diamond jim: still on the loose

you have less than a week to catch diamond jim or one of his 599 tagged impersonators, so get out there to the fishing hot spots and catch something! diamond jim is worth $25,000 and the imposters are worth $500 a piece. if you dont catch the big money ones, at least you will have dinner.

weekend catch

my nephew pat caught this nice fish over the weekend near the hambone...jack & bob think its an amberjack... dennis says its a false albacore: i think he might be right...maybe a bonito?

catching cobia

jetski brian said the cobia are biting in the bay: nice fish!

you are invited to join the club: not

wow...looks like the 'right' kind of boat is a requirement for entry into this yacht club...but maybe with the economy, my little boat might suffice...nice design...a bit too far to cruise to this weekend, though...

sharks in the chesapeake!

yes, there are sharks in the chesapeake bay! in fact, tidal fish has reported bull sharks as part of the fishing mix the past few weeks in the lower bay: not a fan! actually, there are several varieties of shark (including hammerheads) in the bay that fisherman all the way up at pax river may see...i did not know that.

more massive fishkill

omega protein-a texas based company operating from reedville, virginia-ripped a net while hoisting 75,000 pounds of menhaden near hampton beach this past week: 20,000 pounds of dead fish washed up a few days later...omega protein reported the fishkill spill and cleaned up the dead things. i wonder if a similar unreported incident caused the huge-but-not-as-large-as-this-fishkill along the eastern seaboard last week....hmmm....

massive fish kill

red tide was not the cause of the tens of thousands of dead fish washing up on the beaches in massachussetts, the jersey shore and in the delaware bay: they were suffocated. most of the fish were menhaden, an important little fish for all of the bigger ones. if there is no oxygen in the ocean, how much can there be in the bay?

marine police are looking for you

i HAVE noticed more marine police on the water this year!  i have also heard of lots of boats getting boarded, so make sure you have your safety gear accessible...always want to stay on the right side of the law.

it's red tide time!

i had been attributing my lack of catching keepers this season to the sun...and the rain...those two factors have combined with pollution to produce huge algal blooms (again)-some 200 feet long-which block light and oxygen to everything below, and can sicken fish, people and dogs. i really hadnt noticed any this year-last year red tide was in the creek- but had been reading on various fishing forums that these nasty growths were responsible for the lack of flounder, blue, mackeral, etc. in the chesapeake bay. then yesterday, i saw them in my water. helping the bay is easy and depends on individual citizens, not big government.

fishing with my bff

the dog and i headed up to the nice bridge to see if we could catch something.

we didnt and the ride home was hellacious. 

weekend water events

65th annual annapolis rotary crab feast
you are late, so hurry to annapolis for the rotary club's annual crab fest and feast!  3,000 people will join you to eat steamed crabs, crab soup, corn-on-the-cob and barbecue til 8 tonight.

free fridays at the calvert marine musuem
it's a free evening at the museum! 

August 6-7 st. mary's college of maryland governor's cup yacht race
St. Mary's College of Maryland hosts the oldest overnight sailing race on the chesapeake bay. this annual 70-mile overnight race starts in annapolis and ends in st. mary's city. there is an  all-day celebration to honor the racers as they cross the finish line on saturday. the race begins friday at 6 p.m., and continues saturday with festivities starting at 10 a.m.

betterton day
kent county claims to be nettle-free for the betterton day held at betterton beach today 10-5. dont miss the parade at 10:30 a.m.

leonardtown's beach party 

it's an annual thing, 4-9 p.m

gadsby's tavern day
meet and greet george washington, thomas jefferson and the marquis de lafayette at the historic gadsby's tavern in old town alexandria. its free and there will be costumed tour guides, period music and light refreshments 1-5 pm

national lighthouse day
there are many lighthouses to celebrate during national lighthouse day. join the calvert marine museum to rally 'round the cove point and drum point lighthouses with special activities, crafts, music and a special sale at the museum store from 10-4 p.m.

thunder on the narrows
watch the wild ride of the hydroplanes and jersey skiff boats as they race at speeds over 100 mph in kent narrows, 10-5...if you cant make it, check it out on ustream like me, on my Iphone.

market day in yorktown
market day in yorktown will feature local produce, fresh seafood, baked goods, as well as live entertainment and local artwork at riverwalk landing, 8-noon.

how clean is your beach?

the natural resources defense council has published their annual list of cleanest...and dirtiest beaches...maryland has the seventh cleanest beaches and virginia is ranked number 4: where does your beach rank?

skishing

since i havent been catching any stripers lately (im blaming it solidly on the heat) im reading everything i can to get a leg, or rather a fin,  up. in todays wall street journal they cover an insane fishing style called skishing, invented by a biker from new york. the video above gives a great overview of the craziness of it all, but this non-embedding trailer on the skisherman is more revealing as to what motivates this guy to fish offshore in a wet (dry?) suit. wonder if i can still squeeze into mine. pretty wild.

see food

i fished sunday as long as i could stand the heat near the channel marker...for the second time this month, i almost got thrown in the water by a cabin cruiser flying by about 20 feet from me...i guess he just wanted to put his wake in my boat: it was about 5 foot high, btw. what a jerk. i didnt catch any fish, either. so i headed to captain faunce's for my fill.

big fish

i saw this photo on the weather channels' site while checking radar. yes: this is a big fish to catch with a fly rod, but am i mistaken or is there something swimming up behind him?

chesapeake bay weekend events

•Cambridge Classic Hydroplane Regatta   

the 100th annual high-speed hydroplane regatta series is the american powerboat association's world championships for inboard hydroplanes and jersey skiffs,  11 a.m.-5 p.m, saturday and sunday

•Cruise for Kids   

easter seals combines boaters with special needs kids for a day on the water at harborview marina  in baltimore, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m

•groovin in the park

groove in the park at groovin in the park at holly point nature park in deltaville with music on the waterfront from 6-8 p.m. 

•Bumper BASH

hook up at the bumper bash on dobbins island on the magothy river, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 

•Kilmarnock Farmer's Market   

local growers will sell their produce and goods on main street in kilmarnock, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 

•Mari*Fest    

this annual festival at the havre de grace maritime museum has maritime activities for the whole family, including a crab and bull roast and the upper bay soup challenge, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

hydroplane races

   The 100th annual cambridge classic regatta series started today and flies through sunday, 11-5. held at great marsh park, this event is the American Powerboat Association's World Championships for inboard hydroplanes and Jersey skiffs: looks wild!

dolphins in the potomac river

i fished near point lookout the other day: caught a couple croakers...a few blues...didnt keep anything. on the way pack in to my dock, i saw dolphins! i have seen them here before,  but not in a while. they come in to the potomac river to feed and have been doing so for a long time: back in july 1884 it is reported some dolphins made their way up to the tidal basin. people freaked out and shot at them for days...word has it, they escaped alive and unscathed. we all should be so lucky!

jellyfish sandwich

i am sure i am not the only one who noticed all of the mini jellyfish everywhere in the bay and the big ones on the beaches this past hot, hot weekend. i was just thinking how i had not seen any since earlier in the spring- but then i remembered i wasnt in or on the water very much the last few weekends because of heat and/or storms.

no swimming for a while, but maybe a jellyfish sandwich is in order.

weekend boating events

it's the dog days, people: enjoy it while it lasts!

saturday    

•watch fresh-built boats race and eat fried stuff at the wright skiff race and fish fry in deltaville, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

•the wooden boat festival on tom's river in new jersey starts at 9 today. wooden boats,  nautical vendors, marine artists, and boat rides accompany many boatbuilding activities.

•the lower eastern shore antique and classic boat show is hosted by the wicomico yacht club and features antique and classic boats, a barbecue, a boat parade and live music.

sunday   

•solomon's puts on the screwpile regatta challenge sunday through tuesday.

time for fishing

it is supposed to be stormy a little later, so i am headed out looking for rock...

or spanish mackerel.

chesapeake bay weekend events

it is so hot here in the mid-atlantic, but it is finally breaking and cooler weather will prevail for the next few days...

so go check out a festival on the water this weekend...

Nanticoke Riverfest
it started thursday and continues through saturday, the nanticoke river festival in seaford features canoe and kayak races, a treasure hunt, live entertainment, a carnival and more. tonight, 4:30 - 11 p.m.; Sat. 7:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Blackbeard Festival
tall-ships head for hampton where re-enactments of blackbeard's sea battles, pirate folklore, pirate songs and music lively up the waters saturday 10am-11pm and sunday noon-6pm. argh: check it out!

Junior Olympics Sailing Festival
the rock hall yacht club hosts junior olympic sailing hopefuls from around the country for this competition in the upper bay.

Swim for Life
swim one, two, three, four or a five mile course on the chester river to raise money for HIV/AIDS research. registration begins at 7 a.m. and the swim starts at 9 a.m.


Taste of Cambridge
who will be top chef of Dorchester County? all will be revealed during the crab cook-off which is the highlight of the taste of cambridge annual street festival. there will also be a professional crab-picking contest, live entertainment and more.

Runoff Rundown
so far more than $13,000 has been raised to benefit the james river runoff rundown. the paddle starts tomorrow when volunteers traverse the entire 340-miles of the james river in one day as a benefit for the James River Association. join them!


Birthday Bash
celebrate alexandria's birthday in conjunction with america's! fireworks start at dusk and will be accompanied by the alexandria symphony orchestra. starts at 4 - 10pm


Leukemia Cup Regatta
head to deltaville for the leukemia cup regatta, a silent and live auction, a gala and two days of yacht racing. the fishing bay yacht club races start at 11am on saturday, and follow up with the auction and dinner beginning at 5:30 pm. races start on sunday @ 11 a.m.


Log Canoe Races
the chester river yacht club and the rock hall yacht club sponsor annual log canoe races in the chester river off langford creek: paddle up! saturday races begin at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; the sunday race starts at 10:30 a.m.


Watermen's Heritage Celebration
enjoy the workboat parade...pray as the fleet is blessed...secretly bet on your favorite workboat in the races...watch entertainment...buy arts and crafts...and eat lots of seafood at this annual celebration at the watermen's museum in yorktown, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. July 11


Thomas Point LighthouseTours
check out the chesapeake bay's most infamous lighthouse at thomas point. reserve a seat through the annapolis maritime museum beginning at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. 

race results

the newport bermuda race 2010 awarded the winners their trophies saturday night. i am proud to report my brother in law and 12-year old nephew were crew members on the winning one-of-a-kind-state-of-the-art 90' sloop genuine risk: nice job, boys!

chesapeake bay weekend events

like you need something to do on the bay this weekend...

June 25-27 
Smithfield Olden Days    
This festival kicked off last night with a classic car show, but enjoy concerts, the Pagan River raft race, a parade, barbecue cook-off, petting zoo, military re-enactments and ghost walks at this annual weekend event in Smithfield, Va. saturday 9-8 and sunday 10-6
www.smithfield-virginia.com

June 25-27 
Hampton Jazz Festival   
Celebrating its 43rd year, you missed gladys knight and keith sweat on friday, but charlie wilson  will headline saturday night bolstered by the still funky teena marie...do not miss maze on sunday! all @ Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Va. Sat. 7 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m. www.hamptonjazzfestival.com

June 25-27 
Leukemia Cup Poker Run 
the Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with their annual poker run: join them and register on line at www.cbpba.com

June 26 
Flounder Bowl    
win $5,000 at the flounder bowl flounder tournament. boats are allowed to fish from any port, but must bring fish back to dare marina for weigh-in. www.pswsfa.com

June 26 
Kilmarnock Farmer's Market  
Find fresh local produce, flowers and more at this Main Street farmer's market plus the second annual wine festival: be there! Kilmarnock, Va. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.www.lancasterva.com

June 26 
Cardboard Boat Races    
the annual cardboard boatbuilding and racing spectacle held to benefit Special Olympics of Maryland is today at The Strand, Oxford, Md. Inspection at 9 a.m., races at 11 a.m. www.somd.org

June 26 
Tilghman Island Summer Seafood Festival    
gorge yourself on blue crabs...taste test balsamic vinegars...cheer for your favorite crab at the races and participate in the parade at the tilghman island summer seafood festival in Tilghman, Md. 11 a.m-6-ish www.tilghmanmd.com

June 26 
Eastport-a-Rockin'    
the 14th annual music festival in eastport seeks to promote local musicians with this one-day event. 27-bands on three-stages, plus  food, drink, crafts, etc, =fun...or hell if you live there. 723 Second Street, Eastport, Annapolis. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.  www.eastportarockin.com

June 26 
Tim's Not-on-the-4th-of-July Fireworks    
not sure why its early, but its virginia, so get the jump on the fourth of july pyrotechnics at Tim's Rivershore Restaurant and Crabhouse. the skies light up in Dumfries, Virginia @ 9p.m, although it really isnt dark yet...more info @ www.timsrivershore.com


June 26 
Summertime Blues Festival  
get the blues at this annual outdoor event in the upper bay at Steppingstone Museum, Havre de Grace, Md. 2-8 p.m.steppingstonemuseum.org

June 26 
Canal Day    
commemorate the founding of the C&D Canal with  Arts, crafts, food and entertainment galore. Chesapeake City, Md. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. www.chesapeakecity.com

June 26 
Gwynn's Island Festival   
the 61st annual festival at gwynn's island features food, music, arts and crafts, lawnmower races and the farmer's market...there is also a wetland wonders and a full moon tour...runs 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. www.visitmathews.com

June 26-27
Log Canoe Races
Head to the shores of St. Michaels to watch the first log canoe series of the summer at miles river in St. Michaels, Md. Sat. race 2 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this link is not working for me, but... www.milesriveryc.com

68 foot viking convertible for sale

saw this pretty boat on yachttrader.com. nice.

52nd Annual Big Rock Fishing Tournament

seems a shame to have killed this huge old fish weighing 883 pounds...you cant eat it because its filled with mercury: what's the point? and the idiots didnt have a valid license so they did not win the million $ prize either!

hot day on the bay

ridiculously hot in the shade with

crazy storms rolling through...no fishing today.