Article by Larry Budd
Welcome back for the 46th Edition of the Coastal Fisherman!
I really did not think I would be starting 2021 as we did in 2020 with more loss to our community, but sadly we have. Captain Franky Pettolina, longest serving President of the Ocean City Marlin Club, Captain of the charter boat “Last Call”, owner of Pettolina Marine Survey, loving husband to Jennifer and son of Frank and Madelyn Pettolina Jr. left us much too early on March 22nd. Our readers of course know Franky for his “Fish Stories” that he submitted faithfully to be published each week in the Coastal Fisherman! These little glimpses were truly snippets of a life lived for fishing & by fishing and were definitely favorites to many of our readers. The many tributes that have been made on-line as well as shared memories paint a beautiful picture of the man Franky was; always open, giving, generous, loyal and always ready to lead the fun. These are his legacies and now our memories to sustain us. I was lucky to call him a friend. We will be reprinting some of his most popular articles throughout this year to continue to share his unique perspectives and experiences!
We also lost Ed and Laura Bartholme over the winter. Married for almost 50 years, together they ran Edward’s Marine & Sons, providing mobile diesel repair and re-power to many in our community. They were a fixture that many depended on for high quality service and support. Fortunately, their sons Ed and Chuck will carry on the business. You can learn more about this couple in a tribute on page 27.
Turning to offshore fishing, the colder weather this spring has limited the offshore action to date. Only a few years ago we would be reporting some yellowfin and bluefin tuna, some mahi and even mako caught by now. Changes to the mako regulations a couple of years ago have reduced that catch and we haven’t had April tuna reports in a while. This year’s high wind hasn’t helped either. We did see warm waters a few days recently as close as 72 miles, so it is coming! The trend of early white marlin catches may continue as well. Last year’s catch was May 23rd, so we are keeping our eyes and ears open. This year that marlin could be worth up to $17,000! The Town of Ocean City puts up $5,000 to the lucky angler releasing the first white and the Ocean City Marlin Club offers the same to the first member to report. Additionally, Fisherman United Ocean City, a group of local business owners including the Coastal Fisherman will contribute $7,000 this year. So that first white could add up to a nice payday.
The real fishing action right now is inshore and in the bays. It has been a good season for tautog nearshore and over the last 2 weeks there have been nice flounder catches in the bays when anglers have found warmer water. More details on what’s ‘catchin’, where and with what can be found in our Ocean City and Delaware reports.
Also remember to check our Delaware, Maryland and Federal regulation listings. Not alot has changed, but you will want to make sure you have the lastest. For example, Marlyand has now posted regulations for cobia, the creel limit for tog is reduced to 2 fish per day from July 1st to October 31st and the keeper size for speckled trout has gone up to 14”. Delaware remains largely the same as 2020, however regulations for croaker are still ‘TBD’. No big updates on the Federal Size & Creel limits, just remember however that there are new permit and reporting requirements for tilefish that went into effect last September.
New for the Coastal Fisherman this year will be our inclusion of social media. We will be posting catch pictures and details as we get them and other posts of interest to our readers, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Lastly, there is optimism in the air that we may see a more normal summer season and I am sure we all are hoping for the same. I do want to share that there are still lingering restrictions for capacities at restaurants and other venues that vary by state. This is further complicated by an extreme lack of labor available or willing to work these seasonal jobs. This is affecting all aspects of services at the shore, so we do ask for everyone’s patience. Likewise, some supplies like bait and tackle are still limited, so plan ahead if you can. Some good news came for Maryland late last month, the Governor’s latest update to Covid Executive Order removed the restriction on capacity for head boats and in a brief conversation I had with the Maryland DNR, the requirement for masks on commercial and recreational boats has been lifted. As of this edition, Delaware still requires masks for non family groups where social distancing of 6’ cannot be maintained and it appears headboats may be limited to 50% of Coast Guard capacity rating. Most of these boats don’t operate at to near capacity normally anyway, so reservations are always a good idea. I expect these regulations to change quickly and it is unclear what level of enforcement is taking place. As with supplies, planning early and calling ahead is highly recommended.
