Monday, May 31, 2010

memorable memorial day

i did a lot of boating this memorial day weekend...a little fishing...and too much socializing. here we are at smith point marina picking up friends: winding your way into this marina is a trick! we headed out of the narrow and splashy smith point jetty-which was filled with boaters hooking rock, crappy, skate and croaker- and headed toward smith point light, where we took a sharp right toward the great wicomico river. i drove up the river, past cockrell's creek and tifanny yachts, under the 200 bridge and past all the boathouses and big houses around the bend. we turned around and headed toward horn harbor for a late lunch. after dropping everybody back at sunnybank, the wife and i raced back to heathsville, quickly got cleaned up and headed to crazy crab for dinner with andi and mike. oh, i didnt catch anything this weekend: i think it was too hot for the fish.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

annapolis nautical flea market

if you can take the traffic, head to annapolis for the huge nautical flea market at the navy marine corp's stadium. you might find something you need.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

too hot to fish


it's too hot to fish right now, damn it!
it's too hot to be outside: sorry, fish!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

playing hook-y

a lot of people called in sick, or took off or didnt show up today because i counted about 60 boats out there on the horizon...you cant really make them out from my photo from the crappy iphone camera, but trust me: they are there, between point lookout and smith point...wish i were too.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

how to catch a stingray

i dont know how to catch a stingray...i think it just happens. my neighbor with the mohawk caught one yesterday. that is not his above, but one that was caught near us, also yesterday.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

oil drilling in virginia is stalled

oil drilling off of the virginia coast appears to be stalled while governor mcdonnell is forced to rethink his idea of mixing the big rigs with weapons testing...the pentagon says three-quarters of mcdonnell's proposed oil and gas lease sites are off limits to corporate greed due to military training, weapons testing, gunnery exercises and naval manuevers run mostly out of oceana. existing commercial shipping traffic in the tidewater and up the bay in baltimore also played a role in the minerals management service's postponement of hearings on the virginia lease sales. i wander if bob has the balls to decide between the d.o.d. remaining in virginia or his oily campaign contributers making record profits off of our waters. 

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

wooden car boat


if boats can fly, cars can certainly float...boat builder jeff bridges has hit the nail on the head with a series of custom carpentered car-boats: it's hard to beat a floating ferrari!


Monday, May 17, 2010

ghost gill nets

a lot of people never think about the effects abandoned fishing equipment has on their environment: it can be devastating...and sad. the ghost crab pot program in the chesapeake bay has helped out, but ghost gill nets are a bigger problem. the national oceanic and atmospheric administration is studying the effects of lost nets in a variety of waters, including the chesapeake bay. they found 190 different species-thousands and thousands of animals, birds and fish- caught in old salmon gill nets in pugent sound. so, watch your lines!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

another fishing world championship

i have been in myrtle beach at the remnants of their bike week: looking forward to fishing soon. tidal fish's hyper angler, julie ball, reports that despite this weekend's eastern shore fourth annual black drum world championship, these fish are few and far between lately. some drums have been hooked at quinby, near hog island, in the shallows off the eastern shore barrier islands, and near buoy 13 on chowder and clams. a few fish are over 46 inches and action will pick up soon, she reports.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

jamestown day

today is jamestown day, the 403rd anniversary of the first permanent english colony in america, jamestowne. there is a lot going on at the celebration-family type fun-but i am going to see the replica sailing ships that brought the settlers ashore. the 2006 version of the godspeed is shown above-not in the james river, btw-, and the susan constant is shown below, moored in the james river.

Friday, May 14, 2010

okoumefest

the 12th annual small-boat festival, okoumefest, starts today through saturday in annapolis. all small boats are welcome, but the festival showcases light weight wooden boats made from okoume marine grade plywood, the finest plywood now available for boat construction. those are some beautiful boats!

Monday, May 10, 2010

flying boat

i could have used this crazy flying boat this weekend with all the chop on the bay...then again, the 45kph winds might have taken it in a completely new direction: down!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

oyster poacher busted


although oyster season closed march 31, poaching in maryland waters continues...as do the arrests.  a waterman was charged april 28 with poaching oysters, nearly a month after the March 31 close of the maryland season.

ben harrison marshall, 34 of newcomb was charged by maryland natural resources police (nrp) with taking oysters during closed season and operating a power dredge in an area reserved for hand tongs.

marshall was  observed by an nrp office on a commercial work boat power dredging for oysters in the ted avon river, near the bellevue public landing in talbot county. when marshall was questioned by the officer after coming to shore, he stated that he had been perch fishing, although no fish or fishing poles were found on the vessel.  upon inspection, the officer found five and a half bushels of oysters hidden under clothing in the cabin of the boat.
marshall's charges carry a fine of $320 for operating a power dredge in an area reserved for handtongs and $125 for taking oysters for commercial purposes during closed season.that's a pretty light-weight fine: he is lucky!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

MSSA Spring Rockfish Tournament

i was a little under the weather this weekend and did not take the boat out or go fishing...hopefully, this weekend.  i could see all of the boats fishing out on the bay, though... there were a lot of sailboats, too, as it was really breezy. still no word on who won the 27th annual mssa spring rockfish tournament: guess they're waiting for certifications. this thirty pounder was caught early friday morning of the competition.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

seafood+oil=disaster, eventually

as winds push the british petroleum deepwater horizon oil spill toward land, countless wildlfe, sealife and industry will be covered in it's toxic sludge and will die, thanks to a failed flow shut-off mechanism...that is in addition to the 11 missing oil rig workers lost in the huge explosion. yesterday, louisiana officials shut down all fishing and seafood harvesting indefinately, further stressing an all-ready ailing region. but, who wants to eat oysters or fish filled with crude oil? well, i am sure the profits of the third largest oil company-who have a horrendous safety and environmental record, btw-are more important than the folks and critters who inhabit the gulf of mexico. great job, assholes.