Morning Star Fish Report: July 2009

Fish Report 7/15/09

Cbass or Flounder?

Funding of Discovery

Hi All,

Some very enjoyable days since the 7/5 report, a few 'not so much' trips too.

Flounder have been the highlight. Told my deckhand, Mike, to catch me a 7 pounder for Sunday dinner. Made a drop and did just that.

Would that it were always so; settle for pure luck once in a while!

Biggest of the year for us came Monday the 6th with Seth's 8lb 12oz dandy.. until Avak's 9lb 2oz was netted Saturday.

Lot of tags going by the rail.

Had I written the 'fish report' Sunday, flatties would have been 'it'.

So Monday and Tuesday we scarcely caught the flat ones - but the sea bass bite picked up.

Marking sea bass better than in weeks, I knew Wednesday that we were going to mug'em-up: caught flounder to 6lb 9oz and probably the most releases of fluke ever for me.

Whattttt...

There were a few days that triggers stole the show too.

Going wreck/reef fishing folks. No promises on species. Just fishing.

Kite's up, pair of live bluefish for bait hanging from the clips. SNAP! Super fast run off. Awesome Hemingway & Zane Grey sort of fish. Bitten off above the three foot steel leader.

Rats.

Would like to have seen what ate that bait.

Ritch is bowed-up. "Good fluke capt."

He's been catching them for a long time - means it.

Up and down. Short gain, short run.

Dropped it.

Would like to have seen that one too.

I'm hooked-up. Not bottom, it moved. Coming easier..

Giant eel.

Wish he'd gotten away!

Summer fishing's just that this year - fishing. Cooler filling it ain't. Sure can be fun.

Took another sea bass release mortality trip Monday. East wind & cloudy; have proven twice that I can pick the best day for sea bass survival two weeks in advance.

Hot and calm in over 100 feet - tough on the fish. Overcast and a bit of breeze, they do fine.

In cooler conditions they still often float a while before they go down. We're gathering lots of float time data.

Will do at least one more trip - data set will be good for something. Maybe several things.

Required now in the Gulf; we don't need to puncture, or 'vent', the air bladder here in the mid-Atlantic. Usually.

Also seeing the wide-gap 'Kahle' hooks performing nicely. No gut-hooked fish yet. (Only get a 1/2 dozen a year)

Tagging results have sea bass 'homing' after winter migration. Makes sense to release as best we're able.

Since my last report I've caught fluke in 125, 110, 90, 80, 65, 40 & 25 feet of water. Surf casters have caught some. Our back-bay is loaded with present day under-size fish and a few dandies.

Enough rebuilding? I'd say management has created an accidental shift in the ecology!

Lots to do in fisheries restoration, lots and lots. Need to get flounder on a back burner and focus elsewhere.

"Marine Habitat" is popping up in numerous places. Not just some of the sloughs where I'm seeing an expansion of the natural reef footprint as I did over a decade ago, but in print too. Guvmint print..
Great Scott, I hope we soon put habitat to work in fisheries management.

The Kerhin, Maryland's very high-tech research boat, will be in OC to do some artificial reef monitoring come August. I am advocating hard for her to be put to work 'finding' natural reefs off Delmarva too.

Those fellows have incredible capability for finding and mapping live bottom.

Discovery - protection - expansion - restoration.

Ought to lead to a lot of folks truly enjoying their fishing experience along this coast.

We haven't a clue about the seafloor's role in our fisheries. Now here comes the wind mill & drill here, drill now crowd. Their Environmental Impact Statements will cheerfully quote the existing "ain't no hard-bottom corals here" science.

Bring on the energy - lets do it. Wisely.

Everything needed for discovery: Hope the Kerhin can find funding for a few more days.

If you are active in such things an email to fisheries & your representatives wouldn't hurt.

A couple grand more of funding and suddenly corals would exist in the mid-Atlantic.

Sakes...

Reckon I'll go nick some fluke, maybe some triggers and bass.

Regards,

Monty

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservation Line 410 520 2076
http://www.morningstarfishing.com/

posted by Monty # Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Fish Report 7/14/09

Cbass or Flounder?

Hi All,

Some very enjoyable days since the 7/5 report, a few 'not so much' trips too.

Flounder have been the highlight. Told my deckhand, Mike, to catch me a 7 pounder for Sunday dinner. Made a drop and did just that.

Would that it were always so; settle for pure luck once in a while!

Biggest of the year for us came Monday the 6th with an 8lb 12oz dandy.. until Saturday's 9lb 2oz was netted.

With a 17 inch rule we would have seen a lot of limits. Instead, a lot of tags going by the rail.

Had I written the 'fish report' Sunday, flatties would have been 'it'.

So Monday and Tuesday we scarcely caught the flat ones - but the sea bass bite picked up.

Marking sea bass better than in weeks, I knew Wednesday that we were going to mug'em-up: caught flounder to 6lb 9oz and probably the most releases of fluke ever for me.

Whattttt...

There were a few days that triggers stole the show too.

Going wreck/reef fishing folks. No promises on species. Just fishing.

Kite's up, pair of live bluefish for bait hanging from the clips. SNAP! Super fast run off -awesome Hemingway & Zane Grey sort of fish- then bitten off above the three foot steel leader.

Rats.

Would like to have seen what ate that bait.

Ritch is bowed-up. "Good fluke capt."

He's been catching them for a long time - means it.

Up and down. Short gain - short run.

Dropped it.

Would like to have seen that one too.

I'm hooked-up. Not bottom, it moved. Coming easier..

Giant eel.

Wish he'd gotten away!

Summer fishing's just that this year - fishing. Cooler filling it ain't. Sure can be fun.

Took another sea bass release mortality trip Monday. East wind & cloudy; have proven that I can pick the best day for sea bass survival two weeks in advance.

Hot and calm in over 100 feet - tough on the fish. Overcast and a bit of breeze, they do fine.

In cooler conditions they still often float a while before they go down. We're gathering lots of float time data.

Will do at least one more trip - data set will be good for something. Maybe several things.

Required now in the Gulf; we don't need to puncture, or 'vent', the air bladder here in the mid-Atlantic. Usually.

Also seeing the wide-gap 'Kahle' hooks performing nicely. No gut-hooked fish yet. (Only get a 1/2 dozen a year)

Tagging results have the sea bass 'homing' after winter migration. Makes sense to release as best we're able.

Since my last report I've caught fluke in 125, 110, 90, 80, 65, 40 & 25 feet of water. Surf casters have caught some. Our back-bay is loaded with present day under-size fish and a few dandies.

Enough rebuilding? I'd say management has created an accidental shift in the ecology!

Lots to do in fisheries restoration, lots and lots. Need to get flounder on a back burner and focus elsewhere.

"Marine Habitat" is popping up in numerous places. Not just some of the sloughs where I'm seeing an expansion of the natural reef footprint as I did over a decade ago, but in print too. Guvmint print..
Great Scott, I hope we soon put habitat to work in fisheries management.

The Kerhin, Maryland's very high-tech research boat, will be in OC to do some artificial reef monitoring come August. I am advocating hard for her to be put to work 'finding' natural reefs off Delmarva too.

Those fellows have incredible capability for finding and mapping live bottom.

Discovery - protection - expansion - restoration.

Ought to lead to a lot of folks truly enjoying their fishing experience along coastal Maryland.

We haven't a clue about the seafloor's role in our fisheries. Now here comes the wind mill & drill here, drill now crowd. Their Environmental Impact Statements will cheerfully quote the existing "ain't no hard-bottom corals here" science.

Bring on the energy - lets do it. Wisely.

Everything needed for discovery: Hope the Kerhin can find funding for a few more days.

If you are active in such things an email to fisheries & your representatives wouldn't hurt.

A couple grand more of funding and suddenly corals would exist in the mid-Atlantic.

Sakes...

Reckon I'll go nick some fluke, maybe some triggers and bass.

Regards,

Monty

posted by Monty # Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Fish Report 7/5/09

Some Fluke/Flatties/Flounder - Precious Few Cbass

Belly Buster

YOY Tog

Hi All,

Hmm.. This fishing isn't what I'd like.

Yet everyday we get a few good flounder, tag a bunch, and scratch up a few sea bass.

Even put together a very nice catch once in a while.

Doing all I can to get folks on fish; can not force the fish to cooperate!

Luck & skill, both can be improved by listening to the mates.

I strongly suspect that sea bass are more intrigued with making more sea bass than eating. I wish them great success! They'll get hungry soon..

Not just flounder, tagging a few triggers too. Message-in-a-bottle those tags; no telling where they'll end up.

The literature sez they come inshore and spawn on guarded nests at about 12 inches. I have advocated successfully for the building of shallow water reef specifically targeted at spadefish and triggers.

I thought Maryland would see the value of spreading the fun around and initiate size & creel limits on the fish. Dah.. Thought the feds might see the value of coral off the coast too.

May happen yet.

Don't see triggers every year. Never-ever do I catch them with any regularity. Ever!

Breakfast at a marina - pretty chancy. Yet some pull it off with great character. Had the opportunity to fish a few times out of Sailfish marina in Palm Beach. Their breakfast was bright lights, stout coffee and sharp-tongued waitresses.

Soriano's downtown OC wasn't dissimilar and the food was better.

Now the Fishing Center where I tie up is making a run at breakfast. Need it. Wawa's OK in a rush, but where's the local charisma..

Already contributing to some certain captain's portly rotundity; they have named one major item the the "Morning Star Breakfast Buffet." Coincidence I'm sure.

..So I tell the cook, "Just make me a sandwich" and Bob's Breakfast Belly Buster is born.. Huge. Even the other half for lunch cold - delicious.

The lights aren't bright, the coffee's OK, deck seating magnificent.. 'Before too long I think it'll have it own character.

Going back for more sea bass release mortality work on July 13. The first trip we had very close to zero fish die upon release - most swam straight down even in 120 feet of water. Warmer water now.. Depth, sea water & air temperature are key: I think size is too. Smaller fish release quite well.

I have the stern booked out for biologists: DE, MD & MAFMC represented. Selling the rest of the spots as we might normally do. No slam-dunk this trip. Research.

On the previous release monitoring trip I had the great pleasure of meeting a biologist who did his masters on 'young of the year' (YOY) tautog. Fascinating.

Chameleons they are: no matter if the seaweed is red, green or brown, at a few weeks of age they change color and blend in.

Estuarine - "No juvenile tog in the ocean" he claimed.

Eh, I thought that a bold assertion given our lack of seafloor research. He did look at some ocean wrecks for YOY tog without success.. But we still haven't 'found' the natural corals and tube worms..

Sure do tag a bunch of short flounder. Seeing reproductively mature sea bass as small as 7 1/2 inches and others to 5 1/2. Tiny scup at times. All that on 4/0 hooks.

I think the nearshore waters are as estuary - vital to marine production.

There is so dogone much work to do out there.. Recognizing that fish do not fall from the sky; that their production hinges on habitat is key to really turning around the fisheries.

I have heard and read industrial fishers propose to bulldoze waterfront communities; they know the marshes were/are important to production. No acorns - no oaks.

Waterfront homes vital to a local tax base; what benefit to society when 100 pounds of fluke are caught but a reef is trawl-lost for a decade.

There are now some bottoms coming back to life, re-growing reef, as they did in the mid/late 90's.

Not on purpose, again by accident.

A few boulder piles, shipwrecks, and the horrors of Nazi U-Boats preserved our reef fisheries through the worst of the unregulated industrial fisheries.
We recreational fishers did our best to finish off what they could not.

Now both sides are strangled with regulation.
Habitat management will help. Increasing production benefits all fishers.

Need to get on with it.

Regards,

Monty

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservation Line 410 520 2076
http://www.morningstarfishing.com/

posted by Monty # Sunday, July 05, 2009

Fish Report 7/3/09