10.12.2008 A Whale

[Skylar]

Fish Report 10/12/08
Flatties
A Whale


Hi All,
Still hard to call - the fishing that is. (no political pun intended)
Not catching croakers anymore. Or didn't. Might yet. Still some squeakers; those little -ain't big enough to croak yet- croakers. Don't mess with 'em too long when I do.
Came home one day very early. Barely scratched up some dinner. Day didn't have 'it' - or I didn't. Nasty weather. Full reschedules around.
Nicked a few good tog another day, up to 14 pounds. Others weighed in against it in the pool. Nice fish.
The rest of the time it's been a mix of flounder and sea bass with the addition of bluefish.
Blues are pretty cool when they are under 3 pounds. Eat well and smoke wonderful.
Big ones do too, but right now they have me irritated.
No one on the boat got bit off 'cept me.. Every single keeper I hooked was destroyed by chopper blues. Reeling in nice fluke heads. Where's the beef.
Just me. Every fish.
My turn in the barrel.
Tail-thrashing humpback whale on the way home though. Good stuff.
The fluke/bass fishing is super-tough to predict. Safe to say that when a 5 pound sea bass doesn't even get taken out of the cooler at pool weigh-in.. And when a 9 pound fluke has several folks trying to best it...
Ah, there's been some great fishing this week.
Have no idea what the coming week will bring.
None at all.
Sure ain't counting sea bass for limits; too much fun catching flatties.
I don't know if we'd have to count 'em with full, undivided attention to cbass..
Looked like 'Ladies Day' Sunday. They certainly outnumbered the gentlemen - not that there weren't a few other men aboard too. Good to see gals on the rail catching.
All the guys were good sports. Took their drubbing.
I wouldn't say we were outfished 3 to 1 or anything..
A fin whale blows 200 yards dead astern while we're anchored. Then 75 feet to starboard. Then three times in a row -in exactly the same spot- 50 feet to port.
Its bigger than the boat. You can see it underwater -s l o w l y- diving down.
Awesome.
My kingdom to know what that beast was thinking..
Saw another whale on the way in. Having been so close, no need to stop. Did for the bottlenose though.
South. All manner of migration in evidence; from the small song-birds blown offshore and forever lost, to the great whales - going south.
Fishing everyday the weather will let me - often with a very light rail.
Opening up November's reservation book; does not look to me as though it will be a 'normal' November.
Normal would be sit on a spot or two until everyone bagged out on cbass and then maybe stop on something like blues or trout on the way in.
Doubt that. Not this year.
Tog seemed willing... Maybe a few long trips. I'll call it in the next week or so - soon'z I get new batteries for the crystal ball.
I have never had to question it before...
Management needs an overhaul.
For now: Support/Join/Donate to the Ocean City Reef Foundation & the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative.
Ocean City, Maryland Reef Foundation - Artificial Reefs
MARI HOME
Rock solid, concrete, steel-barge stable progress in fisheries restoration.
Centuries from now they'll still be fishing on what we build.
Believe it.
Regards,
Monty

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservation Line 410 520 2076
The Morning Star