Oyster Cove Boatworks | 757.716.1819 1305 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA oystercoveboatworks.com
Legasea Marine | 757.898.3000
821 Railway Rd, Yorktown, VA legaseamarine.com
for
Three Last Oceanic Blasts
Don’t winterize that boat just yet—there’s still a shot at epic oceanic action in 2024.
Birds of a Feather: Feather Jigging for (Sort of) Beginners
The lost art of feather jigging can work wonders for fall rockfish. By
Lenny Rudow
Southern ESVA: Part II
The Cape Charles boneyard has structure galore. By Wayne Young
44
Overlooked and Underappreciated
How many times have you driven right by obvious structure without giving it a thought? By
Lenny Rudow
Three Rockin’ Rockfish Recipes
Baked to perfection, flame-grilled, or steamed in a court-bouillon. We know your mouth is watering already! By Adam
Greenberg
Cover Contest Runner-Ups
More great invasive catfish photo submissions. presented by Fish & hunt Maryland
Lexi Davis catching blues on the Chesapeake Bay was the winner by popular vote in the Invasive Catfish Cover Contest presented by Fish & Hunt Maryland!
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
ASSOCIATE 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
Katie Lange, katie@fishtalkmag.com
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 ASSISTANT
Royal Snyder, royal@fishtalkmag.com
COASTAL CORRESPONDENT
John Unkart
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Adam Greenberg, Jim Gronaw, Chuck Harrison, Capt. Monty Hawkins, Eric Packard, David Rudow, Wayne Young
DISTRIBUTION
Martin and Betty Casey, Gregory and Dorothy Greenwell, 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 or beatrice@fishtalkmag.com.
Embarking on the open water is an exhilarating experience, lled with the promise of adventure and relaxation. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a weekend cruiser, protecting your vessel with proper insurance is not just a choice—it’s a necessity. Explore the reasons why every boat owner should prioritize boat insurance for a worry-free voyage.
Navigational exibility
The open water can be unpredictable, with unexpected storms, collisions, or other potential accidents. Boat insurance can give you nancial protection if there is damage to your vessel, providing coverage for repairs or replacement.
Damage and injury
Accidents on the water can result in damage to other boats, docks, or even injuries to passengers. Boat insurance offers liability coverage, which can pay for damages or injuries you’re liable for while boating, up to speci ed limits, and lawsuit costs if you’re sued. This includes damage you cause to another watercraft or if someone on or near your boat is injured and you’re found to be legally responsible.
Theft and vandalism
Unfortunately, boat theft and vandalism are realities that boat owners face. Boat insurance has comprehensive and collision coverage that can protect you against events outside of your control, including theft and vandalism.
Incurred medical payments
Accidents on the water may lead to injuries for you or your passengers. Boat insurance offers a range of optional medical payments coverage limits, helping to cover medical expenses if you are in an accident or someone is hurt on your boat, regardless of fault.
Peace of mind for nancing
If you nanced the purchase of your boat, most lenders require insurance coverage to protect their investment. Having boat insurance not only ful lls these requirements but also gives you peace of mind knowing that your nancial interests are safeguarded.
Some water municipalities and marinas may require proof of insurance for docking or accessing certain areas. Boat insurance allows you the exibility to explore different destinations without worrying about entry restrictions.
Emergency towing and assistance
Progressive boat insurance can include optional Sign & Glide® On-Water Towing coverage. If your boat is disabled or breaks down on the water, Sign & Glide® pays for on-water towing, jump starts, soft un-groundings, and fuel delivery.
Wreckage removal
If your boat sinks, Progressive boat insurance will cover the cost of removing your boat from the water (if removal is legally required).
Investing in boat insurance is not just about protecting a valuable asset; it’s about safeguarding the memories, experiences, and joy that come with your on-water adventures. Don’t let unforeseen circumstances disrupt your journey—navigate with con dence, knowing that Progressive boat insurance has you covered. Ensure a smooth and worry-free voyage, because when it comes to your boat, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury. Scan to get a quote in as little as 4 minutes
to learn more.
Notes from the Cockpit
By Lenny Rudow
Are you up for a new fishing adventure? Well, of course you are! And in this day and age it’s easier than ever to make it happen thanks to services like Airbnb and VRBO. In fact, in a way they’ve facilitated the creation of a new custom fish-camp phenomenon.
Case in point: when Team FishTalk decided to take a run to the ESVA to fish Kiptopeke, the CBBT, and its surrounding waters this summer, we booked a place called The Ladybug in Cape Charles. We’d heard of it via the owner, David Inscore, a well-known kayak fishing sharpie who’s (insanely cool) photos have graced the cover of FishTalk in the past. The thing is, David didn’t just set the place up to be another house you can rent—it’s set up with angling in mind every bit as much as one might set up their boat or kayak with angling in mind.
Before we signed on, I peppered David with a series of rapid-fire questions: Is the driveway big enough to turn around with a 26’ boat hitched to the truck? Is there a hose long enough to wash down and flush the engine? Is there a fish-cleaning station? Are there extra buckets and coolers we can use? An extension cord I can use to plug in the battery charger? A grill we can fire up for a fresh fish dinner?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. So far so good, but what about sleeping arrangements? The house has three bedrooms plus a fold-out in the living room. Oh, and if you get rained out you’ll still have something to do, because there’s an 80s-vintage arcade room with the likes of Galaga, Pac Man, Asteroids, and more. The house is located less than five minutes from the Kiptopeake and Wise Point boat ramps, and 10 minutes from the Cape Charles and Oyster boat ramps. The Ladybug amounts to ideal accom-
modations for anglers, because it was chosen and outfitted by an angler.
This isn’t the first such setup we’ve encountered, either. The Pearl, on Smith Island and ideally located for fishing the Tangier Sound, is another (this one’s on VRBO). It’s similarly outfitted with anglers in mind, and when you rent the house you also get a slip to tie off in. The Sportsman’s Cottage in Rumbley, merely one long cast away from the Rumbley boat ramp, is another great home-base for anglers intent on hitting the Tangier. Again, these are locations chosen by and outfitted for fish-heads like you and me.
What’s wrong with getting any old Airbnb in the general area you want to fish? Maybe nothing, but maybe a lot. I arrived at one on Gwynn Island to discover it was the last house on a dead-end street with an exceptionally
tight driveway. I had to back the boat 100 yards, turn around, then back it down the other way in order to park for the night. At another I discovered the outdoor hose was 25’ long and 50’ away from the driveway, so I couldn’t flush the motor nor wash down the boat.
Our trip to the Ladybug turned out to be pretty darn epic, with both Kaylie and Zach scoring their bull redfish PBs. All in all things went without a hitch, and I sure as heck hope we can make it happen again next year. And if you’re thinking about lining up a new fishing adventure, these new anglerbnbs are one heck of a lot better than any hotel room around.
Travelling Angler
Dear FishTalk, I live in Stafford, NJ, and was visiting friends in Newport News, VA (yes we did go fishing, and yes we did catch cobia!) when I came across a copy of FishTalk. Wow, you guys make a great fishing mag! Stripers and fluke are our main fisheries so in a lot of ways fishing at home is very similar. Any chance you’ll expand your coverage to the Jersey shore?
-Phil P.,
via email
Dear Phil – Sorry, but nope! We feel strongly that our greatest strength is keeping a laser-like focus on fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and the area’s freshwater and coastal fishing, and going beyond that would dilute the interest level to our readership. That said we sure hope you’ll come back and fish here again soon!
Alphabet Soup
Send your fish photos, questions, and comments to lenny@fishtalkmag.com
Dear FishTalk, What do you call a fish with 10 eyes? A fiiiiiiiiiish. -Anonymous
F I s H N EW s
By Lenny Rudow
Sounds Problematic
In a new study published by the University of Adelaide in South Australia, researchers have identified a potential new threat to oyster reproduction: human noise pollution.
“Numerous marine larvae (including oysters) rely on natural sounds to navigate and select their dwellings,” explained Dr. Brittany Williams. “Noises from shipping, machinery, and construction are pervasive and pose serious environmental change that affects both terrestrial and marine animals.”
The study shows that acoustic technology can bolster oyster recruitment in habitat restoration projects in low-traffic areas, but that in areas with extensive human noise pollution, recruitment was not enhanced.
“This suggests that noise pollution might cloak the intrinsic sounds of the ocean,” said study co-author Professor Sean Connell, “exerting profound ramifications on marine ecosystem vitality.”
Project at Poplar
NOAA scientists are working at Poplar Island as they research how fish of different species utilize different habitats and wetlands. So far, they’ve implanted nearly 400 fish including white perch, red drum, croaker, gizzard shad, striped bass, spot, and eels with telemetry transmitter tags. With 77 telemetry receivers at Poplar Island, scientists hope to learn what designs fish prefer, so engineers can design future restoration projects to include better habitat. A full analysis of the results is expected by the spring of 2026.
Studying Smallies
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is studying marked hatchery smallmouth bass released into the Shenandoah watershed to help determine how stocked fish contribute to fish populations. The priority waters in this five-year study (now in year two) are a 10-mile section of the South River and a 10-mile stretch of the South Fork Shenandoah. Biologists will use genetic markers from fin clips of fish they catch to determine if they were wild reared or brood stock fish and evaluate how much the stockings have contributed to the population.
Poormans Produces
Two new records were set for the state of Maryland in recent months, one of which is a first: a yellowedge grouper. The state has never had a yellowedge grouper record in the past, but then angler Jian Feng Li brought in a 38-pounder caught in Poormans Canyon. The world record yellowedge is 48.6 pounds, and the state judged Li’s fish impressive enough to qualify as the first recorded state record for the species. In a strange quirk of fishing fate, just three days earlier angler London Anthony cranked up a 20.6-pound blueline tilefish—also at the Poormans. That bested the old 20-pound record by over half a pound, earning Anthony his place in the record books.
Enter for Evan
The Evan Foundation fall rockfish tournament starts November 1, and runs through the entire month. Anyone can join in via the iAngler app, where all entries will be made, with prizes awarded by fish length. Proceeds go to the Evan Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting neuroblastoma research and oncology patients at the Children’s National Hospital. Visit annapolisanglersclub.com to learn more.
# Maryland has an all-new record, this one for yellowedge grouper.
Photo by Gary Tyler, MD DNR
With Honda Marine’s Dive Into Fall sales event, we’ve got you covered.
Take the joy of boating to the next
with a
Marine outboard. The redesigned BF115-150 range, including the BF140, features Honda’s VTEC® Technology* for a flatter torque curve and smooth power delivery, BLAST™ for explosive hole shots, Lean Burn Control for leaner airto-fuel mixture and increased fuel efficiency, and Honda’s Intelligent Shift & Throttle® (iST®) drive-by-wire system for plug-andplay installation of Honda Marine and 3rd party devices. iST® offers effortless, finetuned throttle control, enhanced docking,
Get our standard 5 year True 5 warranty, plus an additional 2 years HondaCare Protection Plan – for 7 years of Honda protection!
Fish For a Cure! Fish For a Cure!
November is here, Chesapeake anglers, and you all know what that means: it’s time for Fish For a Cure. As usual, Team FishTalk/ PropTalk will compete in this one-ofa-kind event, and we invite everyone to do the same. This year’s tournament will be held on Saturday, November 9, with fishing taking place from 6 a.m. through 4 p.m. It’s a catch and release event with prizes awarded for the longest rockfish stringer of three fish (per team), the longest stringer of five perch, the longest stringer of three invasive species including catfish and/ or snakeheads, and the longest “Grand Slam” of three different sportfish.
Receive 24 months of HondaCare Protection at no additional cost with the purchase of any new 25hp – 250hp Honda Marine outboard, September 13 through November 30th, 2024.* It’s a value of up to $2320! Only at participating dealers.
Re-engineered Honda Marine BF115/140/150 Outboards With i ST®
Act now and receive 2.99% financing on all motors. Qualified customers through AHFC and only at participating dealers
The BF115-150 range is available with i ST® which integrates with Honda Marine and 3rd party products, bringing the precision of advanced, user-friendly technology to your boating experience.
The fishing is fun, but the real purpose of this tournament is to help cancer patients at the Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Geaton and JoAnne DeCesaris Cancer Institute. All of the funds raised by tournament participants go to this cause, for which Fish For a Cure has now raised more than $5 million. If you’ve been reading FishTalk, you’ve probably already picked up on the fact that we’re big supporters of this event, and with good reason—cancer touches just about all of us in one way or another sooner or later, and these patients need our support. We’ve spoken with them, we’ve seen firsthand the impact this angling event has on people who are battling for their lives, and we hope that everyone reading this will put down the magazine right now, go to the computer, visit fishforacure. org, and sign up a new team.
Teams may compete to catch fish, but the real competition is in the Paul C. Dettor Captain’s Challenge where each team raises donations for the cause. Winners in that category not only get bragging rights, but they also get to go fishing knowing they’ve accomplished something critically important for people in a time of need. Added bonus: the Shore Party that follows the tournament at Safe Harbor Marina is not to be missed!
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.
Artistic Angling
Ready for some arts and crafts? Treat the kids to some fishingish fun when it’s raining outside or the wind is blowing, with a Create-A-Lure kit. We discovered these at this year’s ICAST fishing tackle show, where the Create-A-Lure won a New Product Showcase award for Best Kid’s Tackle. These kits include unpainted lures, waterproof paint and brushes, and rigging hardware. Kids can paint up whatever patterns they like to fool those fish, mom or dad can help attach the hooks, and the next time the sun’s shining and the waters are calm those tykes can try casting with their own handpainted lures. Price: $19.99 to 39.99 (kits with two to six lures are available). Visit northernlightstoys.com to learn more.
Bet on the Alpha
Drawing a Blank
By Zach Ditmars
LABy Eric Packard
ooking for that four season non-slip deck boot? Then the Lacrosse Alpha Deck Boot is a top pick. Its Air-Circ liner system, which regulates temperature, makes this the perfect all around, all season, wear anywhere boot. Quick-drying mesh circulates air inside the boot when you walk, keeping your feet cooler, drier, and ultimately more comfortable. These boots are made with hand-laid premium natural rubber over insulating neoprene for durability, flexibility, and complete waterproof protection. The slip-resistant outsole is designed to provide traction in the wet test environments and the kick-off heel plate allows for easy hands-free removal. You can dial in your perfect fit with half-size, regular, and wide-width options. Do they live up to their standards? You bet they do! Price: $120. Find them at lacrossefootwear.com
s one of my dad’s favorite brands of the 1980s, I spent many days of my youth casting for perch with his Fenwick Eagle rods. It has been some time since I fished with a Fenwick until recently the new Elite seven-foot medium-fast spinning rod landed in my hands. I paired it with my favorite 3000 size reel spooled up with 20-pound braid and hit the water. The intelligently designed reel seat and multi-material grip is extremely comfortable to hold, and the soft rod butt is forgiving when fighting a fish. This inshore rod has titanium guide frames and shows no signs of corrosion after months of use in salty conditions. The fast action and high sensitivity of the blended graphite blank has proved effective in making strong hook-sets while casting for reds and specks, as well as jigging up rockfish. While fishing on the Patuxent FishTalk intern Adam Greenberg doubled this rod over to wrangle in a 40-pound blue catfish, so it has the backbone to handle some serious fish. So, I ask myself, why have a waited so long to pick up a Fenwick again? I surely plan to add a few more Elites to my arsenal. Price: $269.95. Visit fenwickfishing.com to check it out.
Mad for the Scad
This past season the cobia in Chesapeake Bay often turned up their noses at the usual offerings, but they slammed twitchbaits with abandon. A big cobia, however, has the muscle to obliterate the average cheaply built model. After a season of casting the Nomad Madscad, I have zero doubt that this heavy-duty twitch-machine will live through not
only cobia, but any beefy or toothy predator right up to and including tunas. At 4.5” long and 1.5 ounces, it casts a mile and sinks a little less than a foot a second. The Madscad produces an enticing wiggle with intermittent flash as you retrieve, and the 5X 3/0 BKK Diablo single hooks show no signs of rust
Sensible Shades
By Zach Ditmars
You can never have too many pairs of sunglasses. For me they tend to walk off faster than the California Angels after a Nolan Ryan no-hitter. The Timberland TB00003 Earthkeeper Sunglasses lightweight frame is manufactured with 80-percent Bio Based plastic. At first glance the frame appeared to be black, but a closer look revealed it’s actually translucent blue. The polarized smoke lenses enable your vision to cut through the glare of the water’s surface and wearing these, I was able to effectively spot grass beds to cast for rockfish and reds. For an affordable pair of polarized lenses that will not break the bank, these Timberland shades are a great option. Price: $60 to $80. They aren’t on Timberland’s website (?) but you can find ‘em all over the web.
after multiple uses in water as briny as it gets. If there’s a beefier twitchbait on the market, we haven’t seen it. Price: $17.99. Visit nomadtackle.com to become a cobia’s nightmare.
Axiom Addendum
One of the great things about today’s MFDs is that you don’t have to buy a new one to get in on some of the latest and greatest new features— all it takes is a software update. Case in point is Raymarine’s new LightHouse 4.7 software update for Axiom users. New features for finding fish include a bottom-tracking zoom mode with a streamlined magnification window that’s easier to view and move, and the ability to enter a “GoTo” destination waypoint directly from the fishfinder screen via a long press on the target. Anglers will also appreciate the new Smart Drift feature, which takes
the guesswork out of drift fishing. Select a spot via the chartplotter or sonar history, and Smart Drift will create a vector line and starting location after taking precise measurements of the wind and current’s effects on the boat. Power-Pole users get a bonus with Lighthouse
L4.7, too, as the Axiom can now be used to control both pole anchors and Power-Pole Move electric trolling motors via a slide-out sidebar on the screen. Price: free (FREE! FREE!) for Raymarine Axiom users. Visit raymarine.com to learn more or begin your software update.
End the OUCH
By Kaylie Jasinski
augh all you want, but I have had my fair share of bruised hips over the years after reeling in large fish. (Editor’s note: believe it—Fish Crushin’ Kaylie catches some dang big fish!!) Unless you’re wearing a sportfishing belt, there’s nowhere for the rod butt to go except against your stomach or on your hip. After fighting large catfish and cobia this season, my fellow FishTalker, Zach Ditmars, suggested I try the Luna Sea All Species Cush-it Floating Rod Butt Cushion. The Cush-it has a tapered interior that will fit and grip almost any size rod butt; it’s seven inches long and the shaft is two inches in diameter (with the bulbous exterior diameter of 3-1/4 inches). It’s lightweight, durable, doesn’t slip or twist during battle, is UV and saltwater resistant, and EPA free. It also floats! And best of all, after reeling in my PB bull red drum recently at Kiptopeke, VA—clocking in at 42.5 inches—I was bruise free. I kept the Cush-it handy while fishing and when that bull started running, it took no time at all for a fellow angler to slip it onto my rod butt. Prices vary, but generally around $24.95 at online retailers such as West Marine. See it at lunaseasports.com.
Pride for the Expride
On a recent trip casting into the shallows for rockfish and reds we had the chance to handle a Shimano Expride B EXS68MB. This is a 6’8” rod with an extra-fast-action tip and a carbon monocoque handle, which increases vibration transfer through the rod and into your hands to the tune of 30 percent more sensitivity. The reel seat is a CI4+, guides are Fuji SiC, and the backbone is made with Shimano’s Hi-Power X construction. So, what did we think? It’s rare to toss a quarter-ounce jighead on a medium-power rod and still be able to feel the jig ticking bottom even at maximum casting distance, but this one made it happen—in a cross-breeze. If you want insane sensitivity paired with the power to handle over-slot stripers the Expride B does the trick. Price: $279. Visit fish.shimano.com to learn more.
Gotham City Special
Variety is the spice of life for us, so it should be for the fish, too… right? If you think throwing something entirely different from their normal diet might generate frenzied strikes, consider picking up a Hunthouse Bionic 3D Bat Lure Floating Surface Wobbler. Yes, the name is a mouthful, but hopefully those change-craving fish will find the lure to be a serious mouthful of temptation. This 3.5” bat replica has a pair of spring-loaded wings that pulse back and forth as the lure moves through the water. To mimic the way bats naturally swim. Because they go swimming all the time. And fish love to eat bats. Whatever. Price: $5.99. Find it on the great and awesome internets, if you must.
36543 Lighthouse Rd, Selbyville, DE northbaymarina.com
Marine | 302.389.0100 49 Artisan Dr, Smyrna, DE carlislesmarine.com
Q: What’s your go-to offering when you spot fish of mixed species breaking water? And what about if you spot single-species schools of rockfish, versus blues or Spanish mackerel?
A: I’m throwing a 1-1/8 or 1-1/2oz Stingsilvers with a single 3/O hook. I prefer a 1-1/4oz Hogy Epoxy Jig for Spanish mackerel, but do not like losing them to the Big Blues. I like the longer four-inch profile for toothy critters to help prevent bite-offs.
Q: What’s your standard rod/reel/ line setup?
A: For mixed breaking fish I am using a Backyard Custom MH 6’6” Fast Action with a Diawa Fuego 3000 Reel, 15-pound braid, and 40-pound mono leader. I prefer 25-pound for the Spanish mackerel but we always have to be prepared for the big blues.
Q: What’s the best way to approach a school of fish on the surface without busting them up? Let’s just pretend for the sake of argument there aren’t 20 other boats racing over the first time three birds come within 100 miles of each other.
A: The absolute best way to approach breaking fish is to run straight through them... Kidding! I prefer to back off at 100 yards out (give or take), then approach very softly if possible. Depending on wind, I’ll set up my drift on the up-current side. Concessions must be made depending on other boats and wind direction and speed.
Q: Okay, now let’s say there are 20 other boats rushing around. How does this change your tactics?
A: I like to play this one a little smarter. Being on “The Bad Side” and up north, I am used to fishing around other boats and catching fish. I like to get myself in
position and let all the other boats do the work for me, so everyone else pushes the fish to me. If the boats are rushing in from the north, for example, set up on the south side of the breaking fish. Then when all the other boats charge in, they’ll push the fish in your direction.
Q: Everyone’s had the surprising experience where you see fish breaking water, but don’t get bites. What do you do in this situation to get fish on the line?
This month we speak with Capt. Chuck Jones, of Salty Siren Fishing, about catching fish when they’re breaking water. You can call or text Captain Chuck to book a trip at (410) 353-0589 or visit saltysirenfishing.com. Spring/fall trips are out of White Rocks Marina in the Upper Bay, and summer/winter depart from Drury’s in Ridge.
A: Unfortunately, with breaking fish you don’t always get a lot of time to figure things out. They may only be up and breaking for a short period of time. My immediate go-to is changing up my technique. Rather than ripping across the top, I may vary my retrieval speed, or snap-jig. The only correct way to do it is what catches fish.
Q: We can spot fish with our eyes, but do you use your electronics to help find more/bigger/better even when they’re breaking? If so, how?
A: Absolutely, I run my side scan out 300’ until I find life. Then I will halve that distance as I close in on what looks like good opportunities.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake you see people make when they’re trying to catch fish in a breaking situation (on your boat, or on other boats)?
A: Coming in hot!
Q: Open Mic - if you could say anything to all the anglers out there, what would it be?
A: Have FUN, enjoy the learning process and the challenge, and be courteous to others. Also, you would be shocked at how much information you will learn on a guided fishing trip. If you haven’t gone, don’t miss out and book a trip. Support your local guides.
# Capt. Chuck Jones, of Salty Siren Fishing.
November
through Nov 2
ghost ship - get shipwrecked on the John W. Brown
Once adrift throughout the oceans of the world, the ghost ship is now tied on Pier 13 in Baltimore, MD, and waiting for you!
Aboard the Liberty Ship SS John W. Brown. Opens at 7:30 p.m., last tickets sold at 10 p.m. This event is open for children 12 years or above and supervised at all times. Tickets: $35 at ssjohnwbrown.org
2 eastport tug of War
At the crack o’ noon on the Spa Creek Bridge. The longest international Tug of War over water in the world! All funds raised benefit various charitable organizations in the Annapolis area.
2 fsff monthly fly tying 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville Family Rec Center. Join FSFF as one of its members instructs how to tie a couple of fly patterns and demonstrates proper tying techniques. All materials will be provided. Please bring your vise and tying tools if you have them. Questions: rybeer@gmail.com
2 madness on the marshyhope Invasive catfish tournament and food festival at Federalsburg Marina and Recreational Park in Federalsburg, MD. Target species: blue catfish and northern snakehead. Sign up to volunteer for the day with CCA at ccamd.org register for the tournament.
4
cca reef ball build 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. at Mutual Elementary School in Port Republic, MD. RSVP to volunteer with CCA MD!
6
cca reef ball build
9:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. Leonard Elementary in St. Leonard, MD. RSVP to volunteer with CCA MD!
6
fsff monthly meeting
7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers Clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville, MD, Family Rec. Center. Speaker: Joe Bruce. Questions: rybeer@gmail.com
8 the guns of css Virginia 12 to 1 p.m. at the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, VA. The Confederate ironclad that fought in Hampton Roads on March 8-9, 1862, had a mixed armament of shell guns, rifled guns, hot shot guns, howitzers, and a ram. Free for museum members, included in $1 admission. Also livestreamed and free to watch online.
8-10 easton Waterfowl festival
For three days, discover the best of local wildlife, nature, art, heritage, food, and fun at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD.
for more details and links to event websites, visit fishtalkmag.com/ calendar
9 fish for a cure
F4AC is a fishing and fundraising competition that supports the Cancer Survivorship Program at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute. The 18th annual tournament, Paul C. Dettor Captain’s Challenge, and Shore Party (5-9 p.m.) will take place at Safe Harbor Annapolis. Shore Party tickets cost $150 per person for those not in the tournament. Donate or register by Oct. 30 at fishforacure.org
13
cca angler’s Night out 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Old Town Pub in Leonardtown, MD. Speaker: Dr. Reid Nelson on fish tagging in the Patuxent River. Free and open to the public. Gather at 5:30 p.m., talk at 6 p.m. followed by a Q&A.
13
cca baltimore chapter happy hour
People’s Pint Night 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore, MD. $1 of every pint or burger sold goes directly to CCA Maryland. Bring a friend!
13
frederick saltwater anglers monthly meeting
Food starts at 6 p.m. followed by meeting at 7 p.m. at 289 Willowdale Drive, Frederick, MD 21702. Each meeting has a speaker, vendor, prize raffle, and 50/50.
15
cca reef ball build 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Barstow Elementary School in Prince Frederick, MD. RSVP to volunteer with CCA MD!
November (continued)
16 fsff hands-on session
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers Clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville, MD, Family Rec. Center. Club member Jim Del Bovi is going to address kayak fishing safety in tidal waters. Questions: rybeer@gmail.com
16 Yorktown market Daysharvest festival
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown, VA. Kids young and old will enjoy this autumn extravaganza, which features a live animal show, petting zoo, balloon art, inflatable axe throwing, hay rides, and a pie eating contest. Purchase holiday staples like turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, cornbread, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie. Local jewelers, painters, and photographers will also be selling their holiday handiwork. Free.
18
cca reef ball build
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Calvert Elementary School in Prince Frederick, MD. RSVP to volunteer with CCA MD!
20 annapolis anglers club monthly meeting
Speaker, food and drink, table raffle, and 50/50. Food starts at 6pm, followed by meeting at 7pm. American Legion Post 7, Crownsville Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD. The event highlights artisans and craftspeople who come from near and far to exhibit and sell coastal and sea-glass related jewelry, home decor, art, and more. Tickets: $10 for members, $22 for non-members.
30 middle river lighted boat Parade
The Mid-Atlantic’s largest lighted boat parade and almost the largest in the US! In Middle River, MD. To register, text name, address, and boat type to (410) 463-2686. Gift cards worth more than $300 for every captain!
30
rrYc lights on the creek lighted boat Parade
Hosted by the Rappahannock River Yacht Club (RRYC) on Carters Creek in Irvington, VA. Parade forms at 5:30 p.m. near Custom Yacht Service on the eastern branch of Carters Creek. RRYC will be open to the public to watch the parade and will host a post-parade party at 7 p.m. Prizes. The parade is open to any type or size of boat.
December
5
cca greater baltimore chapter banquet
6 to 9:30 p.m. at Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore, MD. Food, drinks, oysters, raffles, silent and live auctions. This fundraising dinner directly supports CCA Maryland’s focus on ensuring the health of our marine resources and anglers’ access to them, and our objective to conserve, promote, and enhance our marine resources for the benefit of the general public.
7
chesapeake city lighted boat Parade
The third annual Bohemia River Boaters Lighted Boat Parade. 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Chesapeake City, MD. Watch it from Pell Gardens, Bayard House, Schaefer’s Canal House, and the Chesapeake Inn. Boats will be running down the C&D Canal headed into the basin at approximately 5:30 p.m. Come join the fun, and please bring a few can goods to donate towards the local church’s food cupboard.
7 fsff monthly fly tying 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Free State Fly Fishers clubhouse (behind Ford Hall) at the Davidsonville Family Rec Center. Join FSFF as one of its members instructs how to tie a couple of fly patterns and demonstrates proper tying techniques. All materials will be provided. Please bring your vise and tying tools if you have them. Questions: rybeer@gmail.com
7
chesapeake city lighted boat Parade
Boats will cruise past the Old Town Alexandria Waterfront starting at 5:30 p.m. The Boat Parade is complemented by dockside festivities held in Waterfront Park. Register early! The number of participants is limited and fills up fast.
7 cambridge-Dorchester county christmas Parade
Lineup at 4 p.m., parade at 5 p.m. Once hailed as the ‘largest nighttime parade,’ the event continues each year as a timeless tradition throughout the decades.
7 Yorktown lighted boat Parade 6 to 8 p.m. in Yorktown, VA.
Pre-parade festivities start at 6 p.m. and include caroling around illuminated braziers, a musical performance by the Fifes and Drums of York Town, and complimentary hot cider. At 7 p.m. the boats will finish out the evening as they make their way down the river in a dazzling show of lights.
11 frederick saltwater anglers monthly meeting
Food starts at 6 p.m. followed by a meeting at 7 p.m. at 289 Willowdale Drive, Frederick, MD 21702. Each meeting has a speaker, vendor, prize raffle, and 50/50.
13-15 easton Waterfowl festival
Events throughout the town of St. Michaels, MD, including a lighted boat parade Saturday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.
14 eastport Yacht club lights Parade
A beloved Annapolis tradition! 6 to 8 p.m. The Spa Creek Bridge will be closed to vehicles crossing between downtown Annapolis and Eastport periodically from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Find a map of the route and viewing locations online.
15 Deale’s annual Parade of lights
Save the date! And stay tuned for more details on the event Facebook page.
# Sean, Craig, and v ince enjoyed Middle Bay multi-species action late this summer.
# ellis caught this surprise flounder off Holland Point.
# Dax has a new friend!
# Lexi cast into Stoney Creek and came up with this fine spot.
Yes,
# austin’s first surf shark! austin’s first surf shark!
# Skip was surf fishing in ocean City with his son Connor, when he caught his first… cobia?
cobia!
# alexander and Gavin had an awesome time chunking at the inshore bass pots.
# William got in on an early crappie bite before the heat of the day set in.
# austin caught his first red drum while fishing with his dad Tony in annapolis.
# Gareth tied into this beautiful snakehead while fishing a swimbait near the Flats.
# Morgan and alex found the Upper Bay night-bite.
# Kristen continued her tradition of out-fishing Casey, pulling up this upper slot rock in the Patuxent.
# Ryan found a Middle Bay ribbon this summer.
# Krissy got it done at the aTT Barge.
# Jim tied into a 40-pounder on the Flats this summer.
# Noah and Daniel found some flounder swimming around in the bay behind oC.
# Josh went fishing with apex Predators and came home happy – very happy!
# Kendall went fishing with Pop Pop, and tugged on this 21-incher.
# Matthew caught this just-under cobia just north of the Potomac.
# Scott tied into this monster bull off Tangier Island.
# Silas encountered catfish and megaperch fishing with Fishbites near Worton Point.
# Dave, Sean, and Ryan found the Spanish and got ‘em on G- eye Rain Minnow.
# The Choptank reds were biting for Herb this summer.
# David and Dawn caught their first fish – both bluegills – at Prettyboy Reservoir. WTG David and Dawn!
# Chris, Gary, Bob, Barry, and Dave had a heck of a productive trip for blues and Spanish mackerel on the Fish Redeemer.
# alden enjoyed a late summer afternoon trip on the Little Choptank.
# The Baileys went to alaska and caught a very different variety of fish than usual.
# Julian reeled up this nice Spanish mackerel trolling near the mouth of the Patuxent River.
# Bill was on the Never E Nuff fishing near the Target Ship when this bruiser struck.
Hot New Fishboats
By Lenny Rudow
NorthCoast 415 HT: Beauty and the Beast
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and some boats that look great from afar turn out to be utterly incapable once you shove off the dock. But on rare occasions when you get your first peek at a boat the initial impressions turn out to be right. Such was the case when I got my first gander at the NorthCoast 415 HT. This boat looks beefy and brawny, and it is from the oversized bow and grab rails to the foam-cored composite string-
# There’s room for plenty of anglers in that mega-monster cockpit.
er grid. It also looks sensible and straightforward, traits we confirmed while casting from the 102-square-foot cockpit and sitting at the simple but elegant dinette. It looks comfortable, too, which was verified when plying the waters of Eastern Bay— roll-free thanks to a Seakeeper and while being bathed in air conditioning.
But looks can also be deceiving. And looking at the 415 HT from the bow or sides you’d never expect that this bodacious beast can blast across the Bay at
speeds in excess of 55 mph. (Looking at the stern of the boat, of course, the quad F300 Yamahas are a bit of a giveaway). But we didn’t just look at those outboards, we also wound them up and put them through their paces. In the 4000 rpm range cruising speeds sit in the low to mid 30s, but the boat really seems to be happiest when you give it a bit more throttle and run in the 4500- to 4600-
Q U i C k F ACTS
LOA: 46’1”
Beam: 12’11”
Displacement: 26,674 lbs.
Draft (max.): 3’7”
Transom Deadrise: 24 degrees
Fuel Capacity: 612 gal.
Water Capacity: 100 gal.
Max. Power: 1200 hp
A REA D EA l ERS
The Pocket Yacht Company, Grasonville, MD, (888) 519-9120 or pocketyachtco.com
rpm range. Speeds rise up into the low 40s, the 24-degree deadrise deep-V hull eats through the chop, and the Zipwakes dynamic trim control keeps the boat level and on an even keel.
Another thing you won’t figure out by merely looking at this boat is just how much nautical knowledge goes into its construction. NorthCoast has been building fishing boats for decades, and while the 415 HT is the largest boat they’ve ever built, throughout it you can see nuggets of know-how that only come with years and years of experience. A great example can be found in the cockpit tackle station. The drawers face aft, which on some boats can prove problematic. If the tackle station door is left open and the captain hits the throttles, those drawers can slide open and send your snippers and rigging floss flying. On this boat, however, the drawers only slide open if you lift and pull over a detent. So the next time your cousin Bubba forgets to close the tackle station
door, there won’t be a disaster. Another example is seen in the machinery room, where the through-hulls are marked so there will never be any confusion about which system they feed, connections are secured with double hose clamps, and the wires and plumbing are neatly run and loomed.
On the fishing front the 415 HT is armed for serious business whether you’re headed offshore or for the Eastern Shore. There are two 29-gallon livewells in the transom, a pair of 75-gallon fishboxes in the deck, five flush-mount rodholders, coaming bolsters around the cockpit, and both fresh and raw water washdowns. Our test boat also had the cockpit pedestal rocket launcher/rigging station and Rupp outriggers, the only optional equipment on the boat, and you can add a rack of hard top rocket launchers as well. Fish-finding acuity comes in the form of two Raymarine Axiom 2XL 19” MFDs with CHIRP DownVision and SideVision sonar.
That’s some heavy-hitting electronics to include as standard equipment, but NorthCoast goes well beyond providing you with fishfinders. A Cyclone Pro 110-watt open array radar, AIS, and an AR200 sensor/video stabilization module/Attitude and Heading Reference System are also part of the package. That enables the use of Raymarine’s ClearCruise Augmented Reality in concert with the FLIR M364C multispectral combined thermal/low light HD camera. Those Axioms are also your user interface with the boat’s systems, since the 415 HT is a digital-switching boat.
Wait a sec—at first glance, the traditional lines of this boat certainly didn’t hint at the fact that it’s also loaded to the gills with the latest tech. Hmmm, maybe you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover after all. But if your eyes tell you that the 415 HT is going to make you the envy of the marina whether you’re offloading a bluefin or loafing like a blueblood, well, we’re not going to argue with you.
Bayliner T23 Pilothouse: s’no Problem
Winter trophy stripers have been on a rampage and you want in on that action, but it just happens to be snowing at the moment? You’ll have to be prepared for a very tough day if you step aboard a center console—or you could jump on a boat like the new Bayliner T23 Pilothouse and cruise out there in comfort.
The T23 and its sistership, the larger T25 Pilothouse, mark Bayliner’s return to the cabin boat market (you can see our video of the T25 at FishTalk’s YouTube channel). The T23’s helmdeck is 100-percent enclosed for full weather protection, but on sunnier days you can open the side doors on each side of the pilothouse as well as the aft door and sunroof to let in a fresh breeze. Those side doors also give you instant access to the deep side-decks, which are ringed with tall bowrails. That makes it safe and easy to make your way forward and cast from the bow.
Q U i C k F ACTS
LOA: 23’7”
Beam: 8’6”
Displacement: 4,071 lbs
Draft: 3’0”
Transom Deadrise: 17 deg
Fuel Capacity: 51 gal
Max Power : 225 hp
AREA DEA l ER
Riverside Marine, essex, MD, (410) 686-1500 or riversideboats.com
Naturally, more often you’ll be casting from the cockpit. And assuming the boat’s rigged with the Fish Pack (how could it not be?!) back there you’ll find four gunwale rodholders, a pair of 30-gallon fishboxes with pump-outs in the deck, a raw water washdown, port and starboard toe rails, and a fishing station with a 10-gallon livewell. Four more rods can sit in the rack of hard top rocket launchers, and there are racks under the gunwales as well. And with that fishing station centered in the transom you get walkthrough doors to the swim platform on either side. The best part about the cockpit for fishermen, of course, is the wide-open space. Cockpit seating is the flip-down variety which folds completely out of the way, and the available dinette table pops right out of the pedestal base for stowage when you’re ready to cast.
right around 40 mph. What might raise an eyebrow or two is fuel economy, which checks in at about 2.9 mpg at cruise. Even at WOT economy never drops below two mpg.
On a 23-footer you can’t expect a huge cabin, but Bayliner takes full advantage of the available space. There’s room for a forward berth and portable MSD plus stowage in the lower cabin, while the upper area boasts helm and passenger’s chairs and a mini-galley of sorts with a sink and stowage plus the option for a refrigerator.
The T23 Pilothouse is available with a Mercury V6 in 175 or 225 hp. In both cases VesselView Mobile and Mercury Active Trim are part of the mix. With max power you can look for a 4500-rpm cruise in the 30-mph range and a top-end
The T23 Pilothouse also has a few unexpected perks that will make those days on the Bay even more enjoyable, regardless of whether you’re chasing monster stripers in the middle of the winter or reds and specks in the middle of the summer. A four-speaker Fusion stereo system includes a pair of speakers integrated into the back of the hard top, there’s a 12-V outlet at the helm, stock steering is tilt, there’s a cargo rack on the hard-top, and fender holders are integrated into the bowrails. If you want to make dockside handling a breeze you can also opt for a bow thruster, and if hauling anchor via the standard pulpit and roller doesn’t sound like much fun there’s an option for a windlass.
Those big fish are in town and now’s your chance to catch the trophy of a lifetime, but zillions of tiny white flakes are falling? Fear not, dear angler—sitting in the cabin of the T23 Pilothouse you’ll be saying it’s s’no problem.
Extreme Game king: Transom?
Leave it to the folks in Whakatane (that’s a town in New Zealand, for those of you who aren’t as well-traveled as we are… or have Google) to come up with a boat like the Extreme Game King. Rather than a transom this boat has railings aft and an angling platform extending back over the water. We think it would be pretty darn cool, too, especially if we could figure out how big the boat is (no, we’re not going to do all those pesky metric conversions). What’s really interesting is that you can actually find one for sale a little closer to home than New Zealand, in a country called Ohio. Power comes via a Volvo D6 stern drive and wow, just look at all those rocket launchers. Price: Not disclosed. Visit boattrader.com for more info.
Transom?
Fishing for Invasives Tips for a Full Dinner Plate
By Staff
We’ve all heard of the big three: blue catfish, flathead catfish, and snakeheads. All of these formerly foreign species can be found throughout Chesapeake Country, all offer intense angling opportunities, and all have loose regulations and high populations — making them an attractive target for fast action and a full dinner plate. Which will you go for? That’s your call. But to help make your endeavor a successful one we’ve wrangled up three top tips for each of these invaders.
Blue Catfish
Blue cats are often thought of as a trophy fish in many areas of Virginia, and the James River in particular is considered a worldclass fishery. But since escaping the river’s confines they’ve spread to virtually every Chesapeake tributary and in many areas to the north have become a serious threat to native fish, crabs, and clams. Don’t feel one bit bad about taking home a stringer full of them and remember that this species, unlike some catfish, has a firm white meat that’s excellent on the dinner plate.
1 Elevated Attitude
Yes, these are catfish, but blues spend more time roaming upper areas of the water column than most of their cousins. While fishing baits on bottom may account for the bulk of the bites you’ll get, there will be times and situations (depending on factors like what they’re feeding on, currents and tides, or weather) when baits sitting static on bottom will be ignored — yet baits a few feet up get slammed. If you’re not enjoying much action try fishing a bait on a float rig and see if that changes the game.
2 Fresh Thinking
Work hard to get fresh bait as opposed to frozen. You’ll notice that frozen baits will sometimes get bumped then rejected, while the fresh stuff gets inhaled. If frozen bait is all you have readily available, come armed with a small rod and a few panfish rigs. Then try to catch a sunfish or perch to cut up on the spot.
3 Listen to the Chatter
Another way blues differ from their brethren is that in some scenarios they’ll readily take lures. Chatterbaits in particular tend to draw their attention. Often in tidal creeks these seem to do the trick, and many kayak anglers have discovered that slow-trolling chatters can be deadly.
# Rich tied into this big blue in the lower Susquehanna.
Flathead Catfish
Flatheads get enormous and put up a battle to rival any river monster, but remember that they inhabit a very specific niche. To find decent numbers stick to rocky riverine areas and fresher venues than you would for other invasive species in Bay tributaries.
1 Stayin’ Alive
Serious flathead sharpies eschew using frozen or cut bait, and instead offer up live fish. Bluegill and sunfish are considered the top choice. If they aren’t struggling they get replaced with a bait that’s lively and kicking.
2 Snag Happy
Flatheads like gobs of structure to hide in and around. Trees sitting in holes, logjams, and big boulders are prime suspects. Yes, fishing around this stuff increases the chances of getting snagged, but you’ve got to pay to play. Cast in close, crank down the drag, and try to force the fish out of the snaggy environ before it can foul the line.
3 Midnight Delight
If you want to catch the real mega-mouths, head out as the sun is sinking below the horizon. You can catch flatheads during broad daylight but there’s no doubt they bite best—especially the giant ones—after the sun has set beneath the horizon. Get some of those fluorescent rods that are visible in the dark or clip a small cyalume light stick to the end of the rod so you can see when the tip jiggles, and plan on staying out late.
Snakeheads
The snakehead craze has inflicted countless anglers in our area, driving new legions of kayak, small boat, and shoreline anglers to hotspots all across Chesapeake Country. And considering how fun these fish are to catch, how awesome they taste, and how vigorously they smash a topwater lure, their newfound popularity is no wonder. True, snakehead season is about to wind down as we publish this edition, but in truth these fish can be caught every month of the year and as fall sets in you can still enjoy some serious snakehead action.
1 Play the Day
As waters cool off remember that snakehead will vary their depth on a day-to-day basis. One sunny day they may be up on the shoreline basking in the heat, but after a chilly night or when cloud cover moves in expect them to shift to channels and holes with deeper waters. The key to catching snakeheads during this time of transition is often to pay attention to two- to three-day weather patterns and the changes they entail.
2 Afternoon Delight
In cool weather stick with late afternoon angling, when the heat of the day is peaking. Yes, these fish will feed even when it gets cold, but the more they warm up the more active they become. This is a time and a species where 3:30 p.m. is likely to be far, far better than fishing the sunrise.
3 Bucket of Joy
Some anglers like to fish with artificials only, and that’s great, but snakehead are suckers for plain old bull minnow suspended under a bobber. These may not be the best choice when snakeheads are in ubershallow-uber-thick cover, but they’re hard to beat when the fish are found in several feet of water along channels and edges.
Remember, anglers, if you want to put the bead on any one of these species in specific head for FishTalkMag. com and plug their name into the search box. We’ve covered the particulars for each ranging from beginner level to expert — and it’s a fair bet that anglers who do their homework and focus their efforts will soon be enjoying bent rods and full dinner plates.
# Snakeheads in chilly temps? Jonathan says yes, you can! Photo courtesy of eric Packard.
# Nighttime is the right time for monster flatheads—a principal Christopher applied with great effect.
Three Last Oceanic Blasts
Don’t winterize that boat just yet—there’s still a shot at epic oceanic action in 2024.
By Staff
You think that just because the leaves are falling off the trees and the days are growing shorter the offshore season of 2024 has drawn to an end? Balderdash! Raise your hand if you heard about swordfish hitting the docks last November, the epic bluefin action that cranked up early last December, or the nonstop bottom fishing action that capped off the calendar year. Now raise your other hand (after laying FishTalk gently on your lap, of course) if you had already winterized your boat, and had to read all those reports while gritting your teeth in frustration. Sure, you’ll want to empty freshwater tanks and leave the outboard tilted all the way down so it drains completely, but for gosh sakes, leave that winter cover in the garage where it belongs for another month or two.
SWORDFISH action along our coast commonly peaks this month, and while the bite does vary from year to year, November is when it’s possible to get doubledigit bites in a single day. Deep dropping for swords is a very involved process with relatively complex rigging and techniques, but any competent angler can make it happen. Check out
“Daytime Swordfish Deep Dropping” at FishTalkMag.com to get the detailed lowdown, and in the meantime, remember these tips:
1 Stick with rugged offerings like rigged eels or strip baits. Oldschool squid does get lots of bites, but squid is easily shredded and reeling in from 1500’ to check a bait after a missed strike is no fun at all.
2 Check the temp charts and look for areas where breaks intersect with edges in the 1200’ to 2000’ zone.
3 If you’re a pro you’ll probably set out a buoy line, but if you are relatively new to the game
stick with a single swording stick. Over-complexifying an already complex maneuver is a recipe for day-ending tangles.
BLUEFIN TUNA are about as unpredictable as it gets, and last December’s run was certainly unusual—but it has happened before and it could happen again. The fish’s presence was detected first by anglers targeting big ocean-run stripers, who discovered the tuna were in the same
#
Blue and white Ilander. Blue and white Ilander. Blue and white Ilander…
areas as rockfish chowing on big schools of bunker. That’s the clue to look for: mass schools of baitfish. If they show up again…
1 Leave the pea-shooters at home and grab 50s and 80s spooled with heavy braid. It will be tempting to put out some rockfish stuff, but you can bet that’s what a gigantic bluefin will decide to hit—and you’ll be left crying.
2 Keep your eyes peeled for two visual clues you’re in the right area: working birds and the Omega boats. Yeah, we all love to hate ‘em but those boats will be where the biggest concentration of bunker are.
3 Make sure you put out a blue/white Ilander with a horse ballyhoo. For whatever reason, bluefin love chewing on these and it’s one of the alltime best offerings for these fish at just about any time and any place.
SEA BASS may not get anywhere near as big as the other fish we’ve discussed thus far, but there’s no better eating fish in the ocean and this is the time of year when limit catches are most common. If you fish out of Delaware or Maryland give yourself a leg up by joining the Ocean City Reef Foundation (ocreefs. org) and get their chart. In one fell swoop you’ll gain GPS coordinates for more locations than you could fish in an entire season. And on top of that:
1 If the fishing is slow be quick to pull up stakes and move spots, because it’s not unusual to check out several spots with little action then find one where the fish are chewing hard.
#
November, and
2 If you catch dogfish be quick to pull up stakes and move spots. When they take over an area catching other fish can become a tall order and running to a different wreck or reef usually does the trick.
3 You’ll often find there’s more diversity at the wreck and reef sites now than there was in the height of summer, so stick with a versatile bait like peeler crab or squid and you never know what you’ll pull up. You may also want to drift a bit as opposed to anchoring, which will give you a better shot at putting flounder into the box.
Okay people, you know what to do with that winter cover: nothing. You know what to do with that fogging oil: nothing. And you know what to do with that fishing tackle: keep it at the ready. Because if you shut down for the season just because it’s getting a little cold outside, you’ll miss some of the hottest action of the year.
Winterize in
you’re likely to miss out on action like this. Photo courtesy of Steve Schad.
# Fat sea bass like this will beat just about anything when you sit down at the dinner table.
Birds of a feather: feather Jigging for (Sort of) Beginners
By Lenny Rudow
The lost art of feather jigging can work wonders for fall rockfish.
# Note the mono on the reel and hey now, no comments about the hair color!! Remember, this tactic does have a bit of age to it.
The email from David made my jaw drop: had we ever done an article on feather jigging? Well, shoot — nope! Now in our seventh year of publication, with over 500 how-to/where-to fishing features in the history books (and online for your perusal at FishTalkMag.com), somehow, we’ve managed to completely omit feather jigging from the library. OOPS!
In our own defense, not nearly as many people apply the feather jigging tactic these days as they did a few decades ago. Back in the 90s it was more or less the hot thing, and if a dozen boats were fishing around the Bay Bridge rockpiles 10 of them would be tossing feather jigs. Today, it would be surprising if one was. Why? Certainly not because feather jigging stopped working. It’s just as effective today as it ever was. But we anglers are a fickle bunch, moving from one hot lure to the next in our never-ending search to catch more, bigger fish. So, many anglers won’t have heard about this tactic and very few beginners will be familiar with it. In fact, it’s a fair bet that there’s an entire generation of anglers out there who have never tried feather jigging.
That’s a shame, because there are two scenarios in which it may well out-produce whatever else you decide to try. The first is when fish are suspending in relatively deep water and it’s tough to get a lure right in front of them. Whether the fish are constantly on the move or wind and current make it difficult to control lure depth, feather jigging is an ideal move because the presentation goes from the bottom right up to the surface. The second is when rockfish are widely scattered along a tributary channel edge in 15’ to 20’ of water, making it difficult to target them without trolling.
Feather Jig Rigging
The stock-and-trade feather jig rig is a three- or four-inch, quarter- or halfounce feather jig (the kind with a little “popeye” head and chicken feathers tied onto the hook) in chartreuse, yellow, or white, tied to a three-foot leader of 20-pound test. At the other end of the leader tie on a triple-swivel with a dropper clip on the extra swivel eye. Then, clip on a one- to two-ounce dipsy sinker (depending on the depth; an ounce is good to 20 or 25 feet and upsize for deeper water).
Match this rig up with a 12- or 15-pound class rod that has a slowaction tip, mono line on the reel, or both. The motion you’re about to impart using the feather jigging rig requires gear that will absorb slack and give a bit as force is applied and released. You can certainly catch fish using this tactic with braid and fast action, but you’ll find it extremely difficult to keep momentary slack out of the line and will suffer from some missed strikes and tip-wraps as a result.
Finessing a Feather Jig
Once you’re rigged and ready, cast out as far as possible, and allow the rig to sink until it’s sitting on bottom. Then take in slack line, sweep the rod tip up, and then allow it to fall as you crank on the reel. Crank quickly enough to bring in some line as well as maintaining tension while dropping the rod tip. As soon as the tip is parallel with the water’s surface, sweep it up again. Continue retrieving in this fashion with long, slow sweeps of the rod tip, and never stop cranking the reel. The idea is
to make the lure move up through the water column as it’s retrieved with a zigzag that goes up and down, instead of sideways.
The key to effective feather jigging has everything to do with rhythm. Should you be reeling at a pace that allows the lure to sink back down two feet after darting upwards, while traveling five feet forward? Or do you need to slow things up and get a five-foot fall while moving two feet forward? Who knows—this is entirely up to the fish. You need to vary your rhythm until getting a strike, then try to repeat what works. If the fish stop biting, change things up again. Every tidal cycle can be different but once you identify the pump-and-crank rhythm that gets them snapping, you can catch one fish after the next.
Trolling Feather Jigs
This same rig is deadly when fish are scattered along channel edges in the tributary rivers but in this case
instead of casting, slow-troll it at just a couple of mph. Let out enough line that the rig reaches bottom, sweep the tip forward, then let it drop back while maintaining tension. After a few sweeps let out some more line and find bottom again. Depending on the conditions and the size of your weight you may need to let out line several more times, until you can reliably feel the weight touch down as you drop the rod tip back. Set the rod in a holder and you’ll drastically reduce your chances of getting a strike — the fish will want to see that feather jig darting and falling, darting and falling.
Ready to give feather jigging a shot? Your biggest problem now will probably be finding some traditional Chesapeake Bay feather jigs. There are similar offerings to be found online but the real deal is only available at a well-stocked, localminded tackle shop. Find some and give it a shot, however, and there’s a good chance you’ll have a slot rock in the cooler before you know it. And if you happen to see David after catching those fish, be sure to thank him for sending that email.
# The feather jigging rig is simple, and anyone can tie one up in no time.
# The feather jig should dart up then sink down, dart up then sink down, over and over as it makes its way to the surface.
Southern ESVA
The Ca P e Charles boneyard has s T ru CT ure galore.
By Wayne Young
The waters off Cape Charles have collected their share of wrecks and obstructions, most of which offer interesting fishing structure. Immediately east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) at Site 1 on Chart 1 is a 21’ least depth uncharted, low-profile obstruction at coordinates 37’02.622 x 76’02.596. This rectangular feature measures about 75’ by 35’ suggesting a small barge or float. It sits in a scour hole with only low walls showing (see Chart 1 insert). Nearby to the southeast is the more substantial 23’ least-depth wreck of the 65’ tug Columbia at Site 2, coordinates 37’02.303 x 76’02.019 (see Chart 2). Currents across these two features are very strong.
Site 3 marks a 24’ least depth obstruction at coordinates 37’03.595 x 76’02.266, found during a 2009 hydrographic survey. A side-scan sonar image (Chart 1 insert) shows a triangular feature surrounded by a mound suggesting a fabricated object of some type. It rises as much as 16’ above the surrounding bottom, is about 100’ long, and about 50’ wide, thus making it a very solid target.
Site 4 at coordinates 37’04.716 x 76’56.169 is mostly buried and doesn’t have a vessel profile. It’s discussed later in conjunction with Site 11. At Site 5, the Coast Survey records a 100’ derelict vessel at coordinates 37’00.793 x 76’03.158. The entry reads “Wreckage consisted of two large metal boxes, wooden remains of a ship, and a metal pole protruding out of a sand bottom…”
Look for a 38’ least-depth wreck at Site 6 at coordinates 36’58.872 x 75’59.611. A 2000 hydrographic survey described it as “A 30- to 35-meter wooden wreck. Frame and two rails covered with soft corals stand one to two
feet above the sandy bottom.” The insert on Chart 1 suggests that much of the wreck is covered with sediment.
Site 7 marks a 45’ least depth wreck that was discovered during a 2003 hydrographic survey at coordinates 37’59.769 x 75’45.360. It’s broken up and in a scour hole. Site 8 marks a 42’ unidentified wreck at coordinates 37’00.506 x 75’45.774. It’s also broken up and in a scour hole. The 370’ Anglo African, a well- known wreck which grounded in 1909, lies at Site 9 off the southeastern edge of Nautilus Shoal.
When salvage efforts were unsuccessful, the ship was demolished by explosives as a danger to navigation. Broken up wreckage is distributed across about 400’ in four large clusters with a least depth of nine feet at coordinates 37’03.428 x 75’53.959. Just to the northeast, look for a 19’ least depth obstruction at Site 10, coordinates 37’03.620 x 75’53.196. This substantial pile of objects could be lost cargo or perhaps a wreck.
Southeast off Fishermans Island, Site 11 marks a 22’ least depth wreck. Survey-
# Chart 1: Color Shaded Relief image in greyscale of features off Cape Charles in the northern Chesapeake Bay entrance and approach. Screenshots from Noaa Bathymetric Data v iewer. Lower left – Side-scan sonar image of obstruction. Screenshot from NoS DR H12039 (2009).
ors thought this previously uncharted feature was a 123’ steel barge that sank in 1969 to the west. Nothing was found in the reported position, so the NOAA Hydrographer disagreed. The wreck at Site 11 (coordinates 3’05.053 x 75’55.154) measures about 110’ long. With two pointy ends, it could have been a schooner or schooner barge. The previously mentioned feature at Site 4, uncharted and found in 2009, measures about 150’; both features are shown by inserts on Chart 1 and one of these features may be the missing barge. Site 4 seems the better candidate to me based on length and mass. Regardless, each offers fishable structure.
Look for an obstruction at Site 12, one of several uncharted features that’s possibly the wreck of the Brazil, a cargo ship that sank in this general vicinity. This one is broken up and distributed along about 150’ in a scour hole centered at coordinates 37’03.907 x 75’51.956. Site 13 at the southwest end of Nautilus Shoal marks a 23’ least-depth obstruction at coordinates 37’03.451 x 75’49.409. The feature consists of several small objects. Smith Island Shoal (Site 14) is a few miles to the east of the preceding wreck. There are some areas of rough bottom to drift across for flounder.
Those who fish in the Bay entrance and seaward approaches must be careful, and not just because of large ocean swells. Chesapeake Channel picks up naval traffic headed to and from the York River, Baltimore bound ships, and additional commercial traffic. Sites 5 and 6 are adjacent to the seaward entrance to this channel. Most of these ships are very large and recreational boats can quickly disappear from view under the bow or behind superstructure and cargo handling structure on deck. There are also bow and stern wakes to ride out. So, if you’re going to fish in or near shipping channels, give the big guys plenty of room.
#
# Chart 3: Top right –Screenshot from Noaa Bathymetric Data v iewer. Bottom left – Multibeam sonar image. Screenshot from NoS DR H11603 (2007). Bottom right – Multibeam sonar image showing two objects identified by divers as metal boxes. The image shows one of the boxes partially on top of the other. Screenshot from NoS DR H11205 (2006).
# Chart 2: Wreck of the tug Columbia . Top right – Screenshot from Noaa Bathymetric Data v iewer. Bottom left – Side-scan sonar image. Bottom right – Multibeam sonar image. Screenshots from NoS DR H12039 (2009).
Overlooked and Underappreciated
How many times have you driven right by obvious structure without giving it a thought?
By Lenny Rudow
Wherever you fish on Chesapeake Bay and whatever species you hope to catch, when it comes to casting in the shallows, finding fish-attracting structure is often a key to success. And while all structure is not created equal, there’s plenty of stuff we see with our eyes on a regular basis which most of us ignore. Sure we know to cast to stuff like riprap, points, and piers. But what about…
Duck Blinds
If you’re a rockfish, a white perch, or a redfish, do you really care whether those pilings have boards up above or are covered with a big, bushy blind? Of course not. And although many anglers never think to cast to them blinds can be quite bountiful.
For a duck blind to be a good fishing spot all of the usual prerequisites
do apply: the blind needs to be in an area with moving current, sufficiently deep water, and relatively close access to deeper water. Expect that high or incoming water will usually be better than low water. In this case, however, there’s one more requirement and it’s an important one when fishing in the fall—the blind can’t be occupied. If you see a bunch of ducks hanging out
nearby steer clear, because those ducks are decoys.
TIP: Many offshore blinds have a tunnel of sorts on the land side, which is where the duck hunters park their boat. Position yourself so you can cast up inside of that tunnel, placing your lure deep in the structure where the most dominant fish (read: the largest) will often be hanging out.
# FishTalk contributor eric Packard pulled this chunky white perch out from underneath of a duck blind on the South River.
Fixed Channel Markers
We blast by those markers time and again, but if you pull back the throttles and take a cast every few times the results might be magical. Multi-pole markers, in specific, are the ones to look for. That’s not to say a single pole marker isn’t worth a poke or two but far more regularly triples or quads do the trick. And it isn’t just the poles that attract the fish. Where do they put those markers? On channel edges, often where long points that jut out from land drop off into deep water. So fixed markers don’t just represent structure, they represent structure strategically placed in an area that fish frequent in any case.
TIP: Since fixed markers tend to be deeper than other “shallow” water structure, try probing the water column from top to bottom. On the first cast make an immediate retrieve; on the second let your offering fall to mid-depth; on the third let it fall all the way to bottom.
Tributary Oyster Bars
They may be fewer and farther between than they used to be, but all the tributaries from the Magothy south have some remnants at the very least and the farther south you go the more live oysters you’ll find. It’s a fair bet you’ve fished oyster bars with success in the open Bay before, but have you
# Those markers aren’t just structure, they’re structure built on underwater structure.
ever fished bars inside the river? Most anglers never give it a shot—and that’s a shame, because they do often hold fish.
You can encounter just about any species over live bottom, but where these bars really shine is for white perch, spot, croaker, and (more so in days past) weakfish. The next time a breeze has you thinking twice about bottom fishing in the Bay, head for a bar in the river and try drifting across it with a bottom rig and some bits of Fishbites bloodworms.
TIP: If you don’t know where they’re located in any given river, you can locate oyster bars with a quick internet
search. In Maryland and Virginia they’re all mapped and you can locate them online.
Structure is a funny thing and fish are even funnier. Sometimes you’ll spot what looks like a magnificent fish-attracting magnet, fish it hard, and come up with bupkis. Other times you’ll see something that looks mediocre at best, and fill the cooler in the blink of an eye. Just don’t blink when you go past any of these three fish-attractors, because you can expect that any of them can turn out to be unexpectedly good fishing spots—even if you’ve run right past them 1000 times in the past.
#
a view of oyster bars in the Piankatank River. Some quick Googling will get you there.
Three Rockin’ Rockfish Recipes
Baked to perfection, flame-grilled, or steamed in a court-bouillon. We know your mouth is watering already!
By Adam Greenberg
There’s no feeling like that fish-in-the-box feeling. You know what I’m talking about. After waking up at the crack of dawn, falling in the water at the boat ramp, and breaking off your favorite lure on a fish that got wrapped up in a piling, you finally made the magic happen. Nothing matters now but the smile on your face, the wind in your hair, and that slot rockfish in the cooler.
And now, it’s time for dinner. Here are three delicious recipes that showcase different cooking methods for our beloved and tasty Chesapeake Bay rockfish.
Baked Rockfish
This one is a classic. It’s the way my grandfather served me my very first taste of rockfish. The best part about this recipe is how easy it is, not to mention delicious. There is also lots of room for you to put your own creative spin on things and adjust ingredients and flavors as you please. One note, however—while the other two recipes you’ll read today can be applied to fileted or whole fish, this recipe calls for your fish to be kept whole. Not only does this make for a beautiful presentation, but also a more robust flavor. Seasoned to perfection and served over a bed of hearty vegetables, baked rockfish is sure to excite your taste buds.
Ingredients:
• 1 slot rockfish, whole (cleaned and scaled)
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths
• 2 russet potatoes, cut into cubes
• 2 celery stalks, cut into inch-long pieces
• 2 carrots, cut into inch-long pieces
• ⅓ cup of white wine
• ¼ cup of lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 TBSP butter, cut into thin slices
• 1 TBSP salt (or to taste)
• 1 TSP pepper
• 2 TBSP dried oregano
• 1 TBSP dried basil
• 2 TBSP paprika
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set the rack in the top third of the oven.
Line a 9” by 13” baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Coat the entire surface with 1½ TBSP of the olive oil.
Place your fish in the pan. Rub some of the olive oil from the pan on the fish and coat evenly. Surround the fish with the vegetables.
Pour the wine and lemon juice into the pan.
Sprinkle garlic over the fish. Lay butter slices on top of the fish. Drizzle the remaining 1½ TBSP of olive oil over the fish and vegetables.
Season the fish and vegetables with salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, and paprika.
Place the fish in the oven and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. The fish should flake with a fork, and the potatoes should be tender. Plate the vegetables, put the fish on top, and pour the remaining juices over everything. Time to dig in!
# a classic, whole baked rockfish looks as beautiful as it does tasty.
Flame-Grilled Rockfish
There’s something special about that charred, smokey goodness a grill imparts on any meat, fish included. Despite using similar seasonings to the baked fish, this grilled rockfish takes on a whole new flavor profile. Try it for yourself!
Ingredients
• 1 slot rockfish, whole (cleaned and scaled) or fileted with the skin still on
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP salt (or to taste)
• 2 TSP pepper
• 2 TBSP dried oregano
• 2 TBSP dried basil
• 1 TSP garlic powder
• 1 lemon, for serving
First, cover the grill grates with heavy duty aluminum foil. Coat the foil with 1 TBSP of olive oil. Punch some small holes in the foil by inserting the tip of a knife and twisting. Fire up the grill at medium-high heat, or 400 degrees. Prepare the fish for the grill by cutting a few shallow slits in the skin. This will pre-
vent the skin from curling. Coat the fish in the remaining 1 TBSP of olive oil.
For a whole fish, season one side of the fish with ½ TBSP salt, 1 TSP pepper, 1 TBSP dried oregano, 1 TBSP dried basil, and ½ TSP garlic powder.
Place the fish with the seasoning side down on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining ½ TBSP salt, 1 TSP pepper, 1 TBSP dried oregano, 1 TBSP dried basil, ½ TSP garlic powder on the side of the fish facing up, then flip it and cook for another seven minutes.
For filets, season both sides of the fish with salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder.
Place the fish skin side down on the grill and cook for seven to 10 minutes.
Remove from the grill, squeeze some lemon on top, and enjoy!
# That fresh fish flavor combined with some char from the grill is hard to beat.
Three Rockin’ Rockfish Recipes
Steamed Rockfish
This is my favorite way to eat rockfish. We use a classic French base called a court-bouillon for the cooking liquid, and the steam that it produces results in juicy white meat packed with flavor. Not only is this recipe delicious, but it’s pretty difficult to mess up. As long as there is liquid in the steaming pot or pan the fish won’t dry out as quickly if overcooked. With room for error and potential for some of the best fish you’ve ever had, give steamed rockfish a try.
Ingredients:
• 1 slot rockfish, whole (cleaned and scaled) or fileted
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 TBSP dried oregano
• 1 TBSP dried basil
• 1 TBSP salt (or to taste)
• 1 TSP pepper
Choose a steaming pot, pan, or large pot that has a rack to keep the fish about an inch above the bottom of your cooking vessel, and a tight-fitting lid. If you’ve kept your fish whole and it’s on the higher end of the slot limit, you may need to cut it in half to fit it in the pot or pan.
Prepare a court-bouillon before setting the rack in the pot or pan. This will be the liquid in which the fish is steamed. Pour olive oil, water, and white wine into the pot or pan and bring to a boil on the stove. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onion, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper, and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the carrots are soft.
Tune in Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 6 p.m. for a new episode!
New episodes air on the first Thursday of the month on our Facebook page (facebook.com/fishtalkmag) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/fishtalkmagazine). View past episodes at fishtalkmag.com/live-with-lenny
Scan this code to follow us on Facebook and YouTube or sign up to get notified about upcoming LIVE video streams via email at fishtalkmag.com/live-with-lenny Presented by
Place the rack in the pot or pan and ensure that it is not submerged in the court-bouillon. If the liquid does come over top of the rack, keep cooking the court-bouillon uncovered until enough liquid steams off. The liquid should be just under the rack, but not touching the fish.
Bring the liquid back to a boil. Once boiling, place the fish on the rack, cover, and turn heat down to medium-low.
Check the fish periodically to ensure that there is still enough liquid in the bottom and that steam is being produced. If needed, add more water.
Filets should take about 10 minutes to steam, and a whole fish will take closer to 20 minutes. Check doneness with a fork; if it flakes, it’s ready.
Plate the fish, and pour the remaining court-bouillon on top. Enjoy!
RETURN THIS FORM BY MAIL OR EMAIL: MaIl: 612 Third St., Ste. 3C, Annapolis, MD 21403 EMaIl: beatrice@fishtalkmag.com O R SUBS c RIBE ONLINE : fishtalkmag.com/subscribe-to-fishtalk
#
Invasive Catfish Cover Contest
Presented by
We received so many great submissions this year and we wish that every photo could be on the cover! Congratulations to Lexi Davis for receiving the most votes. Here are a few our our favorite runners up in the 2024 Invasive Catfish Cover Contest presented by Fish & Hunt Maryland. Win great prizes by submitting your catches in the Great Chesapeake Invasives Count. Learn more at ccamd.org/count. Also, be sure to check out the Maryland Catfish trail at fishandhuntmaryland.com/marylands-catfish-trail
# Flips reeled in the 38-inch, 28-pound cat all by himself, from the Patuxent River.
# Mark hauled in a 54-pounder.
# adam caught a Susquehanna blue cat.
# Stacy caught this blue catfish while fishing on the Chesapeake Bay with Greg Shute.
# Ian caught this big blue cat on his 10th birthday.
# Daniel landed a 15-pound blue catfish from shore.
Daniel caught this eastern Bay blue cat. First fish his youngest Finnegan ever saw him catch.
in
Declan from Denver, Co pulled up this beast of a blue catfish while on vacation jugging the Patuxent River with his uncle Jesse.
# Logan reeled
this 36-pound blue catfish on the Susquehanna flats.
#
# Jesse Howe of CC a Maryland holds up a beauty from the Patuxent River.
# Camden’s first blue catfish. He caught it on Mattawoman Creek, 30-inch and 12.5-pounds. It barely fit in the net!
#
# Marley with a Potomac River blue.
# Michael caught this 18-pound blue catfish on the Patuxent River.
# James had some company while viewing the solar eclipse.
# Carter caught a big cat from the most beautiful place in the world, Nomini Bay.
F I s HIN g For ECA s T
Predicted after review of past reports gathered by Dillon Waters.
Editor’s Note: 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.
Coastal
Weather windows may become rare this month, but November is often tops for daytime swordfish fishing off our coastline—which can be an utterly epic adventure. Inshore the sea bass should be biting strong, tog will be getting more active as the water chills, and the flounder fishing at wreck and reef sites is likely the best of the year. Surf fishing should be excellent, too, with a shot at both panfish and larger species as southward migrations begin to kick in. Note that last season rockfish also came on strong in the coastal bays right about now, with slot fish among those caught in areas like the Route 50 bridge in OC.
Freshwater
While it might be slightly nippy outside, the cooling water temperatures will have those fish putting on the feed bag. Expect the month to start with an excellent bite for bass and crappie, and as temperatures go down and the bass slow up a bit, crappie will pick up the pace and pickerel action will begin to crank up. In the rivers look for smallmouth to shift to ledges and holes with deeper water, and in areas that enjoyed fall stocking there should still be some trout adding to the action.
Way North
You should still be able to find stripers and some bass up on the Flats this month, but at any moment expect walleye to steal the show.
Head up to the area around the dam and try tossing some jerkbaits or plastics and fish through dusk to enjoy this species’ brief moment in the seasonal spotlight. Those in search of more of a sure thing, meanwhile, know exactly what to do: cast out that cut bait and let it soak, because plenty of catfish will be ready to eat.
Upper Bay
While perch offer an additional opportunity, most anglers in the Upper Bay are sure to be prowling around for rockfish right about now. And with a little luck this month will be an excellent one. Especially if it was a mild Rocktober you can expect the action to get better and better through Rockvember. And remember to keep those binoculars handy, as bird shows often break out during this time of year.
Middle Bay
We know rockfish will be the main target, but we wonder if the redfish that have been filling Middle Bay tribs will stick around through November as well. In either case, anglers can look for surface action in open water on top of enjoying a shallow water bite. Recall that in November of 2023 we also had an unusually excellent black sea bass bite going off on all the wrecks and reefs in 25’ to 60’, so stock up on Rain Minnow and tip them with Fishbites crab flavor.
l ower Bay
In this section of the Bay it’s likely we’ll have all of the big three shallow water species hitting hard: rockfish, redfish, and speckled sea trout. Note that late fall is generally when the bigger
# November can be prime time for day-swording, as William proved last year.
specks make themselves known, and many of the reds that were just under the slot in summertime now make the grade. Size matters up the tribs, too, and last season this month was when multiple massive blue cats—50-pluspounders—were pulled from the James, the Rappahannock, and the Potomac.
Tangier, Pocomoke, and l ower Shore
The shallows should remain a top option for stripers, specks, and reds for most if not all of the month, weather depending, and note that last year jerkbaits and topwater were top producers especially for the stripers. In open water over wrecks and reefs the black sea bass bite was noticeably better than usual last November, so cross your fingers this option remains a good one in 2024.
Way South and VA
If this year’s like the last the Elizabeth will light up with speck action including some of the biggest fish of the year, slot stripers will be around, and there could
even be some bull redfish stragglers to keep things interesting. Still, anglers who enjoy tog fishing will likely be shifting gears as this species moves in around structure and starts feeding hard. We can
also hope for solid flounder action in the channels and slot reds in the inlets— don’t let the chilly weather keep you off the water, people, the action can be redhot in November.
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:
# Reports editor Dillon Waters demonstrates that it’s well worth braving the chill to get in on the fall bite.
Looking... Down?
By Eric Packard
When I first started kayak fishing I used my understanding of fish habits, habitat, fish feeding patterns, and a little bit of luck to get me through a day of fishing. I repeatedly fished familiar fisheries, too. So why bother getting a fish finder? Hey, I’m a kayak angler and it’s shallow water!
Peer pressure played a big part in my decision to purchase my very first sonar. It was a Lowrance, a flasher style, and was sometime back in the late 1980s. With a flasher-type of sonar you needed to keep an eye out for any depth change as you sat in a single location or moved slowly across a lake, hoping for the telltale sign of changes to the bottom or the possibility of fish passing below. Fast forward to 2024. In today’s world of fishing from a kayak we venture further out from the shoreline and fish bigger waters. Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, tributary rivers, or deep reservoirs mandates the ability to see what’s below the water’s surface.
The style of a fishing kayak and style of sonar will dictate the installation, which can vary greatly. Transducer mounts offer several alternatives. There are scupper mounts, arm mounts, in-hull, or in some cases through-hulls if the kayak has a location to mount a transducer built in.
Scupper mounts are simple devices that fit into a scupper hole in your kayak. There are several brands on the market, Yak Hoppy and Lowrance (which can be used with other brands), or you can DYI a scupper mount. But arm mounts that hold your transducer are probably the easiest method of installation. They attach to your fishing kayak’s rail system and extend below the water’s surface. The drawback is
that they can get in your way, especially when landing and netting a fish. Scotty and YakAttack are the more popular manufacturers but there are others, and DYI methods, too.
Having the transducer fully submerged is ideal, but an in-hull installation works as well. They are limited to down-scan transducers, however, as side-scan transducers need to be fully submerged to work correctly. Also, the in-hull method of installation will give a false water temperature reading. Check with the manufacturer of the fish finder you own, or before you purchase, to see if they make an in-hull mounting kit. Again, there are also DYI methods for installation.
Buying a kayak built specifically for fishing and with a location built into the hull of the boat to mount a transducer is by far the best method. You will only need to decide where to place the sonar so it’s easy to view and operate. You want to make sure it is within your reach.
Let’s talk a little about wiring and how and where to run the wires required to operate your sonar. I decided to place my Striker on the top of my pedal system on my secondary use kayak, a Native Watercraft Slayer Propel 10. The power cord and transducer cord both follow the pedal system down to the hatch on the front of the boat and are held there by a Velcro strap. The transducer cord then comes back out of the hatch and follows a groove on the kayak, along the track system to the transducer arm mount. Both the Striker and transducer arm are within
easy reach to operate. My primary kayak, a Native Watercraft Slayer Max 10, has a location to mount the transducer and sacrificial plates on the port and starboard sides to run wiring through.
Preplanning, care, and thought should be considered before you take on any installation. Sometimes the best method of installation will be the easiest, too. It might not give you side-scan or hide all the wires best, but it might also get you out on the water quickly so you can start looking below the surface — and catching fish.
# Getting a boat with a dedicated transducer location will result in the cleanest, most effective installation.
Charters, Guides, and Headboats
One of the most difficult ways to learn how to fish the Chesapeake Bay and atlantic ocean is trial and error. Then there’s the boat issue; we don’t all have one. Luckily, the Bay is full of knowledgeable guides and charter captains ready to show you the ropes. Below you will find a directory of professional guides, charter boats, and head boats to get you started on your quest for the perfect fish. Whether you like to fly fish, troll, or bottom fish, there’s likely a local expert who can lend a hand.
BROKERAGE & CLaSSIFIeD SeCTIoNS
2022 Bayliner VR4 Bowrider OB 115 4S Mercury outboard, Hydraulic Steering, Hours - 20. Karavan Galvanized Single axle Trailer w/ Brakes and Winch, Gray Hull w/ White Bottom, Bimini Top, Bow and Cockpit Cover, Stereo w/ Speakers, Bolster Seat, Helm Bucket Seat, aft Jump Seats, 12v adapter, Digital Depthfinder, Swim Step, Bottom Paint, and more! $29,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #20818
2023 Bayliner Trophy T20 CC 115 Pro XS Mercury outboard, Karavan Galvanized Trailer w/ Brakes, Blue Hull Sides w/ White Bottom, T-Top w/ Rail Mount Rod Holders (4), Stainless Steel Upgrade Package, Trophy Logo Decal Upgrade, Ski-Tow Pylon, Center Console and Helm Seat cover, Cockpit Flooring - Gray Mat, Graphite Interior, Center Console Package - Flip-up Transom Seats, Simrad GPS w/ engine Data, and more! $49,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #20999
2023 Sportsman Open 212 CC F200XB Yamaha outboard, Custom Black engine, Yamaha extended Warranty until 7/13/25, Hours - 147, 2022 venture aluminum Trailer, Shark Gray Hull w/ Jet Black Bottom, Black Powder Coating, ash Gray Upholstery, Platinum Package, Slide-out Track, Mooring Cover, Underwater Lighting, Garmin DF/FF/GPS, compass, Hour Meter, Trim Tabs/Gauge, and more! $69,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #20744
2022 Ranger Tugs R-23 $134,987Grasonville, MD - Call Josh Miller at 810.531.9191 or jmiller@pocket-yacht.com www.pocketyachtco.com
2023 Bayliner Trophy T23 Pilothouse 225 v6 DTS Mercury outboard Upgrade, Hours - 10, Solid White Hull and Deck, Hardtop w/ Roof Hatch, explorer Rails - Black w/ Fender Holders, Port and Starboard extended Platforms, ShipsDek Custom Flooring Package, Bow Roller, Sink w/ Fresh Water System and Cockpit Shower, and more! eND oF SeaSoN SaLe $89,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #20604
2004 Sea Ray 240 Sundancer **Priced aggressively for quick sale - engine has good compression, outdrive is good, risers/manifolds are newer - upholstery, canvas, & cabin have “fair” cosmeticsitems not working: water heater, fresh water pump, vHF & trim gauge is erratic - everything else functions as it should - boat is in a slip and ready for sea-trial & immediate delivery.** $15,000 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #21061
2022 Bayliner Trophy T24CC 250 4S Mercury outboard, Mercury Warranty until 7/16/25, Hours – 30, Power assist Steering, (new trailer shown in photos is available for $6,746), Graphite Interior, Stainless Steel Upgrade, Ski-Tow Pylon, Center Console and Helm Seat Cover, Bow Filler Cushion, CC Fishing Seats with Livewell, Digital Dash with Mercury vesselview ink - Twin 9” GPS, and more! $69,995 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #20671
2000 Formula 31 PC FULLY LoaDeD! T/5.7L 310Hp Mercruiser FWC, B3, Kohler gen, aC/HT, Raymarine axiom, Quantum radar, full canvas & isinglass, sleeps 6. Well-maintained w/ $11K recent work. Kept indoors. Price Reduced! $45,000 202.798.0443 or jperez9630@gmail.com
(Gemini) 2018 Albemarle 32 Express offshore ready and powered by twin Caterpillar C7s. Full cabin, tower, and Garmin electronics package are a few of the notable features equipped. Major rice reduction - $449,000 Contact Tyler Sinclair, 757.903.7690, Legasea Marine, www.legaseamarine.com
2023 Cutwater C-32 Sedan $349,987 - Grasonville, MD - Call John osborne at 410.236.9930 or john@pocket-yacht.com www.pocketyachtco.com
2021 Regulator 34 CC Twin Yamaha 425’s. Lift kept since new, just over 100 hours, new Yamaha warranties, as custom as they get. $469,900 Contact Chris Hall, 757.509.0742, Legasea Marine, www.legaseamarine.com
2020 Sportsman 352 Open Triple Yamaha F300XCa outboards, custom painted white, engine Warranty until 6/6/25, engine Hours154, 2020 venture vaTB-18025, (2) Garmin GPSMaP 8622 displays, Garmin GMR 424 xHD2 open array, Garmin Reactor 40 autopilot, 12v air Conditioning System, cabin & helm vents, optimus 360 joystick, w/ SeaStain upgrade, Taco Grandslam 380s. Sold and serviced by Riverside Marine. This is a consignment listing but trades will be considered. $328,000 Riverside Marine, 410.686.1500, sales@riversideboats.com www.riversideboats.com #20996
Find boat reviews at fishtalkmag.com
(Bill Night) 2020 Tideline 365 Offshore Best priced Tideline 365 on the market w/ a full tower, extensive Garmin package, FLIR, SeaDek throughout and more. Powered by twin Suzuki 350’s w/ warranties. Major price reduction - $449,000 Contact Tyler Sinclair, 757.903.7690, Legasea Marine, www.legaseamarine.com (Hit-N-Run)
(Double Eagle) 42’ Hatteras ‘78
$69,000 Jack Kelly 609.517.2822 jack@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net
(Martini & Me) 42’ Post ‘81
$30,000 andy Stratton 908.265.7670 andy@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net
2023 Pursuit S428 Sport Quad Yamaha XF425’s w/ 170 Hours. Yamaha Warranty Until 5/13/2030. RT 113 Boat Sales, 302.436.1737, www.rt113boatsales.net
2005 Meridian 490 Pilothouse
$299,987 - Grasonville, MD - Call Capt. Lee Cook at 410.703.9911 or leecook@pocket-yacht.com www.pocketyachtco.com
For all the latest listings, visit fishtalkmag.com
Seeking P/T Delivery Drivers for three-day-a-month magazine distribution routes in Maryland. 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. For more info, please email info@fishtalkmag.com.
MARKETPLACE & CLaSSIFIeD SeCTIoNS
HELP WANTED
Seeking P/T Magazine Delivery Drivers for threeday-a-month magazine distribution routes in Maryland. 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. For more info, please email info@fishtalkmag.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
M ARINE SERVICES
TACKLE SHOPS
TACKLE SHOPS
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
New Model
Coming soon to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the Formula 457 Center Console Fish and Sport models will again push the boundaries of design, engineering, and construction in the offshore center console world, celebrating the finish and amenities of Formula’s renewed entry into the CC market. At 45’7” LOA with a 13’9” beam, and powered by triple Mercury Verado 600-hp engines, the 457 is sure to impress. The 457 CCF is a dedicated and designed fish hunter, shaped and equipped to haul in your catch. Sure-footed, solid, and dependable, it will confidently carry you to offshore fishing grounds or distant ports of call. This model features dual 50-gallon pressurized live wells aft, which also secure eight dive tanks, port and starboard fish boxes with macerators and available freezer plates, and in-floor storage with YETI buckets. A secure toe rail makes a solid base for gaffing and hauling in, and with premium GEMLUX outriggers, with 22-foot telescoping poles and triple rigging kit, this CCF is built to score you trophies! You will know you’re aboard a Formula when you experience the cabin. Entering through the portside console door, three steps lead down to woodgrain-finish flooring and 6’6” headroom. The cabin is fully appointed for comfortable overnights with a galley, concealed custom-molded sink with cover, stainless pull-out fridge and microwave, abundant storage, and more. A molded private head compartment with a separate stall shower and Vacuflush head makes for easy all-day and overnight adventures. The aggressive yet reliable 22 degrees deadrise FAS3 TECH hull anchors the handling of this model, delivering speeds up to 60 mph. To learn more, visit formulaboats.com
Dealer Meeting
Sea Pro Boats recently concluded its 2024 National Dealer Meeting. More than 60 dealers and OEM business partners came to Columbia, SC, to learn about Sea Pro’s market growth over the past year, successful 2024 new product introductions, and plans for new 2025 MY boats Sea Pro will be unveiling to help sustain this positive momentum. Reviewing its recent 12-month journey with Sea Pro dealers, company president/founder Jimmy Hancock and business partner Preston Wrenn reported that surprisingly strong sales growth, given the overall economic conditions and tough market conditions for the recreational boating business. For example, Sea Pro’s overall sales over the past 12 months showed more than 24-percent growth, resulting in a nearly four-percent jump in market share for all new boats between 15 and 50 feet. More importantly, in the 20to 26-foot Deep V center console market—the “bread and butter” of Sea Pro’s business—they reported a more than 27-percent increase in sales over the previous 12 months. This put Sea Pro in the top five nationwide in this important vessel category. The partners also reported to dealers that Sea Pro is now the nation’s largest manufacturer of bay boats from 17-25 feet—an accomplishment bolstered by nearly 20 percent growth over the past year. During 2024, Sea Pro launched two important new models, the 292DLX offshore center console and the 245FLX “Sandbar Boat.” The company plans to expand its Sandbar Boat family with the addition of a 225FLX, scheduled to make its debut at the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. seapromfg.com
Marina Way
The eight marinas of Colonial Beach, VA, have formed the Marina Way Group. The group represents the last deep water marine facilities prior to Washington, DC. This boating hub on the Potomac is situated between Boundary Street and Castlewood Drive alone Monroe Bay Avenue in Colonial Beach, VA. The state of Virginia has supported and seen significant growth in water recreation which is expected to robustly continue. The Marina Way Group is following the state’s lead and has come together to provide greater boating services and speak with a knowledgeable voice to local leadership on matters concerning safe boating, preservation of the shoreline, and tourism. Each marina offers its own services and now together, will also keep boaters informed through the new website to better enjoy the Town of Colonial Beach and the Potomac River. The group is interested in hearing from boaters about their experiences on the Potomac and with the marinas. Questions and comments may be addressed to a specific marina. To learn more visit marinawaycbva.com. The website succinctly outlines each marina’s offerings and contact information. The Marina Way website also provides links to general information about Colonial Beach, VA.
s end your c hesapeake b ay business news and high-resolution photos to kaylie@fishtalkmag.com
