Seth's Big News

Seth and his family went out on their boat out on the Susquehanna Flats a few weeks back. His uncle and he both limited out within 90 minutes. It was such a great day he submitted his secrets to the Maryland DNR Chesapeake fishing report, and while they didn't post his picture they published his tips on where and when to catch the beautiful stripers. Since they didn't post the pictures here are the shots of his families bounty.

Hey your lunch is still crocking!

On September 5th we took the Happy Ours out for an early fishing adventure. Unfortunately it wasn't the most productive but we landed 4 different kind of fish. One of them was a legal sized Crocker at 12 and a half inches. I brought him in and took it up to Fish Tales for lunch. I had them filet it and they cooked it for me. What a satisfying meal!

Noah's First...crab?

Noah got his first fishing rod from his Pop this summer...a four foot Ugly Stick! We used it this summer and let Noah try his hand at fishing. Daddy and Noah threw out the line together and then Noah insisted on reeling it in himself. Sure enough after a few casts he brought a small crab into the boat that was hanging off of his bait. Noah's first catch! He also went crabbing with us that week and stayed alert for three hours as we pulled in almost two dozen scrumptious crustaceans.

Why Knot 101 plus fish?

On Greg, Zac and Glenn's boat, "Why Knot?", we headed out of Dundalk and head towards the Key Bridge. There we went straight for Fort Carrol. We anchored right of the edge were the tide was moving and wet the lines. We pulled up so many nice sized white perch and large spot we lost count. We guessed that we all had 15-20 a piece including my mom Diane. This was some of the best action we had ever seen so we headed back to separate times. Greg went out with some friends and brought in over 120 fish including some 13-16 inch blues and stripers. The next time we went out with Gary, Glenn, Greg and Matt we pulled in plenty perch and spot and 3 huge cat's! Two of the cats came in at 24 inches! You think Greg was excited?

Friends in the Coastal Fisherman

After a 35 minute fight, less than a half hour into their trip, Todd, Mark, their Dad, and Jacquie's Dad landed this giant Bluefin Tuna. At the scales it weighed in at a whopping 156 pounds and stood 5 foot 3 inches tall. It was caught by the Ham Bone 70 feet below the surface. Look for their picture in the upcoming Coastal Fisherman.

I WANNA ROCK!

On June 13th we headed out on the bay charter the Lucky Lady with Captain Don hoping to catch some big Rockfish. Gary and I (Matt) pulled in two nice one's a 22 incher with mine barely beating the 18 inch minimum. It was a beautiful day but unfortunately the bite wasn't really happening so we headed just outside the key bridge by Bethlehem Steel for a little more action and action we sure had. We put our rods in and the white perch were hitting the lines faster than the first mate could take them off the hooks. Seth, Gary, Greg, Anthony, Glenn and I all caught at least a dozen a piece and each left with enough fish for quite a fish fry.

Who's having the Best (Fishing) Week ever?

We did on the Happy Ours for the first week in July. 33 Flounder were caught but it was the one that got away that might have made the paper. Todd, Tony, Brice, Gary and I (Matt) all were on the boat on July 9th when we caught 14 flounder and a blue. Todd was knocking them dead on live minnows and the occasional Gulp bait. He ended up catching almost half of the boat's total. It was on my line that I felt stuck to the bottom until I felt my line flutter. This was a big fish. It took a few minutes to reel it in and once it got to the surface we new she was a keeper. Todd grabbed the net and tried his best to nab it but just like that the line snapped and under the boat she went. I almost threw my rod to the sea in anger as I pictured my mug disappearing from the pages of the Coastal Fisherman much like the photo in Back to the Future. It looks like it's time for bigger rods, higher test and a bigger net. All and all it was a great week but no keepers...maybe we'll save that for the Flounder Pounder in September.

Happy Ours is Christened...

and the fish came a swimming. Not long after we slapped the name across the sides of the boat we took her out for some flounder fishing and had one of our best days ever. 7 flatties in 2 hours a 17, two 16's, a 15, two 14's and two 12's. Was it the boat name or the new Glup chartreuse bait that seemed to attract everything in sight including these two starfish?

New Boat Logo!

The boat logo is in. It is a custom designed logo by Daniel Rogers. I can't wait to put it on the sides of the boat. Unfortunately, she is being worked on right now to fix a fuel issue. It should be ready by the first of July. Can't wait to dress her up and take her out.

Fishin' the Flats

Taking out Seth's new fishing boat on Red Point, we fished for whatever would bite and that's exactly what we got. The day prior I went out with Seth he found himself pulling in a huge carp that he caught by it's dorsal fin. We caught a few small white perch, a yellow perch, a catfish and I was lucky enough to pull in a nice fighting rockfish on my top and bottom rigged with a blood worm just off the Susquehanna Flats. It was a cold but smorgasbord of a day on Seth's new boat.

Opening Day for Trout Coming Soon...

The premiere of trout season is coming to a river or creek near you. On March 28th, after several weeks of stocking, it will be open season once again for trout. Last year we got to Deer Creek at the crack of dawn and staked out a spot under the bridge. It was as black as it could get, even our headlamps barely helped as we tried to navigate over the rocks around the base of the bridge. It was long after the sun started to rise that the bites started coming. We stayed their for a good while and caught some nice looking and tasting trout.

The Keeper of My Heart

On Memorial Weekend of 2008 we headed out for some flounder fishing on the Assawomen Bay. We drifted off of a small island behind 9th street and I hooked into a big flattie. When it crested the surface I knew it was my biggest ever but was it a keeper. With the new flounder regulations set at 17 and 1/2 inches I wasn't sure but as we measured it I was proud to have landed the Happy Ours first keeper at 18 and 1/2 inches. I fileted it with a little help from some old fisherman friends and wrapped it in the crabmeat from the crabs we caught the day before. It was one great meal that made me feel like a Marylander. Check out a variety of the catches we've had in our Happy Ours Fish Pics Gallery http://picasaweb.google.com/mattworks88/FishPics#

Captain Don with Kerry the Catch

For Kerry's bachelor party in April of 07 we spent the day reviving Maryland's maritime past with a little rockfishing on the Chesapeake. We left from Chesapeake Beach and met Captain Don, our fishing concierge. It was a phenomenally beautiful day to be on the water and we pulled in 4 big ones! Unfortunately, my rod didn't quiver but it was exciting watching Kerry and the others pull in some giants of the deep. I believe our biggest was a nearly 40 inch Rock. Check out all the photos here http://picasaweb.google.com/mattworks88/KerrySBatchlerParty#
I just called Captain Don and it looks like we'll be heading back out on the bay in search of some beautiful rock in April/May of 09'.

Crab Bag

What a great 08'of crabbing. We started with 10 pots and caught a few dozen and then decided it was time to upgrade to 20 pots. With the help of Captain Aiden and two days of crabbing, we were able to eat a 4th of July crab feast of around 40 plus crabs. They tasted that much better, knowing we were the ones catching them. Can't wait until Captain Noah joins us on the starboard reeling them in.

FIshing Log

Date	Fishers	Fish Caught	Size	Time and Tide	Location	Bait/ Rig	Weather	Water Temp
7/03/07	Sharon	1st Fish on the Happy Ours Flounder	10 inches	???	Behind Assesteuge Island	Squid / Spreader Rig	Sunny
8/07	Gary, Matt	11 Black Sea Bass			11 (11 Marker) Robin Run	/Spreader Rig
		1 Puffer Fish			11 (11 Marker) Robin Run	/Spreader Rig
		2 Sea Robins			11 (11 Marker) Robin Run	/Spreader
10/19/07	Greg, Matt	21 BlackSea Bass	6-9 Inches		11 (11 Marker) Robin Run	Squid /Spreader Rig	Sunny 82
10/20/07	Greg, Matt	10 BlackSea Bass	6-9 Inches		11 (11 Marker) Robin Run	Squid /Spreader Rig	Sunny 81
5/25/08	Gary, Matt	3 Flounder	18.5*, 15.5, 16.5		(2) Behind 9th St. Island, Thorofare	/Bottom
		5 Black Seabass	4-8
7/04/08	Gary, Matt	6 Flounder
8/15/08	Glenn, Greg, Matt	None (fishing for Flounder)		8 AM – noon		Live Spot on Bottom of Top/Bottom Rig
8/15/08	Greg, Glenn, Matt	None (fishing for Rockfish)		Fished for 1.5 hrs 8 AM High Tide	Anchored South of the 50 Bridge	Gotcha Plug; Swimming Shad
8/15/08	Greg, Glenn, Matt	9 Black Sea Bass	4-8	8AM High	Anchored South of 50 Bridge	Squid
	Greg, Glenn, Matt	1 Bluefish	11.5	10 AM High	Thorofare	/top
	Greg, Glenn, Matt	8 Flounder	7-12	8 AM -noon High	S. of 50, Behind 9th St. Island, Thorofare
8/30/08	Gary, Matt	1 Flounder	8 Inches	11 AM-3 PM Outgoing to Low		Squid Shinder Combo /bottom
		3 Crockers	6-8 Inches
		4 Black Sea Bass	5-7
8/30/08	Gary, Matt	None (fishing for Flounder)				Live Spot /on Bottom of Top/Bottom Rig
8/31/08	Gary, Brice, Matt	5 Black Sea Bass	4-7 Inches	2 PM-5 PM	11 (11 Marker) Robin Run	Squid Strip	Sunny80	72 Brown-green dirty
		3 Crockers	5-8 Inches	Low (Slack Tide)	Thorofare	Squid		72
10/17/08	Gary	Sand Shark	18 in.	Outgoing	Inlet south of 50 bridge	Squid /Top of Top/Bottom Rig	Rainy 63	65 Brown-green
	Matt and Gary	3 Flounder	7, 11.5, 12	outgoing	Drifting past 9th St. Island	Squid/shiner combo /Top of Top/Bottom Rig	Rainy 63	65
Saw 4 Dolpin in Inlet and schools of bluefish but we didn’t have a bluefish rig	Gary, Matt	None (fishing for flounder)			Inlet close to the ocean	Squid/Shinder combo /Top/bottom and spreader	Rainy 63	65