First snow of 2007

Not much more than an inch, but Crockett loved it. It's still snowing a little so it might be a little messy getting to work tomorrow. Temps are predicted to remain cold all week. I'm glad now that I got the boat pulled when I had the chance. Yesterday, I went to the Chesapeake Sport Fishing Show in Upper Marlboro. I sat in on a couple of seminars, one that really got my blood boiling for spring fishing. Fishing equipment was relatively inexpensive at the show so I stocked up. I tied up a few umbrella rigs today as the snow was falling. -S

Gannets

I can't resist another blog about last weekend's mid-Bay fishing expedition. Although we had a rough idea of where the migratory rockfish might be, we had some help pinpointing them. More visible than marks on a fish finder and probably better at identifying subsurface bait schools, we followed the gannets. Gannets are relatively large migratory birds, somewhat bigger than a seagull with a wingspan of up to 6 feet. They have dazzling white feathers with black tipped wings. They only visit the Chesapeake in winter and spring. Gannets appear very aerodynamic and look extremely graceful in flight. Because of their size, they searh for big baitfish to eat. Not suprisingly, so do trophy rockfish. Sometimes gannets hunt independently and other times in flocks. Gliding just above the waves until they spot their query, they climb straight up, reaching heights of 200 feet or more, then dive straight back into the water like a missle. One of the guys told me that expert fishermen could guage their trolling depth by how high the birds climb or how long they stay under the water. He also told of gannet "beehives," which are large circling flocks visible on radar. While we didn't see any beehives, we sure saw lots of independently feeding gannets, and sure enough, they were in the area where we found the big fish. -S

Winterizing

Last night's cold north winds whipped fresh water out of the river into the salt water of the Bay making a frothy foam. With low tides, the foam washed up onto the beach and froze creating a winter playground for Crockett. Dianne took him out at dawn this morning to play in the ice. I pulled the boat out last night and did what I could to get it prepared for this stint of icy weather. I opened the plugs on the block and risers and drained all the water. Then, I pulled the thermostat and opened the hose to drain the water pump. After I was satisfied that most of the water was out, I closed the system and refilled it with Marine/RV antifreeze. I already added antifreeze to the freshwater system a few weeks ago. This weekend I hope to remove the duo-prop and get the dings machined out. Then, I'll change the oil and filter and whatever other fluids and filters I can find. Hopefully, that'll be adequate to survive the cold. It shouldn't be too difficult to get things ready to go as soon as the weather breaks. Let's hope that's not too far away. -S

Southward HO

I've mentioned before how I've learned a lot of what I know about fishing the Bay from a group of fishermen on a mailing list called "Tidal Fish." One of the things I like about the Chesapeake Angler section of the TF board is that many of the people who post there are my neighbors. Yesterday I met and went fishing with a some of the guys I've been talking to through the mailing list. Occasionally someone on the list will post a message seeking "HOs" for an upcoming fishing trip. HO stands for "hand onboard," or at least that's what they tell us newbies. As a HO one is expected to chip in on gas and other expenses, and share the work of preparing the boat, loading gear, etc. When one of the guys who I've come to respect as a good fisherman posted a message seeking HOs for an all-day Sunday trip, I jumped at the opportunity. We fished way down south in the Bay, putting the boat in at the mouth of the Potomac River and trolling the area between there and the Rappahannock River. It was one of the nicest January days on record with temps in the high 60s and calm winds. We fished from daylight 'till dark but only had a couple of hours of hot action. That was enough however to give me my biggest fish yet since moving to the Chesapeake, a beautiful 36' migratory fish caught on a chartruse umbrella rig. I'll let the pictures tell the story. All our fish went right back into the water so maybe we'll catch them again when they're even bigger! -S

Cutest bug in the ocean?

You might not agree, especially considering the unattractive name, but there's something that makes this little Atlantic crustacean adorable to Chesapeake Bay fisherman. It's the taxi he rides in on, usually a very big female rockfish migrating into the Bay from the deeper waters of the ocean. They're called "Sea Lice" by fishermen. Apparently they aren't harmful to the fish and they drop off immediately when it comes out of the water. Less than an inch long, big ocean rockfish will sometimes have dozens on them. There isn't enough salinity in Bay waters to support the natural life-cycle of Sea Lice. It's exciting to catch a fish with Sea Lice on it because it's an indicator that you're in a school of migratory stripers. Migrating fish are usually much larger and stronger than the native rockfish of the Chesapeake. I'll say more about this little fellow's taxi in a subsequent post. -Shawn

Mr. Crockett Goes to Washington

Monday evening we took Crockett with us to Washington. After visiting the Air & Space Museum, and picking up Dianne at her office, we walked down Pennsylvania Avenue by the White House. Crockett is doing much better on his leash. We missed the picture of him taking a leak at George Bush's front gate, but I was sure to give him a yummy doggie treat. They'd put me in jail if I did that! -S

Homeland Security... again!

Well, I guess we weren't the *only* boat on the water this past weekend. These guys stopped by for a visit. Obviously, they're very protective of the big ol' bridge we we're fishing under, so close to Washington. We had a good conversation. They seemed about as interested in the fish we were catching as homeland security, but they made sure we were legal. Daniel, Cory, and Jacob found their inflatable boat very interesting, especially the M-60 machine gun on the bow. They were nice enough to pose for a picture before blazing off into the sunset. -S

January Ice Fishing

Not hardly, unless you count the ice in the cooler. With temps near 70 degrees, it was one of the nicest fishing weekends of the year. The boys flew up early Saturday morning opting to spend the last few days of Winter Break on the water. After breakfast in Washington, we were fishing beneath the Bay Bridge by noon. The fish must have liked the weather too, because they were biting. We probably caught 60 between us with Daniel landing the lunker, Cory catching the most, and Jacob continually hooking up creatively with lots of double-plays. We fished again Sunday and caught about as many, but they weren't running quite as big. As has been the case lately, there were only a couple of other boats around so we had the Bay all to ourselves.... well almost. -S

Wolf Moon with Dropper Fly

My friend Dave told me that the January full moon is called a "Wolf Moon." I think he liked the name because Dave's last name is Wolf! The shot above was taken from the dock looking out toward Gibson Island. I got out on the water for about an hour tonight and bounced down to the bridge in the 2 foot waves. The fish were just where I hoped they'd be. I got this nice 18" double just at sunset. On the way back I shot this picture of the moon just coming up behind Baltimore Light. When I got back to the dock, the moon was still rising over Gibson Island. I liked the way the florescent dock light illuminated the fly I had been using against the reflection of the moon on the water. (Click on the pics to see them full size.) -Shawn

What I've Learned & Some Resolutions

Continuing in the series, the onset of a New Year brings me to reflections of our first 365 days on the Chesapeake Bay. I think I've accomplished my goal of immersing myself as much as possible in the culture of the region. From the house on the water to the many hours spent on the Bay (Over 120 hours in the boat!), from visiting Civil War battlefields to enjoying the pagentry of our nation's capitol, even down to the food we eat and our selection of the Bay's own breed as our puppy pet, we've nearly covered the bases. But there's still much to learn and I think I'm just now starting to get past the suburban shells to uncover the real pearls of Chesapeake living. In addition to some personal & professional goals, here are some resolutions for 2007:

1. To get involved in conservation efforts. The Bay has, and will surely continue to give us a lot. But there are very big problems. It's time to start giving back.

2. To meet more people, make new friends. I've made some friends and found some people I really like. But I really need to get out and mingle more. I'll start by attending some of the local fishing club meetings. That should also help get me started in conservation.

3. To revisit and reevaluate my music interests. I'm not doing the band justice because I'm not promoting. I need to get a product together that I can really get behind and push. Part of the reason is that I need to better understand the local culture before I can really be a part of it as a musician. To me, music must demonstrate a sense of place, otherwise it's just dull and generic. When I really find myself here, that should be reflected naturally. I haven't been at all impressed by the local acoustic music community. I've always heard it was very good here, but while there are some amazing musicians and a couple of "A" list bands, the rest I'd put in the category of "C" list groups. To be complete, a music scene has to include "B" bands. These are ensembles made up of professional or semi-pro musicians who don't necessarily tour, but push the envelope of innovation and provide influence for better-known artists. In other words, a band needs to be part of the evolution, not a mimic of the status quo. That's where I want to go and what I'll work toward this year.

I'll keep you posted! -S

2007 Rolls In With The Fog

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on

Carl Sandburg's poem is usually running through my head anytime I'm in the fog. Just as with snow, fog makes everything seem new and different. I especially like the way it insulates from noise. After Tennessee lost to Penn State today, I needed to console myself with some time on the water. I felt more confident after my last excursion in the fog. I had to navigate by GPS the entire time. I was sure to pay attention to my compass headings just in case my instruments failed. The water was very quiet and still. I was happy when Sandy Point Lighthouse showed up just where I was hoping it would be. I turned off the engine and just sat for a while listening to the whiteness.

I received some good advice from one of the charter boat captains about crossing the shipping channel in the fog. He said to hail any traffic near my crossing point on VHF Channel 13 which is the one the commercial ships use. It made me feel a little better about it, but it's still seems scary! I never saw any ships today, but I felt a lot of big waves so I know they were out there. There were still plenty of fish to be caught at the bridge, so despite the Vols poor showing, the day turned out pretty good. -S