Section: OUT

Surveying shad situation

It's like old-time fishing revival on Susquehanna River DARLINGTON - Sorry Thomas Wolfe, but you can go home again. Moreover it's just like you left it many years ago, maybe even better.

Such was my thinking the other day when at my left in a 20-foot aluminum skiff was Department of Natural Resources fisheries scientist Steve Early based at the Oxford lab busy reeling in a scrappy shad in the swift waters of the Susquehanna. Behind him with...

Published on 05/11/08

Runner-up catches biggest pay day in MSSA Tourney

Second place doesn't necessarily mean you're a loser. For instance consider the fishing of Kayvan Bahrami of Chestertown whose striper was nearly a pound less than that of winner Don Yikes of Brooklyn whose fish in the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association's weekend tournament weighed in at 43.5 pounds and was worth $16,070. Bahrami's fish weighed 42.10, close but not close enough, yet he walked away with $89,288. He...

Published on 05/08/08

Crownsville run gives glimpse of future

Last Sunday, the future of running was on display at the Indian Creek School 5K run/walk. That race was taken off public roads and run entirely on the grounds of the Indian Creek Upper School in Crownsville. The race memorializes the late Dr. David Nagey, who died while running the race a few years ago on the original course near the Lower School, also in Crownsville.

In her recent Capital column, Elaine Nagey, the widow of the doctor, poin...

Published on 05/08/08

Outdoors: Buddy system still a hit on bay

Color purple keeps trophy striped bass success from flickering

By BILL BURTON

TILGHMAN ISLAND - Not too many years back, the flick The Color Purple was a big hit and now it's on Broadway, I hear. Theatrics aside, it also played at the Chesapeake "Theater" the other day. And the critics were unanimous in rating it a smash hit.

So did the audience of 13 in the balcony of the charterboat Capt. Buddy on the Chesapeake not far from Calvert Cliffs.

When I boarded the boat, I noted the dozen rigs were predom...

Published on 05/04/08

Outdoors:Fishermen should give dark side of lures a try

By BILL BURTON

I must admit that in recent weeks this column has suggested black as a bait color perhaps too frequently - and I must also admit that probably few fishermen take the advice. How can black produce fish, no baitfish are of that color and there's no flash to it? Skeptics, give it a try.

That's what Bud Hein of Fishbones did the other day when fishing Dennis Miles' boat with Bob Radical, all three of the Pasadena area. Bud, like me, ha...

Published on 05/01/08

Running Notes

SEVERN SCHOOL 5K: The second Salute the Legends 5K /Family Fun Run/Walk, sponsored by the Admiral Parents Association of Severn School, will be held on May 4 at Severn School in Severna Park. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the run starts at 8:30. The fee is $20. Contact Ellen Ponder, 410-279-2645, ellen.ponder@forum.com, or Gayle Bremer, 443-995-0609 or gbremer@c...

Published on 05/01/08

Early-rising fishermen don't face wild goose chase for rock

Not only does the early bird get the worm, but on opening day of the rockfish season the early anglers got the fish. It was snooze and you lose. It's standard procedure for Stu Burgoon Jr., skipper of the charterboat Hook Mash to leave the docks of Happy Harbor in Deale as early as possible; as soon as the last fisherman gets aboard the boat's bow is pushing water aside and headed for the Chesapeake. Alan Doelp of Linthicum and I were aske...

Published on 04/27/08

Pulse of trophy season holds more drama

As for the trophy striper season we can't say the best is yet to come, but things are far from over. Joining me in that observation is Department of Natural Resource's Keith Lockwood, who not only handles sports fisheries reports for the department. Lockwood is a fisheries biologist as well and the other day he rode a canoe to check out the upper Choptank and Nanticoke where fish were still spawning.

The activity was so torrid the males wer...

Published on 04/24/08

Navy crew fares well at Boston Marathon

They say it was a Nor'easter this past weekend, so why was the rain coming down in buckets and flooding the roads here last Monday morning, but dry and 48 degrees, at Hopkinton Green, the start of the Boston Marathon? They say it may have been forgiveness for the monsoon type weather there last year. Many of the members of the marathon team from the Naval Academy, listing their hometown as Annapolis, did their usual sub-3-hour runs at Boston.

...

Published on 04/24/08

Anglers deal with finding right spot on crowded Chesapeake

By BILL BURTON

In business it has long been said the key to success is location, location, location. Those words also can be used to describe yesterday's opening day of Maryland's spring trophy rockfish season. It all depends where one fished. Weatherwise, things couldn't have been better, there wasn't much of a chill at daybreak and once the sun rose things got warm quickly - and with not much of a breeze. The Chesapeake was crowded; as Capt. B...

Published on 04/20/08

Outdoors:Bait debate: What color lures the rockfish?

By BILL BURTON

If you want to initiate a debate, amble down to the docks of a Chesapeake Bay fishing center and - with an air of innocence - ask "What's the best color for rockfish this year?"

It's like Capt. Ed Darwin once said: Ask 10 charter boat captains a question and you'll get 12 different answers - one of them will change his mind. Twice.

That's the way things are shaping up for Saturday's opener of Maryland's...

Published on 04/17/08

Immelman leads pack; Woods is on the fringe

Halfway through, Masters is full of surprises AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Anyone who thought this Masters might be the start of something grand must have struggled to stay awake yesterday while watching another performance from Tiger Woods that hardly matched the hype.

And even after he scrambled from the opposite fairway for one last par, expectations shifted.

The Grand Slam that Woods said was "easily within reason" will have to start with ...

Published on 04/12/08

Phoenix looks good to Gordon : Defending champ coming off rare last-place finish at Texas

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) - A year ago, Jeff Gordon crossed Phoenix International Raceway off the ever-dwindling list of tracks where the four-time champion has yet to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. His victory in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 also was significant because it was his 76th, matching the career mark of the late Dale Earnhardt. And it also was the first of six victories by Gordon in one of best seasons of his career, even if Hendrick Motorsport...

Published on 04/12/08

Running:Edgewater race permits Koehler to continue streak

Broadneck graduate excels despite pitfalls of change of course

By JOE SHAFRAN

You might call Scott Koehler's win at Sunday's Cherry Pit Run in Edgewater "his cup of tea" or "a piece of cake."

He's the Tiger Woods of local runners. He seems to win every race he enters and he is always in the lead. He finished the Edgewater 10-mile run in a driving rain in 56 minutes, 52 seconds. The former Broadneck High School runner wasn't hindered by the new route, that included muddy trails...

Published on 04/10/08

Record pans out for angler

Pasadena fisherman sets freshwater white perch mark with 1.61-pound catch The tidewater white perch run is running out of perch, but contrary to the thinking of many anglers fishing for this scrappy panfish is not restricted to waters with a tad of salt. They're also in some reservoirs and a few ponds.

John Williams of Pasadena was at Loch Raven with his brother and a friend fishing for crappies when he had a very "crappie-unlike" hit. It w...

Published on 04/10/08

Hope springs eternal for Chesapeake fishermen

By BILL BURTON

All fishermen, whether for perch, stripers or billfish, know the feeling. The end of the trip is at hand, the angler hasn't had a nibble, but within there's the urgency of a last-minute strike. The big fish of the day. What a finale. Within all Izaak Waltons there's always hope. That's what fishing is all about.

I'm a firm believer there's always hope as long as there's a hook in the water, there's a...

Published on 04/06/08

Catch-release reports bode well for rock season

By BILL BURTON

The way things are going one would think the spring trophy rockfish season is already underway. With one exception. All the fish are going back into the Chesapeake. Hopefully. Catches-and-release reports are coming from everywhere, more pre-season fishing than I can recall. The better things get, the more anglers head out on the bay to join in the action. Troll what you plan to drag once the season opens April 19. Handle fish carefully before pro...

Published on 04/03/08

Running Notes

ST. ANNE'S 5K: St. Anne's School of Annapolis will host a 5K Run/1 Mile Walk on April 26. Registration is at 7 a.m. and the run and walk begin at 8 a.m. Both the run and the walk start at the St. Anne's School campus, at 3112 Arundel on the Bay Road in Annapolis. The course continues on Old Annapolis Neck Road and into Quiet Waters Park. Advance registration fees (before April 21) are $15 for individual runners, $10 f...

Published on 04/03/08

Outdoors: Perch action murky on Choptank

Spring runs a matter of hit, miss for fishermen on Shore

By BILL BURTON

CRUMPTON - When Angus Phillips of Annapolis and I crossed the Choptank River bridge here my heart sunk. There was but one fisherman on the sidewalk, and he said he hadn't caught anything. Nor did I note any fishermen on the banks of the river as we drove on to Cypress Creek Archery where we purchased tiny shad darts for white perch.

We knew a lack of Izaak Waltons wasn't a good sign; reports were the upper Choptank was one of the hotte...

Published on 03/30/08

Hunt races returning to Roedown next weekend : Land at the center of historic horse racing tradition

By E.B. FURGURSON III, Staff Writer

It's billed as a wonderful day in the country or an annual rite of spring, but next week's Marlborough Hunt Club Races at Roedown Farm includes a nod to the history of racing in Maryland, and in America herself. This year, in a nod to Annapolis' celebration of the city charter founding, the event will revive the Annapolis Subscription Plate, the first-recorded formal horse race in Maryland, a head-to-head, three-mile event won by Dr. ...

Published on 03/29/08

Quick response could land big fish

If you're wondering what a tilefish looks like or how it tastes, fights and what it wants for bait, I'd suggest you head to beach pronto - and not for sunbathing. Offshore from Ocean City, headboats are catching them in fairly good numbers along with some big tautog - and maybe by weekend some sea bass. It could be your best chance in ages; don't miss it. Tilefish are a deepwater fish generally found in depths of 275 to 1,200 feet; they can weigh...

Published on 03/27/08

Permit process causes more to change course

In an earlier column, I suggested that before you head out for a race - particularly a Sunday morning race - in this area, you'd best check on whether there will in fact be a race or perhaps a race with a course change. You might recall that last year, the long-held Striders' Metric Marathon at Harwood was cancelled outright a few days before the race when the state refused a permit for the use of a highway, citing a safety problem. And two curre...

Published on 03/27/08

Outdoors New lures brighten rock prospects

All that glitters might catch fish

By BILL BURTON

Previously, we've covered what the experts will use on the April 19 opening day of Maryland's trophy striper season, also the oldies that should continue to catch big time. Today, let's take a look at some of the new baits that should shine once the season starts.

That's literally shine, so much more than any real baitfish of Chesapeake Bay. An angler would have to wear sunglasses just to rig one on a bright day. But, isn't...

Published on 03/23/08

Run of big stripers bound for bay

We're on the verge of something big. With the spring trophy striper season only a month away the fish are pouring into the Chesapeake big time and waiting for the old magic number, 50 degree-water temperature to settle in. That's when the spawning will start. Meanwhile, impatient Izaak Waltons aren't waiting; they're on the hunt on a catch-and-release basis. Several charterboat skippers report they've taken some nice rockfish a the Bay Bridge - f...

Published on 03/20/08

Outdoors: Experts lured to give record selection

Anglers prefer variety of baits for trophy striped bass

This past January Virginian Fred Barnes set a Virginia record for rockfish when he caught a 73-pounder of 52 inches just off the mouth of the Chesapeake. On Memorial Day weekend of 1995, Devin Nolan of Hampstead cranked in a 67½-pound striper for a Maryland record that still stands. Our spring trophy season opens next month; the question is if you were a fishermen targeting breaking one or both records what would you toss over on early mor...

Published on 03/16/08

Singh seizes control at Bay Hill; Woods 7 strokes back : Defending champ leads Pettersson by two shots

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Vijay Singh was forced to take four days off from practicing, which was unprecedented. He found himself atop the leaderboard one week later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which is not surprising in the least. Weakened by a stomach virus that caused him to lose 18 pounds in five days, Singh recovered in time to make a strong defense of his Bay Hill title by chipping in twice yesterday on his way to a 5-under 65 and a two-s...

Published on 03/15/08

Outdoors:Patuxent destined for great light-tackle action

By BILL BURTON

You can't keep them, but shad can be had for catch and release - and as close as our Patuxent River. While overall coastal shad restoration efforts are lagging, the Department of Natural Resource's biologists are making some verifiable headway in the Patuxent, also in the Nanticoke and Choptank complexes on the Eastern Shore. And within three weeks, we should be able catch and release some of these silvery fighting migrants. It's that...

Published on 03/13/08

Running:Runners put spring in step

By JOE SHAFRAN

Each year, we get a good reminder that spring is on its way when we move the clock ahead as we did last weekend.

Seeing the crocuses in bloom and with the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in Washington set for March 30, we're reminded of the Annapolis Striders' Cherry Pit 10-miler at the South River school complex in Edgewater that is scheduled for April 6.

There is usually a good contingent from this area for the Cherry Blossom run and ...

Published on 03/13/08

Anglers wait for couple warm days to do trick

Department of Nartural Resource's sportsfishing guru Keith Lockwood was trying to decide whether fishing was picking up sufficiently the other day to begin the department's weekly schedule of fishing reports. His Web site was packed with messages from those wanted to go fishing, also those who had been and could only report things were beginning to pick up - which seems to be the situation everywhere. Same old story for March; we need a string of...

Published on 03/06/08

Outdoors: DNR worker on target with archery push

By BILL BURTON

Whether working or playing, the Department of Natural Resource's Doug Wigfield has a bow in his hand; the only difference is in the accompanying arrow. If he's off duty and on the hunt for his beloved sika deer, or perhaps a whitetail, there's a broad head tip at the business end of the arrow. If he's working, it's a field arrow of aluminum, no deadly tip on the shaft. He's quite successful with both.

We'...

Published on 03/02/08

Busch wins Vegas pole

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Kyle Busch carried his hot start to the season into his hometown yesterday, winning the pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch ran a fast lap of 182.352 mph in his Toyota Camry to take the top starting spot for tomorrow's race. The 22-year-old is having a fabulous start to the season - he hasn't finished lower than fourth in six races spanning three series - and returned to Las Vegas this week as the Sprint Cup Series points lea...

Published on 03/01/08

Honda Classic up for grabs

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - Dudley Hart spent some of yesterday afternoon poised to turn The Honda Classic into a runaway. Later in the day, it was Brian Davis' turn to take what seemed like a huge lead. But PGA National eventually caught up with them.

And by nightfall, the Honda leaderboard was muddled again.

Davis shot a 3-under 67 to finish the day at 8 under, one shot better than Matt Jones (67) and two shots ahead of Hart - a...

Published on 03/01/08