Daily Reel...'Vision Merisuola'

Vision Merisuola from Juuso Syrjä on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Daily Reel...'24 Carat Gold'

24 Carat gold from Jonathan Jones aka Redbeard on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report - August 24, 2016

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

All creatures big and small felt a welcomed relief Monday when temperatures and humidity dropped after a line of thunderstorms moved through the region Sunday. Water temperatures in the bay have dropped as much as 4 degrees in the past 24 hours and freshwater areas are seeing the same relief. Yesterday rivers and lakes could be seen steaming in the early morning chill. Hopefully this is the beginning of the hot and humid weather loosening its grip on the Maryland landscape.  The upper bay region is providing plenty of good fishing for striped bass from the Rock Hall area south to the Bay Bridge. There continues to be consistent chumming action at Swan Point, the channel edges at Love Point and the main channel edges outside the mouth of the Magothy River south to Sandy Point Light. There are plenty of spot to be found in the shallower waters and live lining spot has taken the forefront as the most popular and productive method to catch a nice grade of striped bass. There are bluefish in the upper bay also cutting through chum slicks and chasing schools of bait on the surface with small striped bass.  Trolling small spoons, bucktails and surge tube lures behind planers and inline weights has been a good option for those not wishing to chum or live line. The 30' channel edges are the place to be as well as near breaking fish. Umbrella rigs have also been popular items to troll.  Fishing for white perch has been good along shoreline structure in the mornings and evenings should improve with cooler water temperatures. Fishing deeper with bottom rigs baited with bloodworms over hard-bottomed shoal and reef areas in the bay and channel edges in the tidal rivers has been productive during brighter daylight hours. A simple sinker rig with two dropper flies or small jigs can also be very effective when fishing deeper waters.  The Bay Bridge piers and rock piles continue to hold striped bass that are providing good fishing for those live lining spot or jigging with bucktails. A mix of spot, croaker and white perch can be found in the shallower areas near the bridge piers.  Below the Bay Bridge boats have been anchoring up along the 30' channel edge from Dolly's Lump south to Chesapeake Beach and to a lesser extent along Brick House Bar south to Buoy 83. Just about all are live lining spot but a few are chumming with menhaden or razor clams.  Breaking fish are being encountered throughout the middle bay region this week on a regular basis. The surface action is often a mix of small striped bass, bluefish and Spanish mackerel chasing bay anchovies. Most of the striped bass are in the 14" to 16" size range but every once in a while a school of striped bass in the mid 20's will be encountered. In addition, a trick known to many is to jig underneath the surface action where larger striped may be lurking. Trolling is a good option with small spoons or surge tube lures behind planers and inline weights. It pays to place at least one large spoon out in a trolling spread for a chance at some catch and release action with the large red drum in the region.  Photo courtesy of Ted Macknovitz

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report - July 27, 2016

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

Hot weather has descended upon Maryland and while some of our fisheries are slowing down to warmer water temperatures, others such as marine are creating new opportunities as summer migrant fish move into our waters. 

At the top of the bay the Conowingo Dam has been flat lined for over 8 days with hardly any water releases. Higher water temperatures have many fish hunkered down waiting for an influx of cooler water that occurs with power generation water releases. Channel catfish and white perch are providing most of the action in the lower Susquehanna and the tidal rivers to the south. There continues to be some early morning striped bass and white perch action in the tidal rivers near Rock Hall and the Baltimore Harbor area for those casting near shoreline structure or jigging along channel edges. White perch can also be caught during the day on bait in deeper water waters.

Chumming for striped bass in the upper bay continues to be a big draw for boats from ports as far south as the lower bay this week. Swan Point, Love Point and the western side of the shipping channel from above the mouth of the Magothy River to Sandy Point Light have been getting the most attention. The 30' to 35' edge tends to be the sweet spot and it is hard to beat a falling tide for the best action. Water temperatures are about 85° and warm water stress and deep hooking of released fish is taking its toll so anglers are urged to exercise caution to protect the future of the striped bass fishery in Maryland.

Trolling deep with umbrella rigs and single lures has been an effective alternative to chumming lately as has jigging when fish can be found suspended along channel edges or near structure. Live lining white perch is also a very effective tactic where fish can be spotted suspended near channel edges. The Bay Bridge piers and rock piles are holding striped bass and jigging or live lining white perch there can really pay off. Dee Kolobow holds up a nice 33" striped bass she caught near the bridge piers on a live white perch.

Photo courtesy of Dee Kolobow

Maryland's Weekly Fishing Report - July 21, 2016

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

Here is an overview of fishing around the state as we get into late July, starting with Conowingo Dam and ending up at Ocean City.

Water releases at the Conowingo Dam have been sporadic with several days passing before an afternoon water release. There continues to be a limited early morning striped bass bite in the dam pool for those casting swim shads and topwater lures.

White perch fishing continues to be good in most of the upper bay's tidal rivers and creeks this week. The early mornings and evenings have been offering good white perch fishing for those casting beetle-spins, spinners and small jigs along shoreline structure. White perch can be found deeper during daytime bright sun and heat. Rigs with dropper flies or bait will get the job done in the deeper waters. Striped bass can also be found in some of the major tidal rivers such as the lower Patapsco outside of Baltimore Harbor in much of the same way. They can be found early and late in the day close to shallower structure and deep at other times.

The chumming fleets continue to anchor along the channel edges from Sandy Point to above Baltimore Light as well as the Love Point and Swan Point areas. Most boats are chumming and drifting cut baits back into the chum slicks but chunking can also be a good option as well as live lining small white perch; an ebbing tide tends to offer the best action. Striped bass can be found in many other locations along 30' or better channel edges in the upper bay for those seeking a little elbow room. When fish are spotted on a depth finder, jigging can be a satisfying way to catch one's fish. Some enjoy the trolling option and pulling umbrella rigs behind inline weights or small spoons behind planers can be a good way to catch a nice grade of striped bass with a few bluefish thrown in for good measure.

The Bay Bridge piers continue to live up to their reputation of holding striped bass and as long as a good tide is running a variety of fishing methods will work. Casting bucktails and soft plastic jigs at the pier bases to suspended fish, chunking or drifting small live white perch are all good tactics. Alex Cain holds up a nice striped bass caught while jigging near the Bay Bridge rock piles.

Photo courtesy of Alex Cain

Daily Reel...'Eleuthera 2016, not your everyday beach trip...'

Sit back and grab some popcorn for this 25 minute trip reel with a little bit of quality fishing.

Eleuthera 2016, not your everyday beach trip... from Dan Zant on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | July 7, 2016

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

Summer is here and children are enjoying extra time with parents, grandparents and that special uncle, aunt or family friend that will spend time to take them fishing. I have always noticed that our young first time fishing buddies love to choose their first fishing outfit and it is usually a theme related push button spincasting outfit. Fortunately they are relatively inexpensive, just the right size for our little buddies and also just the right size for fish such as bluegills and white perch. Frist photo by Pat Donlin, second courtesy of Photo courtesy of Nick Lee

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | June 30, 2016

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

Blink your eyes, and here we are facing the Fourth of July weekend. It is a time for family and friends and many will be out on the water fishing and crabbing or spending time freshwater fishing near a cool and friendly pond or stream. July 4th is a Free Fishing Day and it is a great opportunity to take a friend or neighbor with you to perhaps introduce them to fishing or to remind a lapsed angler how much fun they are missing.

The Conowingo Dam continues to release water for power generation in the early afternoons but before that there is hardly any water coming out of the dam. There is a limited early morning striped bass bite in the calm dam pool for those casting topwater lures, suspended jerkbaits or flipping out live eels or white perch. Out along the channel edges near the flats and the mouth of the river there is an early morning topwater striped bass bite that is diminishing with rising water temperatures this week.

A large percentage of the resident striped bass from the lower and middle bay regions have moved into the upper bay region in the past couple of weeks. They can be found spread out along the shipping channel edges near Sandy Point Light, the mouth of the Magothy River and the Love Point channel edges. This is a happy time for boat crews coming out of upper bay ports. Chumming and chunking tends to be the most popular way of fishing and the armada of boats anchored up in these areas can be daunting. At times this can seem like combat fishing as boats and captains jockey for the best position and as the fleet swings with changing tides it can get very interesting at times. I would remind all that you're supposed to be out there to have a good time and if the heat is too much in the kitchen get out and find your own little piece of space somewhere else. Charter boat captains have to put their patrons on fish so they are going to do what it takes and they will put up with crowded conditions. If one watches their depth finder and explores channel edges in other areas striped bass can be found holding and you can set up on them with chum or chunks. A fair portion of the striped bass being encountered are sub-legal, so care must be taken to ensure they survive catch and release. Please use and encourage others to use circle hooks to minimize deep hooking injuries which are usually fatal within a few hours when using J-style hooks. 

For those who wish to skip the mess of ground up menhaden, jigging over a suspended school of fish can be a lot of fun on light tackle. Soft plastic jigs such as BKDs or Bass Assassins have been favorite jigs to use. Trolling can also be effective and one can cover a lot of territory in their search for fish, just be careful to stay away from the chumming fleet. Umbrella rigs behind inline weights with swim shads or bucktails for trailers have been hard to beat. Small spoons behind planers are a close second and tend to be easier to reel in. A few of the alternative locations worth looking over are the mouth of Baltimore Harbor, the Triple Buoys, Swan Point and the Hart-Miller Island area. If all else fails, the Bay Bridge piers always seem to hold fish. This happy group of friends caught these nice fish north of the Bay Bridge in about 30' of water while jigging.

Photo courtesy of Jay Bernstein

E-Zine...This is Fly - Issue 56

Boom...Morgan

Daily Reel...'TSIMANE - The Beginning'

TSIMANE - The Begining from Justin Maxwell Stuart on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | September 17, 2015

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

This weekend's cool front has been a bit of a wakeup call for anglers thinking of the fishing opportunities that will be occurring shortly as water temperatures begin to cool. Freshwater fish will become more active and the traditional fall stocking of trout in trout management waters is just around the corner. Chesapeake Bay fishermen are thinking of fall light tackle jigging for striped bass and checking their supply of jigs and condition of braid that may need to be changed. Coastal opportunities will include an upswing in tautog and sea bass fishing and the migration of flounder through the Ocean City Inlet as well as offshore fishing prospects. Then there also comes the glancing at calendars and figuring out future dates that can be penned in hope of taking a few days off from work to enjoy some wonderful fishing.

The 2014/2015 Maryland Fishing Challenge ended with a big bang on Sunday September 13th with scores of registered anglers leaving with valuable prizes and checks for big money payouts. It was a beautiful day for Maryland's anglers to get together and rejoice about the wonderful fishing opportunities Maryland has to offer, have some good fun together and enjoy the Seafood Festival. I personally enjoyed meeting new friends and seeing old ones that have been attending the event for years. Click here for the whole story.

Photo by Karin Dodge

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | July 30, 2015

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

This morning on my way into work as I drove past a local gas station/food mart on Route 50, I had to do a double take when I recognized the unmistakable name on a familiar boat that belongs to a friend of mine. He and his family were headed to Chincoteague to watch the ponies swim and to do some serious offshore fishing. It put a smile on my face to talk to his excited wife and daughter and to see the large variety of fishing tackle in his truck and boat. It was obvious they had been planning for this trip for a while and seemed to be prepared for anything that would swim their way. I hope you can plan your own family fishing adventure somewhere soon and enjoy summertime fishing before it slips away. Your fishing report author is going to take a break next week for some pacific offshore fishing adventures so Erik Zlokovitz has offered to step up to the plate and inform you of the latest Maryland fishing news. 

The water releases at the Conowingo Dam continue to be high this week as runoff from the Susquehanna watershed continues our way. Water temperatures around the Susquehanna Flats are about 8° cooler than the middle bay region and may account for some of the good striped bass fishing that is occurring in the area. Everyone knows you have to get out early to beat the heat or wait till late evening but there has been great topwater action lately; definitely worth getting up early. Most of the fish being caught are of legal size and can top the 30" mark at times. White perch, yellow perch and channel catfish help round out the mix for those that take the time to target them. In the tailrace of the dam flathead catfish are being caught and some of them are fairly large so it takes stout tackle to land them.

Fishermen often know that they can be in for surprises when they cast their lines into the water. Most hope for a large fish but sometimes the strangest critters can wind up on the end of the line. Clinton Richardson was fishing in the lower Susquehanna River when he caught this strange looking catfish. It turns out to be a hybrid catfish from the aquarium trade that is a cross between a red tail catfish and a tiger shovel nose catfish, both are from South America and can grow to enormous size. Irresponsible aquarium owners continue to introduce exotic and at times invasive fish to our waterways when their pet fish become too large or they tire of them. The introduction of the northern snakehead is a perfect example.

Photo courtesy of Clinton Richardson

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | July 09, 2015

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

The July 4th weekend is now behind us and hopefully for all of you it was filled with family and friends getting together for barbecues and perhaps some fresh caught fish and blue crabs from Maryland's waters. A lot of families from other states will be visiting us in the next two months on family vacations from the waters of Deep Creek Lake to the beaches of Ocean City and it is always fun to see how much they enjoy all that we often take for granted here in Maryland. Don't miss out and get out there and enjoy the good old summertime in Maryland.

The Fisheries Service's Juvenile Striped Bass Survey began on Monday and biologists will be busy for the next three months trying to gain knowledge on the success of striped bass reproduction for 2015. It is always a much anticipated survey result and should be available by late fall. A lot of information is acquired on other species in the bay's tidal rivers that is gleamed from the seining results and is used by fisheries biologists here and surrounding states. You can learn more about this interesting program by going to the Juvenile Striped Bass web page. These youngsters visiting from Manhattan watch carefully as biologist sort, catalog and measure all of the various juvenile fish species from the Choptank River. In this haul everything from juvenile largemouth bass to striped bass were found along with various forage fish species.

Photo by Keith Lockwood

Daily Reel...'SA in South America'

SA in South America from Scientific Anglers on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

E-Zine...Tail Magazine #17

Boom...Morgan

Fish Art + Fly Interview...Abe Pieciak aka "Lure Fish"

I was recently introduced to Abe on Instagram thanks to Berto aka @_this_guy on Instagram. Abe Pieciak aka @lure_fish. It was literally less than a tenth of a second before I hit the 'Follow' button and found myself liking nearly every photo he has posted. I was blown away.

As many of you know from previous posts, my disabled brother works a lot with watercolor. And because of that, I have a deep passion for that medium when it comes to art. As you'll see in the interview, Abe loves to work with all types of art but watercolor is where its at for him too.

Check it...

Daily Reel...'Salt 365' Trailer

More goodness from this year's F3T...

SALT 365 Official Trailer from Tight Loop Media on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Fish Art...Ty Hallock

I first heard about Ty Hallock from Scott Hunter of Vedavoo. While fishing with Ty, he was able to talk art after seeing some of Ty's painted Cliff Boxes. Scott had peaked my interest so I checked out Ty's page, TyOutdoors.com, and was BLOWN AWAY. I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of his art before.

His portfolio is unbelievably broad too, from Roosterfish to Brown Trout, and Dorado to big game (elk, deer, etc). He's known for drawing on Cliff Boxes and YETI Coolers on top of his four different series of paintings. All of it, amazing, and reasonably priced for the outstanding quality.

I could sit here and tell you about it all day, but you just need to see it for yourself. Head on over to TyOutdoors.com and see it for yourself...I dare you not to be tempted to order something.

Boom...Morgan

E-Zine...This is Fly - #49

Boom...Morgan

Fish Art...Ryan Kupfer - My Role Model

"Shore Birds" - 2008

Some of you know me personally, a majority of you don't. Those of you that do know me, know about my brother, Ryan. For those of you that don't know me...In 2001, my family was in a major car accident that forever changed our lives. Around 8:40am on May 20th, I was sitting in the front passenger seat and he, directly behind me...I was 12 and he 9. While turning onto our church's road, we were struck on the right side of our Volvo station wagon by a Chevy Suburban. The Suburban stuck our car and sent us into a 540 degree spin before the car settled to a stop. My mom and I had minor injuries, especially in comparison to my brother. He had taken a majority of the blow and laid unconscious and not breathing in his seatbelt as my mom and I got out if the car with the help of bystanders. Paramedics were en route and all I could do was sit and watch, concussed and confused. A man ran up to the car and unbelted my brother and began to open his airway. My mom yelled out and he responded with, "it's ok, I do this for a living." He was a trauma surgeon from University of Maryland - Shock Trauma on his way to work. He opened my brothers airway just as the paramedics arrived on scene. They immediately begin to treat my brother and due to poor weather conditions, they were able to land a helicopter to fly him to Shock Trauma or Hopkins. My dad, who was already at church and was picked up by a witness of the accident, arrived just as mom and I were loaded into a separate ambulance. My brother was taken to the local medical facility, where he was stabilized prior to being transported emergently up to Johns Hopkins for immediate surgery. As my mother and I were treated and released from the same facility as my brother was initially, we went up to Hopkins, to not only see my brother, but begin to establish relationships with the medical professionals that would save my brothers life, and we would come to know for the many months ahead. See the rest of the story on the next photo, it will better explain this one...

"Brownie" - 2011

Continued from the previous photo...Today, well over a dozen surgeries later, from plastic to reconstructive for his head, face, shoulder and more, my brother is alive. He's had a few setbacks, as one could imagine, but he's the strongest kid I know. He's 22 now, has a full time job, and is taking some classes at the local community college. Through all of the adversity he's been through, he's found a way to express his gratitude for a second chance at life while also inspiring others. Ryan's love is art, specifically watercolor. The last photo I posted was his first big hit, titled "Shore Birds". This one above is simply "Brownie", one he did for me, that will soon be in my son's nursery, along with his other artwork. I love that kid, and he is by-far my biggest role model. His life inspires me to appreciate everything I have and to be a better person. I thank God daily for what I have, him included.

"Dolphin" - 2012

I have written previously about my brother, to see that post, click here. Ryan's art is for sale in numerous formats. He has greeting cards available in 5 packs for $12 (see how they are wrapped in Hydrangea picture below) as well as 11" x 15" Giclée (textured prints that look identical to originals) for $50 of prints of all the prints below and above.

"Red" - 2012

"Oriole" - 2013

"Crucified" - 2013

"Rose Again" - 2010

"LMB" - 2014

 

"Mom's Hydrangea" - 2011

"Paradise" - 2012

Contact me at tightlinedtalesofaflyfisherman@gmail.com if you're interested in any of Ryan's prints. Thanks for listening and continuint to support TLTFF, me, and my awesome family!

Boom...Morgan