Chesapeake Charter

 

My plans Saturday were to meet up with friends and spend the afternoon on a fishing charter in the Chesapeake Bay.  Trophy Striped Bass season opened April 20th and by most accounts the fishing has been the slowest in many years.

 

Back in the 1990's when I began fishing Chesapeake stripers on my own boat a spread of 6 trolling rods could be expected to produce limit catches on most days.  Today most charter boats run 20 + rods with tandem lures (2 lures to each rod) and limit catches can be hard to come by.

 

Capt. Randy Dean nets a nice striper

 

 

We left Chesapeake Beach about 1pm and by 1:45 the first fish was on.  My buddy Paul boated it, a nice 36" female.

 

With the first fish coming so quickly our hopes for a limit catch were high but the second hit did not come until 7pm when my friend Jeff pulled in a twin to the first fish. 

 

 

As the sun set in the western sky the rods were cranked in with another fish hitting shortly before the last lure was in.



Canon 6D, EF24-105mm, ISO 25600, 1/40, F7.1

 

With daylight nearly gone and a half limit in the box Capt. Randy nosed the Bay Hunter back into the dock at Chesapeake Beach.

 

 

Don't Come in out of the Rain

Photo taken during a downpour

When we think outdoors we usually consider a day without precipitation as being a better time to be afield.  However if we confine our time out to the clear dry days we will be missing some of the very best the outdoors has to offer.

Recently while reading a post by fellow blogger Ian Nance concerning how cold influences deer movement I began thinking about how wet influences wildlife and wildlife photography.  Although my opinion is based purely on anecdotal evidence it is based upon over five decades of personally observing wildlife.  Most species of wildlife are very active during wet days particularly those days that remain cloudy with light rain and mist. 

Great Blue Heron landing

From a photography perspective wet weather is a great time to capture scenes with heavily saturated colors.  Not only does the rain saturate us it also saturates the colors.  Combine the color saturation, autumn foliage, and a little mist and you get a photograph like you could never capture on a bluebird day.

If you are shooting a DSLR don't overly concern yourself about getting the camera wet; most of them can take it.  Keeping a plastic grocery bag handy to cover the camera with during heavy rain will suffice as will a garbage bag to protect the camera bag.  I have photographed during heavy rain with water running off the camera and lens and had no problems develop.  I have read that one should not wipe a wet camera but rather blot it to keep from pushing water in around the controls; a practice I follow.

Cool wet days also seems to bring out the best in fishing

Even on rainy days it may not rain all of the time.  At the end of the day with a light mist falling this wet young bull paused from feeding long enough to pose against the clearing sky. 

On the Water

So many of my outdoor adventures involve the water; waterfowl photography in the wetlands, waterfowl photography at a lake, or an outing combining photography with fishing.  Here my "ride" sits ready; fishing rods in their holders and the 60D with the 100-400mm nestled on top of the camera bag where it can be picked up quite handily.

Tools of the panfish trade, an ultralight spinning rig, marker buoys, marabou jig, and a pack of Berkley Crappie Nibbles.

A nice Bluegill comes to the boat after falling for the nibble tipped jig.

And the Canon photo gear comes into play when a Killdeer is spotted feeding along the muddy shoreline. 

Combining wildlife photography and fishing has been a win win combination allowing me to practice two of my favorite activities simultaneously. 

Eyes Bigger than its Mouth

Imagine my fishing buddies surprise when he retrieved a trolling lure that wasn't tracking straight to find this tiny bluegill firmly attached!

Learning that some decent sized perch were holding in a shallow area of a local lake; Paul and I decided to give it a try Saturday morning.  The perch were cooperative and a few hours of trolling produced the makings for a few meals of delicious pan fried fish.

The photo-op of the morning occurred when Paul reeled in this hungry bluegill.  Keep in mind that the lure pictured here is only 1.5" (38mm) long.

Hopefully this little guy learned a good lesson and will not be trying to eat meals too large for it to handle :)

Mallard Family

This morning my longtime fishing buddy Paul arrived well before dawn in preparation for a day of fishing on Raystown Lake.  The lake is an hour's drive from my home so by the time we reached it the sun was already topping the mountains surrounding the man-made impoundment.  Keeping the camera handy proved worthwhile when we sighted this Mallard hen and her new family cruising along the shoreline. 

We didn't locate Raystown Ray but I couldn't resist passing my camera to Paul after pulling this nice crappie from its underwater lair.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit our good friend Misty's

Camera Critters Blog

Friday aboard the Afternoon Delight

Some friends, coworkers, and I scheduled a day aboard the Chesapeake Bay charter boat Afternoon Delight captained by Hank DeVito. I have been fishing at least once a year with Captain Hank since 1998 and look forward to a day of visiting with him as much as I do fishing.

Leaving the marina before sunrise I was hoping to capture a good sunrise shot across the water. When the boat turned south as Danny the mate set out lines I decided to go for a sunrise silhouette shot. The sunrise starburst was the added bonus that made this shot really pop for me

Fishing was slow but by the time the biggest fish of the day hit, Eric, the youngest member of our party and first-time saltwater fisherman was up for a turn at the rod.

With the largest catch of his life in hand Eric beams with exhilaration

Shakedown on the Chesapeake

My friends Paul & Sindy recently acquired a fine old Grady White 20ft Walkaround and invited me to a day on the Chesapeake Bay to give her a shakedown cruise and troll for spring trophy striped bass. We were planning on going this past Saturday but the winds forecast for the weekend forced us to postpone our trip until Tuesday.

Arriving at the marina before dawn we were preparing to launch when we noticed that the GPS would not retain a satellite fix. As we are very familiar with navigating this section of the Chesapeake we did not consider this a major problem.

Once we were a mile or so out of the inlet I checked the sonar to determine when we reached sufficient depth to put out the trolling lines only to find that the unit was not displaying bottom. Checking it out we found the transducer attached to the boat’s transom was broken. So there we were, out on the Chesapeake with a fine running boat, rods, lures and no electronics; time to fish the old fashioned way!

A passing boat illustrates just how serious some folks take their striper trolling

Passing bell buoy 80 I took the opportunity to click this picture showing the bell that is rang by the rocking of the waves.
After 7 hours of trolling without as much as one strike we pulled the lines in and began the long trip back home. During our time out we did not see anyone catch a fish although we did encounter a couple of successful fishermen upon our return to the marina.

As they say; that why it’s called fishing, not catching :) 

These photos were taken with a Canon S2 IS point&shoot as I did not want to subject a DSLR to the rigors of the saltwater.

Lines & Leaves

When digital renewed my interest in photography and with my graduation to the DSLR & telephoto lenses I found that photography compliments another of my passions, fishing.

Photographing waterfowl and other water oriented birds can become painfully boring at times when no subjects are visible. Fishing conveniently fills the otherwise dead time until more photo-ops present. Combining the two has proven to be a winning combination. During these frequent forays I have photographed a multitude of waterfowl species along with herons, eagles, dragonflies, and even my best ever fawn image.

Using the boat & the electric motor has proven to be an effective way to approach wildlife to within camera range and also allows me to maneuver for the best lighting angles. On the minus side, high shutter speeds and image stabilization are necessary for telephoto use as all shooting must be done hand-held. Using a tripod or other support worsens the situation by making a solid connection between the camera and the constantly moving boat.

Taking a momentary break from fishing, I used the colorful autumn foliage to provide a backdrop for a shot of the fishing rods poised for action.

Dinner Cruise, Country Style

This evening my wife & I went for one of our summer evening Dinner Cruises.

Our dinner cruises begin with latching the boat trailer on behind the truck, stocking the cooler with sodas, water and ice. A stop along the way to pick up a pair of subs (know as hoagies around these parts) at Harr’s Grocery & Flea Market completes the preparations.

As we motor across the lake I typically wolf down my sub so I can begin fishing upon reaching the western shore but my sweet wife eats in a much more relaxed fashion relishing every bite of her tasty $3.50 12” sandwich.

A nice bass like this is reason enough for me to hurry my dinner

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my red dragonfly. I do believe you all pegged it. The male Calico Pennant looks to be a good match.

Hatchlings on the Move

Spring a time of new life, a time of renewal; is also the time that many fish species spawn. Today as I was boating around the lake I noticed a school of young fish swimming about a weedbed. The school swam as one, all facing the same direction and swimming at the same speed.

These fish are extremely small. I would estimate their length at between 3-6mm.

For this capture I used the 100-400 lens at 400mm

For more Camera Critters visit Misty

SkyWatch Friday; Threatening Skies

Saturday marked my second trip this spring to the Chesapeake in search of trophy striped bass. We traveled in rain during most of our trip down but shortly after boarding the Afternoon Delight the rain quit. The first hit came shortly after the lines were in.

My friend Paul, pictured here with Captain Hank, did the honors fighting the first fish.

The dark threatening skies seen here soon settled over us pouring down a soaking rain until mid-day. As the morning progressed we had three more hook-up and a couple of pull downs. With one fish lost, we finished the day with three nice stripers in the box.

For more SkyWatch visit my old friend "Womtig"

Nothing says Spring Time any better than……..

Dandelions & Bluegills

I find as the years roll by that my interest are constantly evolving. Some things that I once did with a passion are now only memories. A constant in my life has been that of my interest in and love of the outdoors.

I realize that I have not traveled nearly as extensively as some of you reading this blog. I have spent very little of my life in cities; preferring instead those out of the way places where paths are made by animals, not by man.

I have been fortunate to have traveled as far north as the Ungava region of Quebec in search of Caribou and Lake Trout. There for the only time in my life I enjoyed the serenade of the wolves while watching a fabulous display of the northern lights. I have roamed Central Ontario fishing in a number of lakes and doing some hunting as well.

I have traveled south to Florida where I have enjoyed photographing the birdlife immensely as well as visiting family. I have fished in the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. Before the cost of fuel become unbearable I frequently towed a boat to the Chesapeake pursuing the trophy striped bass and sometimes flounder.

Having experienced these other places with all of their wonders I still enjoy a day spent on a quiet lake fishing for Bluegills. The only differences today from a few decades ago is that my boat carries an electric motor instead of oars and at no time do I go without a camera, my latest interest.

Trophy Striper

With heavy storms headed our way Captain Hank was hoping to catch a limit of fish and get off the bay before the weather turned bad. Season had just opened the previous day with many fishermen disappointed with their catch or rather lack thereof. Hank knew where a slug of migrating stripers were hanging out and cruised there before putting out the trolling lines. Although his sonar showed that we were over fish most of the morning the bite was sporadic. We were one fish short of a limit when the time came to pull lines and head for the marina. The best fish of the day was a nice fat 39” which put my 36”er in second place for the day.

Captain Hank is not your usual bay captain. If a customer just wants to catch fish Hank was glad to oblige and if your purpose was to learn to catch fish Hank would take the time to show you the tricks of the trade so that you could return on your own boat and fish successfully. Not only did he teach lure presentation and rigging but he would also pass along boat handling tips that made trolling many rods without nightmare tangles easy. At times, when I was unsuccessfully fishing; a short radio call or a jingle on the cell phone from Hank would direct me to where the fish were holding on that particular day. Of course the favor was returned if we happened to find fish on a day that Hank was struggling to fill his parties limit.

Some charter captains feel the fish are theirs and do not want the private boats to catch. Once I was nearly ran over by a charter out of Chesapeake Beach named “Why Knot” while I was working a small school of fish. When I mentioned this incident to Hank later he was quick to share his unprintable opinion of this particular captain. The first few years I chartered with Hank, my objective was to learn, but the later trips were to spend a pleasant day on the Chesapeake with a good man and a master fisherman.

Chesapeake Morning

This morning found me on the Chesapeake Bay. My friend Paul & I had chartered a spring trophy striper trip with Captain Hank Devito aboard the Afternoon Delight. The weather forecast called for 100% chance of rain and we had driven through some showers during our 150mile drive to the Chesapeake. I was pleasantly surprised with this opportunity to capture a stunning sunrise.

This charter was a bitter/sweet experience. Paul & I have been fishing the bay for the last 10 years. Each year we book a charter with Captain Hank and follow it up with numerous trips on my 21ft Four Winns. This year is different. Due to the outrageous price of fuel I have made plans to not trailer my boat to the bay. This is bad enough but the worst part is that due to failing health our Captain and Friend, Hank is in the process of selling the Afternoon Delight.

Even if the day comes that I again trailer to the Chesapeake it will not seem right without Captain Hank on the water.

If you are wondering about the fishing, it was a slow bite but we did boat some quality stripers. Check back tomorrow for a catch shot.

Murphy’s Law, and then Some!

Our recent vacation was truly a Murphy’s Law experience. What ever can go wrong will go wrong certainly applied. However before you weep for us let me say we really did have a good although short vacation. I am a firm believer in the old adage “don’t cry over spilt milk” and when adversity does strike formulate an action plan and deal with it the best way possible and move on.

This trip was planned as a six day fishing vacation. The lower Chesapeake Bay is an awesome place for inshore fishing. Many different species of fish are available in great numbers. In short it is virtually impossible to fish here without catching something.

Murphy first visited me as I was hooking our truck up to our boat trailer Friday evening. I backed up close to the hitch, set the parking brake and jumped out to check my alignment. Whoa! The truck drifted back! Contact! One bent license plate but otherwise no harm. A check of the truck brakes revealed that the left rear brake was not adjusting properly. With a few minutes of work I corrected it and connected it to the trailer. Checking the connection and the trailer lights revealed no other problems.

2:30 AM, time to roll. As the truck warmed up I did a walk around of the rig. The smell of burning plastic hung in the air near the rear of the boat! What now? The rear light bar is smoking and is no longer lit! Well it’s required by law but it is time to go. Our friends who are accompanying us will be expecting us on time and besides I do not have a replacement at hand so a quick snip with the wire cutters and a little electrical tape over the hot wire and we hit the road. As we pulled onto the road my wife reminded me that problems comes is threes and wondered what would be the next shoe to drop.

The 325 mile trip to Kiptopeke State Park went well and we were on the water by noon. Murphy’s next visit though was not long in coming. After baking in the 100 deg. heat the girls decided to give up fishing and enjoy the sights and shopping in air-conditioned comfort while the boys fished for the remainder of the trip. While putting the transom straps on the boat following fishing I heard a loud crunching noise. The strap had broken! Well now, that’s not too bad and besides we have had our three now, the remainder of this trip will go well. RIGHT!!!

Sunday and Monday went well. Great fishing, good food, with a little sight-seeing thrown in but Murphy was already planning his come back.

Tuesday I launched out of Cape Charles Va. and ran out about three miles to a popular flounder fishing area near buoy 36A. When the current began running hard flounder started hitting fast. Wow! This is the best fishing we have encountered so far. We were fishing a ledge that dropped from 30’ to 80’ depth and the flounder were holding between 35’ & 40’. A short drift over this depth range accompanied by a short run back was the tactic that was putting fish in the boat. As I attempted to start the boat for the umpteenth time, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK only the sound of the solenoid throwing the starter bendix in could be heard. The starter would not run! Time to get the tools out, remove the battery connections, clean, replace try again, CLICK. Now we have to get serious! More checking, more cleaning, switch batteries, the starter turns the engine over but no luck, it still won’t start. This boat is dead! Now is the time for the ultimate back up plan, Tow Boat U.S.! (Boat U.S. is the boaters equivalent to AAA) A call to the national dispatch center put me in contact with a local operator. We were told his Captain was making a boat delivery and would call us soon with an estimated time of arival. An hour passed with no call so I called this Captain. Not good! This was the first he had heard of us! He informed me he would be on his current tow for another hour and a half and that he would try to locate another tow boat. Soon he called back telling us he was successful and this operator would call in a few minutes. Shortly our cell rang with the good news that they would be underway in fifteen minutes and would call back with an eta as soon as they entered the bay. Forty five minutes passed with no call, a call to the cell number he provided went direct to voice mail as did the next call ten minutes later. Two and a half hours have now passed since the initial call and I am beginning to become concerned. We have been drifting as the water is too deep to anchor and now there are no other boats in sight. A call to the dispatch center voicing my concern finally straightens the situation out. We learned from our rescuer that the duty captain was having cell phone problems. With it being a slow day he had decided to drive into Norfolk and get it fixed thus the delay as an off-duty captain had to be found. The ride back to Cape Charles was rough! Our tow boat captain did a great job but being towed is a rough ride when being pulled through the waves. Checking out the boat onshore provided no more clues to our dilemma and as the objective of the trip was fishing the decision to return home was made, but remember troubles do come in threes and we are up to four! Does that mean there are two more to go? Yep! It sure does!

On the way home we stop at a filling station in Cambridge Md. With the pay before pumping, I give the cashier a $50 and return to pump number seven. The pump kicks off at 23 cents! Back in the store I find a man trying to pump diesel talking to the cashier in an exasperated tone, a lady from the deli accompanies him to the pump. I explain my 23 cents worth and the cashier refunds my $49.77. “But I still need to fill up”, I explain. She gets the manager. The manager asked me to move to pump 9; while informing me that they are having problems with some pumps. Have you every tried to maneuver a truck with 25’ of boat and trailer around a busy filling station? It ain’t no cake walk! I quickly decided to find another station. Upon returning to my truck our friend who was following behind met me at the truck door saying “you are not going to like what I have to tell you”! “Your license plate for the boat trailer is gone”! A glance revealed that the plastic bracket had broken.

OK six problems! Enough! I give up! Just let me get home! One more and we will have to go for 9! No! No! Just let us get home! And with that our problems and our vacation ended. The remaining 150 miles rolled by, the sun shone then the rain fell and all was good in our world! A VERY Memorable Vacation!

Ps. The boat problem proved to have begun with one of our batteries failing which in turn fried the ignition system. Now she sits on the trailer in our driveway and “purrs like a kitten”.

Summer Fun in the Sun

I spent Saturday on beautiful Foster Joseph Sayers Lake in Center County Pa. My primary objective was fishing for the prolific crappie for which this lake is locally famous.
Being a shutter-bug I could not pass up the opportunity to capture “action shots” presented by the many recreational boats speeding across the lake’s smooth waters. As so often happens when shooting action the two boats passing in this photo was purely coincidental.

Foster Joseph Sayers Lake is a 1730 acre flood control lake completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1969. It is named after a World War II Private First Class from this area who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic action on November 12th 1944 near Thionville, France.

The lake is surrounded by the 5,900 acre Bald Eagle State Park and provides many recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, swimming, boating, and biking, along with wildlife watching.

Data Collection, Fisheries Management

At the end of my latest trip for Striped Bass we were greeted at the marina by a Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologist. She politely ask us to participate in a survey and also checked our fish. The fish examination included measuring, sexing, and checking as to whether the fish had spawned prior to being caught. She also removed a scale which will be used to determine the fish’s age.

The striped bass is pursued by recreational and commercial fishermen alike. As natural resources are a limited commodity constant friction exist between the two user groups. Recreational fishermen frequently portray commercials as fish hogs who would set their nets to catch the very last fish if they could make a buck. Commercial fishermen will portray recreational fishermen as rich folks with expensive boats out to have fun at the expense of the commercial waterman’s livelihood. I believe neither group paints a true picture of the other. I know for a fact that all recreational fishermen are not rich, I am one of those. With the current high cost of fuel I have been forced to drastically cut the number of trips I make to the Chesapeake. I must believe the stereotype of all watermen to be equally wrong.

Management of the striper population is always a contentions issue. Maryland DNR is constantly trying to do a balancing act between the biological and political issues surrounding this fishery. Management of the striper stocks is further compounded by the fact that they are migratory fish. Their annual migration carries them through the coastal waters of many states throughout the year. The stripers who spawn in the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake will travel through Virginia to the Atlantic, then up the coast to summer along New England before returning to the Chesapeake this fall and then on to their wintering grounds off the coast of North Carolina.

Much good data is needed to assist fisheries managers in making these important decisions and it was with pleasure that my fishing partner and I participated in this survey.

Humble Recreation

The Amish are well known to be very industrious. They are a group people who do not shy away from long hard days of toil. Amish do not take advantage of modern labor saving devices. Electricity and motor driven vehicles have no place on their farms. Much of their technology is much the same as you would find in the early to mid 1800’s as is their dress.


Saturday I encountered a group of Amish out for a day of fishing. They arrived at the lake in a hired van. The group could not have been more polite as they stood in line at the bait & tackle shop awaiting their turn to purchase a fishing license. Outside the bait shop I overheard the gentleman in this photograph inquiring as to a good place to fish. The fishermen being questioned ask “what are you fishing for” to which the Amish responded “any fish which is good to eat”.


Although their frugal lifestyle does not appeal to me, I have a great deal of respect for this group of humble people. They have been successful at divorcing themselves from the rat-race of modern life with a lifestyle that clearly defines the difference between wants and needs. They have not been caught up in our materialistic society where temporary happiness comes with the next purchase and sadness arrives with the next credit card bill.


It was refreshing for me as well to observe this group of Amish out enjoying a day of rest & relaxation.

Trout Fishing, Business & Pleasure

For many outdoorsmen in the Keystone State trout fishing and spring go hand in hand. Many of our streams have become too warm to support trout year around. This has been caused in part by the removal of shade trees along our streams.

A stream meandering through a green pasture, while beautiful, may not be a healthy stream. For a stream to sustain a healthy fish population it needs shade and decaying vegetation to feed the microorganisms and invertebrates which in turn support the higher forms of life such as fish. Cool water fish such as trout require the lower water temperatures provided by the shade.

Pennsylvania trout fishing is in large part a put & take fishery. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission rear some four million trout annually. The recreational economic impact of this fishery is estimated at nearly $500 million per year.

Trout fishing is big business in Pennsylvania. It is also a pleasant and relaxing way to spend the day.

The Season Opener

After a winter of waiting the Maryland Chesapeake Bay spring trophy striper season finally arrived Saturday morning. With the great weather forecast for this weekend a heavy turnout of anglers was expected and no one was disappointed. To beat the crowd to the launch I left home at 1:45 am, picked up my friends enroute arriving at Breezy Point Marina a few minutes after 5:00am. Quite a number of boats had already departed but we were able to launch immediately. Although still dark there was just enough light in the eastern sky illuminating the water to allow me to safely steer past the crab pots and into the channel where we set lines and began trolling.

Trolling for Stripers

The weather was perfect, sunny and warm with no wind and waves but the stripers were not cooperating for most of us. We boated one 33” fish. I heard of anglers who did much better and others who were still looking for their first fish at the end of the day. We heard many fishermen on the radio saying, “it’s a beautiful day for a boat ride!”