Article by Dale Timmons
I have seen a lot of strange and unusual critters over the years. Folks used to bring up stargazers, mantis shrimp, and all kinds of tropical fish from buckler dorys to lookdowns, usually for me to identify. A couple of weeks ago publisher Larry Jock had a photo sent in, one that was a new one for me, however. This creature was small, and kind of looked like a cross between a lobster and a crayfish. It was caught in a minnow trap by Nancy and Danny Cox. Steve Doctor of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources finally identified it as a “snapping shrimp”. Steve told Larry that the shrimp makes a loud noise with its claw, loud enough to actually stun its prey, usually small fish. Makes sense, I guess, since sound actually carries much better in water than air. I looked it up, and there are many varieties scattered all over the world. Steve also said they were fairly common here, so I’m surprised it was the first one I have seen since CF started in 1976… looked like it would make a good bait…
Had an unusual experience while fishing the surf off one of the Virginia barrier islands last week—there was a flat area of calm, crystal clear, shallow water in front of me and I suddenly realized there was a large fish slowly swimming along in about 8 or 10 inches of water, maybe six or eight feet from dry sand. I think the first thing I saw was actually the tail, and I thought, “What the hell is that?” As I stepped toward it, the stripes materialized, and I realized it was a nice sized rockfish, maybe 36 to 40 inches long, that was just slowly cruising along. My next reaction was that there must be something wrong with it, and I stepped into the water, thinking that maybe I could grab it. Wrong! That fish saw me and took off like a bonefish racing across the Florida flats. The only thing I can think of is that the surf was full of tiny “bean clams,” and there were also tons of small lady crab sheds on the beach…maybe that striper was just looking for an easy meal…
On the same trip, there was an even greater mystery in the form of a fresh dead fish lying on the beach. It was probably four or five pounds, and it had to be some kind of gar, which is basically a freshwater fish. My first thought was that an osprey might have carried it out there and dropped it. There was one small wound on one side of the fish, and that is a possibility, but it was an awfully heavy fish for an osprey to carry, especially since we were probably miles from the nearest fresh water. I went to my books and the Internet, but I still haven’t been able to positively identify the fish. Its top jaw was several inches shorter than its lower jaw, and I haven’t been able to find a gar that fits that description… might have to remain a mystery…
Someone asked me last week about using crimps in place of knots when making rigs. Generally, I use knots, but when I get above 80 lb. test, I usually use a crimp, especially when making a drum or striper rig with a short leader. I usually make this rig with 100 or 125 lb. test mono (mainly for abrasion resistance), and I have been using crimps for several years. I have yet to have one fail, but a red or black drum or a cobia is about the heaviest fish I target these days. I snell the hook, but I use the crimp when attaching my swivel. I use both aluminum single crimp sleeves and copper double sleeves on mono, but I stick with the double copper sleeve for wire or coated wire if I’m making bluefish or shark rigs. When using crimps, probably the most important thing is to use the right size crimp sleeve for the size mono you are using. Most of the time the back of the package will tell you what size sleeve to use with a certain size mono. A 1.2 ID aluminum sleeve, for instance, is recommended for 80 to 125 lb. test mono. The manufacturer’s numbers are usually a little optimistic, though, and I go to a 1.3 sleeve for 125 lb. test. The next most important consideration is to use the right hole in your crimping tool to match the sleeve. I just use a hand crimping tool made by Sea Striker most of the time, and each hole is marked with the size(s) it is recommended for. Some folks think the harder they squeeze the better, and they use the next size smaller hole, but this may actually weaken the crimp by pinching the mono too hard. Your finished crimp should have a nice flair on each end, so the edge of the sleeve can’t cut the mono when you are fighting a fish. A crimp actually works with friction from compression, and properly done it can be stronger than a knot, so learning to make and use crimps can be a valuable addition to your fishing arsenal…
I haven’t done too much flounder fishing myself yet this season—been busy tying knots and chasing drum—but from what I keep hearing there are an awful lot of 17 and 18-inch fluke out there, but not too many that make 19 inches. There must be an unwritten rule that no matter what the size limit is, most of the flounder will be a half-inch shorter. For what it’s worth, I still think it’s damn ridiculous that a man or woman with a rod and reel can’t go out and keep a fish or two to eat… if the Magnuson Act needs to be changed to allow reasonable rules and realistic population target levels, then so be it…we need to bug those in Congress until it happens… or get rid of them and get new ones…
It seems like many species have appeared early this season, including cobia. They made a fantastic early showing at Cape Hatteras, where many boats scored in double digits, and they are already showing in decent numbers at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. A certain portion of these fish move on into the Bay, but some will filter north along the Delmarva coast, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them show up here in the next week or two at places like Fenwick Shoal, the Bass Grounds, Winter Quarter or even Little Gull. Cut bait such as bunker (menhaden) fished on the bottom works well, usually with the help of a chum pot. Small live bluefish and live eels are also good baits. In fact, some anglers like to target cobia by looking for them around buoys or along tide lines and casting live baits or brightly colored bucktail jigs to them. If you are using cut bait on the bottom, a simple fish finder rig with a 5/0 to 8/0 hook will usually do the trick. There is a federal 33-inch fork length legal minimum, with a two-fish per person per day creel limit. Lastly, if you aren’t sure if you want to eat your cobia or not, my number is listed below…
Contact Dale Timmons at [email protected] or call 410-629-1191.
