Article by Capt. Franky Pettolina
I was pulling out of the parking lot at Fisherman’s Marina, having just completed an insurance renewal survey on one of the local charter boats when I saw my friend Capt. Bill walking up to the marina dumpster. Happy to see my old friend for the first time this spring, I pulled over to chat with him. As Capt. Bill walked up to the window of my truck I couldn’t help but notice how little had changed since the last time I saw him in the fall. I am pretty sure he had the same cap on and he definitely had the same Eastern Shore aura about him. You know what I mean, equally at home in a duck blind or deer stand, casting from the beach or steaming to the east on the ocean. You could sense the sand in his shoes.
I have known Capt. Bill for about thirty years. For most of that time he was the owner and operator of the charter boat “Islander”. He was never one for glory fishing, but day in and day out you could count on him to put his charters on whatever was biting best. My friend and long time marlin fishing client, Brooke Duvall would take his grandsons on sea bass and tog trips with Capt. Bill each spring when they were little. When the bluefins showed up on the 20 fathom line in the early season, you could count on seeing the “Islander” fast- trolling cedar plugs and feathers along the edges of the most productive hills and ledges. As the summer wore on and the tunas scattered, Capt. Bill could be found catching king and Spanish mackerels, or whatever else happened to swim by. I always enjoyed fishing next to him.
A few years ago, Capt. Bill sold the “Islander”. He told me that the days were getting a little long for him and the boat was a little too much to take care of the way he liked. The big boat was replaced with a 20-something foot outboard powered center console built by Mako Boats. I have spent quite a bit of time on Makos over the years and they are nice rigs. Today, Bill and I talked about his Mako and the bay charters he is running these days. How a little water will get past the deck hatch lips when the rain is heavy. How most of his clients are just as excited to see the famous ponies on Assateague Island as they are to catch a fish. Bill’s eyes lit up a little when he told me about how good the flounder fishing can be in the bay.
Just like fishing next to the Captain, I really enjoyed the time talking with him today. As I was driving home afterwards I was reminded of one of Dale Timmons’ Fishing With Ben Sykes stories. For those of you not familiar with what I am talking about, Dale was the owner and editor of the Coastal Fisherman before Larry Jock took it over in 2005. Dale founded the paper back in the 70s and one of the main features was a weekly fictional column about the exploits of Ben Sykes. Ben has been one of my favorite characters in any fiction since I was a little kid. More of a hero to me than a made up person. Every week I would open the paper and read those stories first. Ben could catch anything, had the most interesting friends and adventures and more often than not, would teach a valuable lesson by the end of each story. Dale even published a compilation of the stories in book form. It is one of my favorites on my shelf.
Anyhow, talking with Capt. Bill reminded me of one particular Ben Sykes story. In the story, Ben was helping out one of his charter captain buddies for the day. When they got in with their catch he struck up a conversation with the fish cleaner at the marina. You see, Ben had known the fish cleaner for years. The man was a retired mechanic, had run boats, fished everywhere and had a lifetime worth of knowledge to share (I am sure I am not getting those details exactly correct, but you get the gist). Towards the end of the story, somebody on the dock needed help fixing their engine. Ben overheard someone else tell them to ask Ben’s friend, and they said, “Why? He’s just the fish cleaner...” Again, I am sure I don’t have the details quite right, but the general idea is there.
Capt. Bill has semi-retired from charter fishing, but he is still taking clients out on the bay. Over the years, I have known quite a few Captains that have taken similar paths. Some have served as the dockmaster in marinas or managed a tackle shop. Others made the same switch from the blue water of the canyons to the green water of the bay like Capt. Bill has done. I even know a few that became fish cleaners like Ben Sykes’ buddy in the story. These old salts have some of the best stories to share and it is always worth the time to stop and chat with them. You never know what you might learn! Now I think I am going to pull out my book of Ben Sykes stories and pay a visit to his old friend the fish cleaner.
Capt Franky Pettolina is Co-Captain of the charter boat, “Last Call” which is docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center, owner of Pettolina Marine Surveying, Inc. and multi-term President of the Ocean City Marlin Club.