Catch'em and Cook'em
Crabbing! Weather your eating them or catching them everyone wants to be in the know. The buzz about crabs here at Eastern Marine has been long, loud, and resounding. The last we spoke about crabs most reports were on the Wye, Tred Avon, and Chester Rivers. We were anticipating the arrival of crabs at the Sassafras, Bohemia, and Elk Rivers. Well the time has arrived and as promised all three of our local Eastern Shore Rivers are producing good numbers of crabs. No more long drives to Queen Anne’s or Talbot counties. The crabs are in our backyard now, and reports from recreational and commercial crabbers alike have been stupendous.
It appeared that the Elk, although farther north than the Boh and the Sass was the first of the northern rivers that crabs were being caught. Since that time however both Bohemia and Sassafras Rivers have been giving up good numbers of quality crab. Robert Grabowski reported running a trotline near Veazy Cove and claimed he was off the water in an hour and a half’s time with a bushel of heavy, clean crab. A commercial presence is still being felt in the mouth of the Sassafras River. Further up river between buoys 7 and 9 across the hard bottom is where the best reports have come. With water depths being 7-8 feet and a large area back off the channel edges. This spot is a crabbers dream. On the Elk River an area just west of Oldfield Point called Piney Creek Cove has been another location of interest. Bushel count plus numbers are being recorded on a daily basis and the trot lining action has been fast and furious.
Don’t forget that Eastern Marine is your one stop-shopping emporium for everything you need in the line of crabbing. We have a fully stocked showroom filled with equipment for catching crabs and a knowledgeable sales staff to put you on the crab. Until next time keep your trotline tight and don’t cheap date the bait.
Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine
Usually at this juncture of the fishing season most would not be overly zealous about the prospect of having a banner fishing excursion. August typically is known for it’s dog days, not a time when inshore anglers would anticipate a blockbuster fishing excursion. Most fishermen are looking forward to the fall months and the return of Stripers coming from their summer retreat in the New England States or the re-opening of the Tau Tog fishery. With all this being said, customer reports here at Eastern Marine have been encouraging.
According to Eastern Marine customers an excellent Striper bite is to be had at the Indian River Inlet. Stripers blowing up on peanut bunker have been easy targets for anglers fishing the south wall of the inlet in the early morning hours. Top water poppers thrown into nervous water or immediately on top of boils have produced Stripers in good numbers. A Yozuri 1 ½ oz Hydro Tiger in the Menhaden scheme worked extremely well for me and would be my first recommendation. Over the course of the week in the early twilight hours I managed to stick approximately 20 Stripers in the 10 – 12 pound range all about 26 ¾ – 27 ½ “ in length. Although there were no keepers the top water action was ferocious. The evidence of the onslaught left all over my Yozuri plug, I just couldn’t get enough of it!
The Flounder bite has been in high gear for those using live Spot at the Indian River Inlet. Spot are in decent numbers along the south wall and can be harvested by cast net or sabiki rigs tipped with Fish-Bites or Bloodworm. The rig used when fishing live Spot is also critical to achieving success. Floating the spot up off of the bottom is crucial. It allows the Flounder to view the baitfish at all times. Having the sinker-rigged inline and harnessed below the float aids in no snags. Over the course of 4 days I was able to put 7 Flounder over the 20” mark in the box.
Croakers are in abundance from the upper Delaware Bay and along the coastline from Lewes to Fenwick Island. Head boats out of Bowers Beach have reported good catches of Croakers at reef site 6 and reef site 7. Croakers have been taken on multiple baits. Fish-Bites, Bloodworms, Peeler Crabs, and Clams. Chris Vann was on the surf at Bethany Beach and said quality Croakers were being caught in the 10-12” range. “Even the small Croakers had a lot of girth and looked healthy” remarked Vann. Well until next time, don’t count August out of the picture when you’re planning a fishing trip. Remember things have a tendency to change from year to year and you have to be willing to change with them.
Pre-Paid Store Pick Up Orders
Eastern Marine offers a pre-paid order preparation service for customers traveling to our Newark, DE Showroom. In-Store Pickup orders can be placed with our phone sales office Monday thru Friday 8am – 4pm EST. Pay for your items by phone and your order will be ready for pick up in 1 hour at our Retail Showroom. For fastest pickup at the store, bring the credit card used to place the order, picture identification, and your Order Confirmation number to the Customer Service counter.
CLICK HERE for complete details
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This post was written by
ghoj on August 16, 2010
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Boat Motor Accessories
Eastern Marine has added Boating Equipment & Motor Maintenance Products to our online store.
Check out all the new products at:
BOATING EQUIPMENT
MOTOR MAINTENANCE
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This post was written by
ghoj on August 9, 2010
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Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine
Heat index has been the issue on most fishermen’s plate here at Eastern Marine. With record temperatures being broken on a daily basis most of the fishing faithful have been a little sun shy. Above 90 degree temperatures can quickly dampen ones spirit as well as t-shirts and ball caps. Staying hydrated while out on the water is essential in weather conditions like the ones we have experienced here recently, especially for those of us on the up hill swing. For those of us that have experience with the heat and know how best to prepare for it, the heat and lack of rainfall has been a positive note. With the lack of rain this summer the salt line has spiked into the lower river and good reports abound!
At Ship John Light a solid Striper bite is in high gear, as is the norm this time of year. Chunking fresh Bunker as usual is all that is needed and good limit reports of fish in the 28-inch plus range have been common. Don’t forget from July 1st through August 31st anglers are permitted to keep 2 Stripers from 20” – 26” in the Delaware River, Bay, and its tributaries. Along with Stripers anglers have encountered an unusually steady Flounder bite that is producing some impressive flatties from off the old lighthouse. Go to baits have been Berkley Gulp Alive in the 4” swimming mullet, fresh Bluefish belly, and large Bull Head Minnows.
Further down the bay just above the elbow of the Cross Ledge at G6s a small wreck is located just off the buoy. Chris Brown of Eastern Marine launched out of Port Mahon and boated limit catches of doormat Flounder to 26”. Chris said Berkley Gulp Alive 4” inch swimming mullet in chartreuse and giant Bullhead Minnows tipped with squid were his go to baits. The 14 Foot Bank was another location that customers were pinpointing as a hot spot for doormat Flounder. Many anglers I talked to seemed to think that the majority of big Flounder were being taken in 20’ – 25’ of water from all three locations.
Along the shore the surf report has been positive with Croakers, Spot, and Kingfish. Bloodworms, Fishbites, and small offerings of clam have been top performers. Many anglers use light surf gear and small top and bottom rigs tipped with Bloodworm to harvest spot. They then in turn have fresh cut bait or live Spot to live line targeting predatory fish. Large Sand Tigers have been caught along the Delaware Shore at Conquest, Key Box, and 3r’s road. Some anglers are kayaking fish baits as far as 400 yards offshore and paddling back to man a surf stick in anticipation for one of these hard battling predators. Sand Tigers in the 5’ – 7’ range have been common this season.
Indian River has given up a steady Bluefish chop for the whole summer. Although the size has varied from day to day, most incoming tides have provided anglers with plenty of fishing action. From the bridge to the second bend on the south side has been the strike zone according to most anglers we spoke with. Johnny Justinson said an ever-increasing Flounder bite is to be had along the south wall of the Indian River Inlet and the keeper to throw back ratio is quickly starting to improve. I can’t wait, as I will be spending the second week of August along that south wall myself. Yes, yours truly will be getting into the swing here shortly. I have to be honest, hearing and reporting about other anglers trips and experiences is a blast but not as fun as telling the stories yourself. Until next time take advantage of this heat wave and remember to be prepared and cautious when enduring excessive heat indexes.
Catch'em and Cook'em
With the news man recanting his daily woe’s about the excessive heat and lack of sufficient rain, it would appear that the dog days of summer have gotten off to an earlier start than usual. Most would agree with the local forecaster but those of us that are members of the crabbing community have been enjoying a stellar season. Ninety degree plus temperatures and the absence of rainfall has warmed the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bays eastern shore and allowed the salt line to spike into the upper reaches of the bay. This has put the biomass of crabs on the move and provided the recreational crabber with outstanding results.
Eastern Marine customers relayed fantastic reports from the Wye River. Quite a few of the Eastern loyal said it was still worth the trip down to the Wye and even Tred Avon Rivers as solid 1-2 bushel reports were common. Crab quality has also been the topic of discussion. Many crabbers we talked to reported bushel counts numbering in the low to mid fifty’s… “now that’s some big crabs.” With the abundance of crabs this season customers on average have reported collecting bushel counts in 1-2 hours.
At our last report, crabs on the Chester River were enormous but numbers ranged anywhere from 1 – 2 dozen. Things have changed in the past two weeks and good bushel to two bushel basket harvests have been reported. Matt Campbell and father Donnie took two bushels from Langford Creek in about 3 hours and said the crab quality was excellent. Most customers we talk to use a trotline or drop pots when crabbing but we had an unusual report from one customer who said the crabs in the Chester are so plentiful he was able to dip net ¾’s of a bushel in about 3 hours. “ With the grass beds returning around Eastern Neck Island it was easier dipping than I can remember in some time” stated the happy crabber.
News from the Sassafras and Bohemia Rivers has been spotty but I can assure you it won’t be long before we have crabs knocking at the back door. Some of the best news I have this week is the crabbing sale going on here at Eastern Marine! Everything from custom made hand traps in galvanized and vinyl coated. J.O. Spice Co. products for steaming, eating, and preparing the ultimate crab feast. We have pre-made snood lines and all the hardware for fixing or tricking out your trotline or hand pots. Until next time remember to keep your trot line tight and don’t cheap date the bait.
Catch 'em and Cook 'em
Eastern Marine is having a sale on popular models of ‘Pre-Rigged’ Crab Traps. Choose from Galvanized or Vinyl Coated versions of the ‘Little Foot’, ‘Big Foot’ or ‘Big Gun’ crab traps. Fully rigged galvanized or vinyl covered trap is ready to crab right out of the box! (All you need to do is add the bait!) Each pre-rigged trap is made with high quality commercial grade crab pot materials.
These topless style traps are also easily stackable which helps save space during transportation and storage. Optional add-on tops are available for each model if you prefer a fully boxed cage.
Check out our CRAB TRAPS page for sale items, and don’t forget to browse our newly expanded Crabbing Department for other goodies including J.O. Spice products, Crab T-Shirts, Crab Trap Hardware, Floats and much more!
Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine
Usually at this time of the week I am compiling and arranging the information we receive here at Eastern Marine for our fishing report. This week we are going to switch it up a little bit and the conversation this week is going to be about crabs. Most of the buzz around the shop for the past two weeks has been crab oriented. Wether it be what method to use in harvesting, new rules and regulations, or what location would put you on the crab, all within earshot paid credence to the information being divulged by fellow crabbers. Getting some insider crabbing information at the start of the season can be invaluable to even the most battle weary veteran.
A solid bite has been present on the Tred Avon out of Oxford Maryland for about three weeks now. Good bushel to bushel and a half reports have been common and the crab quality has been good. Memorial day weekend Eastern Marine employees reported trot lining a bushel in an hour. Brothers Alex and Gil Kirk crabbed with Matthew and John Long on the Tred and harvested two bushels in just under four hours, using trotline. The Easton and Oxford area locations are typically where the Atlantic Blue Crab pokes its head first, this makes it especially attractive to experienced trotliners and drop potters alike.
Just this morning I received excellent news from the Wye River, which lies just south of Grasonville Maryland. Multiple patrons called or stopped in, all wanting to be the bearer of the good news. Duke Spellman crabbed the Wye Thursday the 24th and said the crabs were on average 7-8 inches. Spellman caught 2 bushels and claimed 48 crabs made a bushel. Duke claimed half of each of his bushels were comprised of pounders (crabs measuring 8 plus inches and bordering on or just over a pound in weight.
The Chester River which many claim to be the jewel of the Eastern Shore Rivers for crabbing has also chimed in with it’s share of positive information. James Manley took a trip down to Southeast Creek on the Chester and although he only managed 15 crabs, all were in the 8-inch range. James said “with crabs that big 15 was more than enough for a meal”. Well it won’t be long now before the Sassafras, Bohemia, and Elk Rivers start to kick into gear and we wont have to travel as far to get that sweet taste of success. Good luck this weekend to all who participate and don’t forget keep your trotline tight and don’t cheap date the bait!
Check out all our crabbing gear online at: EASTERN MARINE CRABBING
Fishing Reports by Mike B. at Eastern Marine
To celebrate National Fishing Week (June 5-13) the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife in Delaware is offering ‘Fish for Free’ Days on June 12th and 13th. On these two days, anyone may fish in Delaware waters without a fishing license. This also includes clamming and crabbing without a license on the same weekend.
National Fishing Week Delaware will also include the Division’s 24th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament from 10am to 1pm Saturday, June 12 at Lums Pond, Wyoming Pond and Ingrams Pond. For further information, please call 302-739-9918
With the weekends taking the brunt of the rain and wind throughout the month of April and the first half of May, good fishing reports were few and far between. This Memorial Day weekend things started to change for the better with encouraging news coming from the Delaware Bay and surrounding fresh water fisheries. Hopefully this will be the breakout to the sunny summer weather we have all been waiting for.
Matt Borelli showed up at Eastern Marine with two impressive Black Drum tethered to the console of his Carolina Skiff, one 55 pounder and the other an outstanding 88 pound boomer. Matt and family spent the night out on the Coral Beds cracking Quahogs and it sure did pay off. Congratulations to Matt and family on their success, citation honors for their Boomer, and continued good luck in the future. A solid Striper bite is still to be had at the Indian River Inlet at night off the jetty and along the rocks. Anglers throwing bucktails with strips of fresh cut bait (herring, shad, bunker) have done extremely well. Storm Lures, Tsunami center post baits, and Bomber Long A plugs have also produced limit catches of Stripers. Further up the bay good reports are coming from buoy R”6L” where Striped Bass have been stacked up. Customers here at Eastern have been leaving Collins Beach and anchoring up in the section of 20ft water just off the buoy. Fresh Bunker has been the ticket, and not much else has seemed to grab their attention but limit catches of fish have been fast and furious.
On the fresh water scene Michael Schenck of Wilmington Delaware fished over the Memorial Day weekend. Upon arriving at Eastern, Michael hoisted an enormous 6 pound 4oz Largemouth Bass on to the scale. With a length of 20 inches and a girth of 15 ½ inches Michaels bass was a real chunk to say the least. Schenck received citation honors for his fish, congratulations on your fine catch Mike.
