Article by Marty Gary
Tuna Time
This weekend the Ocean City Fishing Center hosts the Annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament. The conditions have been and continue to be excellent for both yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Water temperatures in the low to mid-70’s out in the canyons has provided for the right conditions for yellowfin tuna, while bluefin are finding cooler waters, for which they have an affinity for, further inshore. Captain Monty Hawkins on the “Morning Star” continues to bring back Atlantic cod from the offshore reefs and wrecks. The persistence of cold water inshore is surely part of the explanation for the presence of cod in midsummer. Diver and underwater filmmaker Nick Caloyianis was out last week with Captain Ted Green aboard the “OC Diver” at the Twin Wrecks, and he reported water temperatures of 44 degrees on the bottom in 120 feet of water. Nick spotted flounder in excess of 30 inches in this area.
An Angler App for That
I read with interest the launch of NOAA Fisheries new app for Android phones that allows anglers to report live releases of shortfin mako sharks in real-time simply by using their Android mobile devices. The "Release Mako" app uses GPS technology to fill in location coordinates on shortfin mako live releases and submits information via e-mail, allowing fishermen to put their released mako on the Shortfin Mako Shark Live Release Interactive Web Map. By submitting this live release information through the app and putting their mako on the map, fishermen are able to see how they are making a difference in the conservation of shortfin mako sharks and encourage others to do the same. Smartphones, whether iPhone, Android or Blackberry, have become an essential tool for all fishermen. MD DNR Fisheries Service webmaster Joey Smith just finished work on a web app that will allow anglers to browse the DNR Fisheries Service web content seamlessly from their phones. If anglers have ideas for mobile applications, we would like to hear them. With integrated GPS and processors that can render maps with speeds equal to desktop computers, the opportunities are limitless. To download the NOAA application, visit the Android Market or visit the NOAA Fisheries Release Mako website. To learn more about the DNR Fisheries mobile web app, visit: http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/news/story.asp?story_id=168&title=Introducing-the-Fisheries-Service-Mobile-Web-Application
Maryland DNR Summer Flounder Catch Rate Survey Underway
I’ll continue to mention the new survey by MD DNR to compare catch rates of summer flounder being landed at public and private points of landing. The survey is officially underway and will be running through the end of August. Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) volunteers are distributing the simple, easy to fill out survey cards to anglers on the water during their fishing trips, capitalizing on the rapport between fellow anglers. Here is an example of the survey card that will be handed out to other boat fishermen on the water by the MSSA volunteers.
Participating anglers simply need to fill out the card upon completion of their trip, and drop it in the closest mailbox when they return to shore. Postage is prepaid. DNR Fisheries personnel will provide the survey design, collect and analyze the data sent in by the anglers upon completion of their trips. Ultimately, DNR will share the results with the NMFS staff that are working on the redesign of the federal recreational fishing survey (MRIP).
So if you are fishing on the water and a fellow fisherman approaches you with a card in hand, please consider taking a moment to listen to them, fill out the survey card at the end of your trip, and drop it in the mailbox.
Radford Update
Work progresses toward completion up at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on USS Radford, a 573-foot long Navy Destroyer in preparation for its placement as the largest ship to be used as an artificial reef on the Atlantic coast. EPA inspections could be finished as early as the day of this issue (7/13), leaving US Coast Guard authorization as the final action needed for approval to move the ship to the reefing site, 32 nautical miles northeast of the Ocean City Inlet. We’ll break the news to the readers of the Coastal Fisherman just as soon as we hear for sure. We could be looking at a sinking as early as next week.
Questions From Coastal Fisherman Readers?
I welcome any questions you may have on fisheries management, sport fishing licenses, or any other fisheries related questions. Please e mail your questions to:
[email protected]
Until next week…good fishing!
Marty Gary is Assistant Director/Fisheries Ecologist at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service.
