What is this structure off the Calvert Cliffs?

[Fishinfool]

Captain Brady Bounds

Kayakers are do-it-your-selfers and independent sorts, generally speaking, so it may be a tough sell for the typical kayaker, especially us locals. That said, and you may not want to commit to a more complete business plan regarding your Kayak trips w/ the mother ship and taxi, but in case you get inspired here are a couple of ideas:

1. Consider partnering with a couple of the larger hotels and convention centers on the Bay that facilitate corporate meetings. Many of those corporate meetings have team building exercises that are combined with outings. I am thinking of the Cambridge Hyatt, and possibly the Wye Island retreat, and even the Chesapeake Beach Hotel/Convention Center. Ocean City hosts a number of conventions every year. People get tired of the same old golf tournament, or deep sea fishing and want to do something different. What better way to build a team than to get 4 or 8 or 12 colleagues out in kayaks? Make it a competition in some way, and they can bring the keepers back to the hotel chef to prepare for the evening awards banquet.

Many people are just not into fishing period, but they may really enjoy a guided half day paddle. For these people, have a photo contest - or something to create a little competition.

2. Tandem kayaks would probably work best for this sort of thing for team building and competing against other teams.

3. The larger hotels and convention centers have full time concierges. Call them up and ask for a meeting. If the hotel allows it, giving them a 10% cut of your gross to the concierge could grease the skids. You'll need some brochures and a web site for starters, and liability insurance.

Just an idea.

[Capt Brady Bounds]

Fishing inside the security perimeter at the Cove Pt Gas Docks will get you arrested and prosecuted.

Fishing at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant is much more realistic, and while not near any close accessible launch site except private property, there are two possibilities. Flag Ponds park and/or the Long Beach/Flag Harbor area.

Last year, I hosted a trip with Icatutus to determine the possibilities and problems that I would encounter in providing a service to kayaks by launching off my guide boat. The first place we went was CCNPP and the photos were put on this site. It was a successful trip in every way, very easy to transport yaks from Solomons Boat ramp to a shallow area adjacent to the warm water outflow and fish were caught.

I then setup to provide two types of service to kayaks, mothership and taxi. Icatutus took a successful yak trip to South Marsh Island , with his dad and posted photos here. To date, there has been very little interest in launching from a guide boat, and my prices were dirt cheap, promotionally motivated and still the yaks didn't want to do that. Bluhaven Piers was willing to loan me yaks, or rent yaks, entirely supportive of this concept, assisted me with photos and sea trials and the idea just fizzled.

So here we are in the time of year when going to distant and remote places, even chasing breaking fish out in the ships channel four miles from shore is upon us.

Should I hold out even a scintilla of hope for a kayak booking ? As Bill stated, it was an idea ahead of it's time.

[Fishinfool]

I know the Cove Point Community somewhat. My job (real estate) took me there two years ago, and the buyer and I walked the beach there a couple of times near the point. It's a beautiful sandy beach with a nice variety of shells; clam, scallop, oyster. Many of the homes there are second homes, and some residents are not there much after the summer ends. It's a fairly typical older bayside neighborhood, which means that it's pretty eclectic; some beautiful new renovations, and some old bank owned ramblers on the market for @ 150k ish.

I am not encouraging this per se, because it is a private community beach, but let's just say there are several stretches of road near the beach area where a guy w/ a yak could park somewhat discreetly and not really be noticed putting the boat in. It's not an area that would get hit on, so I really don't think any of the residents would mind much, or even take notice.

Captain Brady Bounds point is well taken though; Calvert Cliffs is a NUCLEAR power plant and potentially a big target for an enemy. That area is watched very closely, and rightly so. Chexone, I would not go spear fishing in that perimeter either. It's very likely that the water below the surface is monitored. You do not want to mess with a trained Coast Guard diver or maybe a Navy Seal on patrol in that situation. You could go from a hunter to a huntee in a hurry.

[kevinfry]

Hmm,
I know a guy in CRE,, I have let him hunt my property in the past,, is there a community access in the Ranch Estates?
And is the fishing any different off there, as opposed to NB or CB ?

Slack

Cove point and Calvert cliffs have some pretty unique features for our side of the bay. Just look at the chart! if we could get permission to drop kayaks at Flag ponds beach then park above...that would be killer.

[chex]

STOP , stop right now ! The area around the Cove Pt Gas Docks is a high security zone for a distance of 500yds.

Let's go spear fishing then. Nobody will see us.

I'm guessing the fishing was pretty good there before they locked it down?

[Capt Brady Bounds]

STOP , stop right now ! The area around the Cove Pt Gas Docks is a high security zone for a distance of 500yds. There are four white buoys delineating the corners of a rectangular security zone and you better not be caught in there....federally protected. They videotape intrusions and order you to depart, if you don't leave immediately, they call the US Coast Guard . After that, bad things happen.

Just forget trying to get in there. The shoreward borderline of the zone is roughly the ten foot contour line running N-S.

[ictalurus]

There are two launches (that I know of) in CRE, but the closest one would be on the order of 5 miles to the gas docks (assuming I'm measuring from the correct location on Google Earth). The current around Cove Point can sometimes be a bit squirrelly, but I'm not sure what kind of wind/current combination causes it. I've been surprised a couple of times when fishing from a small boat and we turned the corner at Cove Point on the way back to Solomons and found some big waves. That's not to say that it's not worth trying. The area from the CRE launch to Cove Point can be pretty fishy, though, and I've caught some nice blues, spot, croaker, and occasional (undersized) flounder in that area when I first started kayak fishing. If you don't want to paddle that far, you could charter a kayak ferry trip with Captain Brady. That way, you could hit the gas docks and the power plant discharge without having to paddle out there or paddle between the two spots. I haven't fished the discharge from a yak when it was going at full capacity, but I know two guys that have. I don't know if I would fish in the main current at full capacity, but there are fish to be caught along the edges, and trolling in that area can produce nice fish.

[Slackdaddy]

Hmm,
I know a guy in CRE,, I have let him hunt my property in the past,, is there a community access in the Ranch Estates?
And is the fishing any different off there, as opposed to NB or CB ?

Slack

[kevinfry]

yes we need to continue to recruit members from Chesapeake Ranch club and cove point!! We are missing yout on some good fishing for lack of a launch. Maybe there are some ranch club guys lurking out there....HELLO! if you read this identify yourselves!!! a RANCH CLUB OR CALVERT BEACH LAUNCH WOULD OPEN UP A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES TO YAKKERS

[ictalurus]

Around the perimeter of the gas docks, it's around 20-25ft, or so. Deeper on the eastern side. It's a pretty steep drop off--going from 6-9ft to over 20ft in about 10yds ore less. There really isn't a good launch nearby unless you know somebody in one of the waterfront communities. The southwest corner can be good for jigging. Cove Point can be good for topwater, too.

[jet]

that view totally looks like the cliffs going into the depths of the drink doesnt it? only goes into depths of 3' to 20' or so...(right?)

[Rockchaser]

Just North of the docks is the warm water discharge from the power plant. I don't know of any kayak launches close to it but it's a hell of a ride in a boat. Good for Specks and Stripers in colder months.

Also good Flounder fishing between the docks and Cove Point light when you can get a good drift. You just have to dodge the field of crab pots.

[J.A. Veil]

I took a tour of the Cove Pt liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in 1999. There is a gas warming and storage facility onshore (the LNG arrives at a very cold temperature). The dock structure is connected by an underwater tunnel nearly a mile long. All the people on my tour used bicycles to ride out through the tunnel to the dock. Here are a few photos.

[Reelaxin10]

It's the gas docks, there is a perimeter around there that is off limits to any boat traffic and was set up after 9/11. You can still fish right on the perimeter and catch stripers live lining but can't get anywhere near the pilings.

[chex]

Hmm, are they still off-limits to fishing?