# Anyone still left from the good old days?



## shaggy (Jun 18, 2003)

Had cookouts and fishing at Sandy Point, many a time with people from MD, DE and VA on AI. I might need at least one more outing to the Choptank. Hell, I 61, can't cast like I used to, but be fun to get together.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've been on here for a good while and grew up in MD. I lived in Arnold, so not far from Sandy Point. I recall some of the postings about get togethers there, particularly in the cooler months after most of the crowds were no longer going there. My job schedule at the time kept me from attending, as I worked at night, but I do seem to recall your screen name.

I relocated to SC back in 2015 and retired, so no longer fish in MD. Still have family there, so do sometimes get back up that way. My daughter just bought a house over in Queenstown, which I haven't seen yet. 

I live within sight of Lake Marion now so that's where I do most fishing. I also own a tackle business here. 

None of these forums are anything like they used to be. I also regularly visited Tidalfish, but haven't been on there in years. Got to be too much BS! 

Frankly, I don't miss a whole lot about MD.


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## fish bucket (Dec 5, 2002)

From nj and did couple of fishing/bar-b-ques at Sandy point.......would be up for another


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Shaggy

Still here but moved to DE. I fish IRI, DE surf, DE and MD lakes/ponds, and AI MD all the time now. The only MD fishing I do is at some Eastern shore lakes, AI and of course, Western MD/WV border for its killer trout fishing.

Sandcrab


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

> .Frankly, I don't miss a whole lot about MD.


Trout fishing in Western MD is one thing I wish I could do more of. Now it's a 5 hour trip for me - one way from Dover...


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Sandcrab said:


> Trout fishing in Western MD is one thing I wish I could do more of. Now it's a 5 hour trip for me - one way from Dover...


I used a run a tractor trailer delivery route to the stores in DE & Eastern Shore of MD for Domino's Pizza. I worked for them for 17 years and most of that time was over there so spent a lot of time in Dover. There was a store in Milford, right on the river, and I would sometimes take a fishing rod with me. There was a pond behind the Camden store. I ventured out to fish Antietam Creek and Big & Little Hunting Creek when I was younger, but never went too far west after that. I made occasional trips to fish the Potomac near Shepardstown, WVA for SM bass, and also used to get up to Deer Creek or the Gunpowder sometimes for trout. My oldest son & his wife, and our grandkids lived in Monkton for a few years so I could go when visiting, but they moved out to CA when he took a job out there. There's no trout or Smallmouth Bass close to me now, and I do miss that some, but both are here, just a few hours drive away. Charleston is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from us too, depending on where, but I haven't been to the coast to fish in several years. I should do that more. It had been a lot of years that I had been down to OC or anywhere on the MD/DE coast, although I did go visit a fly fishing friend in Wachapreague, VA once before I left from up there. He had called and told me that Redfish were everywhere, and I went & caught my first one on a fly, sight casting to them on a grass flat. I had only been trying to accomplish that for about 40 years.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Miss fishing Deer creek for the shad run in the Spring. I make 2-3 trips to Garrett County (Deep Creek area) in the Spring and Fall. Best day on the North Branch of the Potomac was 5 trout all over 20", one went 25".








NB of the Potomac at Barnum, WV. This section is know as the "Blue Hole".









Now I fish IRI more than ever!


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

Been hanging around here since 2001. Armchair fisherman now with lots of good memories of the good old days on this forum..


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## slosh (Jul 1, 2017)

I've been here since about 2004, though I changed usernames recently. 


bigjim5589 said:


> None of these forums are anything like they used to be.


You got that right! 

Sadly there's no good replacements for the old forums as they wither away. Social media and Reddit seem to be mostly newcomers trying to learn to tie a Palomar or showing off a 2 lb 'new pb lmb', or guides selling trips. No sense of community, or sharing of specific techniques. 

It's like that in other forums too. Automotive forums have helped me immeasurably over the years by providing great troubleshooting tips, and write-ups with detailed instructions and photos for various procedures. Sadly these seemed to peak around 2010, and most of those write ups are full of dead image URLs now. Watching someone do it on YouTube is fine, but the forums were way better when you are troubleshooting. Again, good luck getting that quality of content on Reddit.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Slosh, I still buy books, as I can read them if the internet is down, or even if the power goes out and have had that happen plenty since I moved here to SC. 

I have a bunch of fly pattern books now, mostly older books, and can sit & tie flies or tie jigs and use the book as reference, and I can't get my head around doing that with a video. I dislike having to search thru a video! Books are so much easier! 

I'll watch Youtube video's sometimes but can't stand the music most play and many folks have no idea about how to speak publicly and most are not good at it. They don't seem to understand the "edit" feature either! There's some good information in them, if you ignore most of the crap, but seems today anyone with a means of making a video is doing so, and believe they're the second coming with regard to fishing, and many other things! I may be just getting to old!


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

bigjim5589 said:


> I've been on here for a good while and grew up in MD. I lived in Arnold, so not far from Sandy Point. I recall some of the postings about get togethers there, particularly in the cooler months after most of the crowds were no longer going there. My job schedule at the time kept me from attending, as I worked at night, but I do seem to recall your screen name.
> 
> I relocated to SC back in 2015 and retired, so no longer fish in MD. Still have family there, so do sometimes get back up that way. My daughter just bought a house over in Queenstown, which I haven't seen yet.
> 
> ...


Hey big Jim, Your Daughter made a good move to Queenstown. And you living right near Lake Marion. WOW! I lived real close to Queenstown and fished in Queenstown Creek a lot. I also fished Lake Marion a lot with this guy. Nice talking with you.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Hey Andy, it's good hearing from you again! We've been real happy with our move here! The houses across the street from me are on the lake, so we have a nice view. All of my neighbors are great too, which makes it very pleasant living here. 

This is a photo I took several weeks ago from my one neighbors pier. He's also our insurance agent, he owns the agency, and I fish from his pier sometimes.


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## Big E (Jun 12, 2006)

Lurker here but have been to some of the earlier spring flings at SPSP.


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## dirtyhandslopez (Nov 17, 2006)

Still kicking down here in Va.


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## MSRIEF (May 21, 2007)

Sandcrab said:


> Miss fishing Deer creek for the shad run in the Spring. I make 2-3 trips to Garrett County (Deep Creek area) in the Spring and Fall. Best day on the North Branch of the Potomac was 5 trout all over 20", one went 25".
> View attachment 67420
> 
> NB of the Potomac at Barnum, WV. This section is know as the "Blue Hole".
> ...


The IRI is my home base now.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Shaggy,
How are you? I was just thinking about a choptank trip or togging in OC, stopped by here and saw your post. I'm rarely here. Rarely get out surf fishing.
Trevor


shaggy said:


> Had cookouts and fishing at Sandy Point, many a time with people from MD, DE and VA on AI. I might need at least one more outing to the Choptank. Hell, I 61, can't cast like I used to, but be fun to get together.


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

Had my left knee replacement surgery this past Monday, 3 months after my right knee was done. Looking forward to next spring, hopefully I will be fully recovered by then. So much swelling and bruising. And pain.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

Orest said:


> Had my left knee replacement surgery this past Monday, 3 months after my right knee was done. Looking forward to next spring, hopefully I will be fully recovered by then. So much swelling and bruising. And pain.


Take care of yourself. Let the healing process run it's course. Spring will be here before you know it. Plenty of prep time between now and then.


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

Thrifty Angler said:


> Take care of yourself. Let the healing process run it's course. Spring will be here before you know it. Plenty of prep time between now and then.


Thanks TA.

Hope all is well with you. Slowly getting better. Walking with a cane now, was using a walker.

If this rain ever stops, like to get outside and do a little fall clean up. This rain and wind knocked down most of the leaves. I should be able to sit on my riding mower for a little bit of time.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Orest

Get well soon. The fish are missing you!

Sandcrab


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## CYT (Nov 9, 2015)

andypat said:


> Hey big Jim, Your Daughter made a good move to Queenstown. And you living right near Lake Marion. WOW! I lived real close to Queenstown and fished in Queenstown Creek a lot. I also fished Lake Marion a lot with this guy. Nice talking with you.
> View attachment 67425


SUUUUNNNNNNNNN!!


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

I never made it to any of the gatherings even though I really want to make one on Hatteras Island and yes those were the good old days of the internet fishing web sites.

Orest, I had both of my ankle joints replaced, 1 in '16 and the other in '19. I joined the YMCA to rehab the first one in their therapy pool. I walked laps from one end to the other for an hour as many times a week as possible.

The second one I bought a stationary bike and that worked well too. I did check with my Ortho surgeon who told me both methods were fine but before you try anything like that I would seek council too.

After 8 - 10 years of limiting how and where I walked (which really affected my wade fishing) I have to say I finally feel "normal" for a 64 year young guy.

Good luck in your recovery


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

Sandcrab said:


> Orest
> 
> Get well soon. The fish are missing you!
> 
> Sandcrab


Thanks Ron.


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

jay b said:


> I never made it to any of the gatherings even though I really want to make one on Hatteras Island and yes those were the good old days of the internet fishing web sites.
> 
> Orest, I had both of my ankle joints replaced, 1 in '16 and the other in '19. I joined the YMCA to rehab the first one in their therapy pool. I walked laps from one end to the other for an hour as many times a week as possible.
> 
> ...


Thanks.

I'm hoping I will be able to get back to trout fishing. Once the knees got back, I was so un stable and you don't want that when walking a trout stream.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Orest,

Hopefully the COVID restrictions will be gone before Spring. I know a lot of great places to trout fish in Western MD and the North Branch of the Potomac on the MD/WV border. Out there, 20"+ sized fish are quite abundant.

One thing though- Waders, studded wading boots and wading staff are "must haves" for safety.


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## shelties1 (Aug 5, 2004)

Yep, been on the site for quite a few years, just not very active lately. I did enjoy some of the Spring Flings though. Orest, what was that dish you'd bring that was so good? I remember when North Beach was being boycotted by this group too.


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## Big Rad (May 19, 2003)

I am still kicking in spite of what the doctors said! I recently bought a 17ft CC so I am now a cheater! . I was cleaning out the family room and "found" a couple of blue yonders, a penn 525, and about 4 penn spinners. I must have been serious about that surf fishing life! It is good to see so many of the old guard present.


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

Every now and then I reflect on the colorful members on this site from the good ole days. Some of them like Hat80, Nsearch4Drum, and the like. But one member I do think about alot is BayFisher. He is one weird dude, but for some reason, I pull for him. I hope is okay.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Prolly still fling those 15' ugly sticks.


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## Catch This (Nov 19, 2005)

Been on this site for 15 years. All of past flings had calendar and schedule conflicts. Most of my fishing is out of Solomons, or from Asseteague, or OBX. Retired now and if there is another fling after this pandemic, I will be there.


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## JeffINVA (Nov 29, 2020)

BigJeff823 is still here;The site wont let me use the old name so!I'm on the southern end of The Chesapeake Bay and using the boat to find some Gator Speckled Trout,Red Drum,and Stripers!I don't get excited about posting things on the internet any more!


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## Jamaican Fisher (Mar 28, 2004)

shaggy said:


> Had cookouts and fishing at Sandy Point, many a time with people from MD, DE and VA on AI. I might need at least one more outing to the Choptank. Hell, I 61, can't cast like I used to, but be fun to get together.


Throwback Pier and Surf Spring Fling 2012 at Sandy Point


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## Jamaican Fisher (Mar 28, 2004)

View attachment 67619

Pier and Surf Spring Fling 2007 at A.I.







[/QUOTE]


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## cocoflea (Aug 1, 2002)

i have been MIA but I'm still here and when the weather is warm will start reporting from the North


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

I definitely have been MIA as well ... still fishing when I can. Raising a young family and increasing career demands really made it difficult to dedicate quality time to fishing. There was a time (9-10 years ago) when I could fish for 2-3 hours on Sunday morning every other week or so but then even down here on the Lower Eastern Shore shore based fishing locations can get crowded especially as many have been lost. The past 8 years I only manage to get out about three times in the Spring for the perch run and maybe 4 times the rest of the year which includes taking the family on a charter trip up and down the Tangier Sound. I call it "going to fishing school" for my retirement which will hopefully be in a few years ... and will include a boat for the first time  
Seeing many familiar faces (avatars) and the names really brings back the memories of those fishing trips and meeting different folks all over the delmarva region. Glad to see so many of you all still at it and in good health !


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## Big Rad (May 19, 2003)

I remember the White Bucket Boys. They were some serious fishermen! Fingers and Claws sold me a rod once. Bayfisher was one of my favorite guys too. Hey Big Jeff!


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Guys,

This year I fished every Wednesday at AI or on the DE beaches with my wife and my new 2019 4Runner. I'll be available after this COVID prob is cleared up to meet ya’ll at AI for some fishing.

Still would like to meet and head out to Western MD for some really remote trout fishing.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Western MD. This is from the North Branch of the Potomac river.


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

Sandcrab said:


> Guys,
> 
> This year I fished every Wednesday at AI or on the DE beaches with my wife and my new 2019 4Runner. I'll be available after this COVID prob is cleared up to meet ya’ll at AI for some fishing.
> 
> Still would like to meet and head out to Western MD for some really remote trout fishing.


Yes that is a good looking 4- Runner, like the color!


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)




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