In January’s past, I’ve suggested a few New Year’s resolutions to my fishing buddies. I stand by the resolution I recommended in 2013 that we fishermen should include at least one picture of our wife and kids on our cell phones to balance out the one hundred thirty two other shots of our boat, truck, and every fish we’ve caught in the past three years. I also still recommend that we teach our kids how to tie their shoes before we show them how to make a Palomar knot. I thought of some good ones this year too. I mean, shouldn’t we all resolve to spend less time at the gym and more time watching fishing videos on YouTube? And, couldn’t most of us change our internet passwords since “rockfish” is getting a little over used? Nevertheless, this January I decided to worry less about the resolutions of others and focus more on my own self-improvement goals. Here are my fifteen personal resolutions for 2015:

1.  I resolve to stop showing my fishing partners Victoria’s Secret videos on my cell phone while they’re driving the truck and pulling the boat. Oops, never mind. Already broke that one.

2.  I resolve never to regret a tattoo, not even one on my lower back from 1982 of Aunt Bee holding a bent Ugly Stick while reeling up a Jack Daniels bottle. Read More!

*and 16 smart-assed replies:

1.  When your wife or girlfriend asks, “You aren’t going to fish in the rain are you?”

Well, yes I am, and in the sleet, and in the snow, and in the fog, and any other time the other guys are at home sitting on the couch.

2.  Or when she wonders, “Why do you need another fishing rod, you already have three?”

And that puts me in the lower five percent of all the other fishermen I know who each have at least sixty.

3.  Or how about, “Will you be home by dark?”

No, I’ll fish until dark, and if the fish are biting I’ll keep fishing until they stop or at least until my muscles become so stiff they have to pry my rod out of my cold wet fingers. 

4.  And, I hope you haven’t heard, “My old boyfriend caught one bigger than that.”

I don’t care.  Okay, I do care, but I don’t want to hear about it!  And that reminds me, don’t say:

5.  “Cute little guy.”

Not about a fish, not about anything, not ever! Read More!

If you’ve noticed that I haven’t been blogging as frequently, you’re right.  I’m still getting my time in fishing, but I’m also concentrating on some new projects including a new video channel on YouTube.  I believe internet-based TV is the wave of the future.  I can’t remember the last time I sat down and watched an hour-long TV show.  On the other hand, I look at videos on social media sites every day.  I’m having a great time producing short flix that I hope will provide another avenue to illustrate my fishing trips and techniques.  I’ve recently hooked up with the crew at The Hooked Up Network.   Hooked Up is YouTube’s first ever network that is solely dedicated to fishing.  They’re helping me promote my videos.  I currently have over a quarter of a million views and I’m hoping to reach a million by this time next year.  This week, I’ve turned out a couple of clips including a “How-To” segment about smoking bluefish, and a report on a recent roadtrip to North Carolina where we caught some truly giant redfish on artificial lures using popping corks.  I’ll still be blogging and posting fishing reports here on ChesapeakeLightTackle.com, but to get the first look at my video reports as soon as they go live, subscribe to www.youtube.com/user/Trailzzone  (Trailzzone is the name of my publishing company.)  You might also want to check out some of the other videos on The Hooked Up Network.  There’s new material going up daily.  It’s all absolutely free and I’ll do my best to keep the content fresh and interesting.  As always, I’ll include some environmental and conservation tips from time to time.  You’ve heard me say, a picture saves a thousand fish. Well, maybe with video, we can make it a million!

1.  It was still a beautiful day on the water.

2.  That’s why they call it fishing, not catching.

3.  I don’t go to catch fish, I go to relax.

4.  It was a nice day for a boat ride.

5.  I just needed to run the engine.

6.  There was a good band playing at The Jetty, so we came in early.

7.  It’s not how many fish you catch, it’s how good you look fishing.

8.  I just wanted to work on my tan.

9.  I enjoy bird watching as much as catching fish.

10.  I didn’t get skunked, I ran out of time. Read More!

Being a good fisherman has always been about being smart enough, and humble enough to learn when given a chance.  -Anthony Bourdain

Actually, Bourdain never said that.  Well, he did, but it was about cooking, not fishing.  Some of the best fishermen I know like to cook.  I guess that’s because there are a lot of similarities.  I’ve recently had the opportunity to spend time with some very talented up-and-coming striper fishermen.  What impresses me most is their willingness to open their minds and learn.  As a result, they’re enjoying some of the best fishing experiences of their lives. That willingness to learn is a trait I’m including in a book I’m working on called, The Right Stuff.

According to the website Cookingschools.com, there are ten top qualities of a great culinary professional.  As I read through them, I found it interesting how each of those qualities apply just as easily to great fishing.  I hope they won’t mind if I parody their list a little by substituting fishing terms. Take a look to see if you have the recipe for a quality fishing experience.  The few words I substituted are in italics.

Creativity: A great angler must be very creative and always willing to try something new. Creativity inspires a lure’s presentation, which is very important to the overall fishing experience.

Passion: A great angler has a tremendous passion for fish and fishing. They enjoy the process of selecting gear, preparing for trips, and creating lures. Read More!

I awoke that rainy morning to the rumbles of thunder. From my upstairs bedroom on Kent Island, I could hear the long low blasts of foghorns as big ships passed beneath the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. They sounded eerily closer than usual this morning at 4:00 AM. I listened to the ships until it was apparent that I wouldn’t go back to sleep. I haven’t been fishing as much as I like to. My only opportunities have been in the early mornings before work, and often in less than optimum conditions.

This morning, despite the dreadful weather, I decided to make the best of the time I had available. I call my boat Thunder Road. The name is homage to the 1950’s song and movie by Robert Mitchum, but also because the Eastern Shore-built Judge 27CC is well suited to difficult weather conditions just like this mornings. I grabbed my phone, put on some rain gear, and backed the boat out of the driveway.

It was pitch black when I arrived at the Matapeake boat ramp. Oddly, the lights were out on the pier. It wasn’t windy, and a dense fog had set in. I launched into the dark water and idled slowly toward the mouth of the inlet without the lights of my sonar or GPS so I wouldn’t destroy what little night vision I had. The fog was so thick I could barely see past the front of my boat. I wiped my glasses and breathed a sigh of relief as I slipped between the end of the wooden pilings and the rock jetty. I was surprised to look up and see the shadow of a lone figure standing at the end of the pier. Another hardcore fisherman I thought, but then I noticed he didn’t have a fishing rod. My wave wasn’t returned as I continued out into the murky open waters of the Chesapeake. There was a cold chill in the air, so I pulled up my hood and swung the bow north into a strong outgoing tide.

Read More!