FREE - Fishing and Hunting Journal

1www.fishingandhuntingjournal.comFebruary/March 2015

FREE February/March 2015Volume 24, Number 8

• New world record tautog from marylaNd• get ready for SpriNg• reflectioNS of 2014 • pickerel record Set iN marylaNd

THIS ISSUE COMPLIMENTS OFFREE

February/March 2015www.fishingandhuntingjournal.com2

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Pending World Record Tautog

On Friday, January 2 2015, angler Kenneth Westerfeld caught what could become the new all-tackle IGFA record tautog (blackfish).

The fish was caught on Captain Kane Bounds’ Fish Bound out of Ocean City, Maryland and of-ficially weighed at Sunset Marina in Ocean City at 28.8 pounds, according to multiple reports on

Facebook. If confirmed, it would top the current world record of 25 pounds, set in 1998 by Anthony Monica fishing out of Ocean City, New Jersey.

On his Facebook page, which lists his Bayside, New York as his residence, Kenneth Westerfeld posted: “Well I can only thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for bringing me this bite, and Capt. Kane Bounds for putting me on this wreck. And ALL of the people who gave me the experience, all the gear that held up in the fight, and my wife for letting me go fish in MD and chase my dream and putting up with my fishing over the years.”

Kenneth Westerfeld with his pending world re-cord Tautog.


By Lenny Rudow

Get Ready for Spring“Hooked on Fishing”

O k a y , I know it isn’t ex-actly warm out yet, but spring’s on the way,

folks – are you going to be ready? Far too many people let spring arrive without first going through a pre-season check-up. Then when warm weather does arrive, they blow a solid month or more figuring out what needs attention, and getting it fixed. Whether you have a crabbing skiff or a cabin cruiser, now’s the time to ensure your season starts off right—by running through this pre-spring pre-launch check-list.

I. Boat EnginesA. The next time there’s a warm day,

visually inspect the fluid levels, all link-ages and throttle or steering connections, hoses and hose connections, and the battery (which, by the way, you should have had on a trickle-charger all winter. If not, charge it up now and keep it fully charged until the warm weather arrives).

B. If you have an outboard that hasn’t been fogged, hook your engine to a water supply and start it up. It’s best to run the engine at least once a month through the winter (some say this is even better than fogging in the first place). Once its run for a minute or two check the tell-tale to make sure the cooling system is pushing plenty of water. Remember that large four-strokes have a lot of passages in the power-head, and it may take a full two or three minutes before water starts flowing out of the tell-tale. And keep the engine in the tilted-down position at all times, to make sure all the water drains out when you shut the engine off.

C. If you did fog the engine, don’t do your start-up until you plan to begin using the boat with some regularity. When that time has come, remember to clean or change the plugs, as necessary, AFTER that initial start-up. Otherwise the remnants of the fogging fluid will junk the plugs right back up and you

may have to clean them a second time.D. After shutting down the engine,

check the fuel-water separator. If water is evident, dose the fuel with a water-eating additive and/or stabilizer (IMHO, StarTron works great). Then drain the separator and any internal fuel filter(s).

E. You should have changed the oil and/or lower unit oil prior to winter stor-age (always a good move, so you know there’s no water sitting in the lower unit over the winter), but if you didn’t, take care of that job right now.

F. Hit all the grease fittings in the steering and tilt systems. As you do so watch for the old grease to be forced out and look for water, at the first ooze. If you see any, keep an eye on that part of the system as it may become a trouble-point down the road.

G. Pull the prop, and visually inspect the hub for deterioration; the shaft for fishing line or other foreign objects, and the blades for any nicks or dings which may be significant enough to affect performance.

II. Water SystemsA. If your boat has a raw water

washdown inspect hose connections and clamps at the barbs to make sure they’re all in good shape and firmly attached. If any water was trapped in there over the

winter, there’s a good chance freezing and thawing loosened this stuff up.

B. If your boat has an onboard fresh-water system, you should have flushed

it with anti-freeze at the beginning of the winter. Now’s not the time to flush it clean just yet—you’ll need to wait until the danger of an ice-cold night has passed—but this is a good time to make a visual inspection and make sure the anti-freeze is contained, and no leaks have formed.

C. Test all spray nozzles and hose handles. It’s common for these to trap a bit of water and become damaged over the winter, so you should make sure all are in working order before you depend

on them. (Note – naturally, after testing you need to make sure no water remains behind as long as there’s danger of it freezing between now and the spring launch).

III. Electrical SystemsA. Turn everything on, then off again.

If any items don’t work you’ll have to trace down the issue. Expect to find a few bad connections, shorts, or fuses/bulbs in need of replacement – on all but the newest boats, electrical snafus are pretty darn common.

B. Visually inspect all the connections you can, in every inch of the boat. If you find any exposed connections in moist areas—the bilge, inside compartments that gather condensation, etc—seal them up with a heat-shrink connector or a dab of liquid electric tape. If you spot them in any other areas, give them a spritz of corrosion inhibitor (like CorrosionX or Boeshield T-9), at the very least.

C. Now hitch your tow vehicle up to

the trailer, and run through the systems-check. Yeah, we all know how often trailer lights fail to work, so let’s identify the issues right now and get them all fixed up long before doing the repairs will interfere with fishing-time. Also check the trailer’s brake system, hitch, and winch/winch strap or chain, for wear.

IV. The hull and Structural AreasA. For the hull itself, a visual inspec-

tion for chinks, gouges, and deep chips is in order. If you find anywhere the raw fiberglass has been exposed, seal it off. Resin will do the trick for small spots (though you’ll have to wait for a 50-degree day) but if there’s any extreme damage, take the boat to a pro—this is the hull we’re talking about, folks.

B. Check the transom for stress crack-ing. Hairlines are to be expected on boats more than a few years old, but if you see any cracks you could fit the edge of a dime into, your boat needs to go to a pro for assessment and in all probability, significant repairs.

C. Look at areas where stringers and bulkheads meet the hull and deck. Again, hairline cracks are probably going to be evident, but anything larger needs seri-ous attention.

V. Everything Else: Canvass, Cush-ions, Railings, Windscreens, and More

A. Basically, give all the other parts of your boat a once-over. This is also a great time to treat all of the parts of your boat to a little rejuvenation; when you check the canvass spray it with a water-proofer, when you look at the vinyls hit them with Armor-All, and so on.

All through the check-list? Good. On the first warm day, you’ll be ready to take your boat out for a shake-down cruise. This doesn’t mean “plan your first fishing trip,” it means dedicating a few hours to launching, running, and retrieving the boat to make sure every-thing is working at 100-percent. As those of you who have owned boats for years can surely attest, few winters will go by without something on the boat breaking, deteriorating, or otherwise failing. The shake-down cruise is your opportunity to figure out what that something is, so you have the chance to fix it before you really need it. Now, come on, warm weather – hurry up and get here!

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Check all fittings and barbs, and take care of that fuel.


FISHING

Get Ready for Spring by Lenny Rudow Page 3

Early Season Smallies by Tim Sherman Page 6

Reflection of 2014 by Jim Gronaw Page 12

Coastal Report by Capt. Mark Sampson Page 19

Sportsman’s Classifieds Page 22

The Tombstone Stand by Grant Soukup Page 18

Trapping Wildlife’s Best Friend by Steve Huettner Page 25

Editor & Publisher: M. Mitchell G. Quillen

410-708-4005Contributing Editors:

Steve Huettner, Chuck Prahl, Lenny Rudow, Capt.Mark Sampson,

Tim Sherman, Jim Gronaw, Mike Monteleone, Grant Soukup

Regional Sales Representatives: MD: Capt. Lee Buckel 410-708-1616

Marc Van Pelt - Creative DirectorAdvertising Information: [email protected]

(410)-708-0376Fishing & Hunting Journal

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Fishing & Hunting Journal Name and Logo are Registered Trademarks wholly owned and operated by Fishing & Hunting Journal c/o Mitch Quillen,

P. O. Box 399 Crumpton, MD 21628. All rights reserved.© 2014, Fishing & Hunting Journal.Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission

of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

In This Issue...

February/March2015Volume 24, Number 8

REGULARS

CREDITS

There’s a story of a ship on the stormy sea in the dark of night. Some of the pas-sengers wanted reassurance from the captain that all would be well. The old captain said, “Well, this is an old, leaky vessel that has seen better days, so we may go down. And the boilers have been bad for quite some time, so we may go up. But until then, we’re going on.” The children of Israel faced the same dilemma. Across the Jordan was the land of Canaan, for them the land of opportunity. Canaan was also a land of mystery for them. Joshua told them they had never passed that way before. He explained to them that they were going to follow the Ark of the Covenant. To them it was the guidance, protection, and blessing of God. You and I have come into a new year. Surely it is a way that we have never been before. This year some of us may go down. We may die - surely some will. Some of us may go up. The rapture may occur. Jesus may return! But until then we’re going on. How? We are going to follow our guide to the great unknown - God. He will lead us because while this is a year of opportu-nity, it is also one of mystery. Today set your sights on the Lord, who is your Guide through uncharted waters. He it is who will take you and lead you on. This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEYPastor

Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

faith of our fatherS

HUNTING

Mark Galasso and his clients were jigging last month down out of Smith Point, Virgina when they hooked these Stripers.

Front Cover - TEXAS LIGHT - SNOWGEESE by David A. Maass

www.wildwings.com800-445-4833


Kevin Patterson and his group with their catch of big stripers caught in the mid bay on 11-25-14 with Captain Harry Nield aboard ‘Kingfish II’ .

Graham Donald is 14 and this was a big year for him as he bagged his first deer on the first day of Muzzleloader season. He normally hunts with a Mission compound bow that he pur-chased from Deer Creek Ar-chery and George Bennett.

A nice 7 pt buck taken in Har-ford county by Larry Hillen-brand with a crossbow .

Angelina Watts with her 1st deer. A 100 lb. doe taken opening day 2014 firearm season.

2015 Summer Flounder Season, Size Limit and Creel Limit in MD.

The season will opened January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

Recreational anglers may keep up to 4 summer flounder per person per day.

The recreational minimum size for summer flounder is 16 inches in all Maryland state waters.

All other rules remain the same.

Mona Robinson with an outstanding Stumberg Sheep taken on White Elk Ranch in Nebreska, one of only two areas in the world that Stumbergs can be taken.

This is one of Diving Ducks Outfitters out of Tilghman Island, MD. cli-ents, Heidemarie Henry from Shoemakersville, PA, she shot this 6' x 5' antler Bull Elk in Gray-bull, WY in October 2014. She thinks it was between 850 & 900 lbs.


“Tackle Box Tim”Early Season Smallies

Well, yes, it’s cold outside. It’s February and it’s supposed to be. Likely there is ice on the pond, creek, or river. Casting a line is far from the thoughts of most people. One man who can’t wait for the thaw is Dave Shindler, river guide with Susquehanna Fishing Tackle. As soon as the Susquehanna thaws, you can find him tracking down smallmouth bass. There are days where Shindler grows a little impa-tient. He may have to push through some skim ice at the ramp.

Throughout late winter and into spring, you can find Dave any-where from Long Level north to Sunbury in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Susquehanna River. The first place he checks is Lake Frederick in the Goldsboro area. He uses this portion of the river as a barometer of what’s going on in other loca-tions. Here he’ll check deep water with shallow water nearby. Holes, trenches, and ledges all come into play. Yet, deep water is a relative term. In some locations 10 feet may be deep; while in other areas, 6 feet is deep. The west side is best early in the year. It gets sun most of the day and has more feeder creeks than the east side.

From ice-out to around 36 degrees, Shindler will use small hair jigs and tubes. A black 1/16 or 1/8-ounce jig is standard and 2 1/2-inch Cabin Creek or Mizmo tubes in green pumpkin hues are tied on. He inserts a 1/16-ounce jig head into the tube. Contrasting the small baits, Dave also casts jerkbaits. He prefers the Lucky Craft Pointer 100 and the Jackal equivalent in natural colors. The Rapala X-rap in the Hot Steel color will also be in the jerkbait rotation.

Dave says a black tube or jig really comes into play when water temperatures hit the upper 30s and low 40s. The dark lure resembles hellgrammites that can then be found around submerged wood cover. With the next temperature jump -- mid to upper 40s -- smal-lies move into what he calls the pre-prespawn pattern. They will use ledges as highways to their prespawn feeding areas. This is can be a three-week period depending on weather patterns.

Jerkbaits are the dominant lures along the ledges. However, Dave does start to integrate some old school crankbaits. Bomber 6a and 7a lures and Cotton Cordell Big O crankbaits in firetiger patterns work well. He will even start to

work in spinnerbaits and soft swimbaits. He prefers 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits with compact heads, such as War Eagle Screaming Eagle. Shindler rigs a Reaction In-novations Little Dipper swimbait on a 3/16 or 1/4–ounce jig head. He uses a Bomber saltwater jig head because it has a large hook and a keeper collar that holds the bait well.

Next up is the prespawn period. Smallies stage along gravel bars and islands. They are in the mood to feed in preparation for the spawn. Early during this stage Dave finds that bass stage on slack water areas close to the current. This could be at the end of a bar or behind rock and wood along the side of an is-land. As the need to feed ratchets

up, the smallmouth will move to the head of the islands and wait in the push water to ambush prey.

For the island scenario, he will cast a spinnerbait just onto the bank behind the eddy, then drag it into the water. Spinner-baits aren’t the only lure Shindler casts during prespawn. Word can travel fast at the tackle shop. He believes that the bass can become conditioned to seeing a barrage of the same lure. He will cast chatter baits when smallies shy away from spinnerbaits. You still have flash as with the spinnerbait blades, but the vibration is completely dif-ferent. Still, there are times when the moving baits go untouched. This is when Dave slowly works a 3/8-ounce jig with a beaver style trailer.

A spinnerbait is one of Dave’s main tools for catching small-mouth bass in spring. He has rea-sons behind the model he chooses

and keeps his color choices simple. He likes the compact head and hid-den weight design of the War Eagle model. Smallies like the small head, but a 1/4-ounce spinnerbait would not allow him to cover the water efficiently. The distributed weight behind the skirt on the 1/2-ounce Screaming Eagle gives the same look with long castibility.

He relies on two colors -- mouse (a shad variation) for clear water and golden shiner for stained and dirty water. Shindler prefers double willow and Colorado/wil-low blade combinations. Double Colorado models can be washed out of the strike zone quickly if there is moderate or stronger cur-rent. He will use this configuration early along ledges with a slow, crawling presentation. Baits with the other blades set ups will fall to the side when paused.

Dave Shindler has given us a road map of techniques for catch-ing river smallmouth bass from ice out to prespawn. Remember that on May 1, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission closes the 98-mile stretch of the Susquehanna and all its feeder tributaries from Sunbury to Holtwood to allow smallmouth and largemouth bass to spawn without being disturbed by fishermen. The fishery reopens on June 13. In the meantime, let’s pray for an early thaw so we can get after ‘em.

River guide Dave Shindler shows a big late winter small-mouth bass on the Susquehan-na River.

girlS rock!

Taylor Osborn & Olivia Ga-galski with their limit of Geese they were guided by Craig ‘Pole’ Gagalski of Rock Hall, MD.

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13 year old Luke Schauber and his 10 point buckon Sunday No-vember 16, 2014 during Youth Weekend

Captain Brian Councell has had his hunters on the Geese this past season.

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410-687-2107 Jase and “Pop Pop” John Meredith with Jase’s first Goose which was doubled Banded.

Maryland Announces Preliminary Winter Turkey Season Results

Hunters reported taking 108 wild turkeys during Maryland’s inaugural winter turkey season that was open January 22-24 statewide. This season was established to provide hunters additional turkey hunting opportunities while minimizing conflicts with other hunting seasons.

Turkeys were taken in 21 of the 23 counties, with Dorchester, Garrett, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s and Worcester reporting the highest numbers. Eighty-nine percent were taken on private lands. Adult males comprised about 38 percent of the harvest with the remainder females and juvenile birds. Ninety-two percent were taken with a shotgun, but a handful of hunters used a cross- or vertical-bow to harvest their winter turkey.

Turkey populations were very limited in Maryland until an extensive DNR program to trap and relocate wild flocks in the 1980s and 1990s successfully established populations in every county.

County Allegany 6 Anne Arundel 3Baltimore 2 Calvert 5 Caroline 6 Carroll 0Cecil 0 Charles 5Dorchester 15 Frederick 4Garrett 11 Harford 4Howard 1 Kent 4Montgomery 4 Prince George’s 1Queen Anne’s 7 Somerset 3St. Mary’s 7 Talbot 3Washington 6 Wicomico 4Worcester 7 Total 108


Skip Doda with the 47" Striper he caught on the last day of the Maryland fishing season aboard the ‘Kingfish ll’ while fishing near bouy 68.

Jesse Lowers arrowed this 10 point Baltimore County buck.

Devin and Jeff Logan have November 30, 2014 marked down as their lucky day. Both these impressive bucks were taken on the same day. Photo’s courtesy of Wink’s Sporting Goods.

Drop in deer harvest during Md. firearm seasonANNAPOLIS — Challenging

weather, including significant rain and wind on key hunting days, contributed to a decrease in the number of deer killed during the recently completed two-week firearm season in Maryland.

According to preliminary data released by the state Department of Natural Resources, deer hunters in Maryland reported bagging 34,053 deer during the Nov. 29-Dec. 13 shot-gun season. This is about 7 percent less than the 2013 total of 36,572.

Hunters in Kent County reported a harvest of 1,405, which included almost 1,000 antlerless deer.

In Queen Anne’s, the numbers were 436 antlered and 1,195 antlerless deer for a total of 1,631.

To the north, hunters in Cecil County reported a total harvest of 1,418 deer.

Hunters in Frederick County led the state with a harvest of 3,104 — including 2,102 antlerless deer.

Carroll was next with 2,352 and Washington County was third with 2,268.

A total of 22,422 antlerless white-tailed deer were killed during the two-week firearm season — more than double the number of antlered white-tails (10,518).

Regulations that encourage the taking of antlerless deer — does and young bucks without antlers — selec-tively remove females and help limit reproduction, which has proven to be an effective management tool.

More than 4,000 deer were taken on the few Sundays open during the two

weeks, adding support to the value of Sunday hunting.

The total number of sika deer killed during the firearm season increased from 982 in 2013 to 1,113. Hunters brought down 446 antlered and 667 antlerless sika deer in 2014, compared to 394 antlered and 588 antlerless in 2013.

The bag limit for antlerless sika deer was increased in 2014 in response to rising complaints about agricultural damage. Hunters responded favorably by killing 32 percent more antlerless sika deer than in 2013.

Hunters in Region A — western Washington, Garrett and Allegany counties — reported taking 4,119 white-tails during the two-week fire-arm season, down slightly from the 2013 count of 4,212. The Region A harvest was comprised of 2,378 ant-lered deer and 1,741 antlerless deer.

The total number of deer killed in Region B, which is the rest of the state, decreased 8 percent, from 32,360 in 2013 to 29,934 in 2014. The Region B count included 8,586 antlered deer and 21,348 antlerless deer.

During the Junior Deer Hunt week-end in November, statewide hunters 16 and younger brought down 2,482 deer — an increase of 6 percent from the previous year’s 2,336. The break-down was 1,461 antlered and 1,021 antlerless deer.

A county-by-county recap of the two-week firearm season and Junior Hunt can be found on the Department of Natural Resources website, www.dnr.state.md.us.


Charlie Fegan with his 11 1/2' Gator that he shot with his bow in the Florida Everglades! Nick Tegges got it done on the last

day of rifle season on 1-11-15.


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Mike Homan of the Buck Bomb and his opening day crossbow kill on a buck they named FREAKAZOID. Photo courtesy of Fegans Taxidermy.

Four Maryland Deer Test Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources received labora-tory confirmation on January 16, 2015 that four additional white-tailed deer harvested in Maryland tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), bringing the total number of overall positive cases to six. The deer, all male, were harvested in the CWD Manage-ment Area in Allegany County during the regular deer firearm season.

The first confirmed case of CWD in Maryland was reported in Febru-ary 2011 and the second was found in 2014, both from Allegany County. Maryland is one of more than 20 states and Canadian provinces with CWD documented in deer, elk or moose.

“Chronic Wasting Disease has be-come firmly established in the region since it was initially found in West Virginia in 2005,” said Paul Peditto, director of DNR’s Wildlife and Heri-tage Service. “The Department has followed this outbreak closely and has been prepared to find additional infected deer in Maryland. We have sampled intensively for this disease since 2002 and see this as an unfortu-nate but inevitable outcome. We will continue to manage CWD with the best available science to minimize the impact on our deer population and the people who enjoy these great animals.”

Concerns over CWD should not stop anyone from deer hunting and

enjoying venison. There is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans, livestock or other animals. As always, hunters are advised to never consume the meat of sick animals. Hunters are also advised to avoid the brain, spinal column or lymph nodes of deer — all of which are normally re-moved during the butchering process.

To date, six positive samples have been found out of nearly 8,300 deer tested in Maryland since 1999. Be-ginning in 2010, sampling efforts have been focused on Allegany and western Washington counties due to the presence of CWD in nearby West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

CWD is a fatal disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord of deer and elk, specifically white-tailed deer, moose, mule deer and Rocky Moun-tain elk. While the exact cause is not known, it is believed to be a prion disease. A prion is an altered protein that causes other normal proteins to change and cause sponge-like holes in the brain. The disease appears to be passed between animals via saliva, feces or urine. More information on CWD in Maryland is available on the DNR website. Anyone with questions may contact DNR Wildlife and Heri-tage Service at 410-260-8540. Keep up to date with DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service on Facebook and Twitter @MDDNRWildlife.


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Joey Upole's Garrett County 8 pointer.

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Wink’s Sporting Goods

This 13 foot crocodile just arrived from Zimbabwe Africa to Don Travis Taxidermy. It will be a life-size mount sometime later this year

Wyatt Johnson with CJ Fegan and his pretty pie bald doe, cross-bow kill.

MSSA Fishing ShowsAnnapolis Chapter

February 28Annapolis Elks Lodge #622 2517 Solomons Island Rd

Edgewater, MD 21037$5.00 Admission/Person (14 and younger FREE)

Essex/Middle River ChapterMarch 21 & 22 (Sat. 9am - 4pm; Sun. 9am - 2pm)

Commodore Hall 1909 Old Eastern AveEssex, MD 21221

$3.00 Admission/Person

Southern Maryland ChapterMarch 28 & 29 8:00am - 3:00pm both days

Solomons Firehouse$3.00 Admission/Person

If you have any questions regarding any of the shows listed above please contact the main MSSA office at 410-255-5535 or fish@

mssa.net


“Fishin’ Back East”

By Jim Gronaw

REFLECTIONS OF 2014

Looking back on the year of fish-ing for 2014, I must say that there were some definite highlights, and lowlights, during the season. I like the fact that I can now take my two grand daughters fishing and have a realistic shot at them actually catching fish. Given my strong panfish tendencies, and their minimal attention spans, there is always a good chance that a bluegill will put a smile on their faces and make them squeal. This is something many men dream to have come true, only now, it is a reality, and a blessing, for me.

I revisited small stream smallmouth bass fishing in 2014, as good friend and fellow angler Jud Larrimore put me onto some excellent fish in late April before a pair of flood-level storms scattered bigger bass and made them a tough catch. We hit the jackpot in a central Maryland stream and totaled 60 hard fighting, cartwheeling smallies one rainy afternoon and had a bunch of fish from the 14 to 17 inch range before we called it quits. Other crit-ters…fallfish, river sunnies and rock bass, crashed the party as well. It was probably the best single day of creek bassing I have ever had, and I have had some good ones back in the day.

I got lucky in late May and was invited to a promotional outdoor event in northwestern Pennsylvania for the 2014 Crappie Camp, a tourism and recreational function to help focus on not only the great crappie fishing in the region but bass and walleyes as well. Hooking up with local hot-stick Ken Smith was the highlight, as he put me on same great Pymatuning Lake crappies that would run 12 to 15 inches and led to more than one excellent fish fry. Ken was just one of those kind of men you just know you’re going to like…calm, friendly, hospitable and informative. I fished with several crappie guides, on famous waters, that could learn a lot from him. Great guy, great fishing. We keep in touch.

My son Matt and I had some good trips during the year. Although he is busy with his 2 and 4 year old daugh-ters, we managed to get out a few times

for some quality trips. We visited our favorite panfish haunts and caught some outstanding bluegills, pumpkin-seeds and hybrid sunfish throughout the summer. Matt best was a 12.25 inch hybrid that weighed 1 pound 10 ounces…a fish of a lifetime for most, yet it was not his personal best. Later in the summer, he would use Euro gear to nab a 32-inch channel cat from a local pond. Throw in a few bass trips and some more fish frys and you know we had it good.

One of the better finds of 2014 was a small public lake not too far away that had a huge population of bulging bluegills and pumpkinseeds. After catching and releasing over 1000 fish during several visits, we finally thought it was safe to keep a few for the pan. We kept 50 fish and cut it off right there, knowing that angler harvest can seriously deplete a strong panfish fishery and reduce the number of quality-sized fish.

In mid April, I hooked up with long time friend Brandon Rawlings and we trolled Piney Run Lake in his bluecol-lar boat for some early-season stripers. We came up short on the linesides, but he put me on my ‘best ever’ public water largemouth bass, a fish of 24 inches that took a trolled shiner off a planer board. The October capture of a 36 pound striper by my friend Richard Neiweller will surely keep me coming back for the chance of a Piney Run giant. My best there is but 17 pounds, but I think I’ve got a date with a big girl in the future.

Although I would never claim to be a bass fisherman of any clout, we did manage 648 bass in 2014 from several different public and private venues near home. This was the most we have ever caught and we probably had 300 fish in excess of 3 pounds throughout the course of the year. My new best friend, Ed Smith and I fished several ponds and small lakes in the area and got some high-end, blue collar lunkers. I met Ed at the local senior center ( yup, I’m that old ) and we hit it off and started fishing together. He showed me a little hid-a-way pond that produced some serious largemouths to exceed 6 pounds and said there were bigger game to be had. More return trips for 2015.

So, as I reflect on this past, joyous angling year, I will look for the best in 2015. In two days, I will undergo back surgery to repair a herniated disc to help keep my left hand from deteriorating and losing strength. I feel good about the operation, have confidence in my surgeon and faith in my Lord. So, when Abby or Elena wants to go fishing this coming year, I’ll be up to the task of baiting hooks and swinging fish and coaching them on touching fish and worms. Dirt doesn’t bother them any, but it sure does bother Nana. That’s OK, because in my book, kids come first and if they want dirt and slime, than dirt and slime it will be! Yes, I think 2015 will be a great fishing year, no matter what we catch, no matter where we go.

It really doesn’t get much better than this.

Matt's huge sunfish made the 2014 highlight reel.

Rick Campatelli's 1st buck in 38 years of hunting, a Garrett Co. 8 pointer.

Gov. Markell signs HB 348 into law, enabling

DNREC's Divisionof Parks & Recreation to issue low-numbered surf

fishing tags Governor Jack Markell, DNREC

Secretary David Small, legislators and surf fishing groups and enthusiasts were on hand late last year as the Governor signed HB348, which allows DNREC and the Division of Parks & Recreation to issue low-numbered surf vehicle plates (1-1000) by sale or auction.

Each year, Delaware State Parks officials will release a limited number of low-digit tags through a live auction in spring or early summer. The auction will occur in a clearly defined period. Once a person wins the bid, they will retain the tag as long as they continue to purchase their annual surf fishing permit sticker. This will be followed by an online auction for up to 100 total tags, where customers can bid on the numbered plate they are interested in. It is anticipated that the program will be in place by Memorial Day, 2015.

“This legislation has the potential to be a strong revenue source to benefit our state parks,” said Gov. Markell. “This year, more than 14,000 surf tags were sold, generating about $1.3 mil-lion for our state parks. So not only is this legislation a revenue-raiser for our parks, it appeals to parks users who have an affinity for low digit tags – and we in Delaware know that will appeal to a large number of potential buyers.”

“Our state parks rely on outside revenues for about 65 percent of our budget”, said DNREC Secretary Small. “This is another example of working collaboratively with the General As-sembly on innovative, often market-based initiatives to generate funds for our parks – which we know are a strong driver for Delaware’s tourism economy. Our sincere thanks go to Representa-tive John Atkins, prime sponsor of the bill, and Senator David McBride for their leadership and support of this legislation.”

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Lee Haile III of Towson was catching and releasing chain pickerel with his son and a friend in an unnamed Eastern Shore pond near Salisbury when the line came tight to what turned out to be an eight pounder.“I’ve been fishing for pickerel for over 38 years, and I just knew this one was exception-al,” he said.According to Haile, the fish made a couple of strong 30-foot dashes, circled the boat twice, dodged the net, dove un-der the boat, and finally came onboard. “When I saw the fish in the boat, I said that we needed to go in because this could be a record fish.”Haile weighed the fish at Clyde’s Sport Shop in Halethorpe and later obtained a certified weight at Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood Market in Parkville. Lockwood met Haile later near the Chesa-peake Bay Bridge to confirm the species. His new record supersed-ed the previous seven-pound, four-ounce record set by Roy Molick Jr. in 1976.Haile used a light spinning tackle with eight-pound braided run-ning line, a 20-pound monofilament leader, and a minnow/jig combo lure.The current world record is nine pounds, four ounces caught in 1961 in Georgia.

Teen's rare 5-deer feat offers perspectivefrom - Patrick Durkin, Wisconsinoutdoorfun.com con-tributor

A Maryland friend emailed a "proud father" story and photos last week to say his 15-year-old daughter accomplished a deer-hunting feat as rare as a straight flush in poker.

The girl, Jesse Winand, shot five deer while hunting with her father, C.J., this past hunting season, using a dif-ferent weapon type for each. She started Sept. 20, 2014, by using a compound bow to arrow her first buck. Then she killed a doe with her muzzleloader Oct. 23, a doe with her crossbow Nov. 29, a doe with a shotgun Dec. 6 and a doe with a rifle Jan. 9.

There's no official name for such accomplishments, but her dad labeled it a "Maryland Deer Slam." Out of curiosity, C.J. Winand contacted the state's chief deer bi-ologist to see if anyone had done it before. The biologist, Brian Eyler, said only 20 of Maryland's 55,000 licensed deer hunters killed a deer with all five weapon types in 2013. For those with limited math skills, that's roughly one-third of 1 percent of Maryland's hunters.

Although no one could confirm it, Winand suspects his daughter is Maryland's youngest female to complete the "slam." Jesse Winand with one of the five she

bagged.

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SpaNNiNg the globe....

True StoryA guy was sitting in a ground blind with his son, hunting hogs near Midway, GA. This rattler stuck its head into the blind. The son shot it in the head with a .22 pistol. 9.5' long. Head is 5.5" wide Fangs are 2.5" long I think he said it had 22 rattles.

It had the bones of 3 little pigs in its stomach.

How many times have you walked through the woods in the dark?

One thing he was helping get rid of the pigs.

Nathan Silpath and his father Steve from Galena, MD. were hunting with Chris Lingerman in Rock Hall this past season. Nathan has been fighting an uphill battle with cancer however he bagged his first deer during muzzle loader season and his first geese.

Idaho Angler Catches and Releases Enormous Record-contending Rainbow Trout

Idaho angler Larry Warren is receiv-ing praise for catching and releasing a giant rainbow trout earlier this month

that allegedly weighed almost eight pounds more than the current state record. Idaho Fish and Game released

a photograph of Warren with his mammoth catch on Tues-day, and the image quickly drew the attention of anglers online.

According to Fish and Game, Warren caught the rainbow trout in the Clear-water River near Orofino on January 8 using a six-pound test line. At the time, he measured it to be about 28 pounds, but state records require that catches be documented on a certified scale. Since Warren released the fish, it is ineligible for submission as the new state record.

“This fish has been swim-

ming in the Clearwater for years,” stated Fish and Game on its Twitter account.” …Our fisheries expert in the Clearwater Region estimates the fish at seven years old.”

It seems that the fish will continue to thrive in the river and perhaps one day be caught by another lucky angler. If the boat-side weight of 28 pounds is accurate, then it would clearly beat the current state record of 20.2 pounds. That fish was caught by Michelle Larsen-Williams from the Snake River in 2009.

Larsen-Williams’ record has been challenged before by another massive rainbow. In 2013, a biologist at the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery brought in a 28-pound, nine-ounce rainbow near the Dworshak Dam. Although that

fish was brought to a certified scale and measured to weigh more than the state record, it was not eligible since the angler, Tui Moliga, caught it under tribal rules rather than state regulations.

“It would have been cool but it’s still not going to change the fact that is a big fish that I caught,” Moliga told The Spokesman-Review. “I’m not a trophy hunter of fish but since I caught it I will be proud of it. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s the biggest one I ever caught.”

For comparison, the Interna-tional Game Fish Association lists a 48-pound rainbow trout as the current world record. That fish was caught in Canada’s Lake Diefenbaker by Sean Konrad in 2009.

Send Photo’s for submission to [email protected]

Captain Scott Fitzgerald of Madfish Charters almost lost a brand-new trolling motor eight miles off the Florida coast when a great white shark apparently mistook it for a chewing toy. Last week Fitzgerald uploaded images of the bat-tered and scratched motor to Facebook and recalled being circled by the shark.“He had the entire trolling motor in his mouth, and was moving it side to side, and it was shaking the boat,” Fitzgerald told mypanhandle.com, “I’ve been chartering for nine years, and I’ve never seen a shark try to attack my boat. It was very exciting for all of us. It really got our hearts beating hard.”According to Fitzgerald, the great white attacked the motor a total of three times before the anglers called it a day and left the area. Every time, the captain would reach over and pull the motor from the fish’s mouth, but once he set it back in the water, the shark went after it again.“He knocked the boat two feet to the side, then grabbed the trolling motor and started shaking it in his mouth,” Fitzgerald told the Pensacola News Journal. “That’s when I ran up front and pulled it out of his mouth.”But why was the shark—which the anglers estimated to be 10 feet long—so intent on eating Fitzgerald’s motor? According to some experts, the shark may have mistaken the device for prey because it was sending out electrical pulses that sharks usually associate with fish.

You can see videos of the shark circling Fitzgerald’s 22-foot boat at:

http://youtu.be/BarE7iSw4-c

http://youtu.be/mMMHvCYxCXU


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Largest North Carolina bluefin ever, by 200 pounds, caught out of Beaufort Inlet

By - Dusty Wilson

Bluefin tuna fishing around More-head City is shaping up to be one of the best in years, and last month it may have hit its peak. After a grueling battle that lasted 3 ½ hours over nearly 10 miles of ocean, two fishermen trolling near Beaufort inlet hauled in what is unofficially the largest bluefin tuna ever brought to North Carolina scales, weighing 1,005 pounds and measuring 115 inches long.

Capt. Herb Sheades of Newport, fishing on a 28-foot Downeast-style lobster boat, the Fish Bucket, hooked

up with the big fish at about 6:45 a.m. in rough seas, with the wind blowing between 20 and 30 knots. His mate, Jonathan Anderson of Morehead City, was on the rod for the entire fight.

After an epic tug of war, the huge bluefin was led into harpoon range, where the deal was sealed. The fish’s size rendered it unable to fit through the vessel’s tuna door, so it had to be towed 14 miles back through Beaufort Inlet.

The fish, which was ineligible for a state record because it was caught by commercial fishermen – and was almost 40 inches longer than the

73-inch maximum size that a recre-ational angler can keep – was a full 200 pounds larger than the existing recreational record, an 805-pound bluefin caught in 2011 off Oregon Inlet by angler Corey Schultz. The fish dressed out at 827.5 pounds.

The huge tuna hammered a bal-lyhoo trolled on a blue and white-skirted Ilander about 3 ½ miles southeast of Beaufort Inlet.

“It was right off the beach in 35 feet of water,” said Sheades. “There’s tons of menhaden out there for them to feed on, and the gill-net boats are working close to shore, creating a chum slick that attracts the tuna.”

Sheades believes the larger fish being caught this season are directly related to the cold water.

“The water temperature right now is 48 or 49 degrees,” he said. “Only the larger fish can tolerate it. That’s why up in Nova Scotia and Main, the fish have a tendency to be bigger.

“As long as the bait is here, they may stick around all winter,” said Sheades. “But this is a small body of big fish. It’s one body of fish, and everyday there are three to six of them plucked out of it.”

Anglers capitalizing on the oppor-tunity are using a variety of ballyhoo

skirts, including those made locally by Joe Shute Lures. According to Shute, the 3-ounce size is the best seller, followed by the 5 ¾-ounce skirt. The candy apple red head with all crystal hair, the pink/white head with all crystal hair, and the blue/white head with blue/crystal hair have been the most productive col-ors around the Morehead City area.

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“Montana Grant”

By Grant Soukup

The Tombstone Stand!

We all have our favorite “mon-ey” stands that seem to always be lucky. The “Tombstone Stand” was one of these special places.

Great stands are often found by accident. Many hunters just luck into a good spot that seems to produce year after year. With closer inspection, great stands are great for a reason.

On the slopes of Evitt’s Moun-tain in Maryland and Pennsylvania, we have had many great stands over the years. Special names remind us of the places, memories, and stories of each stand location. All of these stands were ground blinds. The steep slope of the mountain allowed for elevated views. We just needed to scout for certain requirements. What holds true for Evitt’s Mountain also is true for most Appalachian moun-tain deer hunting haunts.

Not only did we look for certain topographic or forest features, we also anticipated the movements and pressure from other hunters. Rocky Gap State park was a primary ac-cess for most hunters. Each morn-ing, a herd of hunters would enter the public hunting areas and form a deer drive that was unplanned, but effective. Most hunters would walk along existing trails or only short distances looking for deer. Rarely would they advance up the slopes.

This noise, smell, and movement pushed the deer up the mountain toward the thicker Mountain laurel areas about 2/3rds of the way up the slope. This belt of escape cover can be found along most ridges in the Appalachians. I have found that either side of the mountain

can be good locations depending upon what the weather is doing. If the storms are coming from the west, then hunt the eastern side. We would simply find a unique rock or log feature and wait for the deer to arrive.

Our stands carried such names as “The Crab Stand, The Crotch, Old Faithful, and The Valley of Death”. Each location was shared

and known by my hunting buddies. We could talk about these spots as if they were part of some Navajo Windtalker’s code.

The Tombstone stand was a great place to tag out. A huge flat back rest was created by wedging a “tombstone” shaped rock into the cracks of flat rock outcropping. A few Lincoln logs would create some cover. We would often place a new or unlucky hunter in this spot to allow for a great opportunity. This often paid off.

For some reason, The Tombstone Stand produced a bunch of bucks that we nicknamed, “Devil Deer”.

These spike bucks seemed to sport sharp pointed tines that looked like the horns of the Devil. Somehow this seemed appropriate for the Tombstone Stand. Any legal buck was a trophy after climbing thou-sands of feet up a steep mountain-side in the dark.

Stand hunting requires patience, good optics, and confidence. Wear-ing the right gear and having a few snacks also helps. We tended to wait for long periods of time for just a few moments of intense excitement and reward. The stories became legend and the names of a generation of brother hunters can be remembered.

Getting into the stands required a hike in the dark and cold. Our gear would be in our packs and we would wear gym trunks and a t-shirt. No matter how cold it was, we were warm and sweaty as we climbed the mountains. Once we arrived at our stands, it was time to change into our dry, warm, and comfortable hunting garb. This required us to get naked on the mountain! You could stand there for several minutes in the dark and enjoy the freedom. A towel was needed to dry off before putting on our clothes. The sweaty gear was placed into a sealed plastic bag to cover any scent. Adding a layer as it was needed, allowed us to sit comfortably all day.

The action seemed to come in waves as the hunters returned to eat lunch, get warm, or hunt in the evening. Each time, there was a

chance of them pushing a buck up the mountain.

For some reason, we all enjoyed eating cold cans of Beanie Weenies while we hunted. Peanut Butter sandwiches and pickles also come to mind. I am getting heartburn just thinking about them. A thermos of hot water allowed us to make tea, hot chocolate, or cups of soup. Candy bars, nuts, and jerky would round out the feast.

Normally, the bucks would be travelling with a herd of does. Long shots of a couple hundred yards were possible if you used your binoculars to look for bucks. Once you tagged your mountain buck, it was time to drag the critter back to camp. Fortunately, this was a downhill process. It was normal to have most of the hair rubbed off after a mile or so drag. Once nearer to the bottom, other bored or rest-less hunters would offer to help.

Hunting is a lot like life. We tend to constantly hunt for the good life. With a lot of sweat, patience, friends, and hard work, our efforts will be rewarded. When you have confidence in a special place or share life with special friends, your chances for success improve. If you are not hunting, then the outcome is already decided.

Perhaps one day I will revisit the Tombstone Stand. I am not sure if I could even find it again. If I could, I am sure that a Devil Deer would find its way to me.

Hunt hard and good luck!Montana Grant

Scott Adams has 25 years hunting with Captain LT of Diving Ducks Outfitters out of Tilghman Island, MD. They had a great morning on the Chesapeake Bay with another limit of ducks.

Coby and Cohen Wilson had Sherry Bell Wilson (aka as Mom) Photography along for a memorable Goose hunt.


By Capt. Mark Sampson

Coastal

Report

I once accepted an invitation to go fishing with a fellow for a few hours on a local lake. When I asked if there was anything I could bring he said, “Don’t worry I’ll have everything we’ll need just be at the ramp at 7:am.” And so I did. The problem was, he wasn’t there until 7:45 because he needed to stop at a tackle shop to get supplies. By 8:00 we had the boat in the water and were on our way to the corner of the lake where he said the fish would be waiting. And he was right! When we got there the water was alive with fish that were swirling and splashing and doing all the things that hungry fish do.

All we had to do was get a hook in the water and we’d be in business. But I quickly realized that it wasn’t going to be that simple because when my buddy started pulling out the tackle I saw that the rods needed to be strung and all the lures he’d just bought that morning were still in the little plastic packages.

It took us about 20-minutes to get everything tied up and ready before the first cast was made and wouldn’t you know it, by then most of the fish activity we’d been seeing on the surface had stopped and though we did get a few bites, our success was pale compared to what it could have been if we

were ready to cast when first we rolled in. If only my friend had spent a few minutes getting things ready the night before, things would have been a lot different – a lot better!

One thing I’ve learned from fishing all my life is that the best way to ensure a smooth and productive trip is to prepare all bait, tackle and equipment as much as possible before even approaching the water. But folks should know that the level of readiness to which I’m referring goes beyond simply making sure that there’s enough bait and tackle on board or sandwiches made for the day. It involves spending time before the trip getting tackle and gear ready so that when you arrive on the scene and it’s time to get your line in the water its just a matter of drop-ping you bait or lure over - and you’re fishing. No wasted effort, no wasted time.

The first thing on the list would be all terminal tackle, in other words, everything that might go on the end of the line, including hooks, lures, and leader. Take leader, for instance, it doesn’t matter if you’re wreck fishing for sea bass, or trolling for tuna, the last thing you want to be doing while out on the fishing grounds is measuring, cutting and tying-up leaders.

Trolling leaders can be attached ahead of time to any hooks or lures that will be used so that they can quickly snapped on and off the line when needed. Prepared leaders can then be neatly coiled and stored in zip-lock bags or some other container that will allow them to be quickly put to use when the time comes. Bottom fishermen should rig their rods with the necessary terminal tackle and then also have a bunch of extra rigs tied-up and stored so that when they break one off on a snag that they

can quickly attach a new one and be fishing again in just minutes.

“Being ready” can also mean being prepared not just for what you expect to catch but also for whatever other opportunities might come along. No matter if we’re shark fishing or bottom fishing, whenever we’re offshore there will always be an extra rod or two rigged and ready in the

event of a surprise opportunity to hook a dolphin, bluefish, cobia or any other fish that might show itself while we’re out. Fish will often pop up quickly, unexpectedly, and be gone long before anyone has time to rummage through a tackle box, grab a lure, tie it on and make a cast.

Keeping tackle boxes, cabinets, or drawers clean and orderly is a great help to always being prepared for action. If someone is trying to get their line in the water quickly but end up grabbing a lure out of a tackle box that comes out as a tangled clump with four other lures and a wad of knotted leader, the only thing they are going to catch will be an aggravating lesson in frustration while trying to get it untangled, on the line, and in the water before the opportunity swims away.

When it’s crunch-time on the water, having all of ones tackle properly clean, orderly, and stored where it’s readily available can be the difference between catching fish or going home skunked.

Another way to be ready for the day is to go ahead and cut or prepare whatever bait will be used before heading out on the water so that once there it’s just a matter of sticking it on the hook and dropping it in. When the action is hot no one wants to have to take time out from catching fish just to cut more bait. It’s always easier and more efficient to prep bait at the dock and put it in a cooler, plastic containers or in zip-lock bags than mess with it while fishing.

While going through all the preparations for what will hopefully be a successful day on the water, an-glers should not lose sight of also being ready to deal with whatever fish they catch. All the tools needed to help with the landing process such as nets, gaffs, knifes, rags, pliers, gloves, and rulers should be on hand and ready for use. More that just a few fish have been lost at the last second because the net or gaff wasn’t handy when the fish was ready to be taken. Preparation – always a key to successful fishing!

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“The last word”

By Steve Huettner

Trapping- Wildlife’s Best Friend

Hunters are used to the quizzical look we sometimes get at cocktail parties when people find out that we spend our money and time in the outdoors

in pursuit of wild game. If hunters get that look, imagine what the trapper endures. When it comes to trapping, it never ceases to amaze me about the half truths, misinformation, and bold face lies that are propagated by opponents of trapping.

Trapping has a long and proud history in North America. When Europeans first settled in North America, fur and fur trapping was a major form of trade and currency. One of the most powerful com-panies in America’s earliest days was the Hudson’s Bay Company whose primary business was buying and selling pelts. To this day, one of my favorite mov-ies of all time is Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford. The idea of a single man heading into the mountains out west to trap and make a living strikes a chord in those of us that ever just want to escape.

Trapping over the last 100 years has played an integral role in wildlife management. Whether it is the removal of nuisance animals, controlling furbearer’s numbers, or helping capture and transplant threatened and endangered species, trapping is a noble and needed endeavor even in today’s technological age.

I consider myself fortunate to know some of the finest trappers that reside in the Free State. Their passion for spending time afield and trapping seems to increase with their age. Trappers are people that are truly in love with the outdoors, and spend a life-time learning to think like and outsmart their quarry. The concept of getting an animal to step into one particular spot in the outdoors defies logic, (unless you are a trapper).

Many myths spread by the animal rights crowd about trapping are comical and downright shame-ful. Let’s try and dispel some of those myths so the next time you are at a party and the woman with the Gucci leather bag is blasting trapping you can put her in her place.

One fallacy often spouted is that trapped animals suffer from thirst and starvation when caught in a trap and will die from dehydration and starvation. The law states that traps must be checked once per calendar day. Every trapper I know heads out ev-eryday regardless of weather, health, or gas prices to check their trap line.

A personal favorite that always makes me chuckle is that foothold traps catch and kill all animals, and those that escape instant death a wind up chewing off their foot to escape. Foothold traps have been shown by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in studies that foothold traps result in non-target catch rates as small as 3% of overall captures. Foothold traps have been used by wildlife agencies to trap and transplant animals, including some 4,000 river otters in 18 states. As far as a human being hurt by a trap, statistics show 3 documented cases of injury to the public as the result of trapping and those injuries were considered minor. You have a greater chance of hurting yourself in the shower or winning the lotto.

With urban sprawl increasing ever year and sub-urbia encroaching further into wild places, trapping is need now more than ever. Trapping is a needed and necessary tool of wildlife management. Harvest season length, bag limits, the number and types of traps are all taken into consideration by wildlife managers when setting trapping bags season and limits. Trapping is the primary method used the capture nuisance, sick, and diseased animals that can act as disease vectors for spreading rabies, dis-temper and mange to other wild animals, domestic pets and humans.

If one wants to look at the hard work of trappers and the benefits of trapping, just look across the bridge to Blackwater National Refuge and the battle against nutria. Introduced by the federal government in 1943 this invasive species was responsible to destroying the marsh grasses found in Blackwater. The nutria would feed on the root of the marsh grass, killing the grass. Without the marsh grass to hold and stabilize soil, water moves in and washes the soil

away and converting them to open water. At one time, they had destroyed almost 50% of the marsh grass (7,000 acres). Enter into the picture a group of dedicated trappers who spent 4 years slogging around the mud marshes, swatting mosquitoes and chiggers to get the job done and in four short years (2004) these non native, invasive pests had been removed from an ecosystem they did not belong.

So as you spend time in the woods and marsh this year and hear turkeys gobbling, see ducks pitching in, or spy an otter while out kayaking; you can thank the dedicated ranks of trappers.

1st Week of Dove Season Booking Fast!

Still have openings in September

Now Booking 2014-2015 Season

Still have openings for Snow Geese in Feb & March!

They will book fast!

Bill Sabo harvested this Buck in Calvert County during the 2014 firearms season. Photo is courtesy of Back 40 Deer Process-ing in Anne Arundel County.


Book of the MonthiN daNger at Sea:

adveNtureS of a New eNglaNd fiShiNg family

wild turkey Soup with parmeSaN dumpliNgS

The Outdoor Enthusiast's Resource for

Preparing and Serving Fish & Game with Style

http://recipes.sportsmanstable.com

Ingredients2 T. canola oil1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms salt to taste1/4 cup red onion diced1 leek white part only, sliced1 1/2 lbs. wild turkey cubed1/2 cup whole grain rice2 tsp. fresh minced rosemary1 T. fresh minced thyme ground black pepper to taste8 cups low-sodium chicken broth Next Ingredients for Dumplings2 1/2 cups flour2 T. sugar1 1/2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. ground black pepper cayenne pepper pinch1 cup grated Parmesan cheese2 eggs1 1/2 cups buttermilk1 stick butter

InstructionsIn a large deep pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mush-rooms and sprinkle lightly with salt. Saute until browned, about 10 min. Add the onions and the leeks and continue to cook until softened about 6-8 min. Add the turkey and cook just until browned. It does not need to cook through. Add the rice, rosemary, thyme, a few grinds of black pepper, and the broth. Cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 45 min. Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Stir in the parmesan. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk, then the melted butter. Gently stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Drop the dumpling mixture by the tablespoon onto the top of the soup. Cover, bring to a slow boil and cook for 5 to 8 min.

by Samuel S. Capt. Cottle /

Sam Cottle grew up in a fishing family and, thanks to the inspiration of his grand-father, “Cap,” who nearly single-handedly created the port of Point Judith in south-ern Rhode Island, he became a successful captain in his own right. Here are Sam’s first-hand accounts of his life at sea, from the terror of a vessel sinking in the middle of the night, to the excitement of dragging up unexploded depth charges and great white sharks in the nets, to the grueling toil and ultimate satisfaction that comes with an honest day’s haul. Captain Sam introduces a whole host of colorful char-acters—from loving grandmothers to eccentric neighbors—all of whom played a role in shaping Sam’s life and seafaring career.

About the AuthorCaptain Samuel Cottle is a former commercial fisherman and fish-ing boat owner who has experienced all the situations written about in this book. When ill health and a series of boat-related calamities forced him ashore, he moved to Maine. He currently works in finan-cial services and lives in Albion, Maine with his wife Gloria.


Square end alum canoe, electric motor, Paddles, 2 camo life preserv-ers. DU flotation jacket $200 410-490-7322

Recurve bow 1962 Fred Bear Grizzly. Collection piece, but shootable $100 410-490-7322

Watertfowl Gear -Canada goose decoys and layout blinds. Call 410-741-1559 for more info.

NIB browning a bolt iii comp stalker 30/06 22” $550 call bob at 443 850 5309.

Two Stainless steel merc bravo 2 props150$ each or $250 bothCarry on hatch A/C $150Ed 240.375.3202

Black Powder Guns- 1- Hawken Rifle, 2- revolvers. 410-643-7297

AIR BLOWER - Siemens/Elmo regen-erative air blower (2BH1410-1HB48Z). Designed to prevent ice around docked boats. $500.00. Call Ed at 410-708-4345.

1760 Custom Beavertail jon boat, w/ 35 hp Gatortailsurface drive engine (true reverse), trailer, and blind.$8,500.00. (443) 249-3765

2008 CAROLINA SKIFF 198 DLX PRE-RIGGED. Boat, motor and trailer. 2008 Boat with a 2009 Suzuki 90hp. Boat comes with Bimini top, livewell, 18 gal fuel tank, vhf radio and depth finder. Front and rear deck, center console with cooler seat. Venture aluminum trailer. Asking $11,000. Call 757-894-9862 or 757-894-0771.

2 merc.cruiser bravo 2 Ss props. 125$ eachCarry on boat hatch a/c [email protected] or 240.375.3202

DECOYS For Sale - ducks and geese, field and floating 443-956-2304

“6hp Evinrude outboard - short shaft. Runs like new - original owner. $550....Call 301-643-1615. “Pick-up Camper - Alaskan slide-in, 8 foot. Raises & lowers. Gas stove...Call 301-643-1615.” “2 Mallard Decoys - 1940s - Stuffed canvas, excellent condition. $150/pair...Call 301-643-1615.”

Free Wellcraft 25 ft. - Chevy power, Merc cruiser out drive. With 30 ft. alu-minum I-beam bunk trailer...$700 for everything...Call 301-643-1615

NIB Savage B mag .17 WSM Stain-less Bull Barrel with 3X9 Bushnell Scopecomes with 7 boxes of ammo $495.00 Bill 302-598-4633

1993 18ft Basstracker Deep V Bottom Aluminum ex. condition 40 hp Yamaha outboard Motor clean and runs great with low hoursGalv trailer with new tires., New Fishfinder , Binimi Top and new Seats boat is ready to go fishing .... must see $3800.00 cash Pasadena Md call 443-623-1381

A Frame Goose Blinds 8 ft with bench seat $125 call or txt for more info 410-708-9876

Virginia Commercial Hook & Line License and Registration Card. $8,000.00 Total for both.

Sell what you catch and make money. Serious Inquires Only

Call – 757-695-1044

Crab/Fishing Guide License Call Captain Bill (410)479-9362 LvMsg.

Benelli super black eagle - almost new in box - $999.00 - 410-761-6381

120 Acres- Trophy Deer Farm - Tolchester/Chestertown- FOR LEASE - Cabin, electric, feeders, box & lad-der stands; Q D M 9 yrs. - $10,000-- 410-245-7578

Mountain top retreat/hunting camp in Western Maryland.Sleeps 10. Sits on 5 1/2 acres3 out buildings including “man cave”$139,900

2003 Carolina Classic 28ft Volvo 300s Diesel 900hrs, Tower, 5KW Generator, Air Conditioning, $100,000 contact Ronnie Hall 443-510-0792

WANTED- waterfowl/deer hunting property for use.

TRAPPINGOld retired guy looking for ponds, marshland, woods for trapping. If you have problems with Beaver, Muskrats, Raccoons: Call 443-988-8810

For Sale 15.4 acre wooded

lot Caroline co. md updated perk Great turkey and deer hunting asking 119,900.00 443-962-7416

120 ac. established Trophy Deer Farm in Tolchester, Chestertown- Kent county,Md. Cabin w/electric & 40 ft. storage container; Food plots, enclosed-box stands & ladder stands, with feeders; Under QDM for 8 yrs.; $ 800,000.00 Call 410-245-7578 Waterfowl Club Memberships available for the 2014-2015 Hunting Season please call 410-758-1824 For lease hunting property in Dorchester county Maryland. Great hunting for waterfowl sika whitetail turkey and dove. Waterfront and in-land farms with ponds. 443-521-0221

Hunting lease available-Eastern Shore Virginia, Northampton County, seaside, 300 acres, waterfowl, deer, turkey, dock access to Barrier Islands. 202-359-5818.

Outfitters, guides, gun clubs, and hunt clubs – looking for affordable and ac-curate insurance? Call Kiser Com-mercial Agency for a quick quote at 410-439-8110 or 800-433-5473.

Waterfowl Hunt Club Member-ship available in 10 member Kent County club. 5 blinds and 5 pits, Guest privileges, Lodging and more. Contact [email protected] 410-703-3018

Farm For Sale 303 acres Chaptico, MD 5 bedroom main house, 2 ten-ant houses, pond, 3 tobacco barns. $1,250,000 Chris Holland, Addison Herring, Inc. 301-627-4655

Eastern Shore,Virginia; building lot along Occonannock creek,Exmore. 5 miutes to public boat ramp.35k; pos-sible owner financing. (717)632-3864

Dorchester county on tedious creek 29 acres great sika and waterfowl. Two story house can be renovated. $149,900.00 410-490-0084

FOR LEASE EXCLUSIVE DEER HUNTING RIGHTS 77ac. farm in Northern Caroline Co.MD 3 hunters max. call Jim 410-482-6716

Waterfront Farm for Sale by OwnerEastern Shore,Dorchester County MD, 330 acres, great deer, turkey, waterfowl hunting. Call 410-943-4620.

For Rent Dorchester County Mary-land Waterfront and inland farms with ponds, 10 to 110 acres. Waterfowl, sika, whitetail, turkey, dove, and small game. 443-521-0221

FOR SALE

MISC.

Classifieds

2015 Classifieds are FREE

20 words or less

2015 Classifieds are FREE

20 words or less

Mail your classified to [email protected] - Sell your boat, gun dog, truck, equipment or anything in the garage!

Erik Cerelli's first deer. A West Va. 8 pointer

Mitchell Butler of Elkton Maryland with his early muz-zleloader buck. Photo courtesy of Upper Bay Taxidermy.


CLYDE’S SPORT SHOPANNUAL TEN DAY SALE!

CLYDE’S SPORT SHOP2307 Hammonds Ferry Road • Baltimore, MD 21227

410-242-6108 • www.clydessports.com•GUNS • AMMO • CLOTHING • HUNTING LICENSES • BOOTS • KNIVES

1957-2015 “58 Years Serving Maryland’s Fishermen & Hunters”24 HOUR FISHING HOTLINE 410-247-FISH

2015 FISHING LICENSES

Get Ready For Striper Season!

Sale - March 27th. thruApril 5th. 2015

Hours: Mon. thru Sat. 6am to 9pmSunday 6am to 5pm

Ande 6’ Trolling Rod 20 to 50 lb Class with Penn 330 GT II Reel filled with 40 lb. Mono Rod &

Reel $139.95

Great Line for Trolling 10¢ Per Yard

Wound on your reels. 10-100 lb. test Power Pro

FILL YOUR REELS!

Line Winding with Stren & Trilene Monofilament

from 1¢ Per Yard!Just Bring in

YOUR EMPTY SPOOLSWe’ll fill them with frsh

Line* for 1/2 the Regular Price! * Mono Line ONLY

New in Stock Pflueger Supreme

Spinning Reels 3 sizes: 8030MG, 8035MG, 8040MG

In Store Specials on Selected TackleNew! Larger Line Capacity

SAVE NOW!PENN / 330GT2 $89.95 /

/ 220 GTO /309 /

Surf & Pier Combo ON SALE! $34.95• 7’ 0” two-piece medium action tubular glass spinning rod• 060 size spinning reel with line• Ball Bearing, graphite body and six-disc drag system• Value added claim pack with 2/0 size hooks, pre-rigged leader and sinkers

INSHORE RODS...SALE PRICEDWe Carry the LARGEST Selec-tion of UGLY STIK Rods in the Area, from Ultra Lights to 15’ Surf Rods...

ALL ON SALE!

Pflueger President

$59.95• 9 stainless steel ball bearings 6920GX has 4 ball bearings)• Instant anti-reverse one-way clutch bearing• Anodized aluminum spool with titanium spool lip for added line protection• Sure-Click™ bail• Large diameter titanium coated ball bearing line roller• Corrosion-resistant stainless steel main shaft and components• 5 sizes to choose from

All June Bug Bucktails over 150 Different sizes & colors to select from -

10% OFF

Tsunami Rod & Penn 330 II 6’ Rod Roller

Tip & Guide 40 lb. Line $149.95

Shakespeare Alpha 10’ Surf Rod &

Rell $34.95

BWS 10’ Ugly Stik & Encore Reel - 20 lb. line

$69.95

Penn Rod & Reel ComboSpinning Fierce 5000

Reel & 701 M.H. Rod 10 to 20 lb. $79.95

Special Penn 330 GT II 10 Days Only $89.95

SPECIALS ALL - Pflueger, Penn, Daiwa, Shimano, OkumaBerkley Rod & Reels on Sale

Over 100 Different St. Croix Rods in stock -

all on sale!

Ugly Stik Stiper Special SP1101 6’6” MH with USP 1402 Reel Combo $39.95

New Penn SQL50VSW Squall Level Wind Reel - In Stock


12503 Augustine Herman Hwy, Kennedyville, MD 21645

410-348-9160

Your Hunting

Headquarters!

Come check out our ammo

supply. Largest in

Kent County!

Huge End of

Season SaleNow Going On!

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