Fish Report 10/26/24
Opening trips into the coming calm..
Thoughts on sea bass spawning..
As forecasts stand now, Monday (already open) Tuesday & Wednesday look fantastically calm. All three days (Oct 28, 29, 30) are now open for Sea Bass - 7 to 3:30 - $155 - 18 sells out (and bloody unlikely..)
Reservations - Anna is a one person operation. She might be slammed when I hit send. (or maybe not!) If she cannot pick up, Leave her a message. She has a method to her madness..
Reservations at 443-235-5577 - She has other jobs too. The line closes at 8pm and reopens at 8am. She won't take reservations for trips that are not announced.
If you want a spot call the reservation line at 443-235-5577.. Emailing me is no good - her service handles reservations. I'll have no idea what spots have been sold. I do check email for questions; check FaceBook messenger too..
***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. Seriously, with a limited number of reserved spots, I do not refund because you overslept or had a flat.. If you're reserved and are the last person we're waiting on - you'll need to answer your phone. I will not make on-time clients wait past scheduled departure because of a misfortune on your part.
Sea Bass Size limit 13 inches - 15 per person.
Try to always leave a half hour early (and never an hour early!) I rarely get in on time either. If you have a worrier at home, please advise them I often come home late. It's what I do.
Trips Also Sometimes Announced on Facebook at Morning Star Fishing
https://www.facebook.com/ocfishing/
I post after action reports (or lack thereof) (and sometimes detailed thoughts on fisheries issues) for every trip on my personal FB page and Morning Star page. Posts including OC Reef Foundation work will be included on that page as well.
Bait is provided on all trips.
No Galley. Bring Your Own Food & Beverage.
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 our best over the counter because it's (supposed to be!) non-drowsy. It's truly cheap & effective insurance. If it makes you a bit sleepy - but not chumming? That's a great trade!
"The Patch" of Scopolamine, however, is a prescription only that beats all comers.
If the ocean still wants to get the better of you? Zofran (anti nausea) can be a day saver if you have it left over from a prescription.
Honestly - If you get to go on the ocean once a month, once a year or even less; why risk chumming all day? And then there's the ebullience of youth! Of course you can party hard and go on a moderately rough ocean!
No you can't!
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 have a few loaners - you'll still need ice. Should you catch some monstrous fish, we'll be able to ice it.
No Galley! Bring Food & Beverages To Suit. A few beers in cans is fine for the ride home.
Reef Blocks - As of 10/26/24 we have 42,584 Reef Blocks & 2,340 Reef Pyramids (170lb ea) deployed at numerous ACE permitted ocean reef sites. There are also 1,336 pyramids deployed by MD CCA at Chesapeake Bay oyster sites working to restore blue ocean water. Counting those awaiting deployment we have exceeded 5,500 pyramids made since my crew and I fashioned a prototype mold in late August 2019.
Currently being targeted oceanside: Ryan & Shari's Bay Breeze Reef 208 Pyramids - Uncle Murphy's Reef 284 Reef Blocks; Rambler Reef 448 Reef Blocks & 13 Pyramids - Pete Maugan's Memorial Reef 116 Blocks & 14 Pyramids - Calder's Reef Improvement 148 Blocks & 12 Reef Pyramids - Virginia Lee Hawkins Memorial Reef 550 Reef Blocks (+98 Reef Pyramids) - Capt. Jack Kaeufer's/Lucas Alexander's Reefs 2162 Blocks (+57 Reef Pyramids) - Doug Ake's Reef 4,194 blocks (+16 Reef Pyramids) - St. Ann's 3,035 (+14 Reef Pyramids) Unnamed Spot at Jackspot Reef 200 Blocks & 12 Pyramids (many w/bamboo added) - Sue's Block Drop 1,810 (+30 Reef Pyramids) - Kathy's Cable 276 blocks (11 pyramids) - Rudys/Big Dad's Barges 140 Reef Blocks (+9 Pyramids) - Benelli Reef 1,552 (+18 Pyramids) - Capt. Bob's Bass Grounds Reef 4,838 (+ 116 reef pyramids) - Al Berger's Reef 2,018 Reef Blocks (48 Reef Pyramids) - Great Eastern South Block Drop 260 Reef Blocks (+10 Pyramids) - Cristina's Blast 140 Reef Blocks & 2 Pyramids - Capt Greg Hall's Memorial Reef 362 Blocks (+2 Pyramids) - Kinsley's Reef 964 Pyramids - Bear Concrete Reef 512 Pyramids, 44 Blocks plus 16 pipes..
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Shirts & Sweats at OCReefs.org for donors..
Greetings All,
I called the forecast wrong Saturday; did a little fishing nearshore before heading in with no charge to today's anglers. What I saw, despite many nearshore sea bass having already moved off, was a bit more evidence for my thesis - "the presence of a few larger male sea bass (age 3+) leaves all age one & age two cbass out of the spawning population" - a few keepers like we caught just 4 miles off the beach is all it takes. Just a handful.. Think of anywhere else in higher order animals - birds, mammals (eg bighorn sheep, bison, elephants) and you'll quickly see where young males are excluded from breeding until older and able to successfully 'challenge' the old guys in some fashion..
Regardless whether this owes to pheromonal response or risk of physical injury from older bulls; young female sea bass will not switch to male until age three (at least) with a 12/13 inch size limit.
The size limit of today (ill found via MRIP catch estimates as it is) eliminates some 70/80% of sea bass from the spawning stock.
It doesn't halt spawning - just slows it to the point where spawning production cannot quite replace natural mortality & fishing's extractions.
Now that the burst of spawning effort from 2016 to 2019 is past; we're going to witness a slow but steady decline of sea bass off DelMarVa until management repairs it.
Of sea bass I wrote "we are at habitat capacity" in 2002. All those cbass, filling every reef and offering unimaginably better angling than today, were spawned with no bag limit and an 11 inch or smaller size limit..
It's not a guess. I've seen nothing but affirmation since 2006 when I first solved for "How come our sea bass population is contracting despite much tougher regulation?"
Make them spawn young and we experience exponential population growth.
Recuse the larger part of the population (always many more young cbass than old) - and their number shall decline..
Just Watch.
We've plenty of good to great cbassing ahead, but the decline from 2023 MD Wind Area and surrounding reef habitat has already begun.
Cheers,
Monty
