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For all you guys on the Chesapeake,

How long is the boating season on the bay? Is there a big difference in the length of the season between the Upper and Lower Chesapeake?

Thanks,

David S

it all depends on what your boating consists of. If you're into rockfishing then yes there are differences in upper bay and lower bay. If its just the air temp/water temp then the whole bay is pretty much the same. I'm actually located in the middle bay and you usually don't see many boaters on the water before april and by about this time november it usually has started winding up. Our air temp has already dipped below freezing so many people have already begun winterizing. I hope this answer your question or helped at least in some way. haha

As mentioned, depends on what you want to do. Growing up mid-bay, I've waterskiied through November...the water will stay in the 60's through October usually. Catch and keep fishing in Maryland for rockfish (stripers) goes through Dec. 15 most years, Dec. 31st extension this year. Rockfish seasons are different in the lower bay (VA). I believe there season is closed all summer, unlike Maryland. All other types of fishing heat up july through september.
-Joe

I'm mid-Bay by Annapolis. My season pretty much goes from early-April to get ready for the spring Rock/Striper season, to mid-November for the fall season. Spring season is great for about 3-4 weeks. I pull the boat mid-November even though the fishing/weather is still pretty good through early December because I just never have the time to use it with the holidays and all.

The lower Bay, by VA and the CBBT, is great. I've fished there in late December 60 degree weather (and have gotten blown out be a snow storm), and we've always done well--really, really well. Great place.

If you're interested in getting an idea about fishing in the different parts of the Bay, got to Tidalfish.com and take a look. Its a really good Bay oriented site. I fish by my parent's place in Mattituck, NY when we visit in the summer, and LI Sound is alot better place to fish than mid-Bay.
John F.

David,
I'm on the Rappahannock River in the lower bay and our season starts about April or May and continues until December 31 when Rock season ends. I have fished in December in shirtsleeves and in every piece of clothes I own which wasn't enough. Had icicles hanging from my lines. Have gone out in March when in the sixties and the following winter walked across our creek; and I am not the Holy Man from Jerusalem. Usually though I pull the boat in January and leave it on the hard until spring.
Are you moving to the Bay? Are you already on the Bay?

Mikey wrote:. . . I am not the Holy Man from Jerusalem.

Oh no Mikey, say it ain't so!! I am so disillusioned and disappointed!

Thanks for the responses.

Mikey,

I work in NYC and spend as much time as possible on Shelter Island. There is a potential job change headed my way. The new job would be in Baltimore. If I make the move, I would like to continue to have my job in the city and a place outside Baltimore that would keep my wife and boat (not necessarily in that order) happy. I love catching Rock (as y'all call 'em) and just riding around in the boat.

I currently commute about 2 hrs each way from NYC to Shelter Island. If I draw a 100 mile radius circle around Baltimore, there seems to be lots of places that would fit the bill. That is a 2 hr+/- commute and on the Bay. Any advice on where to look for a weekend place? Eastern Shore? Western Shore?

By the way, what do you Chesapeake boys call bluefish?

Thanks again for the responses.

David S

Rawleigh, For you, an exception.
David, Bluefish? Bluefish! Of course they come in several sizes, choppers are the big guys - not much to eat. Taylors are the medium size guys - great eating.
I have a friend in Baltimore on the water whom I am sure would love to help with a house hunt if you need. He is NOT in the real estate business.
Of course right now, nobody is.

Hi David,

I'm planning on a 12mo season on the bay this year. I'm going to winterize FW systems soon and let the block heaters handle the rest.

It's a good time to be House buying down here. Where to look depends on you're price range and what apeals to you.

I live just south of Baltimore and work right behind Harbor Place downtown. Sometimes I commute by boat (not much longer than by car), does wonders for commuting stress.

I'll send you my number & if you like you can give me a call.

btw, I call bluefish crab bait!

br,
JohnD.

I'm on the Upper Bay (Bush River, north of Baltimore) and my season runs from April/May to November. Waited too long last year (Dec 12th) and was breaking ice on my way out the river to have her pulled. Of course when November rolls around my attention turns to duck hunting anyway.

regarding some more common names for bluefish.

yellow eye
oil can
bait
PITA
MFBF

great recipe:

place fillet on cedar plank, soak in olive oil and cover in rosemary. Sprinkle with crushed black pepper, sea salt and fresh garlic.
cook in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.


When the timer goes off, throw out the fish and eat the cedar plank......

JP,

You must have the northern version of the same cook book. Here's is a receipe, ( Nathan's Possom Special ) same as your receipe but, use a Oak plank instead of Cedar.

DQ

jp
you hit the nail on the head, cant stand them, must of hooked up 50 in the last 2 days with only a couple of shoolies mixed in

OK, I'll be the contrary one. Blues are great smoked and blackened. Ice 'em, and clean them as soon as you hit the dock (or on the boat), cut out the blood line, and eat them that night. They're also pretty good in a fish stew. They may not taste as good as rock/stripers, but they're more fun to catch. We caught alot, ate alot of 'em on LI--sauteed, baked, whatever.

My bluefish defense.

And Charley, look at it this way--if you catch that 50 lb striper you want (me too), it'll be nice. If you catch a 50 lb. blue (about 18 over the record I think), you'd be famous.

John F.

john
i have come close 48.3 a few years ago, this year i am in second place with a 40.8 tournament ends nov 30, hope some more slobs are coming down the pike. will pull the boat at the end of the month

I'll back you up John. Everyone I asked about eating blues said to ice them down and eat them fresh, but somehow they seemed to lack conviction. I decided to try one for myself. I simply cleaned the fish, greased up a piece of foil w/ margarine, sprinkled on a little Old Bay Seasoning and tossed it on the grill.

The meat was soft but not mushy, the flavor reminded me of wild catfish. Its not a white flaky fish like rockfish, walleye or flounder (for instance) but I found it very tasty.

Charley-

Good luck with the tourney, and getting your 50--hopefully this is the year. We just don't have fish like that mid-Bay.

What do you run? Gear? (wireline? Bunker spoons? bucktails?), Speed? How many rods?

John

On the bluesfih thing. Soak the fillets in milk if you want, it draws the oil out and firms up the meat. Looks good Steve.

thanks john,
live line bunker.i gave up pulling the wire years ago

First the bluefish needs to be on the small side. Second, it should be in the spring when they have been eating squid, not late summer when they have been eating bunker. The fish needs to be cleaned and bled on the boat and put on ice strait away. Coat the fish with sour cream or Philly creamcheese and cook under the broiler then serve.

walter makes a smoked bluefish i can actually eat....but as far as im concerned they are really fun to catch from the kayak.......big ones have an amazing amount of "tow power" and will pull me around for about 15 minutes before they get tired.

Fillet it fresh, place on a pyrex tray, squeeze a lemon over the flesh and let sit 15 minutes.Make a mixture of 50% horseradish and 50% mayonnaise (you can substitute Dijon mustard) and spread it over each fillet. Broil till it bubbles and browns. See if you don't change your mind.
Charlie, Montauk Bass fishing has tuned off with only small fish being caught. We too are hoping for another body of fish to come down. Walter

lets hope walter, around thanksgivivg we somtimes see some bigger fish coming thru, unfortunatly small fish usually mean the end is soon.

Walter/Brewster-

My Mom makes blues with sour cream--reall good. She also makes a fish pate out of it--good. Walter-- I'll try your recipe next spring. I like horseradish.

Brewster-

Where do I cut a bluefish to bleed it?

John

Where do I cut a bluefish to bleed it?

John,

Cut the gill latch, it's the same as a jugular vein on a mammal...

Br,

Patrick

If your gonna eat em try the following (for real):

Bleed the fish and ice em down.

Fillet them out and skin them, in addition remove as much of the red meat as you can.

Don't forget to take the cheeks out of them as well.

I've eaten an awful lot of bluefish since I was a kid (probably the reason for the ticks and twitches now) and it all in the fish handling.

PS If you notice all the recipes have to do with covering the taste with something else, sour cream, horseradish etc.... If there small, bled, red meat removed and fresh just egg batter and breadcrumbs and fry. If there not handled all that well refer back to the cedar plank recipe