Author Archives: Michael

‘Tis the Season

06 Saturday Oct 2012

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OK. I know it has been a while since I last posted, but it has truly been hectic. I have to divide my time between the fun stuff (fishing and beer) and the whole making money to live thing.

First and foremost, if you are a fisherman, GET OUT THERE! This is by far the best time of the year to fish. Rockfish, Bluefish, Speckled Sea Trout, and Red Drum are preparing themselves for winter by chasing and consuming large quantities of baitfish in the shallows. These conditions won’t last much longer, as the water temperatures continue to fall.

I had a spectacular time on the Honga River yesterday. Launched at 11 am and fished the grass beds on an incoming tide. Landed 10 fish and kept 4, one of which was a 24 incher. I was casting with an ultralight rod and 10# mono. Great fun.

Sunday In The Shallows

19 Sunday Aug 2012

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Launched at Sandy Point State Park at 5:30 a.m. and paddled south. We were looking for a topwater bite in the shallow water. It was a perfect morning. A slight breath of air out of the east and a high tide scheduled at 6:31. Topwater bite never materialized. Started working the shoreline with a 4″  Chartreuse Gulp Swimming Mullet.

 

 

Lots of Perch. This one was almost 14″.

 

 

 

 

 

Also caught this 15 1/2″ Red Drum. They are getting bigger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots and lots of small Rockfish. Did manage a 19″ keeper.  Literally, all fish were caught within 10′ of the shore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a  great morning on the water. Grilled Rockfish for dinner tonight and fried perch tomorrow.

 

Ocean Odyssey

16 Thursday Aug 2012

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I have driven past it plenty of times over the years, but have never stopped. Recently, on their sign, I saw the words “Fish Tacos” and “Craft Brews”. Hmm… Fish and Beer. Not a chance I was going to drive past today.

The Ocean Odyssey is in Cambridge, Maryland, right on Route 50. They have been in business for 26 years; in fact their anniversary was this week. It is a small, unassuming place, but they take their beer seriously. They have an impressive selection of micros pouring from 9 taps, that rotate weekly. There is always something from Evolution and Dogfish Head flowing. No watered down swill here.

Fish Tacos

As their name implies, seafood is their specialty. I would like to try other things on the menu in the future, but will probably order the fish tacos again. Yes, they are that good. Ocean Odyssey is a seasonal place. They open in April and close in November. They are open 6 days a week and closed on Sunday.

 

Rockfish 3 Ways

11 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by in Fish, Food

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I loathe waste. Particularly, the wasting of our natural resources. The idea of killing a living creature and not making use of it, infuriates me. I recently had the displeasure of seeing several rockfish carcasses on a beach. It appeared that only the fillets had been removed and the rest discarded. Here is a fairly easy way of utilizing the whole fish.

Nothing wrong with filleting a fish. Everyone loves eating large chunks of boneless, flaky meat. Just don’t stop there. Once you have removed the fillets, sever the head and remove the internal organs. Now simply cook the carcass. You can bake it in the oven, poach it, or grill it, it doesn’t matter. There is no right or wrong here, you just want to cook the flesh. Once it is done, allow the carcass to cool enough so that you can handle it without burning your fingers. Now just pick the meat off of the bones. Don’t forget the head. There is a lot of meat in the head, including the cheeks. Now you can make fish cakes. Here is a simple recipe.

  •  2 cups cooked, flaked Rockfish
  • 1 cup of mashed potatoes
  • 1/2 small onion, finely grated
  • small carrot, finely grated
  • 1 small summer squash, finely grated
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp. of Old Bay
  • 1 tsp. of prepared yellow mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
 Mix all ingredients and shape into patties. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm. Broil, bake,or saute’ just until golden. You may also use soaked stale bread in place of potatoes.

 

We are not done yet. Place the bones in a large pot or slow cooker and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer. It doesn’t take long with fish bones, because they are not very dense, but I like to let it go for 12 hours.

 

 

 

Pour through a fine mesh strainer and now you have fish stock that you can use to flavor anything you want. The bones end up on our compost pile.  

Sundown At The Bay Bridge

26 Thursday Jul 2012

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Headed out with my buddy, Steve, to fish the eastern side of the Bay Bridge. We launched at G dock around 6pm or so, and paddled out to a pleasant southeast breeze and a decent incoming tide. Steve started in the shallow water and I paddled out to about 20′ or so. Lots of company. Several boats and at least 4 other kayakers. Action was slow. Almost non-existent, for me anyway.  Caught 1 rock that was just legal, and I threw him back.

19 and 20 inch rockfish

At 7:25 I got a text from Steve. It was a picture of a rockfish in his hand with the caption “only 17″. I didn’t respond. At 7:37, he sent me another text. This time it was a bigger rock in his hand and the caption “Ahh Keeper”. I still didn’t respond. At 7:57, yet another text/pic of a rockfish in hand with the caption “killing them”. At this point, since I was failing miserably to catch fish, I started paddling in his direction. I could see him in the distance, drifting away from the bridge. That meant he had another fish on. And, yet another text at 8:10. Picture of a rockfish and the caption “You ready to go in?” He had been pretty much bailing rockfish since he sent me the first text. For several minutes he had caught a fish on every cast. The sun had just hit the horizon and the bite was still hot. All of the fish were 17-21″, caught in 6-9′ of water. I seriously considered a topwater lure, but was not seeing any fish feed at the surface. We continued to catch until just before dark, and as usual, it was like someone flipped a switch. We each ended up taking home 2 nice fish.

After we got loaded up, back at the dock, we decided to see what Hemingway’s had on tap. A nice breeze out of the southeast and low humidity, made the downstairs bar quite pleasant. We topped off the evening with a couple of golden ales from 16 mile brewery. Ahhh…fish and beer.

Another Post About Speckled Trout

21 Saturday Jul 2012

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Yes, another post about Speckled Sea Trout. I’d like to tell you that it is all part of a scientific study on the habits of trout. That I got up at 4:30 in the morning and drove two hours to the ramp. That I launched under threatening skies and paddled for 35 minutes, all in the name of research.  That I’m compiling, organizing and indexing volumes of information that I have collected on these trips.  That my ultimate  plan is to create the most comprehensive and brilliant piece on catching Sea Trout, ever written. That my work will put me in the annals of history and that generations to come will stand in awe at my skills and knowledge.

I’d like to tell you that, but it’s not true. The truth is, I just like fishing for trout. I like where they live. I like the quiet. The clear water. I like how they fight. How they flip at the surface. How they zip by the boat like a rocket. I like getting splashed by their tail slaps at the side of the boat. I like looking at them. I like the whole experience.

I went out yesterday morning and fished the last 2 hours of the outgoing tide. We had fished the same spot, on the incoming tide, this past Monday. The bite was definitely slower yesterday. I only caught 5 and none of them hit the 20″ mark. I kept 1 for the table and released the others. Once the tide stopped moving, I headed back. Another great day amongst the trout.

As I type these words, I’m thinking about my next trip already. 

Home Brew Classes

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

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mmmm…..beer

Are you interested in learning how to make your own beer? Well, for $20 and 3 hours of your time, the gentlemen at Annapolis Homebrew will show you how. They are offering 3 different classes that cover home brewing from beginner to advanced. If you are already a brewer and are tired of bottling your beer, they are also offering a kegging and filtering class. All classes are $20 and include a $20 store credit. See details for each below.

Partial Mash brewing class

Saturday July 28, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Want to take your brewing up a notch? Learn to brew using the Partial Mash method. You’ll learn about the equipment needed and how to convert extract & steeping grain recipes to partial mash. $20 fee includes a $20 store credit that can be used on the day of the class.
All Grain brewing class

Saturday August 4, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Want to kick extract to the curb? You’ll want to attend our All Grain brewing class! We will discuss equipment and ingredients, and do a hands-on grain mash. Learn how to convert extract recipes to all-grain. $20 fee includes a $20 store credit, which can be used on the day of the class.
Home Brew Kegging and Filtering class

Saturday August 11, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Introducing our newest home brew class: Kegging and Filtering! Learn how to keg, carbonate, filter, and serve your own beer. $20 fee includes a $20 store credit, which can be used on the day of the class. Cost is $20, and all participants will receive a $20 credit good for the day of the class only.
Home Brew Intro Class

Saturday August 18, 2012 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Learn to home brew! This class is for newbies only. If you are looking for a more advanced class, check out our schedule of events. Have friends or relatives who want to brew? Tell them to sign up right away! All participants receive a $20 credit to use on the day of the class!

Seeing Spots

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

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My interest in Speckled Sea Trout was piqued after reading an article by Brandon White on Tidal Fish. I caught one in the Honga River, last fall, for the very first time. Since then, fishing for them has become, well, kind of an obsession. I’ve read through fishing reports, articles, blogs, forums, etc., anything to learn more about this elusive and mysterious creature. My buddy, Steve, and I have put countless miles on the kayaks chasing these beautiful fish. Our success, until now, has been sporadic. Make no mistake, anytime that a Speck has been caught, regardless of size, we have felt very fortunate.

Lately, I have spent a lot of time studying Google maps and NOAA charts, looking for points, channels, and drop-offs. Yesterday morning we launched from a ramp in southern Dorchester County.  We usually fish close to shore, but the water in the shallows is quite warm right now. So, on a hunch, we moved out to a drop-off in 10-14 feet of water. The tide was dead low and just starting to come in. Almost immediately, I hooked and landed an 18″ speck. What transpired over the next couple of hours was simply fishing heaven. We caught about 20 Speckled Trout, all in the range of 17-20″. We also caught several large croakers, the largest being 15″. It wasn’t fast and furious by any means, but it was steady, and it was fun.

20 1/2 ” Speck

We are used to catching smaller sized trout and were not prepared for fish of this size. I was using an ultralight rod with 10# mono, casting an 1/8 oz. jig head dressed with a 4″ Gulp Saltwater Swimming Mullet. Chartreuse was the color of the day. Steve was using the same, only he was using 6# mono! There was no horsing these fish, you had to let them get in a couple of good runs before bringing them to boat. One fish shot off to the front of the boat, did a 180, and came blasting back past me. He was about a foot under the surface and looked like a silver rocket. Did I mention it was fun?

Without a doubt, it was one of our best days fishing. Seven Specks were kept for the table, as well as a couple of Hardhead and the rest released for another day.

Red Drum At The Bay Bridge

13 Friday Jul 2012

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My buddy Steve and I decided to fish the Eastern side of the Bay Bridge on Wednesday evening. We launched our kayaks at G dock, next to Hemingway’s Restaurant, at 5:30. Even though we had rockfish on our minds, I can’t resist casting to a perchy-looking area. I was tossing a 4″ chartreuse Gulp along the jetty, on the way out of the creek, and hooking small perch. Then I caught this little fella.

Red Drum at the Bay Bridge

Not a trophy by any stretch, but a welcomed sight nonetheless. A dry winter and spring has resulted in higher salinity in the Bay this summer. Consequently, aquatic species that are normally found further down the Bay, closer to the ocean, venture north. Someone even reported catching a weakfish in the South River a few days ago. If this weather pattern keeps up, we can expect the excellent fishing to continue. I would not be surprised to see some Speckled Sea Trout, Spanish Mackerel and even Flounder near the Bay Bridge, in a few weeks.

Small Red Drum

An Introduction To Cask Conditioned Ale

08 Sunday Jul 2012

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Cask conditioning is a method of packaging and dispensing beer. This process was made famous and perfected by the British, prior to the advent of refrigeration and CO2 draft systems. After the primary fermentation is complete, the beer is put into a cask, sugar is added (primed), and the cask sealed. The ale is then allowed to sit for a few days at a warmish temperature. This enables a secondary fermentation to take place, resulting in the natural carbonation of the beer. The beer is then cooled to the low 50′s F.

Cask sitting on bar

To dispense, the cask can be placed directly on the bar and the beer poured out through a spigot, or it could be attached to a hand pump, also known as a beer engine. This device is clamped to the bar, and actually pumps the beer out of the cask, which is traditionally in the cellar. Alex Hall, of the Gotham Imbiber, wrote an excellent article on the process.

There are a few local bars that regularly serve cask ale, but because of its delicate nature and short shelf life, it is not always available. Pratt Street Alehouse and the Wharf Rat, both in Baltimore, almost always have cask ale. Max’s Taphouse and Metropolitan Coffee House and Wine bar, also in Baltimore, offer fresh casks every Thursday night. There are others, but they don’t seem to be as consistent as these four. Here is a link to help you find Cask Ale.

A pint of Flying Dog Imperial IPA in front of 5 hand pumps at Max’s Taphouse

There is plenty more to write on this subject, but in the meantime, I encourage you to seek out cask ale. Forget about any of the “warm and flat” nonsense that you may have heard and give it a try. Cheers!