Article by Marty Gary
Summertime……..and the Fishing is Easy
I was down at the beach for vacation last week, and had a chance to casually get around to observe all that was happening first hand. My wife and I spent one evening over at Sunset Marina checking out the flags flying from the offshore fleet and the catches that came in. We spent other opportunities to walk the beaches of Assateague and Ocean City in late afternoon and evenings and talk to the surf fishermen. We also dropped by the Rt. 50 Bridge and Gudelsky Park too. Purposefully, I did not pick up a rod myself. I wanted to just soak in what others were up to and see how they were doing and observe how much their fishing experience meant to them. I came away with a really good feeling for what fishing meant for the various people I chatted with. Whether it was the gentlemen on 128th street that was down from Pennsylvania for the week with family, and he was fishing with his 12 year old daughter on the beach for a couple of hours, or it was a retiree from Ocean Pines catching the prime first two hours of the flood tide on the Rt. 50 bridge for flounder. They all had a common theme. While catching fish was desirable, these folks were all clearly “breaking away” from the day to day grind, and their time fishing was as much therapeutic as anything else. Did it matter if they caught fish? Maybe. But at the end of the day, all of them were clearly enjoying their time. Some to be with others, some just to be alone and relax, and others like the group I talked to at Sunset arriving back to dock with several yellowfin were really looking for the camaraderie with some friends they only see once in a great while. And it was also clear to me that Ocean City is a unique place that offers these opportunities for folks of all means. George Gershwin surely had his own meaning when he composed 1935’s “Summertime”, but for me, it came to mind observing all the folks enjoying their fleeting time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I’ll bring a rod the next time I’m back down.
Two More License Agents Selling Fishing Licenses
Add Bahia Marina at 22nd Street and the Bay in Ocean City, and Buck’s Place on Rt. 611 down toward the Assateague Island seashore parks to the list of over a dozen locations where you can buy your fishing license. And just a reminder to those visitors and others that were not aware, Maryland now has a comprehensive saltwater fishing license for anyone that is fishing in our coastal waters (back bays, inlet, surf and waters offshore to 3 miles). If you are fishing in any of these locations and are 16 years of age or older, you will need a fishing license. There are some special exceptions, and more information can be found on Maryland DNR’s website: http://dnr.maryland.gov/service/fishing_license.asp.
Maryland DNR Summer Flounder Catch Rate Survey
Last week I mentioned a new, innovative survey being launched by MD DNR under the supervision of Fisheries Service statistician Dr. Linda Barker. The survey is officially underway and will be running through the end of August. DNR is proud to announce that Alltackle.com will be offering two special prizes for anglers that participate by filling out the survey cards and submitting them. A random drawing of submitted survey cards will be made at the end of each two month long survey. One lucky angler will be chosen to win a gift certificate for $100 to Alltackle at the end of July and another at the end of August. Additionally, an Alltackle visor ($20 value) will be sent to each angler submitting a card while supplies last. Special thanks to Keith Fraser and his staff at Alltackle for their support of the survey to compare catch rates of summer flounder between boats arriving at public ramps and private docks and ramps.
Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) volunteers will distribute 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 their card upon completion of their trip, and drop it 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
I’ve been providing updates each week on the sinking of USS Radford, a 573-foot long Navy Destroyer for the largest artificial reef on the Atlantic coast. This week’s update is for everyone to hold their breath just a little longer. We are still waiting for final approval from the EPA and the United States Coast Guard. We had hoped for the week of July 11th, but as of Friday, July 1st, approval had not been granted. We’ll break the news to the readers of the Coastal Fishermen just as soon as we know. For now, we remain on hold.
Questions From Coastal Fishermen 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.