursue and harvest marine life around the plant that we have driven many species to the brink, if not over the edge of extinction. But just as sure as the good old days (and ways) are behind us, there’s a lot of new stuff going on these days that might just bring back at least some of the fishing opportunities that have been lost over so much time.

I, no less than most other fishermen, gripe and moan when new fishery regulations tell me that I can’t do what I want to do, or keep what fish I want to bring home. But I cannot help but wonder how much better the fishing might be if many (or any) of our current regulations were in place 50 years ago.

Think about it, what would it be like for us today if our grandparents had the foresight to conserve our marine resources rather than exploit them in the way they did? Of course that was a different time, and it’s easy to sit back today and say “you should have…” when in reality no one could have foreseen what the future would hold. The most important thing we can do these days is learn from the past and work in the present to make things better for the future. Instead of always standing around the coffee maker and complaining about how the good old days are over-and-done, more folks need to jump in and be a part of the rebuilding process. A great way to start such an endeavor would be by joining and actively supporting local fishing clubs such as the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) and the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). These are two organizations that aren’t hesitant to take on the challenges of protecting and improving our fisheries for the future.

Another worthy organization to support is our very own Ocean City Reef Foundation. Since its inception in 1997 the Reef Foundation has been working 12-months a year to strategically position and sink reef building material far faster than Mother Nature does it on her own. What’s so good about this outfit is that they are not just working through legislation to regulate the harvest of specific species of fish in hopes that, over time, their populations will increase to sustainable numbers. The foundation is actually building new habitat as well as rebuilding old habitat that’s been destroyed over the years by so much commercial activity.

This new habitat benefits not only the most desirable gamefish, but also an immeasurable number of vital links in the chain of life that exists off our coast. From the slimy alga and hard-shelled mussels that grow on the structure itself, the schools of tuna, bluefish, and jacks that circle overhead, and every thing that swims, hides or crawls in-between, artificial reefs create safe haven and an oasis of life that will ultimately benefit both fish and fishermen long into the future. To be sure, our grandchildren and their children will be thankful for the hard work being done today by the Ocean City Reef Foundation and its supporters. More information including info on how to join the OC Reef Foundation can be found at www.ocreeffoundation.com.

Maybe things aren’t quite what they were back in the good old days. But if enough people roll up their sleeves and get involved to make things better, maybe future generations of fishermen will look back at these times not with envy at how the fishing used to be, but with happiness that those of us that went before them had the foresight to help set the stage for the recovery of our marine resources so that our children and grandchildren could be the ones who live in the good old days!

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March 16, 2006 - Ocean City, Maryland - Fishing Report

Historically, man has done little besides take as much of whatever he could from the sea and not worry much about what he’s destroyed in the process. Technology has allowed us to so efficiently pursue and harvest marine life around the plant that we have driven many species to the brink, if not over the edge of extinction. But just as sure as the good old days (and ways) are behind us, there’s a lot of new stuff going on these days that might just bring back at least some of the fishing opportunities that have been lost over so much time.

I, no less than most other fishermen, gripe and moan when new fishery regulations tell me that I can’t do what I want to do, or keep what fish I want to bring home. But I cannot help but wonder how much better the fishing might be if many (or any) of our current regulations were in place 50 years ago.

Think about it, what would it be like for us today if our grandparents had the foresight to conserve our marine resources rather than exploit them in the way they did? Of course that was a different time, and it’s easy to sit back today and say “you should have…” when in reality no one could have foreseen what the future would hold. The most important thing we can do these days is learn from the past and work in the present to make things better for the future. Instead of always standing around the coffee maker and complaining about how the good old days are over-and-done, more folks need to jump in and be a part of the rebuilding process. A great way to start such an endeavor would be by joining and actively supporting local fishing clubs such as the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) and the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). These are two organizations that aren’t hesitant to take on the challenges of protecting and improving our fisheries for the future.

Another worthy organization to support is our very own Ocean City Reef Foundation. Since its inception in 1997 the Reef Foundation has been working 12-months a year to strategically position and sink reef building material far faster than Mother Nature does it on her own. What’s so good about this outfit is that they are not just working through legislation to regulate the harvest of specific species of fish in hopes that, over time, their populations will increase to sustainable numbers. The foundation is actually building new habitat as well as rebuilding old habitat that’s been destroyed over the years by so much commercial activity.

This new habitat benefits not only the most desirable gamefish, but also an immeasurable number of vital links in the chain of life that exists off our coast. From the slimy alga and hard-shelled mussels that grow on the structure itself, the schools of tuna, bluefish, and jacks that circle overhead, and every thing that swims, hides or crawls in-between, artificial reefs create safe haven and an oasis of life that will ultimately benefit both fish and fishermen long into the future. To be sure, our grandchildren and their children will be thankful for the hard work being done today by the Ocean City Reef Foundation and its supporters. More information including info on how to join the OC Reef Foundation can be found at www.ocreeffoundation.com.

Maybe things aren’t quite what they were back in the good old days. But if enough people roll up their sleeves and get involved to make things better, maybe future generations of fishermen will look back at these times not with envy at how the fishing used to be, but with happiness that those of us that went before them had the foresight to help set the stage for the recovery of our marine resources so that our children and grandchildren could be the ones who live in the good old days!

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February 23, 2006
Market-gunning, and market-fishing for that matter, came-to-be back in a era when the New-World seemed to possess an endless supply of fish in the waters and game in the fields, forests, and skies. Generations of folks right here on the Eastern Shore made their fortunes by killing and shipping waterfowl, deer and even songbirds to the hungry markets in the big cities. An entire industry sprang up to handle the killing, packing, transporting, and processing of wild game.

Imagine if you had a plot of land, which you wanted to allow to grow "back to nature". All you’d have to do is "nothing", because over time nature would reclaim her turf by allowing grasses and trees to fill in and eventually wildlife that likes to live in such places would return as well. Now imagine if every month or so you ran a roto-tiller over your property. I don’t think too much "growing back" would be taking place, and that’s the tragedy of all these years of hydraulic dredging in our bay waters – where they operate they destroy the bottom and wipe out any chances that stretch of water will provide the kind of ecosystem needed by so many marine organisms.

Information about this bill and contact info for state Senators and Delegates can be found at http://mlis.state.md.us/.

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2/19/06

As much as I liked bay-fishing from our 14-footer as a kid, after a few years of drooling over the catches I’d see coming off the offshore boats, I was eventually able to talk my father into stepping up to a 19-foot center console with a 140 hp outboard and enough fuel capacity to allow us to go as far offshore as the weather (and our courage) would allow us to go in a boat of that size.

For the next ten years, every hour of the summer that the weather was right and I wasn’t working, I was in that boat being pushed around by the same motor. I don’t know how much time I racked-up on that outboard but I know I milked every bit of life out of it that was mechanically possible. After ten years of faithful service the outboard certainly didn’t owe me a thing, so I wasn’t surprised in the 11^th season when little problems started cropping up here and there.

Offshore fishing is a passion that requires a safe and reliable vessel.
Unfortunately for me, even though my boat was in great shape, I could no longer leave the dock with a high level of confidence that my old motor would bring me home without incident. When I finally realized that I was running offshore on friend’s boats more than skippering my own I knew I had to make a change. But there was no-way I could afford a new boat, and I didn’t want to run the risk of buying a used boat and inheriting someone else’s problems. I also had to deal with the issue of what to do with my old boat that, while it was still in great shape, would be difficult to get a good price for considering it had a cranky 11-year-old motor hanging off the back.

It didn’t take me too long to come to the conclusion that my best move would be to keep my old boat and re-power it with a new motor. And that’s exactly what I did, after 11-years the old 140 came off the back and was replaced by a shiny new 150 hp Mercury. While I was at it, I went ahead and replaced every bit of wiring, fuel lines, battery, steering and control cables. In other words every bit of mechanical or electrical equipment on the boat came off and was replaced with new.
While some might question the decision to “re-power” rather than “replace” an older boat, I know that when I was finished with the project I was never more satisfied with the boat’s performance or confident with its reliability. And for the next 3 years I used that boat inshore, offshore, or anywhere I wanted to go without mishap or breakdown.

After 14-years, I finally sold the boat to help pave the way for the purchase of a bigger vessel to use for charter fishing. I still miss that boat, and a couple years ago was happy to hear from the fellow I sold it to that the 1973 hull is still being used in New Jersey by the family he ended up selling it to. Apparently since it left me it's been re-powered three more times.

The moral of the story is that just because you’ve got a tired, old, unreliable boat doesn’t mean that you have to rush out and buy an entirely new rig. Strip it down to nothing but a fiberglass hull, and as long as the vessel itself is “sound” (meaning it doesn’t have problems such as structural damage, rotting stringers, or anything else that might require major surgery and expensive repairs) putting a new outboard on the transom or a new inboard motor below the deck can literally spark fresh life into an old friend that will live-on to provide many years of safe boating experiences.
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Outdoor Fishing Report
By Mark Sampson
6/29/05
Last week NMFS “finally” came out with the recreational bluefin tuna regulations. I realize that determining what the best catch limits and seasons should be is quite an involved process with many environmental, social, political, and economic factors to take into consideration. But come-on! It just seems crazy that it’s not until less than two weeks before the opening bell that we finally get the word about “when” and “what” we’ll be able to catch in the way of bluefin tuna this season.

Worth waiting for? Well that’s probably going to depend upon the platform you fish from. The good news was that the season is apparently going to remain open from now until May 31, 2006. But since they set the retention limit for private boats with an “Angling Category” permit at only one bluefin tuna per boat, there may not be a whole lot of incentive for folks to pursue these fish in the first place. Those who fish from charter or headboats will be able to keep up to three bluefin tuna per day (no more than one may be longer than 47-inches) from June 17 until the end of July.

Even though I’m in the charter business myself, I can see how some private boat owners might take exception to the way these fish are being divided up. The only justification I can see in it is that NMFS must figure that a private boat owner might have the opportunity to land bluefin tuna on multiple trips throughout the season, while the typical charter customer will only fish once a year. Starting August 1st it’ll be a moot argument because all recreational anglers including charter fishermen will be limited to one fish per boat.

Anyway, that’s the latest on this year’s bluefin tuna season. I guess the word came out just in time because the first decent catches of bluefin were made off Delmarva just this past weekend. Fish were taken by anglers trolling in the 20-fathom zone anywhere from the Lumpy Bottom all the way up to Massey’s Canyon including the Jackspot area. Most of the bluefins were in the 30-inch (25-pound) range but a few anglers lucked into fish in the 50-60 pound class.

Last week I described the process for getting the HMS Permit needed to fish for sharks, tuna, or billfish. To further that discussion I should note that anglers should take special care to get the right HMS Permit. There are three options 1) General Category – for commercial fishing boats only, 2) Angling Category – for strictly private boats, and 3) Charter/Headboat Category – for those who take passengers for hire.

It’s imperative that anglers get the proper permit for the type of fishing they do. I recently spoke to another charter captain who mistakenly allowed someone else get the permit for them. That person went online and applied for an angling Category Permit instead of the Charter/Headboat Permit and by the time the captain realized the error the 10-day period for correcting it had expired by one-day. He immediately contacted NMFS requesting a change but was told that because he missed the deadline that they would have to review his case and he might not be able to get a different permit until next year when he renews. If this captain is not granted the proper permit then he cannot take passengers for hire to catch billfish, sharks, or tuna and he’s effectively out of business for a year. That seems like tough penalty to pay for making a simple mistake!

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Outdoor Fishing Report
By Mark Sampson
6/1/05
This week I ran a few inshore charters on my little boat with clients who wanted to do some light-tackle and fly-fishing for the stripers, bluefish, and the hickory shad that are now so abundant down around the inlet and Rt.50 Bridge. The action has been pretty good with the best of it happening during the first or last few hours of daylight each day particularly on an outgoing tide. The most consistent action has been provided by the17-19 inch shad which will jump all over small spoons, jigs, or Clouser flies.

Of course there is no season for hickory shad in Maryland so the fishing is strictly catch-and-release. When the action is good it can translate to a fish on every cast, requiring anglers to do a lot of unhooking and releasing - and herein lies a problem. The quickest and best way to release fish is to use a de-hooking tool that inverts the hook and allows the fish to fall back into the water without ever being touches by human hands. But, depending upon how the fish is hooked, or what lure is being used, sometimes it’s necessary to actually hold a fish down and carefully remove the hook (or hooks) with pliers.

I always keep a fish-rag handy for such instances and when we bring a fish that’s going to be released to the boat I submerge the rag in water and wrap the fish in it as soon as the catch comes out of the water. The rag is not just “damp,” it’s totally saturated and wringing-wet. The rag immobilizes and protects the fish from injury while the hook is being extracted. Because it’s so wet the rag won’t cause mortal harm to the fish by rubbing off the protective slime layer.

With fish like striped bass that have no teeth you can sometimes get away from the rag by holding the fish by the lower jaw while performing the surgery, but shad have such a small and delicate mouth so that’s not an option. When working on or around the snapping dental work of bluefish the wet rag is by far the safest way for fish and angler. Wrap the fish up like a pig-in-a-blanket with just his snoot showing, extract the hooks, and slip him back over the side - a simple procedure with no harm done to either party.

Ok, if de-hooking tools and wet rags are such simple solutions to catch-and-release fishing, what’s the problem? As I see it, the trouble is that there are still a lot of fishermen who won’t take the time to handle and release fish in a manor that best assures the survival of their catch. Some folks are so intent on getting the fish in, off the hook, and their line back out so they can catch another one that in the process they batter and abuse the fish so much that it ends up dying from the ordeal. They drag them across stone jetties, let them flop and bang around in the bottom of boats and on the hot, dry surfaces of cement piers and bridges.

In my book “real” sportsmen are the one’s who plan ahead, have the proper tools, and take the needed time to ensure that, if they are going be releasing fish, they’ll be able to do it in a manor that provides the best chance of survival for each one. In other words, real sportsmen will do whatever it takes not to harm what they’re releasing, even if means catching less fish.

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Fishing and boating can be an expensive combination. From sandpaper to stainless screws, battery boxes to butterfish, trailer lights to treble hooks, there’s so much “stuff” needed to keep anglers out on the water and in contention for catching a fish these days that it’s no wonder so many are always looking to pinch a penny.

Of course, these days finding the cheapest price on anything from spark plugs to sportsman’s pliers can be as easy as surfing the waves of the internet, flipping through the countless catalogues that choke our mailboxes each week, or making a “road-trip” to a super-mega sporting store in one of the big cities. But sportsman will also find that the best price is not always the best value. In the long run, saving a couple dollars on the initial purchase might require incurring debts some fishermen won’t want to pay.

Delmarva has more than enough tackle shops, marine supply, and hardware stores to keep the area’s fishing and boating enthusiasts well equipped and ready for whatever is needed for a productive season. But in these days of one-click global shopping there seems to be an assertion that buying from local stores means paying a premium price. If the catalog has the reel at $29 and Internet store has it at $26, why pay $32 at the local tackle shop?

Hey, I’m as much as a tightwad as anyone (probably more) and spending money I don’t have to doesn’t exactly help me to sleep at night. But I’ve come to know that sometimes the couple-or-so extra dollars spent with a local merchant is well worth the benefits that may come later.

Look at it this way: Suppose I need to buy a light spinning reel. If get it from a local shop I pay for the reel, plus tax - that’s all. And I have it today. Mail orders require shipping fees and often there goes the price difference. If I have a problem with my purchase I can send it back but I’ll probably still have to pay the shipping fees, and of course there will be more of a time delay before I can use the reel. If I buy locally and have a problem I can exchange the reel right over the counter and immediately be back to fishing with it.

Buying locally also allows me to see, hold, play-with, and compare the reel to others before I buy it. Maybe “in person” the reel isn’t what I thought it was from the advertisements and so I have to consider a different model. Most of the tackle shops will have one or more employees who are very knowledgeable about the products they carry and can be a great assistance in steering customers toward making the right purchase. You surly won’t get that from an Internet or catalogue sale!

Probably one of the greatest benefits of supporting local stores is the appreciation and support you’ll get back from the establishment you patronize. Storeowners recognize repeat customers and make the extra effort to help ensure that their fishing and boating experience is safe and enjoyable. They’re genuinely concerned about the wants and needs of local fishermen and boaters because in the long run it helps their business too. So if they can point you in the direction to catch some fish, show you how to rig a lure or bait, or explain how to properly apply a particular paint on the deck of your boat, they’re happy to do it. It’s good for you and good for them. Try to get any of that kind of service from “operator-29” when you place your catalogue order.

Finally, if you think that driving three or more hours to one of the “Super-Size Have-All Outdoor Stores” will save you some bucks, you’d better check the price of gas first. I’ve got a feeling that the few dollars that might be saved on a couple items will be quickly eaten up by the V-8 under your hood.

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In effort to bring at least a slight inkling of fairness to the otherwise lopsided amount of media coverage so often thrown at the high and mighty “glory” fish such as tuna, rockfish, flounder, sharks, billfish, seabass, and seatrout, this week I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a long time resident of our coastal waters that seldom, if ever, get any respect by recreational anglers.

The “lowly” spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) is, for many months of the year, one of the most available fish off our coast, but the little 3-foot sharks miss the masses of summertime anglers by waiting to arrive until our waters cool off in the fall and then by leaving as soon as the warm-up begins in late spring. Nobody said they were stupid!

In earlier times the term “dogfish” as placed on these sharks because they were often encountered in very large schools which, like packs of dogs, relentlessly pursued schools of smaller fish. Many years of very intensive commercial fishing has whittled down the numbers of spiny dogfish, but cool weather anglers can still stumble upon seemingly endless pockets of them and enjoy virtually nonstop action. Still, since so few fishermen actually target spiny dogfish directly, most are caught by fall and springtime anglers while bottom fishing for other species such as seatrout, seabass, bluefish, and tautog.

But accidental hookups are more likely to be received with a frown than a smile by anglers hoping for a bite by a more “glamorous” fish. That is, unless a fisherman has actually had the opportunity to sit down to a steaming plate of dogfish. Those willing to give them a try will likely find that the fish they’re hooking by accident are just as tasty as those they’re actually trying to catch.

When filleted and skinned a spiny dogfish will provide a long narrow fillet of white meat that can then be crosscut into perfect size portions. It can be cooked in just about any fashion someone likes to cook fish, but folks should know that in Europe this shark is often battered and fried to make the popular “fish-and-chips”. If you like to fry fish, this is the one to use!

Spiny dogfish will be available off our coast until about the end of May. After that they’ll wiggle their way north in efforts to remain in water that stays below the 60-degree mark. These sharks can be found on or around most of the shoals 5-20 miles out and near most of our artificial reefs and wrecks. They’ll happily snap-up just about any cut bait such as squid, or bunker but will also respond to jigs or other deep diving artificials lures. It’s not usually necessary, but to enhance the opportunity of catching these sharks anglers can do a little light chumming by hanging a can of fish-flavor cat food over the side of the boat. When the sharks are abundant, it’s not uncommon to have a half dozen or more follow a hooked fish right up to the boat. Hooking them can then be as easy as dropping a bait right off the nose of the individual fish you want to catch!

Spiny dogfish have very small teeth but unlike the smooth dogfish (or sand shark) the teeth are quite sharp and will easily cut an ill-placed finger or hand. Something else anglers need to be careful with are the inch-long spines in front of each of the two dorsal fins on the sharks back. These spines are very sharp and can easily impale someone (even right through a rubber boot) when the fish is freshly caught and still thrashing a kicking about the deck.

They’ll probably never make to the cover of a sportfishing magazine, and I imagine that more of them will always be caught by accident than on purpose. But despite their low stature among anglers, the lowly spiny dogfish is an interesting critter that provides early and late season fishermen with the opportunity to land good quantities of a fine tasting fish when there are so few other options to choose from.

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Outdoor Fishing Report
By Mark Sampson
5/4//05
But just before, and right after last week’s windy weather there were enough confirmed reports of fish being caught to signify that, ready-or-not, the 2005 fishing season is underway!

Reports have it that a few tautog have been taken from the bulkhead along the downtown ball field, and off the Rt.50 Bridge. If tog are in town they’re probably tooling about the inlet’s jetties as well. Sandfleas and green crabs are always the best bait for these fish. Anglers who venture offshore will find even better tautog fishing over most of the wrecks and reefs. Anglers should remember that Maryland’s minimum size for tautog is 14-inches and they may keep no more than 5-fish per person.

A few striped bass (rockfish) have been landed off the Rt.50 Bridge and around the inlet jetties. These springtime fish typically favor lures, and anglers will find most of the action comes by casting diving-type plugs, soft-bodied artificials like “Tsunami” and “Storm” lures, and white bucktails tipped with a rubber worm. Here on the coast our anglers are only allowed to keep two rockfish a day they must be at least 28-inches in length.

A sure sign that the season is upon us is seeing anglers drifting for flounder in the bay. An even better sign is when they are actually “catching” flounder in the bay. Particularly up in the Thorofare anglers have taken advantage of some of the nice weather days and found a few flounder willing to sacrifice themselves for a taste of live minnow. It’s easy to see why they’re keying in on minnows – the marshes and other shallow areas of the back bays are loaded with them. I expect that soon we’ll start seeing schools of shiners and anchovies moving into the bay and the flounder might start favoring something else. But at least now, at the threshold of the season, nice fat minnows are the ticket to a flounder dinner. Remember that the minimum size for flounder has changed this year and is only 15 ½ inches and four fish per person per day.

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Setting and then trying to achieve certain goals has always been an important part of my fishing career. In fact, as long as I can remember, I’ve always had some sort of personal goal that’s kept me both striving for, and dreaming of landing something that I’ve never previously caught.

Personal goals can be good for fishermen, if for no other reason but that they help to keep the sport interesting. I know that a lot of anglers will be quick to proclaim that they never have, or “will” ever have, a need to “try” and make the sport interesting. And hey – I know where they’re coming from. But, even though beginning fishermen will probably have a hard time understanding this, experienced anglers and certainly a lot of my fellow charter captains and guides know what I’m talking about when I say that when we find ourselves in situations where day-after-day we‘re doing the same kind of fishing for the same kind of fish, especially if we’ve achieved a high enough level of proficiency that catching the fish becomes almost too easy, our fishing adventures can gravitate from “exciting” to “routine”. Whether it’s bluefish, bluefins, or blue marlin, when catching them becomes so easy that it no loner poses much of a challenge, the thrill of the quest certainly begins to wane.

Fortunately, once we start getting really good at catching a particular species, we may only need to change our tackle or routine a bit to add a little excitement and certainly some fun back into our endeavors. Switching from standard to light tackle may be the easiest and most common way to spice up a fishing program. Depending upon the species and location, using thinner line can add an entirely different set of challenges for fishermen to enjoy. Besides lighter line, another way to spice things up can be accomplished simply by switching to another type of tackle. Between conventional, spinning, bait casting, and fly tackle, resourceful anglers shouldn’t have too much problem finding a new tool to use to catch an otherwise common fish.

Instead of switching tackle, fishermen may also choose to switch techniques. Rather than trolling for tuna - try chunking, instead of live baiting for striped bass - try plug casting, instead of drifting for flounder - try trolling. Whatever it takes to break from the “same-old-same-old” ruts so many fishermen get in, as long as it still provides a chance for catching fish, why not give it a shot? A little experimentation with techniques might even surprise anglers by unveiling opportunities to land bigger ad better fish than they had ever imagined.

Of course one of the most common goals set by fishermen is to hook and land a species of fish that they’ve never caught before. The waters that surround Delmarva are certainly filled with such a variety of fish that it’s unlikely anyone will ever catch them all. Despite the variety, most anglers focus almost all of their efforts on catching the area’s most popular fish. But I would certainly argue that there are a lot more fish in the sea, and anyone who feels that their fishing fun just “ain’t what it used to be”, might want to consider pursuing some of the area’s less common varieties. The fish are out there. Why not accept the challenge and give’em a try?

To really get the most out of them, personal goals should be just that “personal,” not set by the standards of anyone other than the individual angler. Who cares if your fishing buddies have caught cobia before? I you’ve never caught one, set it as a goal and go for it! It doesn’t matter if you’ve never heard of anyone catching a searobin on fly-tackle, if that’s what you want to do – give it a shot. An acceptable departure from this course might be if one aspires to assist other anglers to achieve goals of their own, like helping a child catch their first fish, or aiding a senior in a quest to land some of their last.

Sport fishing has so many attributes, and few anglers would rank them all in the same order of importance. But certainly at, or close to the top, of most fishermen’s lists would be the inherent challenges of the sport. Over time, as anglers gain experience they will see many of their beginning challenges diminish, and unless they continually set new goals for themselves, they may find that so too has much of their original love for the sport.

As I write this I find myself in the Florida Keys chasing permit with a fly rod. I know that if I put a live crab on a hook and drop it down to an ocean-side wreck I could probably land one before my time here is up. But five years ago I set a goal that my first permit would be fly-caught on a shallow water flat. As it is, I probably won’t land one this year either. But that’s ok, the challenge of the quest is fulfilling enough, and each time I miss a fish and blow another opportunity I have that much more incentive to come back for more. And at least for me, that’s what fishing goals are all about!

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Obviously, as a fishing guide I get to spend a lot of time fishing. Granted, most of my hours on the water involve looking over the shoulders of others who are doing the actual "catching". But having done this for a while, I've learned to accept and actually enjoy my role in the process. Time has also taught me a few lessons about what other anglers enjoy in the fishing pursuits.

The other day a fellow asked me, "Mark, if you had to choose between fishing for and caching one or two decent size tuna in a day, or catching a dozen or so offshore bluefish, which would you prefer?" It might surprise some to know that without hesitation I answered "bluefish". But actually my answer had little to do with a preference one way or the other for bluefish over tuna, as much as it was about "big fish versus little fish".

No doubt that big fish are an exciting catch that sometimes literally translates into the thrill of a lifetime for some anglers. But by the very nature of the beast - catching a big fish is a workout! Long boat rides that take anglers many miles offshore, heavy tackle, harnesses, big gaffs, heavy leaders, big hooks, bait and lures all must be brought together at the right time and place to make a big fish adventure come true. Orchestrating such a trip is a lot of work in itself, if or when a big fish is actually hooked the lucky anglers charged with fighting it to submission is likely going to learn a few things about what sweat and sore mussels are all about. It's not uncommon for me to have customers travel hundreds of miles and spend thousands of dollars to catch a fish that, while fighting it, they continually cuss and swear at, and then part-way through it all hand the rod off to someone else to finish the battle because they're too exhausted to do it themselves.

Now let's look at "little" fish that don't necessarily take so much trip preparation or such a long boat ride offshore to locate, that an be caught in a reasonable amount of time even on light tackle, fish that won't make the anger feel as though he or she are going to be pulled out of the boat, fish that with each successive run prompt a cheer from the angler rather than a foul word, and most of all, fish that when the fight is done the fisherman is happy, energized, and ready to cast out and catch another, instead of sweaty, sore, and ready to go crash on a bunk for the rest of the trip.

I know that of the millions of anglers around the world, a good chunk of them would love the chance to go one-on-one with a deepsea giant, but maybe because of time, money, or just the logistics involved in such a pursuit, their dream ay never become a reality. I guess the point I'm finally getting around to making is that if just plain "fun and relaxation" is what someone is after, chasing big fish may be a whole lot more work than what some might expect. Small fish might not as easily make the front covers of fishing magazines or take top dollars in the big offshore tournaments, but they sure are fun to catch and they won't break your back or your bank account in the process.

By the way, if you think I'm kidding then come fishing with me sometime. You can watch me catch a bunch of bluefish and I'll look over your shoulder and watch you catch a couple tuna!

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Outdoor Report
By Mark Sampson
3/16/05
As near as I can figure it, Ocean City’s charter and headboat fleet numbers over 150 vessels. When you figure that number represents 150 individual businesses conducting operations in the area, and the subsequent commerce brought to town by those boats including sales of lodging, meals, fuel, equipment, entertainment, repair, storage, and other expenses paid out by the captains and their clients, it’s safe to say that there’s a full-fledged and very important "charter boat industry" in Ocean City.
What’s so unique about this industry are the diversities of the boats and the captains who run them. Local charter vessels range in size from 18-65 feet. Some boats are at private community docks, some in slips behind homes, and others spend their "off-time" on trailers or in storage buildings. They may be operated by their owners or by hired captains, some of whom will run less than a dozen charters a year while others run a few hundred. All charter and headboat operators have varying levels of experience and ideas about what’s the best way to run their business.
Unfortunately this diversity has often worked against the industry, as independent captains have historically not been inclined to organize in force for their common good. The lack of unity in voice and purpose has kept the doors open for exploitation by individuals and businesses that service the charter fishing industry.
For a number of years the Ocean City Charterboat Captains Association (OCCCA) has been in existence for the purpose of looking after the rights and well being of local charter captains and their businesses. To date this organization’s membership has primarily been captains from the West Ocean City area. Hopefully that’s soon to change.
At 2:00 PM on Saturday March 12th at Crab Alley Restaurant on Golf Course Rd. at the West Ocean City commercial harbor, the OCCCA will hold an organizational meeting. Professional captains from all docks and marinas are encouraged to attend. The intent of the meeting will be to discuss and plan-out how the OCCCA can be restructured so that it will better serve the wants and needs of Ocean City’s charter and headboat industry, and how its membership can be broadened to include more captains from other docks and marinas.
This is an opportunity for captains to make a difference in how the "new" OCCCA will be structured in a way that it will best serve the needs of Ocean City’s charter fleet as a whole. Those who cannot attend the meeting can contact me at 410-213-2442 or mark@bigsharks.com and I’ll see that their recommendations and concerns are presented and considered.
On a somewhat similar note, on Thursday March 31, from 9:Am until 3:Pm the Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service will be holding the 4th Annual Delmarva Charter Boat Operators Workshop. This one-day class will cover the business end of the charter boat business including marketing strategies, accounting, insurance, business management, research updates, fishery management issues, as well as Coast Guard updates and safety requirements.
The cost is $30 and it covers lunch and all educational materials. Walk-ins will be taken as space allows, but the registration fee will increase to $35. Registration deadline is March 18. For additional information, contact Rita Baty at 302-645-4346 or email her at rbaty@udel.edu.
I regret that I’ll be out of town on the 31st and won’t be able to make it this year, but I’ve attended this workshop a couple times in past years and found it to be very informative and well worth the money and effort to attend. Heck - the first-class lunch they serve up is worth the 30 bucks!

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Outdoor Report
By Mark Sampson
3/9/05
I’ve always maintained being well educated about the different fish we pursue not only makes us better fishermen, but also gives us a better appreciation, and concern, for the well-being of all of our marine resources. I found some interesting facts in a recent draft of a Management Plan from the National Marine Fisheries Service. Seeing this kind of stuff coming from fishery reports and publications also makes me feel a bit more confident that those involved with managing our resources know a lot more about the different species that we fishermen often give them credit for.
Here’s a few "fun facts" from the report:

Atlantic Swordfish reach a maximum size of about 1165 pounds, and are one of the largest and fastest predators in the Atlantic Ocean. Like sharks, swordfish must continually swim with their mouth open to keep water flowing across their gills to maintain an oxygen supply. This process is known as "ram gill ventilation" and is believed to conserve energy better than the more common mechanism used by most fish where water is pumped across the gills.
Because they do not have the ability to contract, swordfish’s eyes produce heat when stimulated by the nervous system, which in turn warms the eye and brain tissues. This allows the fish to more effectively hunt in deep, cold-water environments without experiencing a decrease in brain and visual functions.
Atlantic Bluefin are comparatively old when they become sexually mature and can live to a relatively old age. The oldest age recorded from a tagged bluefin was one that was about two years old when tagged and was recaptured 18 years later. Bluefin tuna from the western Atlantic generally reach a larger size than those of the eastern Atlantic.

Atlantic Bigeye Tuna are able to dive deeper than other tuna and exhibit very extensive vertical movements. Bigeyes become sexually mature at about age three and a half and spawning takes place in tropical waters.

Small Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna will congregate near the surface in mixed schools with skipjacks and juvenile bigeyes. Young fish grow slowly at first but faster after they leave the nursery grounds. Most of the large yellowfins caught by fishermen are males.

Young Blue Marlin are one of the fastest growing of the bony fishes. They can reach close to 100 pounds after their first year. Females grow faster and reach a larger maximum size than males. Life expectancy is 20-30 years. Blue marlin have relatively small stomachs which reduces the proportion of the body needed for "guts" and allows more volume for muscles. This translates into more swimming speed and endurance.

White Marlin have a life span of about 18 years, grow quickly, and mature females are larger than males. In July of 1995 a white marlin was tagged off Cape May NJ. It was recaptured off West Africa in November of 1996. The track covered 3,517 nautical miles in 476 days and is the longest recorded distance for one of these fish. Some of the largest prey found in white marlin stomachs includes snake mackerel over 28-inches long.

Sailfish are the slowest growing of the Atlantic billfishes. The longest a tagged sailfish has gone from capture to recapture is 16.1 years. Most caught off Florida are less than three years of age. Adult sailfish have few natural enemies but studies show that they are sometimes preyed upon by killer whales, bottlenose dolphin, and sharks.

There is a lot still unknown about the natural life span of Sharks, but for many species it is believed to be 30-40 years or longer. There are 73 species of sharks known to live in the Atlantic coastal waters. Compared to other fish, sharks have a low reproductive potential. Species such as the sandbar, lemon, and bull shark do not reach sexual maturity until 12-18 years of age. Since 1962, volunteer recreational and commercial fishermen, scientists, and fisheries observers have tagged over 128,000 sharks representing 40 different species.

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Outdoor Report
By Mark Sampson
3/2/05
If I’m not mistaken it’s been at least two years since local fishermen had any kind of scrap with either the National Marine Fisheries Service or Maryland’s DNR over fishery regulations. Oh sure, there’s been a few reports or surveys some of us have disagreed with, and maybe a public meeting or two that left some anglers a tad hot under the collar, but nothing like what most of us remember when we were fighting the "tuna wars" or "flounder fights". I have to say that, at least in these parts, fishery management issues have been turned down to a nice low simmer. It’s been kind of pleasant if you ask me.

But oh boy, do I ever see some dark clouds forming on the horizon! Recently House Bill 1061 was introduced by Delegates Cluster and Boteler (both from district 8) for the purpose of renaming the current "Chesapeake Bay Sport Fishing License" to the "Maryland Saltwater Fishing License" and expanding the tidal waters in which a person is prohibited from fishing for finfish without a Maryland Saltwater Fishing License to include all Maryland tidal waters. The bill is scheduled for it’s first reading at an Environmental Matters Hearing on March 3rd at 1:00 p.m.
It’s important that local anglers are aware that if this bill goes through as it was submitted, it will mean that, before anyone can fish in the Ocean City area, from a boat or from the shore, they will have to possess a valid fishing license. These waters include all of our coastal bays and the ocean waters extending from the beach out three nautical miles. License fees are currently listed at $9 for residents, $6 for a short-term (5-day) license, and $14 for nonresidents. Those who possess a charter or headboat will be required to spend $240 to cover six or less customers or $290 to cover seven or more customers. Private boat owners may buy a $40 license to cover anyone who comes aboard their vessel.
I recall back around the late 70’s or early 80’s when a Maryland saltwater fishing license was first proposed. Right away our local fishing community drew swords and took action to block the license. When the dust settled the license went into effect on the Chesapeake Bay but not here on the coast. That was a quarter century ago, since then some have claimed that here on the coast we’ve not received the same level of services from the state as they do on the Chesapeake because we haven’t been contributing to the pool of funds used for improving angling resources.
This issue has already raised the hackles of not only fishermen but also those directly involved in our local marine industry. Interestingly enough, this time around I’ve heard locals touting the virtues of both sides of the argument. I have to agree that both camps have a list of very valid points. At this stage in the game I’m no more convinced that the new license will be a detriment to us here on the coast than I am that it will ultimately be a good thing.
Right now I think the best thing we can all do is listen to the arguments while staying conscious of the fact that there are clearly two sides to consider. Certainly fishing clubs and organizations will take formal positions and make it clear which side of the fence they’re on. So will local tackle shops and marina owners. As with any fishery issue, everyone will need to look at the "big-picture" beyond their own personal situation and decide what’s best for the resource and the industry overall.
A tragic consequence of this proposed license is the controversy it could create between locals who have opposing views. Hopefully both fishermen and business owners will study the options, come to an overwhelming consensus whether or not to support HB 1061, and do what they must to inform our local representatives how to vote on this important legislation.

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Last June I had a fellow fishing with me who spent much of the day talking about his 28-foot twin engine vessel that he had spent more than one hundred thousand dollars on. He kept it somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay and was really looking forward to running it around to Ocean City in August. At the end of the day as we approach the inlet he came into the cabin and asked me about the red and green buoys stationed just outside the jetties. He wanted to know how they marked the channel and what the colors represented.
Now don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that everyone has to start somewhere and there’s nothing wrong with being unaware of something you’ve never been exposed to. But this guy owned and had been operating a boat for a few months but had no clue what the buoys meant. That’s like driving your own car and not knowing what a stop-sign means!
After explaining a little about the buoys I asked him if he had ever owned a boat before, and he said "no". Then I asked why he started his boating career with such a large boat and I was surprised to hear that his decision was made because he had taken notice that so many people started out with small boats and then graduated over the years to bigger and bigger craft. He figured that instead of wasting his time messing with little boats; he’d get something with some size to it right from the beginning.
If you ask me, such reasoning was not only a classic example of "more dollars than sense", but also a great argument for mandatory licensing of anyone who operates a boat. It’s crazy that we’re required to take a competency test and get a license to drive a car or fly a plane, but anyone with enough money can simply to buy a boat and "have at it". Imagine how safe it would be out on the highway if all you needed to drive a car was to own one. It’s scary to think that someone who has zero experience on a boat can operate in the same waters as hundreds if not thousands of other boaters. It’s no wonder the Coast Guard and State Marine Patrols stay so busy assisting boaters who have gotten into trouble!
With all that being said, I do acknowledge that at least here in Maryland anyone born before July 1, 1972 is required to have attended an approved safe boating course before they may operate a boat on state waters. But that’s not the case in all states, and even here in Maryland it leaves a huge chunk of the over 33-year-old population free to run our waterways without any formal training.
While I’m at it, I’m not going to reserve all my ridicule to just first-time boat owners. I’m continually amazed at how often I see so-called "experienced" boat owners doing very stupid things with their boats simply because they don’t know any better. These days there’s so much activity on the water and so many new types of vessels and high-tech marine products coming out each season that all of us need some way to stay abreast of what’s happening out there.
If you’re like so many folks who have been boating for a lot of years and think you know everything you need to know to safely do your summertime thing on the water, see if you can answer the following questions:
What does a red and green banded buoy indicate?
If you anchor your boat at night you’re required to turn on a white anchor light, what are you supposed to display during the day to indicate you’re anchored?
At night, if you see the red running light of a boat in front of you which way should you turn?
If you’re five miles out in the ocean and your motor quits, will the Coast Guard come out and tow you back in?
If you’re at the Jackspot and your GPS quits working are you capable of using a chart to plot a course back to the inlet? How about a course from the Jackspot to the Hambone?
For anyone who operates a boat, the answers to these questions should come as quickly and easily as if they were driving their car down a road and saw a red flashing light at an intersection. All boaters should know this stuff! With this in mind, and with the Ocean City Seaside Boat Show happening this weekend, I strongly suggest that anyone with a boat or who is contemplating buying a boat consider taking a boating course before the new season is upon us. Obviously, such a course will get beginning boaters off to a good start, but I also guarantee that even "seasoned" skippers will relearn things they’ve forgotten and certainly pick up on some things they never knew.
Almost no matter where you live, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or some other organization probably offers boating courses somewhere in your area. Whether you’re a boat owner, a soon to be boat owner, or just a frequent passenger of a friend or family member who has a boat, these courses will provide at least the very basic knowledge that everyone who shoves off from a dock should know to keep their voyage both enjoyable and safe.

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Coastal Outdoor Report
By Mark Sampson
2/16/05
It may not be "boating" season but this certainly is the time of year when a lot of people do their "boat buying." In these times of quick credit where anyone with a name and a pen can get a loan, buying a boat might somehow seem too easy. But choosing the right boat, among the thousands of sizes and types available, can be a whole different story. Whether someone is mostly interested in fishing, cruising, sailing, or skiing, picking the perfect boat can be a daunting task. Considering the price of boats these days, choosing the wrong one can be a very costly mistake that no one deserves to make.

Naturally, without knowing the individual needs of every reader I’m in no position to be recommending one boat over another. But in contemplating some useful advise that I might impart on the subject, I cannot help but consider a few rather trite clichés that I’m afraid, at least in this case, would seem quite appropriate.

"Every boat is a compromise." There are so many recreational activities to do on the water that there will never be a single boat designed that will allow its owner to do them all. A boat that’s great for the bay will probably not do too well on the open ocean, one that’s built for the offshore waters will likely have trouble getting around in the bay. Good water ski boats aren’t much for fishing or cruising. Some boats will do a little bit of everything, but no one boat will do a whole lot of everything. To get the benefits of one feature requires giving up something else. In other words "compromise." With this in mind, those looking to buy a new boat should maintain a clear understanding of the primary use they will have of the vessel. Such thought will surly help maintain product satisfaction by dispelling any unrealistic expectations.

"A boat is nothing but a hole in the water in which you throw money." A overworked saying to be sure, but certainly one for which beginning boaters should take heed. The fact is, as steep as he initial coast of a boat may be, the expenses involved in properly maintaining it can be absolutely staggering. A lot of boaters eventually come to find that even thought they can make the monthly payments, the annual costs involved with such things as maintenance, repairs, storage, fuel and so forth are just too much to handle. Boats aren’t like cars that as long as they’re not used they don’t require much out of pocket expenses other than insurance. Even if you buy a boat and simply park it on a trailer in your side yard, it’s still going to be nipping away at your wallet every chance it gets!

"The happiest two days of a boaters life are the day they buy their boat and the day they sell it." We've all heard that one before! Fortunately this love-hate relationship needn’t exist. Those who start by purchasing the proper boat, and then treat it right by keeping it clean and in good working order may come to enjoy owning it so much that they never want to get rid of it. Those who neglect their boats often end up with nothing but a big expensive headache that they cannot wait to get rid of.

I know from experience that there is nothing like owning your own boat, and with all the shows that go on this time the year, buying one couldn’t be easier. But no matter what time of the season it is, choosing the right size and type of vessel and also being able to properly maintain and afford run it is the real challenge and the real fun of being a boat owner.

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Now that most fishing and hunting are seasons are pretty much on hold for a few months, sportsmen might want to consider taking inventory of what’s inside their freezer. After all, a lot of sportsmen probably started filling their deep-freeze in the spring and by now some of the bounty is no doubt hiding under or behind frozen peas, TV dinners, and quarts of Rocky Road.
There’s another reason for taking inventory about this time every year. I guess you could call it a little "reality check" or maybe a "sportsman’s self-ethics exam" the outcome of which would indicate a lot more than simply what someone shot or caught over the past eight months. I know this is getting confusing, let me explain:
As I was growing up my father didn’t inflict a lot of rules on my brother or I when we headed into the woods our out on the water, but "you kill it - you eat it" was something he was adamant about. Fish or game, it didn’t matter, if we chose to take a life - it could not be for sport alone. The lesson had to do with accepting the responsibility to make good use of any fish and game we would take - waste was not an option.
What’s linked to this moral is the premise that just because we "can" harvest fish or game doesn’t always mean that we "should" plant the gaff or take the shot. Besides the legal fish and game limits, sportsmen must also assume the responsibility of not exceeding their own personal limits of meat that they can properly process, store, share with friends or consume themselves. It’s a great feeling to return to the dock with a cooler full of fish or out of the woods with a monster buck. But with such bounty comes a lot of work in the form of cleaning, cutting, wrapping, marking, and transporting. And there better be enough freezer-space when you get back home!
I can’t even begin to guess how many times I’ve released great tasting fish or let deer walk past my stand for no better reason than I did not have the time or facilities to properly handle the meat. There can be a lot of work that goes into making for a successful outdoor adventure, but anyone who thinks that the job ends at the crack of a gun or the thud of a fish falling into a cooler didn’t grow up under my roof. Operating under the premise of "let’s just get the thing and we’ll worry about what to do with it afterward" doesn’t cut it these days; our natural resources are too valuable for that.
Most sportsmen do a conscientious job of limiting their take of game. But some get a little carried away when the fish are biting like crazy or the ducks are falling from the sky like rain. Anyone who provides "food for the table" must keep tract of how big their table really is. How many tuna steaks can the family go through in the off-season? How many ducks and geese? Can they really make use of more than one deer? Did you freeze up too many fish? The answers to these questions are waiting to be discovered on the shelves of the family freezer. Are you running out of anything, or have you found packs of fish that have been frozen so long that they’re freezer burnt and destine for the trash?
Just by taking inventory of their freezers sportsmen can easy to come to grips with what their annual needs for fish and game really are. Then, as the new season unfolds they can fish and hunt accordingly, in a responsible and ethical manner.

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It may seem to be way too early in the year to be thinking about setting up a summertime fishing trip. But anglers who traditionally use charter boats as their means of getting out on the water will find some distinct advantages to booking their trips even this early in the year that will certainly be appreciated on the final days that lead up to a charter trip.

Obviously by booking early you’ll have a better shot of getting a particular boat on a particular day that you want to fish. This is especially important if you’re limited to fishing on weekends. As a matter of fact, in some instances January is too late to book because some captains will already have a lot of their weekend days taken by anglers who booked with them last year. Charter clients will usually find that Saturdays get snapped up first, then Sundays, Fridays, and Mondays. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are usually that last to be taken. So it’s almost always easiest to find an available date during the middle of the week. As a matter of fact, I always recommend that anglers who have the option should book during mid week just to avoid having to compete with so many other baited hooks out on the fishing grounds. It’s a big ocean, but it can still get crowded out there, particularly on weekends.

Because they will have a definite date to work with, booking early will also allow fishermen to start the process of getting all their other ducks-in-a-row for that particular day. Motel reservations can sometimes be difficult to make the closer we get to summer. Particularly if anglers are looking to find a motel that won’t require they book for a 3-day weekend. Having the extra time to find the right room can save fishermen a lot of money and certainly a good nights sleep the night before or after the trip.

Of course a lot of anglers will have to arrange for time off work. While everyone’s jobs and responsibilities are different, I can’t imagine how knowing months ahead of time when they will need to take off wouldn’t be anything but an advantage when coordinating time away from the workplace.

Friends or family usually make up the average group of 4-6 anglers who go out on charter boats. Whoever books the trip is usually burdened with the task of finding enough people to go along and share the duties and expenses of the charter. Here again is something that if left to the to the last minute could create unneeded headaches, hassles, and expenses for all involved if enough fishermen cannot be found or if one or more of the group bails out a the last minute. Give yourself time to choose your fishing partners wisely!

Chartering is always less expensive than owning and maintaining a boat of your own - but it’s still not cheap. Private charters can run from $200-$2,000 a day. Naturally some folks will find it a lot easier to put money aside over time to pay for their trip rather than try and cough it up all at once. Knowing in January exactly what they will have to pay for a charter in July or August should be of great assist to make sure that the lack of funds does not stand in the way of an enjoyable day on the water.

Sooner or later you’re going to do it, so why procrastinate any longer? Pick up the phone, call your favorite charter captain, and reserve a date for that annual fishing trip you know you’re going to take. Trust me, if you get that monkey off your back now you’ll feel better about the fact that you’re that much closer to being set and ready for the upcoming fishing season. Make life easier on yourself, do it now – why wait?

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One of the perks of writing outdoor columns and particularly "fishing reports" is that I basically end up with a weekly journal of how the fishing conditions have progressed throughout each season. But even without looking up old fishing reports I can rattle off some very basic predictions based of at least how things "usually" go.
Safe to say that seabass fishing should be hot by the second week of May, mako and blue shark fishing will be happening in early June, and by the end of that month bluefin tuna will be biting in 20-30 fathoms and yellowfin out in the canyons. Dolphin and possibly king mackerel fishing will be good by early July and the first croaker will be taken in the bay before the month is out and they’ll be biting offshore by the middle of August. Yellowfins will provide decent action around the Hot Dog and Hambone during August and September, and plenty of 3-5 foot sharks will be available 5-15 miles offshore.
Of course no such predictions are without a healthy dose of uncertainly. At least for me, one of the things that keeps the sport of fishing so interesting is the paradox of very regular and irregular movements and habits of fish. Just when you think that you’ve got the annual program figured out, Mother Nature throws you a wrinkle.
Two years seasons ago we struggled to get the summer underway. Throughout most of the spring and early summer it was just plain cold and wet! The rise of water temperatures lagged behind the normal rate and a lot of fish showed up two or three weeks behind schedule. It seemed as though summer was never going to start, and the fishing suffered from it! The ripple effect carried right through the season. In 2003 about the only fishing that really shined was wreck fishing for seabass. We had a few days here and there when the action was better than "good," but overall - offshore fishing for tuna billfish and even sharks was way off.
Naturally we all hoped that 2004 would not be a repeat of the year before, and it wasn’t. As a matter of fact, last season was darn near a 100 % turnaround. The month of May issued in summer-like temperatures that just never went away. Water temperatures warmed up more quickly than usual and fish responded accordingly. Sharks, bluefin tuna, billfish, bluefish, and lots of dolphin kept offshore anglers busy and very happy. The late summer provided incredible near-shore fishing for croaker, triggerfish, and sharks. Bay flounder fishing provided more action than we’ve seen in these parts for a long time.
A lot of us would just love to see a repeat of last year’s action. Overall it was an incredible fishing season, with two exceptions. As good as seabass fishing was in 2003, it just never really got hot in 2004. Even in the fall when wreck fishing is usually at it’s best, the seabass just never really reached their full potential. For some reason yellowfin tuna were another huge disappointment last year. Thank goodness bluefin tuna picked up the slack by making a strong showing that lasted right into the fall. Otherwise last year’s tuna season would have been a massive flop!
After two years of very different weather providing us with very different fishing action, I’m not so sure what to tell folks when they ask me to look into my crystal ball and predict what’s likely to be biting during a particular week this coming summer. I guess, as always, it’ll be up to the fickle ways of Mother Nature and what she decides to send our way. Good weather - bad weather, good fishing - bad fishing. Who knows? I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see. But like I said, that’s what keeps the game always interesting!

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Even many longtime locals are surprised to learn that the waters off Delmarva are used as wintering grounds by at least four different species of seals that leave their summer haunts in the far northeast U.S. and Canada and wander as far south as our very own backyard. Similar to the way in which certain fish migrate in and out of the area, seal’s movements and distribution are influenced not only by the calendar, but also by temperature and availability of the fish and crustaceans they feed upon.
Typically staying offshore and avoiding human contact, our winter seal population remains largely unnoticed by the general public. In most cases it’s only when a particular animal is sick or injured that it comes ashore and allows itself to be seen. Climbing up on the beach or "hauling-out" can indeed be an indicator that the seal is not well - but not always. Sometimes the animals will haul-out for no more reason other than (maybe) for the sake of lounging about in the sunshine. When seals come ashore they usually do so along a quiet strip of ocean beach, Assateague is a favorite, but sometimes they’ll show up on an Ocean City beach or they’ll slip inside the inlet and end up on an Island or a marsh in our back-bay.
Some seals will show little concern for human activities, but most are smart enough to avoid interactions and slip under the water and away at the first sight of man. But, like most animals, if a seal is sick, injured, or threatened and not able to flee the scene it will defend itself as best it can. About the only defense they have is their teeth, and if pushed they won’t hesitate to use their strong jaws and large dog-like canines to ward off people or other critters that get too close. Seals may look fat and lazy when they’re laying about the beach, but in a pinch they can strike incredibly fast and their bite will leave a nasty wound that might carry infections that can be transmitted to humans. Best advise – STAY CLEAR of seals on the beach.
With adult males growing up to nine feet in length, hooded seals are the largest species likely to show up in our waters each winter. Hooded seals are mostly gray with lots of irregular black blotches across their back and sides, a light belly, and a black face. Males have an inflatable sac or "hood" on the top of their large nose and forehead. They also have a very unique red, balloon-like, membrane in their left nostril that can be inflated in an aggressive display.
Male gray seals will grow to over seven feet in length and are mostly dark with irregular light patches. Female gray seals are considerably smaller and are mostly light in color with irregular dark patches. These seals have a very distinctive horse-like head with a broad downward sloping snout.

Harp seal pups start life with a white coat that soon molts into an irregularly blotched pattern that eventually takes on a distinctive dark wishbone-shaped "harp" across their back and sides. Harp seals grow to over six feet in length with the males being slightly larger than the females, they have small heads and well developed claws on their front flippers.
Harbor seals are about the same size as harp seals, their color varies but they usually sport a blue-gray back with light and dark speckling and a light belly. Besides their color, these seals can be recognized by their rounded head and short dog-like snout.
Because there is a high probability that a seal that has hauled-out might be injured or sick, anyone who observes a seal on the beach or back bay should report the sighting to the National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) at 410-408-6633 so that the animal can be monitored. If it’s determined that the seal is indeed in need of assistance MARP personnel may choose to transport it to the aquarium for medical attention, rehabilitation and eventual release back into the wild. Seals are unique and always interesting visitors to see lounging about our shoreline. But by all means, people and their pets must stay clear of all seals, as human interaction may prove dangerous to both parties.

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Week of December 15, 2004
These days it’s cold and dark by 5:PM, more boats are out of the water than in, and the activity around local marinas is almost nonexistent. Not exactly the time of the year many anglers give much thought to charter fishing. But what many don’t realize is that even though Christmas is on the horizon and closing fast, there are still a few local charter boat captains willing and ready to take anglers and their friends or family out for a day or even just a few hours of fishing.

For the rest of the year, and probably right into January, most anglers will direct their efforts at rockfish, and since most of these fish are taken in our bay and inlet waters, sea conditions and weather will not play as important a role in whether or not anglers will be able to fish.

Most all of the big offshore charter boats have either been pulled out of the water for the season or headed to lower latitudes where they can fish in warm water all winter. What’s left is a few captains with relatively small boats who specialize in fishing our local inshore waters. These boats are a far cry from the big offshore battle-wagons that fill the marinas during the summer, but for chasing rockfish around the sometimes tricky waters of our inlet and back bays – they’re perfect.

Because the inshore boats are small some of them have a lower limit of only 2-4 passengers. While that may translate to less people to share the price of the charter, the total cost is considerably less than what most folks are accustom to paying for an offshore trip, so it’s usually not that much of a bite out of the wallet.

Just like on the big boats, the inshore captains will supply all the bait and tackle. But because the fishing involves the same light tackle that a lot of anglers own anyway, it’s not uncommon for fishermen to bring their own favorite rod and reel to use and sometimes even a small selection of artificial lures.

Those who charter a small boat usually find that the captain does not employ the use of a first mate and therefore assumes the role of "guide" who assists anglers in every aspect of the fishing trip from how to bait their hooks to where to cast their lures. This personalized service can be a refreshing change for those accustomed to fishing on big boats only.

Departure and return times for small boat charters are often customized to meet the schedules of the fishermen, or as in most cases - the best times to fish as dictated by the tides and when the fish are biting best. Charters can be set up for a day or just a few hours. Of course those details are usually worked out between the fishermen and the guide at the time of the booking. While there are hundreds of offshore charter boats that fish out of Ocean City during the summer, right now I’m aware of only three full-time guides running small boats for bay charters. They include:

Doug "Skip" Maguire - "Skip’s Bait and Tackle" - 410-289-8555 www.oceancityfishing.com

With fishing options this time of the year so limited, many anglers have long since pulled the winter tarps over their boats and stored their tackle in the attic. But even in December a nice day can come along at any time causing the fishing bug to stir along with the sudden need to be out on the water. It should be comforting for fishermen to know that at such times a productive fishing trip with a friendly experienced guide might be just a phone call way.

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Right now there are so many fish offshore that an angler could probably stop their boat just about anywhere in the ocean from the beach on out about to about 20-miles, drop a simple bottom rig down and be pretty much assured of at least catching dinner. Seabass, trout, croaker, sharks, porgies, jacks, bluefish, flounder, kingfish - the list goes on. Talk about smorgasbord fishing! My best advice to deepsea anglers right now is to take along a variety of bait and a copy of Maryland’s legal size and catch limits because you’ll be measuring and counting more than just one or two types of fish.

For this time of year the seabass action is a little off. Not that the fish aren’t biting, because they are; the only problem is that you have to weed through a lot of under 12-inch seabass to land a keeper. Usually in October there’s a higher percentage of big fish, where they are right now I don’t know, maybe when the water cools a down bit more things will change. The good news is that besides seabass there’s some other fun critters hanging around the structures that’ll gladly keep fishermen entertained.

Water temperatures are on their way down, but apparently they haven’t fallen enough to kick triggerfish out of the arena. On recent trips we found that a number of structures held big triggers that were not only hungry enough to take our baits but also voracious enough to follow hooked fish all the way up to the boat! Besides triggers we also picked away at mostly small - but a few decent size porgies, some bar jacks, and a few flounder.

The most fun we had while wreck fishing came from big bluefish that first made their presence known by attacking the seabass we were cranking in. We easily turned the tide on the 8-12 pound blues by putting what was left of the seabass (usually their front half) on a hook with a light wire leader and allowing it to sink about half-way down to the bottom. As always the bluefish proved to be a blast on light tackle.

Lately we also spent some time seatrout and croaker fishing around the edges of Great Gull Shoal and while the croaker have been fair size and very abundant, the trout action has been a lot like the seabass – some keepers but lots of throwbacks. Still, the fishing was really a lot of fun because of all the other fish we encountered. In addition to our bottom rigs we usually put out at least a couple shark-rigs and they’ve recently been paying off. Small sandbar sharks have been the primary catch but one day we also released a thresher shark and on another trip we turned loose a big sand tiger.

Besides trout and croaker, our bottom rigs also brought up a number of kingfish and lots of 2-3 pound bluefish. But one of the neatest surprises of all came Sunday afternoon when something big slurped up a strip of squid fished off one of my clients bottom rigs. At first we thought it might be a shark, but after 15 minutes we ruled that out because a shark would normally have bitten through the mono leader by then.

Eventually the big fish came into view below the boat and to say the least we were surprised and elated to see that the big fellow on the end of the line was a big red drum. Since red drum may only be kept if they are between 18 and 27 inches, we gently slipped a net under the prize, measured it (48-inches) took a couple photos and released it. What a fish! And what a perfect ending to a great day of near-shore bottom fishing.

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Stripers can certainly be fooled into taking artificial lures, but in Ocean City’s back bays and inlet areas most anglers consider live bait as the best option for hooking-up with the big rockfish that migrate down our coast each fall. The four most popular baits include spot, bunker, eels, and mullet, all of which are common to our local waters and able to be obtained by anglers who choose to catch their own bait. But catching bait isn’t always a simple process, as opportunities often seem to pop up when they’re least expected. So the best thing a fisherman can do is to always be prepared with the needed equipment to immediately take advantage of occasions as they come about.

One of the greatest tools for collecting bait is a cast net, and using one is the only way fishermen are able to catch bunker or mullet. But the net must be close at hand at all times, if it’s back at the house while you’re down at the marina and the harbor is loaded with bait then "sorry-Charlie" you just missed out on a great opportunity at getting some free bait! If you’re not armed with your net you’re pretty much destined to buy tomorrow what’s swimming around free for the taking today.

Small spot often congregate over grassy areas of the bay and around docks, particularly if there’s an active fish cleaning station. Spot can sometimes be taken with a cast net, but the most popular method involves using small pieces of bloodworm on tiny multi-hooked Sabiki rigs. Naturally, someone’s not likely going to keep a dozen bloodworms stored in the trunk of their car "just in case" they happen to be at the right-place and the right-time when the spot start snapping. But it’s easy enough to keep a light rod rigged and ready and at least know where you can quickly get some bloodworms in a pinch. Spot can be expensive little devils if you have to buy them, and in a few weeks they won’t be so available in our bay waters, stocking up now is about the only alternative to paying top dollar later.

Of course catching bait is one thing, keeping it alive for a day, a week, or even a month until you actually have the chance to get out and use it is a whole other story. Obviously, those who don’t have a good place to keep a large floating live-well shouldn’t even worry about catching bait for anything but fishing trips they are about to immediately embark upon. But even with good bait storage facilities, some baits such as bunker simply cannot be kept alive for more than 24 hours under the best of conditions. Mullet too are tough critters to keep alive unless they’re housed in a very large container floating in water that has good movement. Spot are often hearty baits and can be kept frisky for a long time as long as they’re not over-crowded and their water stays clean. Eels are just about indestructible and can be kept alive almost forever in a floating minnow bucket or for a day or so even in a plastic container in a cooler full of ice.

Imagine going through all the headaches and hassles of catching a bunch of nice bait, baby-sitting them for a few weeks, and then having them all die on the ride out to the fishing grounds. Anglers need to have their boat properly equipped with a circulating live-well, aerating pumps, or at the very least a couple big buckets and someone aboard who won’t neglect to change the water every 10-15 minutes.

Ironically, the cooling water temperatures that help to bring the big rockfish into our coastal bays each fall also help to send the baitfish out. Anglers who have the facilities to keep bait should consider taking the opportunity to catch it now while it’s still available and very affordable!

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I wish I could say that local fishing was as hot as the weather but I wouldn't want to lie. Bluefish, seabass, flounder, tautog, shad, rockfish, horndogs, blowfish there's a lot going on, but I guess some of these fish still need a little kick in the fins to get them more into a feeding mood. But hey - even though it's 80 degrees it still ain't summer yet, we still have plenty of time for all these critters belly up to the bait bar and start eating.

Right now the hottest ticket going is the shad fishing down around the inlet. Early or late in the day seems to be when these fish bite the best but anglers can actually pick away at them all day if they wish. Maryland law requires that all hickory shad be released, but the fun with these fish is more in the catching than the eating anyway so a closed season seems to be no big deal to most anglers who enjoy catch-and-release.

The shad, along with a number of other species, are in the
bay to feed on little anchovies that right now are very abundant down around the bridge and inlet. When the tide is moving along at a good clip these baitfish often congregate behind structures like bridge pilings, jetties and sometimes the rip currents that form at the mouth of the inlet on an outgoing tide. Casting Got-Cha plugs, Rattle Traps, or small spoons among the baitfish and then retrieving them down current often draws a quick response from shad that are holding back and picking off baitfish that stray from the schools. By using a surface or intermediate sinking lines, fly anglers too can have a blast with the shad which are seldom reluctant to take a Clouser or Deceiver type fly pattern.

Very recently shad fishermen have also started to hook 1-3pound bluefish in the downtown waters as well. These same fish should soon start to spread out to other parts of the bay as well. As they do the Thorofare and the Rt.90 Bridge areas will likely become good areas to encounter these small snappers. By watching for feeding birds, anglers should have little trouble locating the marauding schools of bluefish. If this year's run of bluefish and shad turns out to be anything like last year - we're in for some good fishing over the next few weeks!

Unfortunately, anglers are finding that the flounder bite is a bit on the disappointing side. Yes a few fish have been caught, and yes some of them have been very respectable, but even with the new 16-inch size limit it's been tough for some anglers to get any kind of flounder bite at all! I'm not going to suggest that this season might turn out as bad as last year did for catching flounder, but at this point it certainly would be encouraging to see a few anglers stepping off their boat with a stringer full of flounder.

Surf anglers too are kina-sorta waiting for the action to pick up. A few very nice rockfish have been pulled up on the beach along with a few bluefish and lots of skates. But the quality type of surf fishing that so many anglers have been looking forward to all winter has still not become a reality. The good news is that this latest spell of unseasonably warm weather should only help the situation and hopefully next week I'll have all good news to report.

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A while back I mentioned that Maryland's DNR was accepting comments, and holding public meetings on several proposed summer flounder regulation alternatives for recreational fishermen. The options included variations in size and creel limits that would provide anglers the best opportunity to catch the recreational allotment of flounder without exceeding it. Size limits ranged from 15 ½ to 17 inches with creel limits running from 2-8 fish per person per day. All of the options included no closed season during any part of the year.

In a nutshell, anglers were asked to choose between being able to keep less fish of a smaller size, or more fish of a larger size. After the public comment period was over, DNR sifted through the responses and settled on one option that was apparently heavily favored by recreational anglers. Most fishermen asked for the combination of a 16-inch size limit with a three-fish bag limit.

The proposal was submitted to and approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Flounder Technical Committee and will be voted on by the ASMFC Summer Flounder Management Board on March 11th. Fishermen know that historically Maryland's flounder size limits have always been on an upward trend. But this year, as long as it's approved (and it probably will be) Maryland anglers will finally be able to enjoy a new flounder size limit that will not be as stringent as the year before.

This should be good news to most fishermen, after all, most of those who responded to DNR asked for this alternative. But there's also a chance that the smaller size limit could end up not being as much of a good thing as we all hope.
No doubt that last year was one of the worst ever for flounder fishing in our coastal bays. Most of the time it was a challenge to catch any size flounder, and getting a fish that made the 17-inch size limit became a truly unique experience. Had the size limit in 2003 been 16-inches there certainly would have been a lot more flounder brought home by fishermen. But still, I doubt that it would have been any kind of record setting season. Fishery managers contend that due to variances in water temperatures in 2003 Ocean City's bays were not visited by the numbers of flounder that they usually are.

A smaller size limit will certainly allow fishermen to put more fish in their coolers, but if the water temperatures, bait supply and all the other factors that bring flounder into our bays work favorably this year, even with the 3-fish creel limit, anglers could actually end up landing so many fish that they go over the allocation and have to endure some kid of cut-backs in 2005. I guess only time will tell. Hopefully we'll find that as much as the numbers have been pushed around over the years the 16-inch limit will prove to be the "happy medium" for both fish and fishermen. It would certainly be nice not to have to keep changing the measurement marks we put on our cooler lids, boat seats, and tackle boxes every year!

By the way, even if the ASMFC approves Maryland's 16-inch/3 fish limits, the new regulations probably will not take effect for at least a few weeks. Since early bird anglers probably don't want to get in trouble by jumping the gun on the 16-inch limits, until it's publicized that they are officially in effect, folks should assume that the size limit is 17-inches.

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What would winter be without a little fishery management controversy? Yes, I know, it would be a pleasure. But times have changed. Like it or not fishery management is here to stay. It's easy for us "old timers" to argue that 30 or more years ago, before the government started regulating us so much, there were lots of fish and everyone was happy. But these days there's a whole lot more fishermen, most of whom are armed with much more sophisticated boats, tackle, and electronics, chasing a limited number of fish. I suppose if we could all agree to cut back on the amount of days we fish each year and use only the equipment we had in the 70's, a lot of regulations could be lifted. But somehow I don't see that happening!

So the new year is upon us, and with it has come the first management proposal from Maryland's DNR. Recently the 2004 Maryland summer flounder management proposals were announced, and through the next few weeks DNR will be soliciting opinions from anglers about which regulatory options they would like to see during the 2004 season.

As always, the state of Maryland will be allotted a set number of fish that they may allow local anglers to harvest. Recreational fishermen will have to decide if they would like to catch their allotment by using small size limits and small creel limits, or larger size limits and larger creel limits. The following information was provided by DNR's Martin Gary. Anyone interested in being a part of the management process should review the four options and either attend the January 20th meeting at the Ocean Pines Library or send their thoughts to Mr. Gary via email.

Maryland DNR Fisheries Service is seeking public feedback on three possible minimum size/creel limit options for the 2004 summer flounder recreational fishery. The options have been developed in accordance with a quota based management system that conforms to Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission (ASMFC) requirements, and options are subject to approval by ASMFC. A public meeting will be held during DNR's meeting of its Coastal Bays Fishery Advisory Committee on Tuesday, January 20th, at 6 PM in the Ocean Pines Branch of the Worcester County Public Library, 11107 Cathell Rd., Ocean Pines, MD, to discuss the proposed options. The proposed options are listed below. We encourage you to review the options and provide us with feedback on your preference for the 2004 recreational summer flounder fishery in Maryland. The options presented below are listed in order from lowest to highest risk of exceeding Maryland's 2004 target harvest (131,000 fish). The options under consideration are:

1. 17 inch minimum size/8 fish per person per day creel/no closed season (status quo).

2. 16.5 inch minimum size/8 fish per person per day creel limit/no closed season.

4. 15.5 inch minimum size/2 fish per person per day creel limit/no closed season.

To provide feedback, or if you have any questions regarding the management options, please contact:

Martin Gary mlgary@dnr.state.md.us or visit the Maryland DNR website: http://www.dnr.state.md.us

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I'm going to let you in on a secret, throughout most of the summer there's usually so much going on in our coastal fishing "arena" that I simply cannot keep up with it all, let alone cover everything in the space I'm allotted on this page. I hate leaving anything out, but from the back bays to the deep-blue and everywhere in-between, there's a lot that goes on in our warm summer waters.

Right now I don't have that problem. Thanks to the fact that Maryland's seabass and tautog seasons are now closed for the rest of the month, this week's poor weather, and I guess it just being "that" time of year, "too many options to cover" is certainly not an issue I have to worry about right now! Don't get me wrong, the season is not over, there actually are some fish being caught, it's just not exactly the blistering "write home to mom" kind of action I'd like to be reporting on.

The bottom line is that not too many folks have been fishing recently and even fewer have been catching fish. Most local anglers are focusing on striped bass, although some, particularly surf fishermen, are leaving their options open and not ignoring the possibility that they might encounter a bluefish bite as well.

This week surf anglers managed to squeak out some action along the beach from Assateague clear up to Fenwick Island. It sounds as though most of the bite has occurred in the northern region, but this time of the year the "right place to be" can change literally overnight. Rockfish have dominated the surf catch and anglers should expect that most of the fish they take will meet the 28-inch minimum size limit. A few bluefish have also been taken in the surf but their appearance has proven sporadic at best.

Anglers fishing with live eels in Ocean City's inlet and the channels around the Rt.50 Bridge have been pecking away at rockfish as well, but then again, because of the weather - it's been a difficult week. The area at the mouth of the inlet and out as far as a half a mile has also been productive on the days that the wind isn't blowing too hard.

When sea conditions allow it anglers have also been able to catch a few rockfish by trolling along the beach. Stretch and Storm Lures slow-trolled along the beach and out as far as a couple miles have produced stripers in a variety of sizes from sub-legal school-size fish to keepers in the 30-40 inch range. The presence of offshore rockfish is often betrayed by gannet birds that are know for their high altitude dives in pursuit of baitfish pushed close to the surface by feeding stripers below. While trolling, anglers should watch their depth finders and their lures over any kind of structure, drop-off, or slope.

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Ocean City area fishermen haven't had a lot to crow over in the last few days. Strong winds and cold weather have not exactly made for ideal fishing conditions. At the same time, as of December 1st, the seabass and tautog season closed altogether. So as good as those fisheries have been recently, they're "done" until after the first of the year, and who knows if a month from now the weather will be fit to fish, or if those fish will even want to bite.

It's been an off week, and fishing will be more challenging from now on, but the local action certainly isn't over - not by a long shot. There are still plenty of stripers of all sizes being caught, including some big honkers cruising around the inlet and the main channel running between 9th street and the rt.50 bridge. Drifting with live eels remains the best bet for the bigger fish and they might be caught at anytime of the day but anglers fishing at night seem to be having the best luck recently. Casting plugs or bucktails is more apt to hook the smaller "schoolie" size rockfish in the 18-22 inch range. Anglers must remember our coastal size limit is 28-inches.

Striped bass are also showing up just offshore as some anglers have found limited success cruising the coastline and looking for diving gannets (birds) and then shutting down and fishing in the same general area. Casting jigs or plugs will take these offshore fish and so will live bait, but in recent years many fishermen have found great success in December by slow-trolling diving plugs such as the popular "Stretch" lures or even large "Storm" lures. Of course ocean-going anglers must be mindful of the fact that they must limit their striper fishing to within three miles of the beach. Any farther out would put them in Federal waters where striper fishing is not legal.

Trolling the beach might also hook fishermen up to some of the big bluefish that are tooling around offshore right now. Most of the bluefish are running 7-9 pounds but some anglers have lucked into fish that tip the scales well into the double digits. Surf anglers from Fenwick Island all the way down to the south end Assateague have also been picking away at bluefish and stripers particularly on the incoming tides. Don't' get me wrong, this action hasn't exactly been red hot lately, but it's been decent enough that on the days that the weather is cooperative it's certainly worth spending a little time on the sand casting cut mullet or spot into the crashing waves. Mixed in with blues and rockfish anglers should expect to hook a number of skates and spiny dogfish sharks. Forget the old-wives-tale about punching the wings out with a cookie cutter to make scallops, skates aren't much to eat no matter how you cut them. But the dogfish are really quite good, just watch out for the sharp dorsal spines.

The season is closed so the fishing is strictly catch-and-release, but if the weather is fit, and someone's looking to get a good physical work-out, there's decent numbers of big bluefin tuna scooting around from 15-25 miles offshore. Fishermen who have recently been out on the Great Eastern Reef (near the Twin Wrecks) the Jackspot, and along the 20-fathom line have seen big schools of these tuna pushing water and chasing bait. Like I said, the season is closed, but just in case there's anyone out there who looking to experience a little pain and suffering, they might just be able to find a fish willing to help them out.

During the off-season we're often treated to news of impending changes in fishery regulations and this winter promises to be no different. In the past couple months there's already been talk of new stuff concerning marlin, sharks, and flounder coming our way. The good news is that as least so far there hasn't been any hints of major cutbacks pointed at recreational anglers. In fact some of the news actually sounds good for a change! The following is just a light taste of some of the fishery issues we'll be hearing more of this winter.

A proposal has been made by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to put into effect a 250-fish landing limit on recreationally caught blue and white marlin in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf waters. This may seem like a very small number of billfish, but records indicate that, because of the historical catch-and-release nature of this fishery, recreational anglers have not killed that many billfish during any preceding years. So it's not likely that we'll actually reach that number in the near future. In the unlikely event of a banner year where record numbers of billfish actually are landed, NMFS proposes to increase the minimum size limits of blue and white marlin once 80% of the 250 fish are landed. This would act as a safeguard to prevent having to close the fishery down altogether in the middle of the summer.

Currently anglers are allowed to keep no more than one shark per boat per day. Any sharks besides dogfish and Atlantic sharpnose must have at least a 54-inch fork length and may not be any of the 19 species currently listed on the NMFS "prohibited species list". The proposed federal recreational shark regulations are essentially the same except that they will allow anglers to also keep one bonnethead shark per angler with no size limit. Bonnethead sharks are a small species of hammerhead found in southern waters, which are apparently quite abundant and don't even grow to 54-inches.

Surly we can't get through a winter without something new going on with Maryland's flounder regulations. This year, however, the decisions that have to be made are a bit more on the positive side. Usually anglers and fishery managers are faced with the unfortunate task of deciding how to adjust the minimum size limit and season length to provide for some sort of reduction in the number of flounder that were caught the year before. This time it's different. Because the flounder fishing was so poor this season, only a fraction of the flounder allocated to recreational anglers were actually landed. So now folks have to decide how best to tweak the regulations so that we all have a better opportunity to land the fish we're allotted.

Should the minimum flounder size be dropped from 17 to 16.5 inches? Or maybe as low as 16-inches? This year we didn't have a midseason closure, but still couldn't manage to catch the fish. A lower size limit would certainly put more keepers in fishermen's coolers. Some people in DNR claim that this year's catch was so low because the unusually cold average water temperature kept many of the fish out of the bay. If that theory is true, and the 2004 conditions are back to normal, a lower size limit could put our total catch over the limit and then we'd be back in hot water for the next year. Oh boy -I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make that decision!