Fish Report 2/13/18
Did have some tog - even decent ones - but Saturday's trip was slow to near-stop where I was..
Then I heard about a post on FaceBook (so it MUST be true!) that a couple fellows had landed a few fluke. It's a good post.
Have been thinking about it. A lot. For Years. Derned if I ain't going to go try.
Have also been seeing what MIGHT be atlantic mackerel on the screens while running out & in. Might. The old-time 'Boston Mackerel' runs that were so important to my fiscal well-being as a youngster; they could come back.. Ought to.
What I'm going to do is leave at 6:30 and return in late afternoon. We'll look to 'make bait' on the way out --look for mackerel/herring-- then fish for summer flounder on a wreck.
Practically begging for a skunk..
But if it isn't........
Hello Reef Supporters! (Reef News 2/11/18 - Sent to OCRF mail list)
Things are starting to shake in our tiny reef building world. Have received several generous donations of late -- the Foundation is 100% recovered from the Iron Lady Project.
Slower still, (but not really because we're always after it!) are block deployments. Just did get a load of chimney blocks from Capt. Jeff Bauer with Potomac Valley Brick - those blocks make a wonderful 'tog condo' unit. Put enough units in one spot, rapid colonization is inevitable ..not just for tog, of course, but everything we want in a reef. Should cross the 20,000 block mark by May..
Not Togging This Time - Just Exploring..
Reef Foundation at Boat Show
NOT TOG FISHING!!
Going Exploring 2/14/18 -- Looking For Macs As Bait (A Little Mac Fishing!) But mostly Flounder/Fluke on offshore wrecks..
Super-high chance of a SKUNK! Going Anyway! 12 sells out (and fat chance of that!) - $125.00 - Leave 6:30 - Return 4:30ish..
Reservations Required at 410 520 2076 Open 24/7 - On My Rig You Can Reserve What Spot You're In. Please See http://morningstarfishing.com For How The Rail's Laid Out..
LEAVE YOUR BEST POSSIBLE CONTACT NUMBER - Weather Cancelations Happen - I Make Every Attempt To Let Clients Sleep In If The Weather's Not Going Our Way..
Be a half hour early! We always leave early!
..except when someone shows up right on time.
Clients arriving late will see the west end of an east bound boat. With a limited number of reserved spots, I do not refund because you over-slept or had a flat..
If You Won't Measure & Count Your Fish, The State Will Provide A Man With A Gun To Do It For You. We Measure & Count — ALWAYS — No Exceptions!
It's Simple To Prevent Motion Sickness, Difficult To Cure. Bonine seems best because it's non-drowsy. Truly cheap & effective insurance.
Honestly - If you get to go on the ocean once month, once a year, or even less; why risk chumming all day? Similarly, if you howl at the moon all night, chances are good you'll howl into a bucket all day.
Bring A Cooler With Ice For Your Fish – A 48 Quart Cooler Is Fine For A Few People. Do Not Bring A Very Large Cooler. We DO have a few loaners - you'll still need ice.
No Galley! Bring Food & Beverages To Suit. A few beers in cans is fine for the ride home.
In winter waterproof boots are almost a necessity. While some rarely, or never, wear gloves for fishing, you'd not likely see me fishing this time of year w/o at least the half-finger wool gloves.
Layers are best because, believe it or not, sometimes it can be very pleasant offshore--especially when the wind lays down. In winter it's warmer offshore owing to warmer waters. In summer it's cooler..
19,661 Reef Blocks deployed at numerous sites as of 11/12/17: TNC's Restoration Reef 278 - Doug Ake's Reef 3,379 - St. Ann's 1,952 - Al Giles/OC RUST Reef 1,529 - Eagle Scout Reef 970 - Sue's Block Drop 569 - Nichols' Concrete 1134 - Capt. Bob's Inshore Block Drop 705 - Benelli Reef 418 - Capt. Bob's BG Reef 784 - Wolf & Daughters Reef 220
Recent Blocks Provided By Potomac Valley Brick - Thank You!
Support the Ocean City Reef Foundation! http://www.ocreefs.org (lots of reef pics here..) The OC Reef Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit with no payroll & no rented office space -- We Build Reef. Also registered w/Amazon Smile. We're Nowhere Near Reef Building's True Potential. Thank You!
Greetings All,
My last couple tog trips were more about crab-eating sea bass than tog. Sadly, and although sea bass are open in federal waters, we cannot land them in MD. NOAA's afraid their incredible ghost-fleet of intrepid Private Boats (seen only in MRIP's statistical catch estimates) will just demolish their accidentally-twice-as-numerous sea bass population.. (true statement)
My last couple tog trips were more about crab-eating sea bass than tog. Sadly, and although sea bass are open in federal waters, we cannot land them in MD. NOAA's afraid their incredible ghost-fleet of intrepid Private Boats (seen only in MRIP's statistical catch estimates) will just demolish their accidentally-twice-as-numerous sea bass population.. (true statement)
Did have some tog - even decent ones - but Saturday's trip was slow to near-stop where I was..
Then I heard about a post on FaceBook (so it MUST be true!) that a couple fellows had landed a few fluke. It's a good post.
Have been thinking about it. A lot. For Years. Derned if I ain't going to go try.
Have also been seeing what MIGHT be atlantic mackerel on the screens while running out & in. Might. The old-time 'Boston Mackerel' runs that were so important to my fiscal well-being as a youngster; they could come back.. Ought to.
What I'm going to do is leave at 6:30 and return in late afternoon. We'll look to 'make bait' on the way out --look for mackerel/herring-- then fish for summer flounder on a wreck.
Practically begging for a skunk..
But if it isn't........
OC Seaside Boat Show is this weekend. OC Reef Foundation will be there. I've included a recent FB/email reef blast below.
Cheers All,
Cheers All,
Monty
Capt. Monty Hawkins
Partyboat Morning Star
Ocean City, MD
Things are starting to shake in our tiny reef building world. Have received several generous donations of late -- the Foundation is 100% recovered from the Iron Lady Project.
Now to build more reef..
There are buoys at two reefs we're working on - marked off for our small barge. We take approximately 1/2 to 3/5 of a full tractor trailer load on each run aboard the 40 ft barge. It's slow to get loaded & deployed, but creates reef.
There are buoys at two reefs we're working on - marked off for our small barge. We take approximately 1/2 to 3/5 of a full tractor trailer load on each run aboard the 40 ft barge. It's slow to get loaded & deployed, but creates reef.
Slower still, (but not really because we're always after it!) are block deployments. Just did get a load of chimney blocks from Capt. Jeff Bauer with Potomac Valley Brick - those blocks make a wonderful 'tog condo' unit. Put enough units in one spot, rapid colonization is inevitable ..not just for tog, of course, but everything we want in a reef. Should cross the 20,000 block mark by May..
Soon the Morning Star will be doing dedicated winter block trips -- the kind where we load about 6.5 tons of block, set up on two anchors & let fly. Send volunteers home with a backache & do it again another day.
Spent a few days surveying with side-scan sonar this winter, especially at the Queen site. Then spent many-many hours doing chart corrections with the printer - especially for the Queen & Great Eastern Reefs. All corrections (there are many!) & new deployments will be highlighted in yellow in the 2018 Reef Charts..
Ace Printing in Berlin claims new charts should be in hand for the Seaside Boat Show this weekend. (and are) While a $50.00 donation secures a set of charts, all of your donation is plowed back into reef building -- be generous! (No president's salary, no secretary's salary - I couldn't guess how many hours I donate a year. Saves money!)
Also have an upcoming scuba monitoring trip. (Yup, there are people who will jump off a perfectly good boat in February - especially Nick Caloyianis http://www.nickcaloyianis.com/ & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE_9NQNi8U0 for Nat Geo video of Nick's shark attack)
One trip in May 2017 we deployed 7 tons of block in units where the big boulder reef is slated to go. Have to dive/video there for a close inspection to gauge how deeply boulder might scour-in. Scour where, 50 and more years ago, was once natural reef. Should be minimal as it was once hardbottom..
We lose a lot of substrate to scour -- same effect as your feet burying in as a wave recedes. Have to build a reef at least 3 feet high, but usually more, so the material creates its own foundation while the remaining exposed rock/concrete/steel becomes reef substrate.
The Nature Conservancy is still onboard with a $50K grant to assist with buying boulder. They're also committed to monitoring work -- the study of new reef colonization..
This boulder reef, essentially a widely spread submerged jetty in an area where corals are already known to grow, is going to be a huge project.
This boulder reef, essentially a widely spread submerged jetty in an area where corals are already known to grow, is going to be a huge project.
I calculate there were nearly 4 square miles of good sea-whip meadows lost to the surfclam fishery in the 1960s & 1970s.
Time to start putting it back.
Gonna take a while.
Gonna take a while.
Meanwhile, new charts & new t's/sweats coming.
Going to go big on reef!
Regards,
Regards,
Monty
