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A tale of two rivers...
Last year I had been complacent about exploring new places... for some reason, this year, I am off exploring.
It really brings me to my roots when I started this journey a few years ago on the Chesapeake.
Friday a week ago.... I launched from a landing and really loved the place. So many opportunities...
It was still dark... when from about 100 yards I heard the glug, glug, pop.. chug, chug.. firing of a crab boat's engine, stove pipe exhaust.
As it warmed up... it sounded very familiar from some other trips north of this launch, particularily one heavily fogged out morning.
The fellows motored over to the bulk head to load their coolers... and I went over to briefly chat with them.
I asked them what type of engine that was... and the mate responded... "It's his (the Captain's)... grandfather's boat..."
The Captain proudly explained "it's a John Deere !!"
I asked if they crabbed a bit north up around the corner because I was sure I had heard that boat before...
Slightly reluctant to answer my question, I quickly changed the subject out of respect for their crabbing exploits..
And let out a resonding below chuckle.... "I thought that was a John Deere... I know that good ole' sound."
I wished them a great day and we parted.
I continued to have a smile on my face as it was something I would do...
install a tractor engine on a refit of a classic old Deadrise crabbing boat.
I figured if I couldn't bring home a large fish dinner... I'd go for perch first... ensuring tasty treats.
Well it wasn't hard, and quickly had a dozen perch just as the sun was rising... caught more but those were the keepers.
Set off along shallow water in the upper river.. making shore lines with nice deep drop offs.. I circled around and worked some areas.
Some fish in the water... an occasional splish splash top water.. but not tons baitfish around... not a problem.
Accidentally caught a couple more perch while trying to troll for larger fish.
Headed down stream towards the bay... caught a few small rockfish (well dinks).
And then a few larger ones.. around 12 inches.. which I guess is still a dink.
Most fish were showing on the sonar in 30ft of water, holding in 15 to 20 feet.
Before getting on to "open" water.. I stopped for a snack at 10am just south of a lighthouse.
I was really enjoying the morning and the exploration... and a beautiful area.
I moved on to open water and worked an area along a riprap close to shore... there are clam buoys closer to shore in about 10 feet of water.
But I was in 30ish feet (again)... where the fish were showing on the sonar.
A boat was working the shallows along the clam bed... I didn't see them catch anything, I was getting an occasional 15 to 16inches.
I went further south and found a channel outside another tributary, about 20feet deep, which was flanked by shallow water.
It was holding fish. I worked it back and for catching a number of fish the biggest 19inches (rockfish).
It was time to head back... and now it would be the bottom of the low tide.
Getting back into the river there were a lot of birds working a number or areas and I was in and through them.
Mostly dinks pushing the bait fish to the top and such... but still fun to see and be working the action.
I tried going under the top water dinks to find bigger fish.. but really didn't spend to much time on that project.
A really great area, and I will certainly be back.
A number of boats passed me during the day, and while I don't expect it, were most curtious and cautious of my presence.
In the early morning, while perch fishing, a trot line crabber was near me... I commented I was just getting some tasty perch snacks if nothing else comes together for the rest of the trip...
He said, "Ain't nothing bettah than a perch." Except for the small filets... I think I can agree with him !
Come back across the Bay Bridge... the wind had picked up quite a bit... white caps etc... I planned my day well.
Only 12 miles of paddling... not so much.
===================
Trip Two...
Well this was going to be my "biggest" trip to date, and another new place.
The last month I had gone out two times a week, three new places, some revisited, and this would be my fourth new place.
Some of you guys make long road trips.. it amazes me your road time.
This would be 2.5 hours each way... and the obvious time on the water added.
Well if you made it this far in these tales, and not too bored, not to worry this won't take long.
Another great area... got there about 4:30am'ish.
I didn't catch one fish, only had two chomped soft baits as an indication something was there.
There were lots of fish on the sonar... no big bait balls... but lots of stuff there.
I was near a ledge from 10ft to 45feet of water, and a smaller outboard boat came near.
They were catching a lot of small fish, we quickly chatted, they had spot, silver perch (sand perch), and croaker.
I asked if they had seen any blues but they said no.
I didn't really see any size to any of their catches but they were catching left and right.... getting hits before their bait hit bottom.
This wasn't my style of fishing for this trip... I am sure I could have caught some fish if that was my intentional style.
But I was trolling for rockfish and hopefully blues...
Perfectly dead calm day, too calm, a little wind is nice to cool off.
Launching just before high tide... plans were, again to come back at the turn of the low tide. And a light south wind would help.
Noonish or so... at near 1:30pm.... the western skies were getting dark. The weather radio wasn't reporting much, weather reports didn't have anything predicted.
But then it got worse... particularly the last two miles. Light rain... but tons of wind and waves.
It was difficult to keep straight and head towards port.
I won't elaborate more, but it got crazy... and that I heard through crackling on the radio "take shelter."
When I got back home... I checked the local buoy for the area, and it had recorded plus 20knots.
This area where I went, it was incredible ! While my experiences on the Chesapeake have been numerous, I am a newbie.
And also living at the beach for nearly 30 years, I had never, ever, seen so many crabs in the water.
It was a crab explosion... it was crazy crabs. Maybe if I had peelers, or had tried using my glup crabs... I would have gotten fish.
But it didn't matter for the experience of the trip.
This place brought so many warm memories to my heart, from living at the beach, because most of those years I lived in old farm houses, close but off the beach.
And everybody waved hello... or knew my old trucks....
Coming back from this place... there was not one truck or vehicle on those back roads that didn't give a little "off" the steering wheel wave or more as we passed.
Most obviously not ever seeing my car and kayak on the roof before.
And the fellow with the Z-Ztop beard sitting on his property giving a wave as I left the first back road....
I began my adventures on the Chesapeake a few years ago because I love the saltwater, and now I am in the "city,"
and thusly, went forth.
Fishing with the kayak has become the super bonus... along with an occasional fish dinner ! :-)
But last year I got complacent on adventures... and consumed by just catching fish.
This year the adventure is back... and some fish.
And by-golly gee-wizzz!!!! What an adventure and great trip !!!!
20 miles of paddling... albeit... 20knot winds to push me back.
I'll be back to this place... with adventure and hopefully dinner !
Last year I had been complacent about exploring new places... for some reason, this year, I am off exploring.
It really brings me to my roots when I started this journey a few years ago on the Chesapeake.
Friday a week ago.... I launched from a landing and really loved the place. So many opportunities...
It was still dark... when from about 100 yards I heard the glug, glug, pop.. chug, chug.. firing of a crab boat's engine, stove pipe exhaust.
As it warmed up... it sounded very familiar from some other trips north of this launch, particularily one heavily fogged out morning.
The fellows motored over to the bulk head to load their coolers... and I went over to briefly chat with them.
I asked them what type of engine that was... and the mate responded... "It's his (the Captain's)... grandfather's boat..."
The Captain proudly explained "it's a John Deere !!"
I asked if they crabbed a bit north up around the corner because I was sure I had heard that boat before...
Slightly reluctant to answer my question, I quickly changed the subject out of respect for their crabbing exploits..
And let out a resonding below chuckle.... "I thought that was a John Deere... I know that good ole' sound."
I wished them a great day and we parted.
I continued to have a smile on my face as it was something I would do...
install a tractor engine on a refit of a classic old Deadrise crabbing boat.
I figured if I couldn't bring home a large fish dinner... I'd go for perch first... ensuring tasty treats.
Well it wasn't hard, and quickly had a dozen perch just as the sun was rising... caught more but those were the keepers.
Set off along shallow water in the upper river.. making shore lines with nice deep drop offs.. I circled around and worked some areas.
Some fish in the water... an occasional splish splash top water.. but not tons baitfish around... not a problem.
Accidentally caught a couple more perch while trying to troll for larger fish.
Headed down stream towards the bay... caught a few small rockfish (well dinks).
And then a few larger ones.. around 12 inches.. which I guess is still a dink.
Most fish were showing on the sonar in 30ft of water, holding in 15 to 20 feet.
Before getting on to "open" water.. I stopped for a snack at 10am just south of a lighthouse.
I was really enjoying the morning and the exploration... and a beautiful area.
I moved on to open water and worked an area along a riprap close to shore... there are clam buoys closer to shore in about 10 feet of water.
But I was in 30ish feet (again)... where the fish were showing on the sonar.
A boat was working the shallows along the clam bed... I didn't see them catch anything, I was getting an occasional 15 to 16inches.
I went further south and found a channel outside another tributary, about 20feet deep, which was flanked by shallow water.
It was holding fish. I worked it back and for catching a number of fish the biggest 19inches (rockfish).
It was time to head back... and now it would be the bottom of the low tide.
Getting back into the river there were a lot of birds working a number or areas and I was in and through them.
Mostly dinks pushing the bait fish to the top and such... but still fun to see and be working the action.
I tried going under the top water dinks to find bigger fish.. but really didn't spend to much time on that project.
A really great area, and I will certainly be back.
A number of boats passed me during the day, and while I don't expect it, were most curtious and cautious of my presence.
In the early morning, while perch fishing, a trot line crabber was near me... I commented I was just getting some tasty perch snacks if nothing else comes together for the rest of the trip...
He said, "Ain't nothing bettah than a perch." Except for the small filets... I think I can agree with him !
Come back across the Bay Bridge... the wind had picked up quite a bit... white caps etc... I planned my day well.
Only 12 miles of paddling... not so much.
===================
Trip Two...
Well this was going to be my "biggest" trip to date, and another new place.
The last month I had gone out two times a week, three new places, some revisited, and this would be my fourth new place.
Some of you guys make long road trips.. it amazes me your road time.
This would be 2.5 hours each way... and the obvious time on the water added.
Well if you made it this far in these tales, and not too bored, not to worry this won't take long.
Another great area... got there about 4:30am'ish.
I didn't catch one fish, only had two chomped soft baits as an indication something was there.
There were lots of fish on the sonar... no big bait balls... but lots of stuff there.
I was near a ledge from 10ft to 45feet of water, and a smaller outboard boat came near.
They were catching a lot of small fish, we quickly chatted, they had spot, silver perch (sand perch), and croaker.
I asked if they had seen any blues but they said no.
I didn't really see any size to any of their catches but they were catching left and right.... getting hits before their bait hit bottom.
This wasn't my style of fishing for this trip... I am sure I could have caught some fish if that was my intentional style.
But I was trolling for rockfish and hopefully blues...
Perfectly dead calm day, too calm, a little wind is nice to cool off.
Launching just before high tide... plans were, again to come back at the turn of the low tide. And a light south wind would help.
Noonish or so... at near 1:30pm.... the western skies were getting dark. The weather radio wasn't reporting much, weather reports didn't have anything predicted.
But then it got worse... particularly the last two miles. Light rain... but tons of wind and waves.
It was difficult to keep straight and head towards port.
I won't elaborate more, but it got crazy... and that I heard through crackling on the radio "take shelter."
When I got back home... I checked the local buoy for the area, and it had recorded plus 20knots.
This area where I went, it was incredible ! While my experiences on the Chesapeake have been numerous, I am a newbie.
And also living at the beach for nearly 30 years, I had never, ever, seen so many crabs in the water.
It was a crab explosion... it was crazy crabs. Maybe if I had peelers, or had tried using my glup crabs... I would have gotten fish.
But it didn't matter for the experience of the trip.
This place brought so many warm memories to my heart, from living at the beach, because most of those years I lived in old farm houses, close but off the beach.
And everybody waved hello... or knew my old trucks....
Coming back from this place... there was not one truck or vehicle on those back roads that didn't give a little "off" the steering wheel wave or more as we passed.
Most obviously not ever seeing my car and kayak on the roof before.
And the fellow with the Z-Ztop beard sitting on his property giving a wave as I left the first back road....
I began my adventures on the Chesapeake a few years ago because I love the saltwater, and now I am in the "city,"
and thusly, went forth.
Fishing with the kayak has become the super bonus... along with an occasional fish dinner ! :-)
But last year I got complacent on adventures... and consumed by just catching fish.
This year the adventure is back... and some fish.
And by-golly gee-wizzz!!!! What an adventure and great trip !!!!
20 miles of paddling... albeit... 20knot winds to push me back.
I'll be back to this place... with adventure and hopefully dinner !
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