FishTalk Magazine February 2023

All Star Marine Inc | 410-574-8281

2434 Holly Neck Rd, Essex, MD

Bob’s Marine Service, Inc. | 302-539-3711

31888 Roxana Rd, Ocean View, DE

Danny’s Marine LLC | 410-228-0234

3559 Chateau Dr, E. New Market, MD

Fawcett Boat Supplies | 410-267-8681

919 Bay Ridge Rd, Annapolis, MD

Friday’s Marine | 804-758-4131

(Malise Marine Sales & Service)

14879 GW Memorial Hwy, Saluda, VA

Galahad Marine | 410-827-7409

121 Rental Ln, Grasonville, MD

Hidden Harbour Marina | 301-261-9200

600 Cabana Blvd, Deale, MD

Intercoastal Marine | 410-335-0458

2925 Eastern Blvd, Baltimore, MD

Jett’s Marine, Inc. | 804-453-3611

18477 Northumberland Hwy, Reedville, VA

JF Marine Service LLC | 443-432-3121

138 Bugeye Sq, Prince Frederick, MD

Legasea Marine | 757-898-3000 821 Railway Rd, Yorktown, VA

Maryland Boat Sales | 410-574-3988

2426 Holly Neck Rd, Essex, MD

North Bay Marina Inc | 302-436-4211

36543 Lighthouse Rd, Selbyville, DE

Pasadena Boat Works | 443-858-2400

4425 Mountain Rd, Pasadena, MD

Pontoon Express | 302-945-0654

22572 Harbeson Rd, Harbeson, DE

PYY Marine | 410-255-1771

1132 Pasadena Yacht Yard Rd, Pasadena, MD

Sandpiper Marine Inc | 757-787-7783

21530 Taylor Rd, Accomac, VA

Scott’s Cove Marina | 410-251-8047

10551 Eldon Willing Rd, Chance, MD

Thornes Marine | 410-957-4481

1237 Greenbackville Rd, Stockton, MD

Total Marine | 410-604-6000

106 Wells Cove Rd, Grasonville, MD

Tradewinds Marina | 410-335-7000

412 Armstrong Rd, Middle River, MD

THE BEST RIDING BOAT ON THE WATER

Meet Twin Vee’s NEW 260 GFX. Performance, Fuel efficiency & Stability…the 260 GFX has more sq. ft. Deck Space than ANY boat in its class. We pushed the limits of what is Possible. Function defines form. Every aspect of the 260 GFX was designed in pursuit of PEAK Performance and Ride Stability. Visit us online to learn more about the 260 GFX and the entire Twin Vee model lineup. Find your local Twin Vee dealer to schedule a sea trial today!

EVERYTHING IS BETTER ON THE WATER

By Peter Turcik

By

By Eric Packard

Fowl Play

By Lenny Rudow

By

Darts for Beginners

By Staff

612 Third Street, Suite 3C, Annapolis, MD 21403 (410) 216-9309 FishTalkMag.com

ANGLER IN CHIEF

Lenny Rudow, lenny@fishtalkmag.com

PUBLISHER

Mary Iliff Ewenson, mary@fishtalkmag.com

A SSoCIATE PUBLISHER

Chris Charbonneau, chris@fishtalkmag.com

MANAGING EDIToR

Molly Winans, molly@fishtalkmag.com

SENIoR EDIToRS

Beth Crabtree, beth@fishtalkmag.com Kaylie Jasinski, kaylie@fishtalkmag.com

CoPY EDIToR Lucy Iliff, lucy@fishtalkmag.com

FISHING REPoRTS EDIToR

Dillon Waters

ADVERTISING SALES

Eric Richardson, eric@fishtalkmag.com

CUSToMER SERVICE MANAGER Brooke King, brooke@fishtalkmag.com

DISTRIBUTIoN /BRoKERAGE /CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER Beatrice M. Roderick, beatrice@fishtalkmag.com

ART DIRECToR / PRoDUCTIoN MANAGER Zach Ditmars, zach@fishtalkmag.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER / PRoDUCTIoN A SSISTANT Royal Snyder, royal@fishtalkmag.com

TACTICIAN Craig Ligibel

CoASTAL CoRRESPoNDENT John Unkart

CoNTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alan Battista, Jim Gronaw, Chuck Harrison, Capt. Monty Hawkins, Eric Packard, David Rudow, Mollie Rudow, Wayne Young

DISTRIBUTIoN

Martin and Betty Casey, Gregory G. Greenwell Sr., Dave Harlock, Ron and Colleen Ogden, John and Chrissy Wathen

Rudow’s FishTalk is a monthly magazine for and about Chesapeake and Mid-Atlantic anglers. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the officers of Rudow’s FishTalk LLC. Rudow’s FishTalk LLC accepts no responsibility for discrepancies in advertisements.

Rudow’s FishTalk is available by first class subscription for $45 a year, and back issues are available for $4 each. Mail payment to Rudow’s FishTalk Subscriptions, 612 Third Street, Suite 3C, Annapolis, MD, 21403.

Rudow’s FishTalk is distributed free of charge at more than 850 establishments along the shores of the Chesapeake and the DelMarVa Peninsula. Businesses or organizations wishing to distribute Rudow’s FishTalk should contact the Rudow’s FishTalk office, (410) 216-9309 beatrice@fishtalkmag.com.

Member Of:

Going Social

Yes, we diehard anglers layer up and brave the winter elements to go fishing every chance we get even in February. Of course, we hardcore casters love prowling for pickerel, tugging on tog, and perch-jerking despite the frigid conditions. But try as we may, there will be days during this time of year when going fishing simply isn’t possible. Howling Nor’easters, blinding snowfall, and skim ice too thin to walk on but too thick to clear can shut down even the most ambitious all-weather angler. And in that case, after you’ve read FishTalk cover to cover six or eight times you may find yourself turning to social media fish pics to feed your unsatisfied addiction.

There’s just one problem: social media can be awful. Really, really awful. Who needs politics injected into their fish-viewing? Who wants to sort through 1000 posts about Billy-Bob’s latest meal and Karen’s latest fashion statement, as they search for scaled critters? I know I don’t. What’s worse, some of the major social media platforms may squelch the visibility of some outdoors activities like fishing (and especially hunting) because it offends the sensitivities of certain segments of the population. Enter: Harvester.club.

By Lenny Rudow

Harvester is a new social media platform specifically developed to connect outdoors lovers who engage in activities like fishing, hunting, and wildlife and habitat conservation. Regional charters and guides, conservation groups, and retailers related to outdoor recreation can connect with members as daily posts

want to see and how you want to engage with the content. You can peruse and monitor by species, by location, by gear type, and so on. And yes, joining Harvester costs exactly what you were hoping: it’s free.

Check this site out and you may even notice a few items pop up à la FishTalk. We like the direction they’re taking, so we gave them the goahead to put some of our content up. (No, there’s no quid-proquo, we just think it’s kinda cool to check out fishing stuff and kiss off Facebook at the very same time).

with photos, videos, and articles fill the feed. And destinations are highlighted (including insights on where to go and what to use) to help outdoors lovers plan their next adventure.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Harvester and other social media platforms, however, is that it doesn’t rely on an algorithm to promote content based on any business objectives. Instead, club members — you — decide what you

Early this winter one day when it was blowing 30 knots and rain pelted the window, I paid a visit to Harvester. The first thing that popped up: a crabbing video shot by a trot-liner in October. (Ooh man, I wish I could get me some crabs right about now!). Then I watched a video on how to fillet a blue cat. (Maybe I’ll hit the Potomac next weekend?). And then I read about how to catch winter bass. (The mill ponds await…). Did it scratch my fishing itch? Aw, heck no! Nothing short of casting will do that. But it was one heck of a lot more fun than learning about Karen’s new hat.

Dear FishTalk, Ireally appreciated your editorial letter addressed to the Governors of VA and MD, pleading the case to save the Bay. But a politician’s first priority is not doing challenging initiatives. Their first priority is…. getting re-elected. You have a constituency in your readers. Mobilize them to demand change. Numbers count. I got a house on the Bay 20 years ago. I know firsthand how good it was then and how bad it is now. The stakeholders in this battle need to elevate this failure into a re-election issue.

Jim L., via email

Dear FishTalk, Great letter — action steps????????

Craig L, via email (And others).

More on Youngkin & Moore

Dear FishTalk readers, We were incredibly happy to see so many notes come over the transom after this editorial ran (if you missed it, see “An open letter to the Governors of Maryland and Virginia” at our website, FishTalkMag.com). Trying to figure out what we as individuals can do to help bring political pressure to bear is tough, but it starts with banding together as a fishing community, getting educated, and getting vocal. We suggest the following:

• Join CCA (visit ccamd.org or joincca. org/cca-virginia). The organization has a seat at the table, they represent the Bay’s and angler’s interests, and the bigger their numbers the stronger their voice. Critically, they’ll send email alerts when legislation is being considered or rules are being made that affect us and fishing on the Bay.

• Every time you get one of those action alerts, follow the link and make comments. The powers that be do take notice of how

many people take the time and effort to state a position.

• Sign up for your state’s natural resources e-mails, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, your local Riverkeepers, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and every other group or source you encounter. Yup, it’ll generate a lot of emails, but you’ll be well-informed and knowledgeable about the issues.

• Attend the state’s public meetings (either virtually or in person) regarding fisheries issues, environmental policy, local development and major land-use projects, and give comment.

And finally, if you happen to meet one of the Governors, be sure to mention how much you love the Bay — and how disturbed you are by our lack of progress in restoring it.

Lenny Rudow,

Send your fish photos, questions, and comments to lenny@fishtalkmag.com

The new 87" Riptide Terrova® puts the power of Minn Kota® on a bigger boat. That means you can use Spot-Lock™ to hold your 28 footer within a couple feet of a fish, automatically. And that’s just one of the tricks a trolling motor can teach a big boat. Get more control, more precision – and fewer fish that are out of reach.

minnkotamotors.com/RiptideTerrova

BIGGER BOATS GET A BIGGER MINN KOTA® MOTOR –WITH SPOT-LOCK™ AND MORE.

Fis H News

By Lenny Rudow

Join the AIC and Eric P.

Both Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow and FishTalk contributor Eric Packard will be on the scene at the Annapolis Angler’s Club Saltwater Fishing Expo, scheduled for Saturday, February 25. The expo runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Packard will deliver a seminar on snakehead and pickerel fishing at 8:30 a.m., and Rudow will take part in the Light Tackle Fishing Panel Discussion at 1 p.m. including Capt. Chris Dollar, Capt. Ritchie Gaines, and Shawn Kimbro.

That Dam Agreement (Again)

Remember how Maryland “negotiated” an agreement with Exelon which essentially released them from the 2018 permitting condition that the company either clean up the nutrients and

sediments trapped behind the dam or pay the state to do it, the one that environmental groups sued over? Well, this winter they won that lawsuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated

the license to operate the dam (now held by Constellation Energy, an Exelon spin-off). The ruling, resulting from a suit filed by Waterkeepers Chesapeake and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, represents a rare victory for environmentalists working to ensure that corporate players profiting off of the Bay actually pay to play and means Constellation will have to reapply for licensing or follow the conditions imposed in the 2018 permit. Chesapeake Bay Foundation vice president for environmental protection termed the ruling “a cause for celebration.” Strangely, even though the state of Maryland stands to benefit greatly as the federal judiciary upholds permitting requirements the state itself made in the interest of improving Chesapeake Bay water quality, a Maryland Department of the Environment spokesman called the ruling “disappointing.”

# Come see Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow and FishTalk contributor Eric Packard at the Annapolis Angler’s Club Saltwater Fishing Expo on Saturday, February 25.

# There’s an awful lot of sediment behind those gates, and cleaning it up needs to be a priority.

Photo by Will Parsons/Chesapeake Bay Program

Insult to Injury

For those of you who have been following the neverending bunker battles, here’s some salt to rub in your wounds: The Virginia Marine Resources Commission rejected the governor’s proposed purse seining buffer zones in the Chesapeake Bay. Instead, the commission voted five to four to accept Omega’s proposal, which included no restrictions or changes and merely created a Memorandum of Understanding between Omega and Virginia to explore the possibility of protecting shorelines and limiting user conflict.

“Considering Omega Protein has a history of blatantly violating actual regulations, such as the Chesapeake Bay cap in 2019, it is extremely difficult to believe how a memorandum of understanding is going to accomplish anything,” said Mike Leonard, vice president of government affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. “While the proposed regulation was not a panacea, it surely would have had a better chance of limiting net spills and user conflicts than this do-nothing memorandum of understanding.”

Shady Stocking

Virginia DWR fisheries staff members were befuddled during a recent sampling event at Lake Chesdin when they discovered a hybrid striped bass. Hybrids (also known as “wipers”) are a cross between stripers and white bass and have not been stocked by the DWR in Lake Chesdin, which feeds into the Appomattox River, the James, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. There’s a fear among biologists that if wipers escape a stocking point and enter a tidal river, they could eventually cross with wild rockfish and change the genetic integrity of the stocks. DWR notes that spillovers do occur and fish in Lake Chesdin do end up in the river, and this is why wipers have not been stocked here. They ask that if you encounter a wiper in Lake Chesdin or in a tidal river that you report it to fisheries@dwr.virginia.gov

For the all the latest fish news, visit FishTalkMag.com

Follow us!

facebook.com/ fishtalkmag twitter.com/ fishtalkmag instagram.com/ fishtalkmagazine youtube.com/ fishtalkmagazine

Scan QR code using your phone’s camera.

RUDOW’S

Tournament News

Well, it’s February people… as one might surmise that makes for some pretty thin fishing tournament news. The CCA Winter Pickerel Championship is still on and runs through the month (visit ccamd.org for more info). And in the recap department, congrats go out to the winners of the Winter Classic, with iFishMD winning the Under Armour three-fish stringer, Light Tackle Ladies taking second place, and Dirty Dave & the Boys coming in third. Jessica Saum not only landed the JLS Rods Top Lady Angler division, but also caught the largest fish of the tournament, a 29.5-incher.

HOT NEW GEAR

editor’s Note: We wish we could personally test every item that appears on these pages, but that simply isn’t possible. So that you know the difference between when we’ve physically tested a piece of gear and when we’re writing about it because it’s newsworthy and we think you’ll want to know about it, we’ve developed this FishTalk Tested button. When you see it printed next to something in this section, it means we’ve personally run it through the wringer.

Cavalry Charge

Mercury has replaced their V6 supercharged 350- and 400-hp Verado outboards with a pair of all-new naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V10s. These are the first V10 outboards to hit the water, displacing 349 cid and spinning up to a 6400 max rpm. The gear ratio is 2.08:1, and surprisingly, weight is just 27 pounds over that of the models they replace, at 695 pounds. Upon their introduction late this fall we ran both models on a number of boats at Lake X, in the hinterlands of Florida near Orlando.

Regardless of the test platform, one thing we noticed right off the bat is that these engines are noticeably quieter than their predecessors. Mercury claims they make 45 percent less noise than their nearest competitor, and we don’t doubt it. While running a single 400 on a Caymas 28, however, a different attribute stood out: low-end grunt. The 28 is a big boat for a single engine, with a 9’4” beam and 4300 pound displacement. Yet when we nailed the throttle it blasted off fast enough to send coolers sliding and hats flying. This is in part because Mercury designed the new Verados specifically to handle hefty loads, with a new, larger, longer lower unit gearcase that swings a wide-bladed Revolution X propeller.

We also ran a 26 footer with a 350 and a 47-footer with quad 400s, and enjoyed the perks of features like electrohydraulic steering, Joystick Piloting, and VesselView Mobile. It was too calm on the lake to feel the full effect of Adaptive

Speed Control, but in the ocean you should enjoy the fact that these engines can maintain rpm through varying conditions, so they don’t bog down when you’re climbing a wave nor race up as you fly down one.

One aspect to the new V10s we weren’t able to test out, but which will be of interest to people shopping for new boats on the larger end of the scale, is the Verado’s optional 12/48-volt alternator which is designed to feed juice to Navico’s new Fathom e-power system. The engine and alternator are integrated with a lithium-ion battery system which more or less turns the boat into a hybrid vehicle. But the power it generates and stores isn’t used for propulsion. Rather, it supplies the boat’s heavy-load systems

like air conditioning, appliances, and gyros — eliminating the need for a generator entirely.

Since our time with these motors was limited to a couple of days we can’t speak to long-term reliability, and as noted they boast a couple of features that didn’t come into play where we were on the boats we were running. But we can tell you that after the experience, there’s no doubt in our minds that all of us will be seeing plenty of these V10s cruising around in the coming months and seasons. Time will tell, but in this case the “V” in V10 may well stand for “victory.” Price: Varies depending on options, plan on spending between $40,000 and $50,000. Visit mercurymarine.com to learn more.

Visions of Glory

You envision bent rods, color at boatside, and gaffs flying? Hook Optics Yellowfin sunglasses will help turn that vision into a visual reality, with ThermoForce polarized lenses made by Zeiss. They stop up to five times as much infrared light, are glare-free, have full UV protection, and will help you lay an eye on those pin-wheeling tuna sooner than standardissue shades. Blue mirror, gray, and platinum glass lenses are available in brown tortoise, glass black, and matte black frames. We want to give a special shout-out to Hook for donating not one but two pairs of glasses to last year’s Fish for a Cure fundraiser — get a pair of glasses from these folks and you’re buying from our community anglers, not some mega-company that couldn’t care less. Price: $199. Visit hooksunglasses.com to learn more.

Tune In

You say you’d like to listen to some cool tunes as you cruise for the next hotspot? The Clarion Marine CMM-30 and a pair of 6.5” CMSP speakers will do the trick. The CMM-30 is a 100-watt source unit designed specifically for marine use, with digital AM/FM radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, USB 2.0 input, and an aux input. It’s weatherproofed to IP66 standards and also receives NOAA weather and is SiriusXM-ready. It pairs nicely with the CMSP coaxial speakers, which fit the standard marine cut-out and are certified for sun and salt exposure. Kudos and thanks go to Clarion Marine for donating this exact setup for Team FishTalk/PropTalk’s Fish For a Cure fundraiser drive. Price: $479 for the CMM-30; $189 for a pair of CMSP speakers. Visit clarionmarine.com for more information.

More for Fish For a Cure!

Everyone reading this right now is undoubtedly familiar with St. Croix, one of the top-shelf rod builders in the nation. Heck, the Angler in Chief reports having 11 St. Croix rods in his own personal arsenal at this very moment. What you may not know, however, is that St. Croix has been a regular contributor to the Fish For a Cure fundraiser, including for 2022. We thank them for their annual support and suggest visiting them at stcroixrods. com the next time you need a new fishing rod, to show that it matters.

Another donor we hope you’ll take note of: Reel All-American Fishing Ventures and kayak snakehead fishing guide Butch Huber. Butch donated not one but two trips and generated some serious bucks for the fight against cancer. If you’re intrigued by the thought of catching snakeheads on the Eastern Shore via kayak, be sure to check out Reel AllAmerican Fishing Ventures on Facebook or shoot Butch an email at reelallamericanfishingventures@gmail.com.

If you have a boat that lives in a wet slip — or recently dropped your wedding ring overboard — Annapolis Diving Contractors are the folks to call. They were willing to dive in and help support Fish For a Cure again this year, and using their services provides an opportunity to fight barnacles and fight cancer at the very same time. Check ‘em out at annapolisdivingcontractors.com

Spooning Under the Snow

Rainbow trout will bite no matter how cold it gets, and that includes when you have to drill holes in the ice to get to them. Hard water trout will bite a number of lures, but a time-honored way to catch them is with jigging spoons. Here’s the onetwo-three.

1. Choose a minnow-imitating spoon of one- to two-inches long. There are plenty of options out there, but a classic you can’t go wrong with is the Swedish Pimple “standard” version in nickel finish. Rig it up with four- to six-pound test fluorocarbon leader.

2. Lower the spoon just two to four feet down under the ice. Unlike most species, rainbow trout tend to cruise around high in the water column and will often be caught just a couple of feet beneath the surface.

# Trout will often be caught just a couple-few feet beneath the ice.

Raise your rod tip fast enough to put a slight bend in your rod, but not fast enough to bend it all the way, over the distance of about one foot. Lower it back down slowly enough that it reduces the sink rate, and as you lower the rod tip stop and give a mini-jig of just a fraction of an inch, three or four times. This

# Pickerel love baits with blades, and inline spinners are a reliable offering.

should all happen very slowly — one up-and-down should take seven to 10 seconds.

3. At the bottom of the jigging cycle, pause and just barely quiver the rod tip for three to five seconds. Often, this is when the hit will come. If not, initiate the next jigging cycle.

Spinning for Pickerel

As is true with most fish, it’s tough to predict what a pickerel will favor from one day to the next. That said, on a consistent basis these fish like lures with blades and inline spinners are a constant producer. How will you fish ‘em?

• Dress the spinner with a long, slender plastic with some wiggle. Paddletails and snake-like twisters are always good bets.

• Choose a light rod with a fast-action tip, good sensitivity, and braid line on the reel. Then add a few feet of 12- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader.

• Cast out to a likely looking area, and allow the spinner to sink to the bottom.

• Raise your rod tip and begin reeling simultaneously. Quicken the pace of your reeling until you can feel the vibrations of the spinning blade in the rod tip.

• Try a steady retrieve and if it doesn’t produce bites, try pausing mid-retrieve to allow the spinner to sink back down deep a time or two.

• When you feel a strike, don’t hesitate before setting the hook.

C HESAPEA k E C A l ENDAR

BROUGHT TO YOU

BY

F OR Ch ESAPEA k E B AY BOATI ng n EWS , v ISIT PR o PTALK . C o M

February through Feb 28

cca maryland Pickerel championship

Target chain pickerel all winter long in this catch, photo, release tournament to compete for great prizes including Panfish, Kayak, Fly, and Youth divisions. ccamd.org

1From the ground up: an archaeologist’s Perspective on Native chesapeake Foods

Join local archaeologist, TimeChef, and food historian Henry Ward for a culinary exploration of recipes that celebrate indigenous foods and native cuisine of the Chesapeake Bay region. 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels, MD. $8.

1FsFF monthly club meeting 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers Clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville Family Recreation Center in Davidsonville, MD. Speaker: Damien Cook of Lowland Outfitters, which specializes in snakehead fishing from kayaks. Questions: rybeer@gmail. com

4FsFF monthly Fly tying 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers Clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville Family Recreation Center in Davidsonville, MD. Join club members Mark and Joe as they lead you through several patterns for bluegill. Questions: rybeer@gmail.com

8Frederick saltwater anglers club monthly meeting

Frederick Saltwater Anglers meet monthly at 7 p.m. at the Frederick Elks Club, the second Wednesday of every month. Food starts at 6 p.m. and we have speakers, vendors, and raffles with 50/50s. Call Rob at (301) 606-0392 for more information.

11-25

america’s boating course

Two Saturday sessions, February 11 and February 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bosun’s Marine in Grasonville, MD. Must attend both days. Presented by America’s Boating Club Kent Narrows. Cost: $25 non-member adults. Free to members and ages 17 and under. Register: tinyurl. com/4exwpvjm (reservations required). For more info, contact Patti Eney at (773) 3512403 or abckn.edu@gmail.com

17-19

40th annual oc seaside boat show

18

central mD bassmaster Flea market

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gamber and Community Fire Company in Finksburg, MD. New and used fishing gear, 50/50 raffle, and door prizes. Admission: $4, children 12 and under are free.

18

FsFF monthly hands-on session

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers Clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville Family Recreation Center in Davidsonville, MD. Mark Bange’s “Kayak Fishing in Local Waters” class (includes group lunch). This club sponsored event is free to FSFF members and all visitors. Questions: rybeer@gmail.com

18-19

30th annual Pasadena sportfishing expo

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. at Kurtz’s Beach (2070 Kurtz Ave.) in Pasadena, MD.

23

bosun’s get hooked Fishing seminar

“Fishing Kent Island” and “Rod/Reel winter maintenance” with Bill O’Brien and Captain Mark Galasso. Free. 6 to 8 p.m. at Bosun’s Marine in Grasonville, MD.

2

liVe with lenny Tune in at 6 p.m. for an interactive live stream with the Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow where he discusses various seasonal fishing tips and tricks for targeting a variety of fish species. fishtalkmag.com/live-with-lenny

3-5

the mid-atlantic sports and boat show

At the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, VA. Tickets cost $10, children under 12 are free.

At the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD. Admission $10, children under 14 cost $1.

17-19 Philadelphia Fishing show

At the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. Free seminars, saltwater, freshwater, fly, trout pond, lodges and guides, charter boats, apparel and gear, boats, RVs, art, marine electronics, and more. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages six to 12, and free for kids five and under.

24-25 77th National outdoor show

At 3485 Golden Hill Road in Church Creek, MD. Admission: $8 adults, $4 children. This show has the goal of preserving Dorchester County’s heritage by recognizing its resources and spotlighting the people who carry out unique talents in their way of life.

February (continued)

25 Fishing, hunting, and boating Flea market

8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the American Legion Post 91 in Cambridge, MD. $5 entrance fee, children 12 and under are free. Held by the Mid-Shore Fishing Club.

25 annapolis saltwater Fishing expo

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the Annapolis Elks Lodge. Presented by the Annapolis Anglers Club. Seminars on Bay fishing techniques along with a panel discussion on light tackle fishing will help anglers hone their skills for the upcoming season. Dozens of local tackle vendors will be on hand to offer their tackle innovations at show prices for the Chesapeake Bay and the DelMarVa coast. Admission is $5 at the door. saltwaterfishingexpo.com

25

haven harbour seminar series

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Inn at Haven Harbour’s Manor House Great Room (20950 Rock Hall Ave, Rock Hall, MD). Free and open to the public (roughly 35 attendees per class). Coffee and pastries will be provided. Session II will focus on air conditioning, refrigeration, ice markers, generators, and shore power. Seminars led by Haven Harbour Yacht Services’ very own Erik Lostrom. Questions: (410) 7786697

Thunderstorms on The Chesapeake Bay

Back by popular demand! An in-depth, threepart webinar with meteorologist and sailor Mark Thornton of LakeErieWX Marine Weather about how to recognize and avoid Chesapeake thunderstorms. The series will examine:

Thanks for the great Chesapeake seminar, I’m sure this will be very useful for our sailing. - Michael

presented By:

28

bb&g angler Night 6 p.m. talk and dinner at the Boatyard Bar and Grill in Annapolis.

March through Mar 4

sailing through the Winter solstice

Every year, Carroll Creek Park in Frederick, MD, is filled with individually designed lighted sailboats. Vote for your favorite boat by making a contribution to the affiliated local charity to help determine the winner. You can view the boats anytime day or night; lights usually turn on at sunset.

8

Frederick saltwater anglers club monthly meeting

Frederick Saltwater Anglers meet monthly at 7 p.m. at the Frederick Elks Club, the second Wednesday of every month. Food starts at 6 p.m. and we have speakers, vendors, and raffles with 50/50s. Call Rob at (301) 606-0392 for more information. 11 capt. henry marx memorial us sailing international safety at sea course

This hands-on training course is to prepare you for survival offshore in demanding situations and emergencies. Presented by The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, VA, and Landfall Navigation. Cost: $300. Space is limited to 60 participants. 11 great bridge Fisherman’s association annual Fishing Flea market

8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, VA. New and used rods and reels, fresh and saltwater gear, custom lures, boats and trailers, hot food, and cold refreshments. Admission: $5, free parking.

11-12

essex middle river Fishing club annual Flea market

At the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Company (8037 Philadelphia Rd. Rosedale, MD, 21237). 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Food and refreshments. $5 admission, under 13 are free. For more info, call Frank at (410) 686-2348.

15 understanding and avoiding thunderstorms on the chesapeake bay Webinar

Three-part webinar for all boaters by weather expert Mark Thornton about various types of thunderstorms, how they form, their timing and lifespans, and resources for understanding more. Participants will have access to the recordings in case they miss a session or want to review it later. March 15, 22, 29 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

18 haven harbour seminar series 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Inn at Haven Harbour’s Manor House Great Room (20950 Rock Hall Ave, Rock Hall, MD). Free and open to the public (roughly 35 attendees per class). Coffee and pastries will be provided. Session III will focus on coatings and bottom painting, paints, and varnishes. Seminars led by Haven Harbour Yacht Services’ very own Erik Lostrom. Questions: (410) 778-6697

18 maryland Fly Fishing and collectible tackle show

At West Village Commons in Towson, MD. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $5 for ages 10-16, and free for children nine and under.

22 understanding and avoiding thunderstorms on the chesapeake bay Webinar

Three-part webinar for all boaters by weather expert Mark Thornton about various types of thunderstorms, how they form, their timing and lifespans, and resources for understanding more. Participants will have access to the recordings in case they miss a session or want to review it later. March 15, 22, 29 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

25-26

mD sportsman expo At the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, MD.

This show offers a one-stop shopping experience, with great values on hunting and fishing gear, clothing, ATVs, boats, RVs, and trucks.

29 understanding and avoiding thunderstorms on the chesapeake bay Webinar

28

bb&g angler Night 6 p.m. talk and dinner at the Boatyard Bar and Grill in Annapolis.

Three-part webinar for all boaters by weather expert Mark Thornton about various types of thunderstorms, how they form, their timing and lifespans, and resources for understanding more. Participants will have access to the recordings in case they miss a session or want to review it later. March 15, 22, 29 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

nick howe tied into this 28-incher in the shallows of the Choptank.

#

# Isiah tied into this beautiful redfish just before the weather turned.

#

#

Authorized d e A ler. Certified t e C hni C i A ns.

Rob had an awesome fall surprise, hooking into this 26-inch red near the False Channel.

Eddie caught this big blue on a jerkbait, while fishing on the Patricia gail with Chills Light Tackle guide Service.

# Scott’s biggest of the year – a 49-incher.

Tonya enjoyed some great fall action near Love Point.

Authorized d e A ler. Certified t e C hni C i A ns.

Photos presented by

# Carter caught this 23-inch rock—his first—while fishing with Mom-mom, Pop-pop, and the family on the Patuxent.

# kelsey got a big surprise when a 30-incher struck, as she cast near the Francis Scott key Bridge.

# nick and his fishing buddy enjoyed a pickerel party on the Severn as the leaves were turning this fall.

# Marcus Anderson enjoyed a mahi-fest while on a trip to Cabo San Lucas.

# harry and his buddies had an awesome fall flounder trip on the Fish Bound IV, fishing out of OC, MD.

# Brad got into ‘em in the Upper Bay last fall!

#

Authorized d e A ler. Certified t e C hni C i A ns.

# Doug found his keeper among the schoolies at Man O War Shoal.

# The crew from the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake got out on the Bay to encounter its awesome bounty.

Amanda encountered this beauty after dropping an eel down into the waters of the middle Bay.

# Bryan had some steady blue cat action in Mallows Bay on his kayak.

# Ryan was casting in the mouth of the West River, and this guy smashed his jig.

Photos presented by

Authorized d e A ler. Certified t e C hni C i A ns.

# Alex enjoyed some warm and successful trolling up the Bay last november.

# nita caught her first rockfish on the inaugural Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake fishing trip.

# RJ and Maddox trolled ‘em up with Pop Pop and uncle James.

# River caught this late season snake this week on the Eastern Shore.

Photo courtesy of heather Thompson

# herb found a nice one in the shallows of the Choptank.

Authorized d e A ler. Certified t e C hni C i A ns.

# Alexis, Mia, and Maddie enjoyed some epic-level rockfish action late last fall off the mouth of the West.

# Junior found a nice one just south of Chesapeake Beach late this fall.

# FishTalk Contributor Wayne Young got into ‘em this fall while fishing near Poplar Island.

# Liam was shocked – utterly ShOCk ED! – to pull up a yellow perch this big from the Wye.

Hot New Fishboats

By Lenny Rudow

Formula 387 CCF: Formula? Yes, Formula!

Ayear ago this month Formula made the rather shocking announcement that they were entering the center console market, showing a pair of scale models along with artist’s renderings at the 2022 Miami International Boat Show. Today these boats are a reality, and we got our first chance to set foot on the Formula 387 CCF at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this past fall.

Formula is well-known for building high-end performance and cruising sport boats, but fishing boats? Not so much. As in, not at all. In fact, they haven’t built a center console of any sort in decades. The two center consoles in the 2023 lineup are the 387 CCF (Center Console Fish) and 387 CCS (Center Console Sport). The Sport version is meant purely for cruising and trades off goodies like the livewell for stuff like bulk stowage. It trades off fishing space in the bow with a bunch of seating and a cocktail table. So as you might surmise we fish-heads will happily ignore it henceforth and focus solely on the 387 CCF.

It’s obvious at a glance that Formula found some fish-heads of their

own when it came to designing the layout for this model, and wisely, put two monstrous, pressurized, 40-gallon livewells in the transom. Bulk stowage, indeed! As for the bow, the forward seating is eliminated and the entire area in front of the console and a cabin-top doublewide lounger is left wide open for angling.

A fishing feature stand-out we found was in the twin 90-gallon in-

deck fishboxes. Freezer plates lined each side, so you only need to haul a small amount of ice to chill down the catch in a big way. In fact, the reps onsite mentioned that they had done a multi-day fishing trip on the boat during the middle of the summer, started out with a couple of small bags, and never had to get more.

Another angling accouterment we applaud is the tackle station

Qu IC k F ACTS

LoA: 41’ 2”

Beam: 12’ 0’

Displacement: 20,500 lbs.

Draft (Max): 3’ 10”

Transom Deadrise: 23 degrees

Fuel Capacity: 500 gal

Max Power: 1350 hp

# Tackle stowage is a big highlight of the leaning post design.

in the back of the leaning post. It has a rigging station with removable cutting board, a sink, and a Yeti Tundra 35 underneath, but what really stood out was the sheer volume of tackle stowage. Along with the five-box Plano organizer you get four big stowage drawers. The fresh and raw water washdowns are another highlight. On rare occasions on very high-end boats, you’ll see selfretracting washdowns which have a reel inside the gunwale or leaning post, so you’ll never be tripping over the hose. Peek under the gunwales of this boat, and you’ll discover it’s got ‘em.

The console cabin isn’t exactly a fishing feature, but we need to touch on it nonetheless because it will seriously enhance comfort aboard and make overnighting at the canyons a joy.

Extending forward under the lounger is a large berth which converts into a dinette, there’s a fully enclosed standup head, and a small galley with a sink, refrigerator, and microwave. It also enjoys the chillaxing benefit of an 8000 BTU air conditioning system which — critically — is piped out to the helm so you can enjoy cool breezes even in a tropical heatwave. So: just how long will it take you to get to the hotspot? The boat at the show had max power, triple Mercury Racing 450R outboards (it’s also available with triple 300-, 350-, or 400-hp outboards, or a pair of Mercury’s V-12 Verado 600s). But since it was shoe-horned in place at Lauderdale we couldn’t put it through its paces. Luckily, the angler who

had fished it was on hand and he said it topped 60 mph without a problem even when loaded up for fishing.

Downsides? Obviously, you can’t expect this boat to come cheap. We’ll also note that with the big console cabin there’s no big coffin box under the forward lounger, though considering the size of the fishboxes we’d say it’s more or less irrelevant. The biggest drawback for anglers in most of our region is that the nearest Formula dealer, Encore Yacht Sales, is located in New Jersey up near Philadelphia (fortunately, there are Formula-sanctioned service centers in both Maryland and Virginia).

Formula building a fishboat? It might be a bit shocking, but yes, Formula now has two center consoles—and one of ‘em is the real deal for us anglers.

Three Small Starter Boats That Are BIG Fun

Harkening back to last month’s Notes from the Cockpit column about how much fun small, inexpensive boats can be, we figured it would be a great time to make some picks among the easy-to-afford starter boats out there. Just what constitutes easy affordability? Obviously that varies from person to person, but it’s hard for most people to argue that they can’t find a way to buy a boat costing less than $10,000, $7500, or $5000. So we’ve picked out three options at or below these eminently affordable price-points.

The $10,000 Package

You can get a new aluminum Lowe L1648 Jon with a trailer and a 25-hp outboard for well under the $10K mark and have enough cash left over to buy all the required safety gear, a few extra rods and reels, and a full tank of gas. The boat has two built-in bench seats, and the center seat has a stowage compartment that can double as a gravity-fed livewell when you pull the plug. The hull weight is a mere 275 pounds, so you can tow it behind ang street-legal vehicle that has a hitch. With 25 horses you’ll be able to cruise for the hotspots at 20 or so mph and this boat’s just big enough to take on relatively open waters when the wind is down, though we’ll caution that like most 16-foot aluminum rigs, it will likely be a bit bumpy in a chop. Still, when the specks are biting in the Annemessex, rockfish are hitting at the mouth of the Magothy, or reds are chomping in Lynnhaven, you can be there for the bite — in a brand-new boat.

The $7500 Package

Well within this budgetary restraint the Sun Dolphin Pro 120 will cruise in the mid-teens with a 9.9-horse outboard, or you can save a couple thousand dollars more by opting for an electric motor that will have you making your way across lakes, ponds, and protected waterways at jogging speeds. This 11’4” long, 5’2” wide two-seater weighs in at 238 pounds and has a weight capacity of 532 pounds. Two swivel seats, stowage compartments built into the fore and aft ply decks, integrated rodholders, an aerated livewell, bow-mount electric motor pre-wiring, and nav lights round out the accessories list. We’ve spent some time on this model and note that thanks to a tri-hull design it’s surprisingly stable for its size, much more so than most similar rigs made of aluminum. The rotomolded high-density polyethylene construction is nearly indestructible, and the Sun Dolphin even carries a limited lifetime warranty.

The $5000 Package

At an MSRP of $3000 you can pick up a Native Slayer Max Propel 12.5 and you’ll have plenty of room left in the budget to fully outfit the rig with items like gear mounts, a fishfinder, a pick-up truck bed extender, and a cart. And this is a relatively high-end option in the world of fishing kayaks, with a saltwater-capable pedal drive, bow hatch, transducer mounting plate, accessory tracks, integrated rod and tackle holders, and critically, a comfortable and adjustable seat. Fully rigged it tips the scales at 125 pounds, so this isn’t a kayak you’ll want to portage without wheels, but it’s a nearshore bay-worthy angling machine that puts just about any species swimming the Chesapeake or Mid-Atlantic coastal bays within reach.

No, these boats won’t haul a huge crew, cross the open Bay on a blustery day, or impress the friends and neighbors. But for an angler who’s been limited to tromping the shoreline, any one of them will open up a new galaxy of fishing opportunities. Take one home this spring and yes, you will soon be catching more, bigger fish.

Electro-what?!

Vehicles designed to zip across solid H2O may not exactly be boats, but they are used by anglers to travel over lakes. Thus, the Electroforge Custom Welding angler-customized snowmobile. It incudes a rack with rodholders, a cooler/stowage tote rack, and even has a spot to strap on your ice auger. These folks are (not surprisingly), located in Two Harbors, MN, and we love that they’re fish-heads despite the environment — other items made by Electroforge include T-tops with rocket launchers, planer board masts, and even a pontoon boat. Forget about the Mall of America and do your winter fishing shopping at electroforgewelding.com

Fly Fishing for Winter Crappie

Crappie will feed all winter long, and armed with a fly rod you can get them snapping.

By Peter Turcik

Something I love about living along the shores of the Chesapeake: the relatively mild winters compared to my home state of Pennsylvania. As much as I love fishing, freezing in an ice shanty and all the work and special equipment involved with ice fishing is not for me. Once Rocktober finishes and the bites on the Bay start to dwindle in November, I turn my attention to freshwater fishing. And among the many fish biting in the wintertime, crappie are a terrific species for both action and a delicious fish fry. Moreover, what I al-

most never see are anglers fly casting for slabs. To me that’s a missed opportunity, because a fly rod can do almost all of the same techniques used by conventional tackle but often times better.

Watching a bobber sit there with a minnow under it can get boring quickly, unless the action is red hot. Fishing with tiny jigs is fun and works very well, but it is a balance between a jig that is too heavy and gets hung up in the brush piles, or too light and is tough to cast far. Fly fishing takes care of all of those issues. The angler controls the action, which means not having to rely on a

minnow that is tired and cold to look lively and delicious to predators. You also never have to worry about your fly falling off the hook, so you can get back to the action in a fraction of a second after catching a fish or losing one. Even better, the weight of the fly can be far lighter than even a 1/32-ounce jig, and the fly line will cast as far as you like.

To top it all off, I find using short ultralight rods gives me the best fight with spinning gear, but it can be difficult to detect the subtle bites from cold fish. A nine-foot fly rod has a tip that can detect the most unnoticeable of

# Crappie will bite all winter long, and can be effectively targeted via fly. Photo courtesy of Eric Packard.

Crappie

Fly Fishing for Winter

strikes and even on ones you do not feel, requires far less effort to set the hook.

It does not take much to get set up to fly fish for crappie. If you don’t own a fly rod, you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on an outfit; a cheap setup from a big box store will suit you just fine. The standard for fly outfits is a nine-foot, five-weight rod. Using a four-weight can give you a better fight, but sometimes it can be tough to cast on windy days.

You will need an eight- to nine-foot 3X or 4X leader, and a spool of tippet to match (crappie are not leader shy, so mono will work and you only need to go to 5X or 6X if the fish are super-finicky). I personally like to tie a small swivel around seven feet into the leader, then tie the tippet to that. It helps with line twist and is easier than doing leader-totippet knots.

Next is the fly setup. There are a number of different ways you can do this. If you think about it logically, those marabou jigs you see in bait shops are

basically the same as a Woolly Bugger. I recommend a size eight to 12 in white, black, and chartreuse, depending on what the fish are biting. A brass bead-head might be good, but tungsten sinks too fast in still water. It is not a bad idea to keep a size six around in case there is a bigger crappie lurking in the school. This is probably the most versatile way to fly fish for crappies, because you have one fly that you can fish any way you choose. Letting it sink and a slow lift creates a suspended action that often triggers bites. Short, sharp strips on the fly line will articulate the fly and give it more bounce. Then, if the fish seem to be very lively, you can give the rod tip a slight pop after a pause that fishes the fly like a jig. With the fly rod, you have control over every aspect of how the fly is presented.

On a sunny day, I would go with the smaller Woolly Bugger or small streamer, tie a foot of tippet to the bend of the hook, and tie a size 14 to 16 Flash Back Hare’s Ear nymph. A slow lift mimics insects hatching and triggers feeding frenzies. You can catch fish after fish as the day warms up.

There are a couple more setups for the more advanced fly angler. The first is similar to a drop-shot rig. I like to

use a heavier jig fly that is around 1/16 of an ounce that acts like the weight, and a fly that either flutters, like a rabbit streamer, or has a sheen, like a Zug Bug, a foot or so up the line. You might snag the bottom fly here and there, but you also have the chance at hooking two fish at once. This rig can be fished on the leader setup I described earlier, or vertically without using fly line. To do that, wind on a length of line close to the depth you want to fish. Tie your barrel swivel to the end of that line and add four feet of tippet, tying your top fly a foot or so from the heavy fly with a loop knot.

Lastly, for the angler who likes to fish deep, I recommend a sink-tip line with two to three feet of leader and something that floats. This is where an English Booby streamer comes in handy (where you can fish them) or even a foam beetle. This method gets the fly down deep, but keeps it from snagging on anything on the bottom.

You don’t need to change up where and when you target crappie with a fly rod, but if the conditions aren’t too windy, you can catch more fish in the same amount of time using these techniques. #

# A Booby is a streamer with foam that causes it to float, allowing you to suspend it just above bottom when using a sink-tip line.

# Adding a foot of tippet to a fly and nymph, such as a hare’s Ear, helps entice fish on sunny days when flies emerge and hatch.

ElEctronics UpgradE

Will a new suite of electronics help you catch more fish?

By Lenny Rudow

ARGH — I had the same old electronics on my boat for, embarrassingly, an entire decade. Sure, it was a cool looking touchscreen MFD with side-scan, radar, and autopilot, but in today’s world of marine electronics it was rendered obsolete years ago. What’s worse was that I knew it.

If your electronics suite is three or more years old, you’d probably benefit from an upgrade. If it’s five or more years old you’d notice a huge difference at the helm. And if it’s a decade old you’ll be beating yourself up for not having pulled the trigger on an upgrade sooner. Trust me on that last one. But, will an electronics upgrade

really help you catch more, bigger fish? After starting fresh with a cutting-edge Humminbird electronics package on a new Caymas 26 HB this fall, the answer I give is a no-hesitation-orquestion yes.

Side-Scan Then and Now

With my 10-year-old side-scan system I could locate structure off to the sides of my boat if and when I came close to it. In water under 10 feet, that meant passing within 40 or 50 feet did the trick. In deeper water I might be able to spot major items like bridge pilings or reefs from 100 or so feet. Occasionally I could spot wispy returns that I surmised may have been fish. I used it maybe 10

or 15 percent of the time, usually when I was trying to locate a particular piece of structure I knew was nearby but didn’t have exact coordinates for in my database.

With a new Humminbird Apex 16 MEGA SI+ at the helm, I’ve found the side imaging so much better — and so much more valuable — that I use it on nearly every trip. Shallow water structure appears in detail out to around 100 feet using the MEGA kHz setting, and it’s possible to pick up large items in deeper water clear out to several hundred feet. That said, I don’t yet have enough time on the water to feel qualified stating a useable maximum. So, I asked Humminbird’s ComMar

# Sixteen glorious inches of LCD with the latest tech at the helm changes the game.

rep Kevin Conroy for his thoughts on range abilities in the Chesapeake environment.

“I’d confidently say we can mark fish, structure, etc., to 600 feet total,” he said. “More is possible but it can vary depending on conditions, bottom hardness, depth, and other factors. You can get some more range on 455kHz but there is better detail with MEGA. Usually if the depth is over 50 feet or you’re looking for many fish, that equals 455kHz. Searching for little wolf packs or a few fish off structure, on the other hand, equals using MEGA.”

IMHO the biggest shocker in how this tech has progressed, however, is just how easy it is to spot individual fish. Rather than questionable wisps they appear as clear, hard targets, usually in an ovalish or elongated white form against the orange/white palette. It’s possible to look at structure and say with confidence whether there are

fish hanging around it, or not. And it’s possible to spot fish chasing bait off to either side of the boat, cast to ‘em, and catch ‘em.

“I adjust contrast and sensitivity a good bit,” adds Conroy, about spotting fish off to the sides. “A lot of what shows on the screen is due to depth and bottom hardness, and you’ll usually want lower sensitivity and higher contrast with a hard bottom like oysters or gravel, and higher sensitivity and lower contrast over soft, mucky bottom.”

My past exposure to side imaging with the Apex (or the modern Solix and Helix models) was limited to other people’s boats, which is probably an experience many of you have had. And it seems great in that scenario. But running the boat yourself while using it day after day is a very different experience from looking over someone’s shoulder between casts. This fall alone, I can point to multiple trips

where side imaging changed a decision and we caught fish we wouldn’t have otherwise.

Downsides? There’s a learning curve to adapting to new electronics. A big learning curve. On the first few trips I was constantly apologizing to my crew for not knowing what the heck I was doing. In my estimation it took five to seven trips to get just the basics down pat, and at least 10 or so before I knew enough that I didn’t have to delay fishing to figure out how to make an adjustment or find a screen I wanted to pull up on the spot. Five months in I still feel like I’m very early in that curve.

Chartplotters Then and Now

Another big difference I’ve noted is in the chartplotter, something I never expected because chartplotter tech really hasn’t changed too much. So, where’s the advantage? The Apex came with CoastMaster chartography, introduced

# With the latest humminbird side-imaging fish create clear, easily identified marks off to the sides. Screenshot at 455khz via Brad Foxwell.

in 2021. The detail level of depth contours went from three feet to one foot, and while that may not sound like a huge difference, it means more subtle drops and edges jump out onscreen at a glance. Plus, integrated with the Minn Kota on the bow I can “tell” the electric trolling motor to follow those contours.

Integration, Then and Now

Speaking of integration: having the trolling motor integrated with the MFD and being able to control it from the helm has turned out to be one of my favorite abilities, even though it’s one I never expected to utilize. Again, I’ve fished on plenty of boats with Minn Kota motors with Spot-Lock and appreciated it as an effective tool. But control generally came via a handheld remote. That seemed pretty slick, but it soon be-

came apparent that running the Minn Kota from the MFD gives you some added advantage. It allows you to pinpoint-position the boat via chartplotter while “telling” it to go where you want on-screen. I can set it to slowly creep along the path of my choosing, or send it directly to a waypoint. Plus, the MFD never runs out of batteries like a remote can.

Another big bonus of a new, fully integrated system has also shown up in the form of enhanced radar functionality. The old radar was great, but required toggling between or splitting the screens while navigating in reduced visibility. Now, when the radar goes active its returns are overlaid directly on the chartplotter. It provides a huge on-screen view of what’s ahead without toggling or even thinking about how to best see both images at once.

On the flip side of the coin, integration with all these units doesn’t come cheap. Knowing that getting them to all play nicely together is often easier said than done, I even shelled out the cash for a professional installation and setup — for the first time in my life. You can certainly try installing an integrated system on your own, but those who have done so know that it can be an exercise in frustration.

Screen Size, Then and Now

It’s pretty standard knowledge that when it comes to marine electronics, the bigger your screen size is, the better. It allows you to easily pick out details and returns on the fishfinder, present more screensplits at a reasonable size, and display more data boxes without crowding out the other views. In this upgrade I went from an 11-inch screen to a 16-incher on the Apex.

# MEgA provides additional detail; note that these fish are off the bottom, thus creating distinct shadows on-screen which can be used to judge their depth. Screenshot at MEgA (1.050 to 1.175mhz) via Brad Foxwell.

ElEctronics UpgradE

That sounds like a nice improvement, though maybe not a massive one, right?

Consider this: an 11-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio has 51.7 square inches of LCD space. A 16-inch screen has 109.4. The difference is massive, indeed.

The crazy thing? This upgrade has become downright cheap compared to the past. For once, cost isn’t a downside but is actually an upside. A decade ago when Humminbird rolled out the Ion 12 (Helix and Solix hadn’t been born yet, much less Apex), it would have cost you around $3000. Today a Solix 12 MSRPs at around $2900. That’s a $100 drop, but 2012 dollars equal about $1.30 today. So when you consider the impact of inflation, that old 12-incher actually would have cost about $4800 in modern terms. In other words, upgrading from a 10-year-old system to a modern one costs a little under 40-percent less for the same screen size as you had to a decade ago. Do some digging and you’ll find that this stealthy price rollback has taken place pretty much across the industry regardless of the specific manufacturer.

Of course, we can’t promise you that you’ll catch more, bigger fish if you get an electronics upgrade. There are no guarantees in the world of fishing. There is one thing we can say for sure, however: get an upgrade, and you won’t spend the next 10 years beating yourself up over what you’ve been missing out on. #

installation: call a pro, or no?

In the past I’ve always done all of my own electronics installations. But with a new boat, old knees and knuckles, and a high level of complexity, I decided to turn this job over to the pros. Since BOE Marine (boemarine.com) in Grasonville, MD, advertises in FishTalk (thanks!) and has a solid rep, they were my natural choice. They installed the flush-mount MFD, electric trolling motor and batteries, radar dome, Furuno NavPilot 300 autopilot and heading sensor, and VHF radio and antennae.

Net result? My personal hassle-factor plummeted to near zero, and the only time I had to lift a finger was to drop off and pick up the boat. The folks at BOE were stunningly competent from start to finish (ask for Emily or Vance), and they joined me on the boat for a sea trial and basic instruction. (Fishing was not involved! I swear!! Well okay, fishing was involved... But they do a sea trial for all their customers, regardless).

The biggest bonus for me was, without question, the fact that I didn’t have to pour over schematics, stress over making holes in the helm, or rip my hair out when something didn’t work right. It should also be noted that many ownerinstallations (including those done by myself) can feature iffy wiring, but BOE made everything tight and well-loomed so jiggly connections shouldn’t be a problem down the road. On top of that, mounting the radar posed a difficult problem due to the upper station and a frame that runs all the way back on the hardtop. But Emily ID’d the fix in a matter of moments and had the proper mast and mounting hardware on hand in days.

Is it worth shelling out the extra dough to call in the pros when you’re upgrading your electronics suite? Or, should you do it yourself and save the cha-ching? That’s your call. But after doing both I can tell you one thing for sure: the next time I need to install electronics on my boat, I’ll be reaching for my checkbook before I even think about reaching for my power drill.

Editor’s note: We did our best to lay out the facts as we see ‘em after using this gear and provide as comprehensive a view on this topic as possible. But in the interest of full disclosure we want to point out that that Humminbird does advertise in FishTalk (thanks guys!). You may favor a different brand, and that’s cool by us. But if your electronics are a decade old, chances are you’d benefit in at least some similar ways by upgrading to a modern package — regardless of who makes it and where they do or do not advertise.

Amazon Adventure

By Eric Packard

A FishTalk contributor travels to Brazil in search of a bona fide angling adventure.

It’s December at home in Solomons, MD, but it’s spring here in the southern hemisphere. I’ve traveled for over 24 hours and journeyed more than 6000 miles to fish the Rio Negro. We arrived at 9 a.m. in the morning, flying into an airport just outside of Barcelós, Brazil in the state of Amazonia.

I’m in Brazil as part of a 10-day Amazon fishing press trip. Our first stop is the city of Manaus, where the Solimões and the Rio Negro Rivers converge. This

Breakfast in Brazil

The local food is great! I loved every meal and by the way, beef is always on the menu. A local Brazilian treat is a staple: farofa, made with toasted cassava flower. It is a starch that is served similar to how rice is served here in the states.

is known as the Meeting of the Waters. The two rivers run next to each other for almost four miles before they become the great Amazon River. They are unable to mix where they meet due to their differences in speed, temperature, and sediment.

I find myself standing on the bow of a Nitro Bass boat, nearly blinded by the refection of the sun off the water. The air temperature is in the high 80s and the humidity is hovering around 87 percent. Our guide drags his hand through the cool water of the Rio Negro, then wets his steering wheel to protect himself from the intense heat before he takes hold. Speaking in broken English and making a circular motion with his hands, he tells me and my fishing partner Rob to reel ’em in. Portuguese is the main language in Brazil, though many of the guides, including ours, speak just enough English to get you through the day.

Seasons on the Amazon

The season for peacock bass runs from August to early March. I’m told the best months are usually September and October. The outfitter and the time of year dictate where you may be fishing, and as the water levels start to rise at the beginning of the rainy season in December, some outfitters move to find shallower water to fish.

We’ve been casting topwater baits on seven-foot medium- to heavy-action rods for about 40 minutes or so without any luck. The rods are married with baitcast reels that have a gear ratio greater than 7.01:1, carry 65- to 80-pound braid, and a 30- to 50-pound leader attached with an FG knot. With each cast I fear that I’ll run out of line as I can start to see

# The author's first peacock bass.

Amazon Adventure

the reel’s spool right before my bait hits the water. My thought is that the braid line that they have put on my reel is too heavy. Soon I’ll find out why we need such heavy gear.

We cast bright six-inch rear-spinner topwater baits, let them settle, then give a quick pull down of the rod tip toward the water’s surface. The bait jerks and makes a large splash from its rear spinner. Then three quick turns of the handle, and repeat: jerk-reel-jerk in quick succession. “Faster, faster!” instructs our guide. The sun continues to beat down.

Unfortunately, fishing is tough because the river is almost 10 feet above normal for this time of year. From May through July the river will have risen yet another 80 feet, when it reaches the city of Manaus. We are told to “fish in the jungle,” meaning we are to cast as far back into the brush and trees as possible. But no worries if you get hung up in there; the guide will just ask if you’re fishing for monkeys.

We change tactics, tying on jigs with a cornucopia of bright orange, red, yellow, and black. We cast out and troll the jigs, make two quick snaps of the rod tip, then let the bait drop back before repeating the motion. “Faster!” our guide insists.

Then Rob gets bit. It’s a big fish and the fight is on — drag is screaming and his line is spooling off his reel. The fish takes control and gets tangled in a sub-

merged tree along the shoreline. Our guide brings the boat alongside the fish using the trolling motor. Grabbing the lip-grippers he rushes to the side of the boat nearest the fish, drops his ball cap on the deck, goes right over the side, and disappears below the tannic colored water of the Rio Negro. Snapping off tree limbs with one hand and grabbing the leader with the other, the fish jumps out of the water and over the top of his head! The guide loses the fish-grippers to the depths of the Rio Negro, but now that it’s out of the tree Rob gets the fish under control and pulls the massive peacock bass toward the boat so I can scoop with the net and bring it onboard. Victory!

Meanwhile, our guide pulls himself over the gunnel and out of the piranhainfested water. Yeah, you heard me right, piranha are as common in the rivers of the Amazon basin as bluegill are in North American waters.

# A bicuda hit the jig. Not the target species, but interesting nonetheless.

After a few quick photographs Rob releases the fish, we troll on, and it’s no more than a few moments before I’m hooked up. The pull isn’t anything near what Rob experienced and I work the fish back to the boat to discover it’s a small bicuda, a pike-like fish. I get a quick photo then release the fish unharmed — but it’s not long before I get bit again. This time the fish pulls hard and there are a few seconds of fight before it comes unbuttoned.

My disappointment continues.

Finding an Outfitter

Our outfitter was Personal Fishing, which has the lodge on the Negro River in Barcelos, Brazil. Fixed location lodges have the disadvantage of not being able to follow the seasons, and while the fishing can still be great some outfitters use floating lodges such as the Zaltana. They are a mother ship with guest rooms, a restaurant, lounge, and a fleet of bass boats.

The outfitters we fished with were: Personal Fishing personalfishing.com.br

The Zaltana amazonxtremefishing.com

Travel and Accommodations

If you book a trip to fish in Amazonia you can find direct flights from Miami or Fort Lauderdale to Manaus, and complete the trip in about half the time it took me. I had a long nine-hour layover in Miami because I was meeting up with five people coming from different parts of the nation, and then we passed through Brasilia, adding almost seven additional hours of travel.

The accommodations in Brazil were very nice. The hotel that we stayed in in Manaus was excellent, with a pool on the roof, a small bar, and a nice restaurant. Accommodations at the fishing lodge in Barcelos provided a lounge, restaurant, and bar. Rooms had a small refrigerator and bath with shower. They were comfortable and clean. However, the outpost was my favorite! There were two screened-in thatched roof buildings, each with two suites that sleep four persons each, a bathroom, sink, and shower. Don’t be surprised if you take a shower in the morning and the water is cold — it’s pumped up from the river to a water tower where sun heats it during the day, so take your showers in the evening.

DO NOT brush your teeth or drink the water out of the sinks while traveling in the remote regions of the Amazon. They provide plenty of bottled water, so brush your teeth with the bottle water provided.

Rob’s next up on a bite. It’s a small black piranha with teeth are sharp as razors. They are a relatively safe fish as long as you don’t get your hand close to its mouth. If you know anything about a bluefish bite, think of the same

# The local fare is excellent - you won't go hungry on this trip. But... you won't get burgers, either.

but slightly more dangerous. As we troll we change out our jigs on occasion because piranha bite the bucktail end off the jigs, leaving nothing but a stump of hair.

Then the jig I’m trolling comes to an abrupt stop. The tip of my rod bends hard and drag starts stripping off. I place my thumb on the spool of the reel to slow the fish, and feel the burn of the braid line. The fish turns — now I have control. I fight the fish up to the net and although it’s not as big as Rob’s, I’m elated. I’ve caught a peacock bass in the Amazon River.

Now, I understand why they use this type of gear to catch and land these majestic fish. They are strong, hard fighters living in an environ-

ment of flooded timber and rock.

Our next day of fishing took us to an outpost nearly 75 miles up the Aracá River, over 18 miles south of the equator. The sun is just as intense here. And during the next two days we catch butterfly peacock bass, threebarred peacock bass, bicuda, piranha, and wolf fish.

At four o’clock in the afternoon a few days later I land, utterly exhausted, in Miami. I have a layover for a few hours before the flight to Baltimore and then a two-hour drive home, so it won’t be until tomorrow that I can reset my fishing focus on millponds and pickerel. I want — no I need — a hamburger and fries, items not on the menu in Brazil. I find a Wendy’s and order the all-American meal. As I sip my soda, I drift off a bit, feel the sun on my back, and take one more cast into the jungle. #

More Information

You can find out more about fishing Amazonia by going to visitbrasil.com, and you can research outfitters and what they have to offer by typing peacock bass fishing Brazil into your web search engine.

# Rob was in on the Amazonian adventure, and caught the first peacock bass of the trip.

Fowl Play

Could an uncooked chicken help you catch more fish? l et’s find out .

By Lenny Rudow

If the bite suddenly shut down as another angler arrived, they might get blamed for spooking the fish. But, perhaps a change of tide was the real issue? The barometric pressure suddenly spiked? Or, maybe the fish just got full? Who can really say for sure? Yet we surmise, suspect, and speculate on a regular basis. Since the fish refuse to tell us exactly what’s going on at any given time, making best guesses is and always will be a big part of fishing.

Same goes when it comes to our gear, though in many cases the problem is even worse because the truth gets clouded by things like marketing hype or influencers who might be more interested in likes than leveling with you. That’s why we’ve put assertion and innuendo to the test with scientificalish articles like “Fishing Line Stretch Test: Stretching the Truth” (examining the truth behind braid and monofilament line stretch), and “Monofilament Versus Braid” (testing abrasion resistance in different line materials).

One thing we’ve never examined, however, is the simple, unassuming fish hook. We’re always hearing that we should sharpen hooks or use fresh ones, but just how much more pressure does it take for a rusty hook to penetrate a fish’s maw as compared to one that’s been fresh and sharp? What role does hook size and thickness play in this equation?

At this point, you may well be wondering just what this has to do with an uncooked chicken. This winter as I was popping some poultry into the oven for dinner, I realized that the skin of the chicken had quite a similar consistency and strength as the membrane between the jawbones of a fish. I darted back to my office, grabbed a half-ounce G-EYE, and started poking. It struck me that the chicken skin could serve as a test platform for hook penetration, so I perforated the luckless bird all over its body in search of the most striper-like section of skin.

My wife later mentioned that she thought it was one of the most tender chickens I’d ever baked.

# Let the fowl play begin under Fin’s watchful - and hopeful - gaze!

Hatching an Experiment

With a fresh uncooked chicken in the fridge the next day, I lined up an assortment of hooks in old and poor shape (some were rustier than others), and hooks that were brand new and as sharp as they get. The lineup included a pair of Drone spoons with 10/0 hooks, 8/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks, 7/0 Owner Stinger hooks, 5/0 Mustad circle hooks, and 3/0 Eagle Claw Kahle hooks.

Next, I tied a section of monofilament to the end of a RoMech digital hand scale, which reads to the nearest 0.02 of a pound and has a rated accuracy to one percent. Then one after the next I tied each hook onto the line, placed the end of the hook where the skin seemed toughest (where the thigh and breast skin met, though the circle hooks had to be placed in the crook of the thigh or they wouldn’t grab), and pulled on the scale until the hook penetrated beyond the barb. The process was repeated three times per hook, and the results were recorded and then averaged together. Here’s what we discovered with our finger-prickin’ good chicken:

# The hook lineup, from left to right: an 8/0 Octopus, 5/0 circle, 7/0 stinger, 3/0 kahle, and 10/0 spoon. Sharp and new at top, rusty and old at bottom.

Hook Type Sharp Pounds Per Penetration Rusty Pounds Per Penetration

As you can see, across the board the sharp hooks required less force to penetrate the skin beyond the barb. Particularly in the case of the largest, thickest hook, the difference was quite significant — almost half.

Okay, so we’ve proved that we should all be using sharp hooks. Suspicions confirmed. What was more interesting, however, was the difference hook thickness made. Although the Stinger was a smaller size than the spoon hook, the hook itself is actually thicker than any of the others. Reorder the list by thickness rather than gap size, and it’s clear that the required force for penetration drops hand in hand with hook thickness. But there is one outlier: that Octopus hook. It was the third-thickest in the lineup, yet even the rusty version required less oomph to penetrate the poultry than any of these other hooks. Is it a matter of the hook shape? Gamakatsu’s high-carbon tempered steel with a conical point? Gamakatsu claims their hooks hold the point longer because of the materials they use and their oil-cooled tempering process, but quoting them leads us once again into the world of potential marketing hype. So we’re not going to try to nail down a reason. Whatever it may be, however, we can say one thing for sure: those Gamakatsu Octopus hooks do have an edge when it comes to ease of penetration. A big edge.

We’ve all seen hooks pop free moments before the fish was in the net, and we’ve all lost fish due to a

low-power hook-set made when the bite came as your rod tip was at the top of the sweep. Might you avoid such heartbreak a time or two next season, with better hook penetration? Would it be worth the time and expense to replace or sharpen those old hooks? It

certainly wouldn’t hurt. And while we can’t say with certainty whether using only fresh, sharp hooks will boost your catch rate, we do know one more thing for sure: my wife doesn’t like having baked chicken two nights in a row. #

Kettles, Rocks, Ruins, and Wrecks of the Middle Potomac

By Wayne Young

The middle portion of the Potomac River offers multiple fishing destinations. In this advance preview of my forthcoming exploration of tidal Potomac River structure, we’ll look at the Virginia side of the river from the Harry W. Nice Bridge to Church Point south of Dahlgren. General locations for structures in this reach of the river and tributaries are indicated on Chart 1.

The first fishing hotspot consists of the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge piers, Site 1 on Chart 1. An ongoing bridge replacement project has made the piers unavailable for fishing recently, but bridge construction is now completed. Bridge piers are instantly a fishing hotspot because of hydrodynamic effects that are only increased over time as biofouling by marine organisms enhances habitat value. Current piling up against the leading edge of a structure creates a downward current vector that delivers bait to the base. Bait is also swept down each side especially along the base. This

is why we target the base of the upcurrent leading edge and sides of a bridge pier or similar structures. Predators may also be in the eddy on the down-current part of the pier, but fish in this position may be resting rather than actively feeding. Popping a jig in front of them might provoke a reaction strike. As an aside, major demolition components from the bridge are slated for artificial reef construction in Bay waters in the general vicinity of the mouth of the Potomac and perhaps in the river as well.

Site 2 is a general marker for the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) at Dahlgren, VA. Permanent restrictions that are always in force include a prohibition from approaching within 100 yards of NSWC Dahlgren due to the known presence of unexploded ordinance (UXO).

Winter ice was a threat to navigation markers south of the 301 Bridge to well below the Kettle Bottom Shoal well into the 20th Century. Site 3 consists of icebreaker rockpiles on the upriver and downriver side of the green 33 marker. It marks the steep edge on the west side of the deep-water trench. Check both rockpiles for stripers. Site 4 is an Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) wreck at approximate coordinates 38’19.699 x 77’59.141.

Site 5 is a discontinued spoil area on the south side of Upper Machodoc

Creek. Elongated mounds parallel the channel. The nautical chart shows rocks about coordinates 38’18.422 x 77’00.392. There are also elongated mounds on the north side of the channel. These may also be spoils. Water depths are charted as two to five feet. Numerous submerged stakes, dolphins, and pilings are shown on either side of the channel, posing dangers to navigation. When fishing such areas, my practice is to run parallel to the feature and assess where to go and what to avoid with my side-scan sonar. Then, I’ll progressively step my way in. For the rocks in the discontinued spoil area, I’d approach the charted location from the south to minimize exposure to the submerged stakes and dolphins.

Site 6 at coordinates 38’18.835 x 76’58.849 marks the north end of Kettle Bottom Shoals. They impeded the British fleet that was headed upriver to raid Washington during the War of 1812; the extensive oyster reefs were much higher then, and close to the surface. The area was also known for the so called “oyster wars” between Maryland and Virginia watermen. Extensive oyster reefs were worn down, in many cases to flat, by oyster dredges. So, the shoals are much less formidable than back during the era of sail, but there are still many humps and mounds.

The top graphic of Image 1 shows the BDV “DEM” Color Shaded Relief layer for an area-wide view of bathymetry between the Route 301 Bridge and St Catherine Island, and also the Wicomico River. The portrayal of bathymetric form shows us that the most rugged bottom

The stretch of the Potomac from the 301 bridge to Colonial Beach is rich with fish-attracting structure.

# Chart 1: Structure fishing destinations between Route 301 Bridge and Wicomico River. Insert – Seethrough chart over DEM Color Shaded Relief image.

extends from Lower Cedar Point south to Swan Point. The bottom graphic is a closer zoom for this spot. A look at the large, broad mound between the south end of the deep-water trench and Swan Point shows two channels and three sloughs oriented upriver-downriver, providing natural trolling lanes. There rugged bottom at the south end of the mound offers jigging opportunities. Also try trolling across the sloughs angling down-current.

On the Virginia side at Site 7 is a massive area covered by rocks at the aptly named Stony Point. These rocks may be uncovered at low tide and extend out from the shoreline, forming a rounded point. Beyond that to a distance of about 200 feet offshore are scattered rocks. The water depth is very shallow here and topwater lures

or shallow-running swimbaits would be good choices to minimize snags. Due south of Stony Point there is a spit that curls towards the west through two small islands. The southernmost island is King George Point. The waters on the river side are very shallow but offer foraging opportunities when stripers are feeding shallow.

About 1200 yards west of the point is a little cove at Potomac Beach. Excursion steamers landed passengers here for visits to Colonial Beach, and extensive pier ruins are still there at Site 8. Some of the pilings are visible above the surface, but when viewed from sea level, are insufficient to show the configuration of the wing

walls. Google Earth imagery shows the feature and also shows one “L” shaped pier and four small piers, all in ruins. The “L” pier is a more recent ruin, and is shown as intact by 2006 historic imagery. Two hundred yards southeast of Bluff Point, Site 9 marks the charted ruins of a submerged platform.

Further south along the Colonial Beach waterfront at Site 10 are more pier ruins. They were platforms for former Maryland gambling sites. Under the 1632 charter to Lord Baltimore as interpreted by the courts, the Maryland boundary was at the low water mark along the Virginia shoreline. Between 1949 and 1958, five slot-machine casinos built on wharfs on the Maryland side of the line were accessed by piers extending out from the Virginia shoreline. Riverboat floating gambling houses also operated from piers in Virginia, until changes to Virginia and Maryland laws eventually closed the casinos and riverboats. Hurricane Hazel took out one of the gambling house piers in 1954, and in 2003 Tropical Storm Isabel severely damaged other waterfront structures. Gambling still takes place at these locations today — but in the form of anglers tossing their lures or jigs into the snaggy structure, to see if something with fins takes the bait! #

Wayne Young is the author of “Bridges Under Troubled Waters: Upper Chesapeake and Tidal Potomac Fishing Reefs,” “Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reefs, Voyage of Discovery,” “Phantoms of the Lower Bay,” and “Hook, Line, and Slinker.” All are available at Amazon.com, and you can find his Facebook page at Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reefs.

# Image 1: “DEM” Color Shaded Relief layer in greyscale zoomed in on main stem bathymetry west of Swan Point. Screenshot from nOAA Bathymetric Data v iewer.

# Chart 2: Top – Structures at the entrance of Rosier Creek at the north end of Colonial Beach. Bottom – Author’s drawing showing configuration of excursion steamer pier ruins at Potomac Beach.

Shad Darts for Beginners

By Staff

Countless anglers plying the waters of DelMarVa have used shad darts thousands of times and caught countless fish on them — without ever necessarily catching a shad. While fishing for shad can be a ton of fun, they only run for a month or two in the spring and not everyone targets them. But those darts? They’re highly effective for catching an amazingly wide range of species through just about every different season. Yellow and white perch, bass, crappie, pickerel, and other species will all snap ‘em up with abandon. If, that is, you fish them properly.

What Is a Shad Dart

Shad darts have a wide range of sizes and colors, but share a similar shape. They generally have a flat head and a body that tapers down to the hook shank. Where the head meets the shank, a sprig of bucktail hair adorns the hook.

Many shad darts are painted with one color on the tip of the head, then have a contrasting color below it. The bucktail hair may match the other colors or may be in contrast. Some classics are pink at the top, a white body, and yellow hair; black at the top, a chartreuse or lime green body,

and white hair; or red at the top, a white body, and a different color hair. You’ll find countless combinations and deviations and from one day to the next, and you never know which will work the best.

There’s one big difference between fishing a dart for shad and fishing them for anything else: when shad are the target they’re fished without any bait added, but for most other species you’ll want to tip them with bait. Some of the prime offerings generally include:

• Bass – Large or medium minnow

• Crappie – Small minnow

• Pickerel – Large minnow

• White perch – Grass shrimp

• Yellow perch – Grass shrimp or minnow

How To Fish Shad Darts

If shad are your quarry the dart is usually tied into a tandem rig (often with the other offering being a very small spoon) with the lures a couple feet apart, cast out and allowed to sink, then retrieved with slight jigging motions. For a full rundown on shad fishing be sure to see “Spring Shad Fishing” and “American Made: Shad Fishing” at FishTalkMag.com

# Brian fooled this nice

Patuxent white perch with a dart and grass shrimp combo.

In most other cases the dart will either be fished under a bobber or cast and slowly retrieved. Which will be most effective at any given time is something of a judgement call, and in many cases will be a factor you need to ascertain on a day-to-day basis via trial and error. That said, as a general rule if the water is just a few feet deep a bobber will be the better bet, or you may be forced to retrieve too quickly in order to prevent fouling the hook with growth or snags. This is often the case in some of the shallow Eastern Shore millponds, where there may only be a couple of feet of water over weedbeds holding crappie and pickerel. Another time bobbers rule is when the fish are holding exceptionally close to snaggy cover, and you need to be able to place your bait in the danger zone and hang it there.

Ditching the bobber and casting and retrieving will generally be a good move when fish are holding a bit deeper, and you need to let the dart sink down to reach them. Upriver Bay tributaries where the perch often gather in the deepest portion of the channel on a low or outgoing tide is an excellent example.

Is there a healthy assortment of shad darts in your tacklebox right now? There should be...

Tidal rivers where docks may be holding fish, such as the Magothy, are a prime case study in an all-bets-areoff situation. Sometimes dropping a bobber rig right next to the pilings does the trick, while other times the fish much prefer a dart tossed parallel to the pilings and then retrieved past them. As is often true in the world of fishing, experimentation is the key to success.

In all of these cases, remember: unless shad are the quarry you should generally have some bait on that hook. While you can catch a crappie here and a perch there without any, shad darts on their own aren’t incredibly appetizing to any particular species beyond shad.

When To Fish Shad Darts

This will be a short section, because the answer is simple: whenever targeting any of the aforementioned species, just as long as the water isn’t so deep nor the current so strong that you can’t regulate their depth. And in that case, you can always opt for a bucktail, which in truth isn’t very different from a shad dart in the first place. Note that darts become a key part of the arsenal for many anglers during the colder months of the year, when they work very well as what boils down to a slow-moving bait-delivery device. They’re also a

mainstay during the spring perch runs, ranking among the top ways to rack up numbers of yellows (often with minnow) and whites (often with grass shrimp).

Now, back to our discussion about your tacklebox. Do you have at least a couple dozen shad darts of assorted colors and sizes?

If not, we have one simple bit of advice: head for the tackle shop, and fill up those trays asap. Because once you try fishing shad darts you’ll realize that few offerings work better — even when there aren’t any shad within 1000 miles. #

# Shad on darts? Sure. But these lures are great for many other species.

# A selection of common shad darts.

Fis H i N g F O re CA s T

We all know printed fishing reports are generalized, and weeks have passed before the report gets into your hands. For timely, up-to-date reports, visit our website FishTalkMag.com . Current reports will be published every Friday by noon — just in time for your weekend fishing adventures. In the meantime, here’s our monthly prognostication.

Coastal

February is a tough month for coastal anglers — heck, it’s a toughie for anglers just about anywhere around here — and the chances are exceptionally good that the only real action taking place will be the tautog bite on the wrecks and reefs. Grab some crab and point the bow east, when and if the weather allows.

Freshwater

Will we be auguring through ice, or casting into open water? The question is a tough one to answer, but thanks to the blast of arctic air we had around the holidays there’s potential for a real ice season this year in the western parts of our range. As usual, it all depends on the weather. Regardless, fast-moving trout waters will stay icefree and fishable for the fly folks, and hopefully the Eastern Shore millponds will remain liquified as well. If they do, expect pickerel to be biting strong, bass to chew with some regularity, and crappie to pop up here and there as well.

Way North

Winter is a prime time for perching where the Susquehanna meets the Chesapeake, and deep holes from Lapidum to Perryville often hold one of the best wintertime bites in the region. Small tubes and/or darts tipped with minnow and tied in tandem are always a good bet. Added bonus: drop some cut bait into the holes and you may well get into a tussle with a big, fat catfish, too. If the Northeast freezes up hard this can be an ice fishing destination as well, one of the few this far east in Maryland.

u pper Bay

If we start out by mentioning the Baltimore-area creeks and the Magothy River, you know what’s next, right? Pickerel. And, maybe a yellow perch or two. Skim ice may be problematic at this time of year, or it may well leave us alone. Only time will tell. If you can get out, however, casting small minnow on shad darts under bobbers to piers and pilings will do the trick.

Middle Bay

Pickerel are also the headline fish this month in the Middle Bay zone, on the west side particularly in the Severn, and on the east side particularly in the Choptank and its feeders. When you locate a deep hole just downstream of a spawning zone this is also a great time to target those yellow perch, which are often balled up in tight schools as they anticipate the run. Look for times of low and/or falling tides, and sink minnow down deep... got shad darts?

l ower Bay

During the month of February we’re sticking with the tribs in this zone, too. Pre-spawn perch can be found in deep holes near the spawning grounds, but many anglers in this neck of the woods will also be looking for deeper holes a bit farther downstream where the winter cats prowl. If you’re aching to feel a big bend in the rod from trophy-sized fish, this is the best option in our entire region — the James, the Rap, and the Potomac are all prime destinations.

Gathered over the past month by Dillon Waters

# Reports editor Dillon Waters put together a nice stringer of winter whites.

Tangier, Pocomoke, and l ower Shore

The fresher reaches of the lower Shore tribs are a great place to be for February fishing, and pickerel, perch, crappie, and bass are all going to be biting. As usual for this time of year skim ice can be problematic, but if you can find open water you can almost always find fish willing to snap up live bull minnow. Fun fact: right in the heart of Salisbury the Wicomico holds a lot more fish than one might guess.

Way South and VA

We’d like to remain positive about the potential winter bite for puppies and perhaps specks in the inlets and southern Bay areas, but considering the arctic blast that hit during the holidays we’re afraid the potential is a bit lower for 2023 than in years past. Of course, we had a big rebound in the temperatures that could change that by the time this edition goes to press. Fingers are crossed on that count, but meanwhile, remember that the same yellow perch, catfish, and pickerel options that anglers farther up the Bay will be focused on are an opportunity in the southern Bay tribs, too.

Visit us online for our Weekly Fishing Reports

Current reports will be published on our website every Friday by noon, just in time for your weekend fishing adventures.

FishTalk’s weekly fishing reports are presented by:

# The guys at Apex Predators of Potomac Creek, vA, scored this monster winter cat a few seasons back.

Paddler’s

e

Holding Position

By John Veil

Depending on how and where you fish you may want to hold your kayak’s position in the water. The most commonly used system is a small anchor clipped onto an anchor trolley, a continuous loop of cord that runs over pulleys mounted on the side of the kayak. The trolleys have a ring for attaching to a clip on the anchor line.

Anchor trolleys can be installed at the factory, by a kayak shop, or by the owner. But some kayak anglers are quite reluctant to drill any holes in their kayaks. I developed a simple, removable trolley system that can go on and off quickly and involves no drilling in the kayak, plus you can take this portable system on trips when renting a kayak.

Take two short lengths of thin bungee cord (black color in the photo), tie a loop around the rear handle with one piece, and a similar length around one of the side handles. Then clip a carabiner onto each of the loops. Next, run a piece of non-stretch cord (white in the photos) between the two carabiners on the bungee and tie a small loop on either end of that cord. Adjust the length so you can clip a third carabiner to the two ends of the cord, completing a loop that slides back and forth between the side handle and the rear handle. Then you can clip the anchor line to the moving carabiner.

As for the anchor itself, a threepound folding claw anchor with the line running through a foam pool

noodle float and a clip on the end works well. Trolleying the anchor to the end of the kayak swings you more or less in line with wind or current and places less strain on the anchor. In situations where you prefer to make a slow drift, trolley the anchor to a middle position and let out enough line that the anchor touches bottom but doesn’t have enough scope to set. This turns the kayak broadside to the wind, and will cause it to drag the anchor and drift along slowly.

In freshwater rivers and areas with rocks where a grappling-style anchor may get lodged on the bottom, a better option is to bring a five-foot piece

#

of galvanized chain and attach it to the end of your anchor line. Depending on the current, the chain will either hold you in place or slow down the drift.

Another type of anchoring system that works well in shallow water is a pole anchor, or “spud.” The pole is jabbed into the sediment and tied off to the kayak. Some anglers mount mechanical pole systems to the stern of their kayaks, some of which use a small motor to raise and lower the pole. Others who don’t require that degree of position-holding control may prefer to avoid adding another piece of equipment to their kayaks.

In this photo, taken in a shallow north Carolina tidal creek, the anchor pole is the white vertical shaft.

Can

guess The

presented by

Fish Quiz

BR o KERAGE & CLASSIFIED SECTIOnS

P o WER

2020 Mako Pro Skiff 15 CC

2020 40 ELPT 4S Mercury Outboard, Mercury Warranty until 5/29/2023, 2020 Fabrique galvanized Trailer, Fishwells, 56 hours, garmin EchoMap 74Sv gPS. $17,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2020 Mako 19 CPX Upgrade to Mercury 150 4-stroke with only 175 hours and warranty remaining until 8/25/23, 2020 EZ Loader bunk trailer, Lowrance Elite 9” gPS/Fishfinder, garmin EchoMap 74Sv gPS/Fishfinder. $39,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2015 Sportsman Heritage 231 CC

F250XA 4S Yamaha Outboard, (new trailer available), Ice Blue hull, Powder Coating, Platinum Package. $54,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2018 Sportsman open 232 CC F200XB 4S Yamaha Outboard, Yamaha Warranty until 3/2/23, hours218, Storm Cloud with White Bottom, Offshore Package Matching Color Underside, Light hull Color, Fiberglass T-Top with Leaning Post, Electronics Box / Rocket Launchers / Spreader Light, Simrad 9” Display DF / FF / gPS, Simrad vhF, Simrad Radar Dome. $67,750 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2021 Sportsman Heritage 241 CC Yamaha F250XB w/ warranty remaining until 5/8/2024, Under 100 hrs, Boat has been lift kept, trailer not included new trailer available, White hull sides, Desert Tan Upholstery. $99,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2021 Sportsman open 242 CC F300XCA 4S Digital Throttle Yamaha Outboard, Yamaha Extended Service until 3/2/2026, hours - 234, venture Commander COM-6500T Aluminum Tandem Trailer with Brakes and Spare Tire, Solid Island Blue hull, Ash gray Upholstery, Black Powder Coating. $119,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2021 Sportsman Heritage 251 CC Twin F150XCA Yamaha Outboards, Yamaha Extended Warranty until 8/7/2024, hours - 51, new trailer available, Steel Blue with White Bottom, Desert Tan Upholstery, White Powder Coating, hard Top with Tempered glass Windshield. $139,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

To advertise in the Brokerage and Classified sections, contact beatrice@fishtalkmag.com

2019 Sportsman open 282 CC Upgraded Twin Yamaha F300XCA’s with only 117 hours and engine warranty remaining until 3/1/2025! Trailer available at $9,988, Island Blue, Powder Coating - White, gull Wings, Windshield Close-Out. $179,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2019 Sportsman open 282 CC Twin F30XCA Yamaha Outboards, Extended Warranty until 4/19/2025, 231 hours, Triple Axle Trailer vATB-10625, Island Blue with White Bottom, Platinum gray, Windshield Close-Out. $184,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

2021 Cobia 280 CC Upgraded Yamaha F250nSB with Fully Electric Steering - hARD TO FInD! (most 280’s have twin 200s and don’t have Yamaha’s fully electric steering), Only 28 Engine hours and Extended Warranty until 4/28/2026, Custom Ameritrail Welded Aluminum Trailer, Custom order hull color, Anthracite gray. $199,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com

27’

Grady White ‘18 $209,000 David Robinson 410.310.8855 david@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

SECTIOnS

HELP WANTED

Are you on a search for a full-time sales position that requires you to get out and enjoy the water, where all your co-workers are super cool, and where flip-flops and shorts are considered business casual? SpinSheet, PropTalk, FishTalk, Start Sailing now, and PortBook magazines are in growth mode, and we are looking for that special advertising sales rep who understands the marine industry and knows how to work and play hard. If you think you will excel in creating sales and marketing solutions for advertisers, then we would love to chat with you. Send your resume, a description of your boating experience and interests, and a cover letter telling us why you’d be a great fit for our team today! info@spinsheet.com

Dock Hand/Dock Staff FT & PT April-October. hourly pay plus tips $$ to tie-up boats located at a busy dock bar location in Annapolis. Boating knowledge is a plus. 410.263.1981 Download application at www.schoonerwoodwind.com/employment/

Electronic Marine Annapolis is looking for a Full or Part time installation technician and an installation assistant to install and service marine electronic and electrical systems on boats. Prior boat maintenance experience preferred. Our Full Time Tech’s work Monday – Thursday, 10-hour days. Pay and benefits based on experience. Our office is located at Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis. Please email your resume to Sales@ElectronicMarine.com

Electronic Marine Annapolis is looking for a Full or Part time Sales/Office Manager or assistant. Duties include meeting with customers, scheduling projects, boat shows, preparing invoices and estimates. Prior Quickbooks and boating experience preferred. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Pay and benefits based on experience. Our office is located at Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis. Please email your resume to Sales@ElectronicMarine.com

TWo P/T Delivery Drivers - Annapolis & Baltimore for three-day-a-month magazine distribution route in Baltimore and Annapolis (one per area). Compensation based upon quantity of stops. Must have a valid driver’s license in good standing, reliable vehicle, and be able to lift up to 25 lbs. Contact Beatrice at 410.216.9309 or beatrice@spf-360.com

Yacht Sales - Curtis Stokes and Associates, Inc. is hiring new salespeople for our Chesapeake area operation. Candidates must be honest, ethical and have boating experience. This is a commission only position. Contact Curtis Stokes at 410.919.4900 or curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

MARINE SERVICES

MARINE SERVICES

TACKLE SH o PS

SCH oo LS

Virtual About Boating Safely Certification nASBLA Maryland State approved. February 11th, March 4th, April 1st, May 6th, 9:00am-3:30pm. Register: https://form.jotform.com/230036811329449

TACKLE SH o PS

Alltackle.com 2062 Somerville Road, Annapolis, MD 21401, 410.571.1111, and 12826 Ocean gateway #9548, Ocean City, MD 21842, 410.213.2840, www.alltackle.com

Anglers Sport Center 1456 Whitehall Road, Annapolis, MD 21409, 410.757.3442, www.anglerssportcenter.com

Dangle Lures Tested and proven to help you catch MORE fish! www.danglelures.com

Top 100 Dealer l ist

The Pocket Yacht Company has been named one of the top boat dealers in North America by Boating Industry, the leading trade publication for the marine industry. Boating Industry announced the Top 100 Dealers during a black-tie gala on November 16 in Orlando, FL. Entering the 18th year of the Top 100 in 2022, the program honors the best of the best across the entire boating industry. “This year’s Top Dealers program brought on a stack of new applicants and new competition to the program along with very strong returns from multi-year winners. And we’re very excited to highlight the accomplishments of all, as new dealers join the ranks and others join forces to become one,” Boating Industry editor-in-chief and Top 100 program director Adam Quandt said. “I am so proud of our team for earning the Top 100 Dealer Award for the third year in a row,” says Pocket Yacht managing director and owner, Mark Schulstad. “It’s been a fantastic year full of growth and we are thrilled to provide a positive ownership experience from start to finish.” pocketyachtco.com

Young l eader Award

Haven Harbour marketing manager Sawyer Cornelius attended the 2022 Docks Expo conference where he was presented a Young Leader Award. The three-day event, held in Nashville, TN, and sponsored by Marina Dock Age magazine, brought together industry leaders from across the country to discuss topics ranging from marine fire safety to advertising and more. The Young Leader Award recognizes professionals under age 40 who have made significant contributions to the marina and boatyard environments. This year’s award class consisted of 23 honorees from across the country—representing a broad range of employment opportunities throughout the industry. Maryland-based Allie Modica, of Oasis Marinas in Annapolis, was also honored with a Young Leader Award, in addition to the Baltimore Boating Center (located in Essex) winning Small Marina of the Year. For information on this year’s Young Leader Award recipients, visit docksexpo.com/young-leader-award havenharbour.com

Great Dealerships To Work For

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas earlier this month named its 2022 Great Dealerships to Work For. The dealers were honored on December 7 as part of the MRAA’s Dealer Week, the organization’s annual conference and expo in Austin, TX. “Our certified dealers work hard each year to continue to improve their employee experience by not only surveying their teams and learning more about their work culture, but also by working with their teams to create solutions to issues identified by the survey,” Liz Keener, MRAA certification manager, said in a statement. “Many dealers find the employee satisfaction survey is one of the most beneficial elements of the certification program, as their team is integral to their success.” A record 27 dealerships qualified for the award by earning an overall score of 90 percent or better on the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program’s annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. Administered anonymously through the MRAA, the survey asks employees of certified dealerships to answer 32 ranking questions about overall satisfaction regarding their unique dealership’s customer relations, employee satisfaction, leadership, management, and reputation. Congratulations to Tri-State Marine in Deale, MD, for being awarded one of the 2022 Great Dealerships to Work For! Keith Rhodes, owner of Tri-State Marine, says: “It’s always nice when employees are happy—it results in not only a better work environment, but greater profitability. I am a strong believer that the only long-term, sustainable competitive advantage that a company has is its culture, which comes down to its people and their happiness. We’re thrilled to have been able to accomplish this for yet another year.”

tristatemarine.com

Sensenbrenner