Fish Report 4/3/2019
Going Toggin
Went Toggin
Headed to DC: MRIP Is Worse Than Ever Before..
Reservations Required at 410 520 2076 - Staffed 24/7 (Asking me for a reservation via FB or Email is a guaranteed way to miss a chance at a spot - I rarely check FB messenger - I do check email but USE The Reservation Line if you want a spot)
On My Rig You Can Reserve What Spot You're In. Please See
http://morningstarfishing.com For How The Rail's Laid Out..
Tog Trips!
Yes - we've had several of my best blackfish trips in YEARS this past winter. That DOES NOT MEAN IT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN AGAIN!! ("Ah, Capt., I thought we'd catch 20 pounders today?") Oh Mercy! I'm just glad if clients get bit!
I'm telling you here - I've had many, many anglers skunked this winter.. It should loosen up as waters warm - but this fishery is tough!
I run Tog Trips light so anglers can move to the bite - or try too!
Near-Shore Toggin - Just Kicking Around On The Back 40.. Each Tog Trip Here Sells Out At 14..
May Have To Use Clam & Shrimp! Can't find green crabs! (had 2 big die-offs in my pens this winter.. Had plenty of bites on clam last trip. Actually, for most of the day clam was superior.)
Saturday, April 6th - 7 to 3 - $110.00
Sunday, April 7th - 7 to 3 - $110.00
Sea Bass!
Opening May 15 to June 2nd for Sea Bass - May 15th, 16th, 17th, & 18th are as regular Saturday trips: 6:30 to 3:30 - $125.00 - - Otherwise My Normal Schedule: 7 to 3 weekdays & Sundays at $110.00 - All Saturdays 6:30 to 3:30 at $125.00
Sea Bass trips sell out at 25 anglers.
When You Wonder "How did those guys book the stern?" Here it is..
No Refunds On These "Far In Advance" May Trips. If there's a cancelation - Reschedules Only. (More typically either would be fine. These fall outside the credit card 60 day window - Do Not Book if you cannot handle a reschedule..)
LEAVE YOUR BEST POSSIBLE CONTACT NUMBER & LISTEN TO YOUR MESSAGES -
Weather Cancelations Happen - I Make Every Attempt To Let Clients
Sleep In If The Weather's Not Going Our Way..
Be a half hour early! We always leave early!
..except when someone shows up right on time.
Clients arriving late will see the west end of an east bound boat.
With a limited number of reserved spots, I do not refund because you
over-slept or had a flat..
Trips Also Announced on Facebook at Morning Star Fishing
https://www.facebook.com/ocfishing/ & my personal FB page..
Bait is provided on all trips: Shrimp & Clam for tog. (White Crabs MIGHT be
available from crew for a reasonable cost..) Our Tog Pool Is By Length: A Tog That's Been Released Counts The Same As One In The Boat.
No Live Tog Leave The Boat - Dead & Bled - Period. (I Believe The Live Tog Black Market Has Hurt This Fishery ..But Nowhere Near As Much As Bad Sea Bass Regulation)
Agreed With Or Not, All Regulations Observed – Maryland: 4 Tog @ 16 Inches
If You Won't Measure & Count Your Fish, The State Will Provide A Man With A Gun To Do It For You. We Measure & Count — ALWAYS — No Exceptions!
It's Simple To Prevent Motion Sickness, Difficult To Cure. Bonine
seems best because it's non-drowsy. Truly cheap & effective insurance.
Honestly - If you get to go on the ocean once month, once a year, or
even less; why risk chumming all day? Similarly, if you howl at the
moon all night, chances are good you'll howl into a bucket all day.
Bring A Cooler With Ice For Your Fish – A 48 Quart Cooler Is Fine For
A Few People. Do Not Bring A Very Large Cooler. We DO have a few
loaners - you'll still need ice.
No Galley! Bring Food & Beverages To Suit. A few beers in cans is fine for the ride home.
Except in high-summer, waterproof boots are almost a necessity unless fishing the bow - sneakers will ruin
your day when the water is cold! While some rarely, or never, wear gloves for fishing, you'd
not likely see me fishing this time of year w/o at least the half-finger wool gloves. Tuck a "hot hands" warmer in the palm and life is good..
Layers are best because, believe it or not, sometimes it can be very
pleasant offshore--especially when the wind lays down. In winter it's
warmer offshore owing to warmer waters. In summer it's cooler..
Sponsor the Ocean City Reef Foundation!
http://www.ocreefs.org
We're Nowhere Near Reef Building's True Potential.
If you have concrete blocks in the backyard taking up space and just
making snake reef, bring em. We'll toss em overboard with the rest.
24,780 Reef Blocks have been deployed at numerous sites as of 4/3/19..
Here are sites currently being targeted: Capt. Jack Kaeufer's Reef 762 - Doug Ake's Reef 3,755 - St. Ann's 2,234 - Sue's Block Drop 662 - TwoTanks Reef 432 - Capt. Bob's Inshore Block Drop 900 - Benelli Reef 746 - Rudy's Reef 110 - Capt. Bob's Bass Grounds Reef 1,375 - Wolf & Daughters Reef 688 - 202 at Al Berger's Reef.
Greetings All,
Weatherman got me good last Friday. Said 10 to 15 SW - Blew 20 to 25 all day.. Not pleasant. Not a good bite either!
..and the day before they chewed hard.
We only had 27 throwbacks & 3 keepers Friday..
What do you do.
Going Fishing!
Also going to DC soon. Dagoned MRIP is a mess. Bad recreational catch estimates are really upending Fisheries Science. Used to have good communications in that town. Have to rebuild them. Very few people stay in their jobs very long - it's a transitory workplace. Staffers make everything happen up there - at least at the common-folk level.. Time to get reacquainted with staff.
A sample below of how foul MRIP's become..
Regards,
Monty
Capt. Monty Hawkins
Partyboat Morning Star
OCMD
NY Wave 6 Nov/Dec Sea Bass – All Modes by Mode
Estimate Status
Year
Common Name
Fishing Mode
Total Harvest (A+B1)
PSE
Harvest (A+B1)
Total Weight (lb)
PSE
FINAL
2016
BLACK SEA BASS
SHORE
10,967
109.1
16,924
109.1
0
FINAL
2016
BLACK SEA BASS
PARTY BOAT
124,587
11.9
222,063
11.9
0
FINAL
2016
BLACK SEA BASS
CHARTER BOAT
65,035
19.9
141,591
19.5
0
FINAL
2016
BLACK SEA BASS
PRIVATE/RENTAL BOAT
2,834,105
20.5
6,166,963
22.3
0
FINAL
2017
BLACK SEA BASS
SHORE
0
.
0
.
0
FINAL
2017
BLACK SEA BASS
PARTY BOAT
44,099
16.7
80,657
15.9
0
FINAL
2017
BLACK SEA BASS
CHARTER BOAT
42,288
27.1
82,353
25
0
FINAL
2017
BLACK SEA BASS
PRIVATE/RENTAL BOAT
2,334,518
38
5,352,375
39.9
0
PRELIMINARY
2018
BLACK SEA BASS
SHORE
0
.
0
.
0
PRELIMINARY
2018
BLACK SEA BASS
PARTY BOAT
57,572
16
102,639
16.8
0
PRELIMINARY
2018
BLACK SEA BASS
CHARTER BOAT
27,899
22.6
57,221
21.7
0
PRELIMINARY
2018
BLACK SEA BASS
PRIVATE/RENTAL BOAT
763,456
16.7
1,550,401
16.6
0
These assertions are just unbelievably insane.
Compare: All Atlantic Coast Commercial Boats landed 2,676,000 pounds in 2016. All N/Mid Atlantic Party/Charter landed 847,000 for a total of 3,523,000 lbs – So NY Private Boats, Landed 2,644,000 MORE POUNDS OF SEA BASS than ALL Commercial/Party/Charter Professional Operators?
Or – NY Private Boat is now shown to catch more sea bass than All Party/Charter for 5 YEARS!
NOAA has lost it's MIND approving the use of this data..
MRIP's skewing stock assessments & causing brutally tight regulation where it's not at all required.