Sun nite 27 Nov 05 Choptank Report

[ABluesman]

Decided to visit the Tank last nite and here is the report --tide was going out when I got there at 4 pm but was very slow moving. Walked to the very end and hit 2 fat 17" stripers on the way out. Wind was blowing hard from the SE and it started to rain so I turned around and went back to the car for rain gear.

I then walked out to the end again and this time caught two more keeper fatties --- 19" & 21" on the way out. By this time the tide was dead still and it was 6:30 (an hour earlier than the tide predictions for low tide). I ran into some older folks I know and we talked a bit while I watched them catch about 50 perch on grass shrimp and we then returned to our vehicles. When we were about 40 yds. from dark entrance area where my car was parked, a guy dressed in black clothes ran from behind my car and across the entry road to his car, turned his lights in our face and backed out very rapidly so we couldn't get an ID on him.

Think we surprised him in the act of doing something he didn't want anyone to see and he beat feet without doing any damage or entry to my car. Wish they would fix the lights there, last year someone smashed out every window in my car one night when I was out on the bridge ... that was a cold ride home, not to mention the glass replacement cost and paint. At any rate, if you go there beware that there are more than a few bad apples lurking around that area. I would not go there myself but I have had a lot of success so I go reluctantly -- caught 6 keepers there two weeks ago, 7 last week and the 2 last night.

[CAST DADDY L]

I WISH THAT I WOULD HAVE WENT WITH YOU INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE NARROWS LASTNIGHT I ONLY CAUGHT 1 17 1\2 INCH ROCK I WAS THERE WITH BLUE HERION AND FISHB8 BUT IT WAS DEAD WE LEFT THERE AT 8:30 AND I WENT HOME . GIVE ME A CALL THE NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO GO TO THE TANK. :mad:

[nuffintodo]

What were you using for bait when you caught the keepers?

[ABluesman]

Nuffintodo, I was casting tandem rigged Zoom 5" white super flukes on 3/4 oz. jigheads. Been catching all my stripers on them casting past and drifting through the light pole shadows and under the bridge.

C-d-l, yea that wind last night made it pretty much a no bite night, guess I just been getting lucky. I usually go down in the mid afternoons to arrive just before dark and like to catch the outgoing tide because they are a lot more active then. What time do you get off work?? I know BigRad wants to go down too but I think he is working when I go too. Good tide all this week but I am concerned about the riff-raff hangin' out around there at night while you are having innocent fun fishing. Who knows what they are driving up to do in the dark while you are 20 light poles away?

[Orest]

did you?

[ABluesman]

Orest, a less understanding guy might take offense at your question -- what sort of question was that?? Of course not --I take pride in staying within the boundaries of the law and doing my part to protect the fishery. If I was to outlaw, I could bring 6 or more nice ones home every trip but who has the freezer space? And besides that, a rock under 18" just doesn't have the meat on it to make it worth cleaning or keeping --better to let him grow another year. 2 per day is plenty for me!!

[Orest]

:)


So I guess you paid your $1.

[ABluesman]

Orest, I can tell you haven't visited the Tank in over a year because if you had you would not make a foolish comment like that. They took the $1 box out of commission a long time ago because of vandalism to the lock box. Now nicen up big boy!!

[Orest]

So they took the brown pole away. That's not good. So I wonder who is paying for the upkeep of the bridge? How long before they say it's a waste of tax payers $$$ and they will close it. I would rather pay a few $$$ and contribute to it upkeep.

[ABluesman]

You are pretty close to accurate -- the brown pole is there but the box is torn open and the lock is gone -- there is little or no upkeep to the bridge. Many rails have disintegrated and concrete is all over the walkway and gone down in the water. At least 10 lights are out and have not been replaced for about two years. Expansion joints are disrupted in many places and at low tide you can see a lot of places in the pilings where the rebar is poking out all around. They still maintain toilets until end of rock season (they then lock up the bridge with their gate installed last year until spring) but no one does duty in the ranger station. I have not seen a park ranger or a DNR type all fall season.

I think someone comes down from Tuckahoe or Martinek about once a week to spot check but that is basically it. The state and county ought to be ashamed of what their penny pinching is doing to allow this precious and treasured resource to decline. Now with the Hyatt being their perceived "big draw" LOL, it seems only a matter of time until the resource and history are gone. Shame, Shame, Shame on the State of Maryland!!!! It is about time for all concerned to mount a "Save The Tank" campaign!!

[Orest]

They took away the trash cans on the pier, not like everybody used them, but at thet were there and were empty. Now they put up wire mesh to keep the trash from blowing off the pier.

There they charge $4. to park and fish; I wonder what they do with the money. The MD gov't is ruining the public places to fish. They lie about working to clean the Bay up, when they know who is dumping god know what into it.

All they worry about who is going to give them the biggest $$$ donations for elections.

[ABluesman]

I am sorry to hear that about the Peake -- I stopped fishing there several years ago not because of the fees, but the lack of fish catching per hours spent and the rude crowds and mess. Charging fees may help a bit I think but I'd like to see posted accountability as to how the fees are spent monthly. The Peake and Tank are fine examples that fees are not the remedy. Whoever came up with the screening around the pier was doing a half butted fix.

These piers and the Narrows need a DNR roving maintenance crew that visits them all each day and empties trash cans and pick up debris. How much could this cost a year??? Peanuts compared to the money they spend driving around in trucks and boats doing what they normally do. The maintenance crew should be junior officers too so they can enforce the laws while they are there and be learning from the ground up. This would be a strong contribution to cleaning up the bay.

Don't get me started on the politicians --it seems only those with Chicken Farm, Waste Management and Developer money in their hip pockets get what they want and this is constantly at the expense of the bay. The bay has been dying for years due to the greed of these politicians and their special interest backers. Most efforts and campaigns to clean up the bay are just shoveling chicken #$@! against the tide. I would like to see a comparison of the $$ spent by the Md. govt. on bay cleanup vs. special interest $$ spent to elect politicians who then subsidize those special interests. Then subtract out the $$ collected on fines from polluters of the resource and any public monies pulled in from pier access and license fees. Talk about an equation out of balance!!!!

[Orest]

I feel the same way.

Next year I think P&S might have to go back to a doing a few cleanup. We didn't do one last year.

In the pass we have cleaned up the Tank, both sides, SPSP, PLO and IRI. Lots of fun, good food and the best comradity around. Plus we do a little fishing.