The first step on the road to recovery is to admit we have a problem.

OK, here goes: We still have a problem in Maryland when it comes to poaching and the folks who steal striped bass, oysters and crabs.

In the past week or so, we've reported about two licensed commercial fishermen who have repeatedly stolen from the bay and us. One even bragged about it on his Facebook page. Those are the cases we know about.

Folks just outright take what belongs to all of us or they harvest Chesapeake Bay critters and then lie to the state about how many critters they took. And make no mistake, what many watermen submit to the Department of Natural Resources as factual blue crab harvest reports are pure, unadulterated fiction, lies of the first degree.

Thanks to the winter dredge survey, DNR and Virginia fisheries managers know how many crabs are in the bay. But ask Maryland managers to say with the same degree of certainty how many crabs are removed each year and they can only shrug.

It's not their fault. They have put their warnings in writing and have told elected leaders of the problem. The ball is in someone's else's court--ours.

The General Assembly last session and the one before that put more punch in the penalty system and gave Natural Resources Police more authority to inspect vessels. But clearly the penalties either have not been a deterrent or they've prompted the serial poacher to scoot over the state line and continue working.

So what do we do now?

Should we demand that state lawmakers next year give DNR the authority to seize the boats of convicted poachers? Put mandatory jail time in the penalty system? Slap a lien on the poacher's property in the amount of natural resources stolen? Insist that each waterman's boat carry a tracking device?

What do you think Maryland should do?

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

If this is May, it must be Lyme Disease Prevention Month.

Hallmark hasn't designed a card yet, but can it be far off? Be careful out there this holiday weekend.

As a one-time host, let me tell you the disease is just like the house guest that just won't leave.

And it's not just humans. The number of dogs exposed to tick diseases is on the rise. Between 2006 and last year, there was a 30 percent increase in the rate of dogs exposed to tick-borne diseases, a national study shows.

From now through November, two-legged critters should:

Stay informed.

Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts in the woods and tall grasses.

If it's too hot for that, spray skin and clothes with bug juice containing 30 percent DEET.

Afterward, check for ticks. They're little, so look closely. Remove the little buggers with tweezers and wash the area with soap and water.

If you get the "bull's eye" rash or begin to feel crummy, don't delay, see a doctor.

And eat your vegetables. It won't prevent Lyme disease, but if you buy them at a local produce stand, you'll be helping Maryland farmers.

If you have a pet who loves the outdoors, learn the signs and how to find and remove ticks.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 4:00 PM | Permalink
        

Hard to believe, but this weekend is Memorial Day, the starter's pistol of summer. When you look at a calendar, it seems like a long stretch, summer does.

But the 13 weekends that are the stepping stones to Labor Day really gallop by. Then all of the sudden, you're trying to jam feet back into shoes and the blender onto the shelf behind the harvest gold-colored fondue pot.

Not fair. The fight against fall starts this weekend. You won't be alone. The Department of Natural Resources says all 2,100 cabins and camping spaces across the state have been taken. Last year 362,714 people visited Maryland’s state parks during the Memorial Day weekend, so plan and leave early for the day use areas. 

1) On Saturday and Sunday, beat  the heat with a pontoon boat ride at Seneca Creek State Park's Clopper Lake. The 45-minute rides cost $2 per person and will be offered at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. You can buy tickets in advance at the boathouse and then take a walk, play disc golf or picnic. The Montgomery County park is 6,300 acres, so you won't feel crowded. Call the park (301-924-2127) for more information.  

2) Also on Saturday, take a 4-mile hike in the McKeldin area of Patapsco Valley State Park with the Sierra Club. The walk will take you along the river and past the soothing sound of McKeldin Falls. Optional restaurant lunch after the hike. Meet at the Bagel Bin off U.S. 40 in the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center, for a 9 a.m. departure. Contact leader James Perschy, 410-964-1902 or jameshike@verizon.net.

3) I'll be at this one on Sunday, for sure. The naturalist at New Germany State Park will be giving free fishing lessons at the lake for an hour, beginning at 1 p.m. Bring a rod and reel and bait and catch dinner. Then, it's back to my camp site--JUST KIDDING! Details: 301-895-5453.

4) On Sunday, take the kids to Elk Neck State Park in Cecil County for a reptile program at 4 p.m. There will be guest appearances by live critters. The program is free; the park entry fee is $3 per person.

5) Elk Neck also is having canoe trips on Saturday and Sunday for adventurers 6 and older. Trips cost $10 per person plus the above-mentioned park entry fee. Equipment will be provided. There's fine print regarding boating rules, some semi-heavy lifting is required and you must be OK with getting wet. Call 410-287-5333 to reserve a spot.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

Waterman John Hunter Haddaway thought poaching was so routine that he boasted to friends about it on his Facebook page and cursed the Department of Natural Resources for getting in his way.

An administrative law judge took a dimmer view, suspending his commercial fishing privileges for the next three oyster seasons after concluding no other punishment would act as a deterrrent.

Haddaway, 23, of Tilghman was convicted earlier this year of harvesting oysters in a sanctuary and exceeding the daily bushel limit. Haddaway has a history of natural resources crimes, including dredging for oysters in prohibited areas, possessing undersized oysters, crabbing without a license, and oystering without a license.

In a written decision upholding the Department of Natural Resources' position, Administrative Law Judge Nicole Pastore Klein said Haddaway deserved no lesser penalty.

On Jan. 17, Natural Resources Police charged him with poaching after watching him dredge oysters five miles northwest of Crisfield in the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary. Officers seized 12 bushels of oysters from his boat and returned them to the sanctuary.

On Feb. 1, he posted a profanity-laced tirade on Facebook about DNR ruining his day. "Sanctuary again?" asked a friend. "No," Haddaway replied. "Served me papers today. They suspended my tfl (Tidal Fish License) til April first. I'm not allowed on an oyster boat til then." The friend replied, "You might as well look for a new job."

Then Haddaway's girlfriend chimed in: "Well Hunter it's your own damn fault so quit bitching about it. Everybody's tired of hearing about it. You knew what you were doing."

(I added punctuation and grammatical corrections to make it easier to read.)

On Feb. 10, Haddaway complained that he was "getting tired of seeing his name in the paper,"connected to poaching, adding, "it's hard to leave when you got over 40 dollars each time you pull the dredge up." His mother replied, "My son the Outlaw...lol."

On March 12, a friend asked for ideas on what he should do for the evening.

Haddaway replied: "Night dredging lol I got a hot spot."

Last December, Haddaway was arrested with 15 bushels of oysters onboard his vessel north of the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary, three bushels above the authorized limit. He was charged with exceeding the daily bushel limit for oysters and failing to display his Tidal Fishing License number on the vehicle transporting his catch. His other convictions include: Taking oysters without a commercial license (2007); possession of undersized oysters (2007); possession of undersized oysters (2006); crabbing without a commercial license (2006); and taking oysters without a commercial license and dredging for oysters in a restricted area (2006).

On Feb. 10, Haddaway posted this: "I'm regreting it now, but like (a friend) said, you learn from your mistakes."

Based on his lengthy court record and three-year suspension, apparently Haddaway never did. 

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

If you have business with the state, say renewing a boat registration or getting a fishing license, tomorrow is your last day before the Memorial Day weekend.

Friday, typically one of the busiest days for the Department of Natural Resources, is another O'Malley administration furlough day for state workers. Campgrounds and parks, however, will remain open all weekend. 

While you can buy a license in person at a tackle shop, or online or by phone (800-918-2870) and incur a service charge, the boat stuff has to be done in person.

To borrow from Willie Don Schaefer, "Do it now."

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:57 AM | Permalink
        

A Rock Hall waterman has been charged with 68 fishing violations and one count of conspiracy by Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife officers.

William H. Beck, 45, was charged after an investigation that began late last year. If found guilty, he could be fined a total of $6,188. He was arraigned before a justice of the peace last Friday.

Since 1992, Beck has been charged nearly 40 times in Maryland for natural resources violations. On the day after Christmas 2009, Beck was charged by Maryland Natural Resources Police with oyster poaching. He was charged a second time on New Year's Day 2010, which led to the suspension of his oyster license for a season.

Two months later, he was charged with striped bass poaching. 

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

On the plus side, the head aboard Stephen Colbert's racing yacht is working and the comedian says everyone is smelling fine.

Colbert and his crew aboard the Farr 65 "Spirit of Juno" are still near the front of the pack in the 2011 Charleston Bermuda Race, four days into the regatta and about 8 miles behind the leader.

On the other side of the ledger, Colbert is running at about 6 knots with more than 300 miles to go until he reaches Bermuda, according to the online race tracker. There's still time for the toilet to do that special thing they all do at one time or another: go bust.

This isn't the first regatta for television's Walter Mitty, who has speed skated and ridden a bobsled and skeleton sled with Olympians and seems eager to try anything in the name of laughs.

As he told Outside magazine about his introduction to the 777-mile C2B race: "There comes a time in every man's life when he must ask himself, 'What can I endure? Of what mettle am I made?' This was not one of those times. I thought this would be a booze cruise to Bermuda."

Instead, the Charleston native learned about busted heads, the doldrums, running out of (in order) power, fuel and water and losing the rade reflector. His boat finished four days behind the winner.

"What endures I can't rightly describe," Colbert told the magazine. "Looking up at night to see the masts unmoving in your eyes but the stars dancing in sychonized figure eights. Waking to the [ketch] surrounded by the pink poisonous sails of Portuguese man-of-wars as far as the eye could see. Flying fish slapping against the sail. Mats of sargasso in the Gulf Stream. The mahimahi on Day Two, the marlin on Day Seven. Falling off wind to sail around the waterspout. Two ounces of gritty cowboy coffee to start the watch. Eight friend together in a 45-foot world and alone at the center of a referenceless horizon.

"I can't explain what it feels like. I just know I want to feel it again."  

It seems he is.  

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:57 AM | Permalink
        

A shipment of 8,000 rainbow trout from a private vendor to Maryland contained some fish with whirling disease, the Department of Natural Resources said.

The trout were used to stock several streams in Western Maryland that do not contain native trout. Biologists noticed on May 11 that some fish were acting oddly and they stopped stocking operations and began testing.

The fish were placed in the North Branch Delayed Harvest Area, Evitts Creek, Jennings Run and Sidling Hill Creek.

Whirling disease, found in 24 states, is harmless to humans but fatal to trout, especially rainbow trout. The parasite was first detected in the United States in the 1950s and was found in Maryland's North Branch of the Potomac River in 1995. Four years ago, the parasite was found at the Bear Creek hatchery in Western Maryland, forcing the state to close it and two other facilities and destroy all the trout. 

Biologists say this outbreak can only be problematic if anglers move trout from one stream to another. Typically, stocked trout are either caught right away or die during the summer when water levels fall and temperatures rise.

DNR has declined to identify the vendor, but officials say they will not accept any additional trout from that source until testing is completed.

The discovery of whirling disease in privately raised trout is likely to increase the state's efforts to ramp up its own hatchery production. Maryland typically stocks more than 320,000 trout each year.

You can read more about whirling disease on the DNR website. 

Posted by Candus Thomson at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Sun? Really? This weekend?

Let's make the most of it before the rain returns. Here's five things to get you started:

1) Eat some barbecue and cheer on wounded warriors on Armed Forces Day at the Marines Helping Marines Foundation Fishing Tournament at Anchor Marina in North East. Veterans recovering at Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals will participate as two-mans to raise money for the Foundation, which helps pay for weekend retreats for wounded veterans in outpatient care and assists military service members and their families in time of need. Boats will launch from the Anchor Marina at first safe light, usually right around 6 a.m., and return at 1 p.m. for the weigh-in. A barbecue will begin at 12:30 at the Nauti-Goose Restaurant, 200 Cherry St. The cost is $10 per adult, $3 for children.

2) Learn to canoe and take a leisurely paddle at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center in Abingdon. The lesson is suitable for anyone over the age of 8. The cost is $10 per person. Call 410-612-1688 to reserve a spot.  

3) They won't teach you how to ride a thoroughbred or pick a Preakness winner, but members of the 4-H Club on Saturday will give you the ABC's of ponies and donkeys at a free demonstration at The Howard County Conservancy's 232-acre Mount Pleasant farm on Old Frederick Road. The event begins at 10 a.m. Call 410-465-8877 or visit the conservancy website for more.

4) The Howard County Sierra Club is leading an 11-mile hike Saturday along the Appalachian Trail, from Washington Monument State Park to Annapolis Rocki and back. Bring lunch and water. Meet at the Bagel Bin on U.S. 40 in the Enchanted Shopping Center for an 8:30 a.m. push off. Call Tim Ryan before 9:30 p.m. today, 410-248-2974 or timothy_ryan@urscorp.com if you need details.

5) In May Jupiter, Venus and Mercury will be in a line with Mars just below them--if you know where to look. The Westminster Astronomy Club will be at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area Saturday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. to point you and your family in the right direction. Program is rain or shine. Time machines will be provided. Call 877-794-0606 to save a spot. The event is free, but they wouldn't say no to a donation.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Stay away from Billy Goat Trail, the Olmstead Island bridges at Great Falls and the Spring Gap and Paw Paw campgrounds at the C&O Canal National Historical Park. All have been closed by the National Park Service because of Potomac River floodwaters.

The high water has covered the towpath near Whites Ferry and Edwards Ferry in Montgomery County, Harpers Ferry in Frederick and Washington counties, and in the Dam 4 area in Washington County.

Several park roads are covered with water and are closed. All hiker-biker campsites and boat ramps are in low-lying areas of the C&O Canal park and should not be used. Visitors may encounter rough and muddy towpath conditions and downed branches and trees throughout the park.

The park service says the river will continue to rise Thursday and is predicted to remain high through the weekend. Areas that are not under water now may be soon.

“The Potomac can be a treacherous and unpredictable river, particularly during periods of high water,” said Kevin Brandt, C&O Canal park superintendent said. “Respect the closures the park staff has put in place, they are for your safety."

Brandt urged park users to keep an eye on the river and have an escape plan. For information on river conditions, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:08 PM | Permalink
        

Let's say you have a 15-member state board, all but three members are white men and terms are expiring for six members. What do you do?

Reappoint the men!

The fact is there will be no new faces this summer on the Sport Fish Advisory Commission, despite the fact that the group has but one black, one Hispanic and one woman serving. Let's hear it for diversity and fresh ideas!

On the other hand, the 15-member Tidal Fish Advisory Commission is likely to see a 50-percent turnover. Why? To get more diversity.

Go figure.

Because of foot-dragging in the appointments office of the governor, this guy and the last one, the staggered term limits of SFAC members got unstaggered. Then the General Assembly, at the request of the Department of Natural Resources, voted last year to add three members to the board that advises Secretary John Griffin on recreational fishing issues.

To get things back on track, DNR is retaining all SFAC members whose terms were set to expire next month until June 30, 2015: Larry Coburn, representing the tackle shop industry; Roger Trageser of the Maryland Bass Federation; Herb Smith, representing central and western Maryland interests; Val Lynch, representing coastal fisheries; Ray Morgan, western Maryland representative; and Brandon White, webmaster for Tidalfish.com.

Those men were appointed in 2009, halfway through a four-year term, because the appointments office was too busy deciding other political payoffs and who would carry the nuclear football for Martin O'Malley.

Six other men (Ahhh, men. How would we fill commissions without them?) will stay on SFAC until June 30, 2013: Bill Goldsborough, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Dave Sikorski, Coastal Conservation Association Maryland; James Wommack, Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association; Ed O'Brien, Maryland Charter Boat Association; Jim Gracie, Mid-Atlantic Trout Unlimited; and Bill Windley, MSSA.

Like, how do you get appointed to this thing if you don't belong to the leadership of some club or group? Are there no regular anglers available?

Three members appointed this year will serve until June 30, 2015: Greg Jetton, Maryland Charter Boat Association; Dave Smith, MSSA; and (believe it or not) Carol Stevenson, Chesapeake Women's Angler's Association.

I have nothing against these guys. Some of them are really terrific. But really, what has SFAC done for recreational anglers lately?

The two fastest growing segments of the recreational fishing community are women and Hispanics. Local tackle shop owners say if they didn't have new Hispanic customers they wouldn't have squat.

So where's the love and recognition?

On the other hand, the TFAC--the group that advises Griffin on things commercial--will look a lot different. Six members will be replaced at the end of their two-year term on June 30: Jack Brooks, seafood processor; Russell Dukes, waterman; Andrea Jacquette, seafood retailer; Greg Price, waterman; and John Van Alstine, waterman and aquaculture representative.

Six other members will have their terms extended until June 30, 2013: Larry Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association; Brian Keehn, Maryland Charter Boat Association; Richard Young, crabber; James Gross, waterman; Bill Goldsborough, CBF; Mike Benjamin, waterman; Stephen Gordon, coastal bays aquaculture guy.

Three members appointed this year will serve until June 30, 2013: Gibby Dean, president of the Chesapeake Bay Commercial Fisherman's Association; Moochie Gilmer, waterman; and Billy Rice, waterman.

The new TFAC is expected to include members from Harford, Talbot, Charles, Caroline, Somerset and Wicomico counties--jurisdictions not represented now.

The SFAC and TFAC will meet jointly at 6 p.m., at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Same old, same old.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

So every media outlet from here to Conneticut got its underwear in a knot over the weekend about the supposed news that Maryland just became the first state to embrace the deer contraceptive GonaCon.

Except it didn't just happen. For the record the pesticide was approved for use on deer by the Environmental Protection Agency last year. The Department of Natural Resources adopted its policy on GonaCon after it was reviewed by the Wildlife Advisory Commission at its March meeting. 

The policy contained nothing new. Anti-hunting organizations and animal rights groups barely blinked an eye.

In fact, the limitations on its use are so daunting, the expertise required to administer it so limited and the expense so high that it is unlikely GonaCon will ever be used by Maryland's biologists. Hunters need not worry about GonaCon making them obsolete. 

The Sun mentioned the approval on May 8, as part of a column on hunting in Baltimore County parks. Then, the media munchkins with nothing else on their plate got busy and the folks who will dump on government for any reason found a new dumpee. 

For the record, Maryland never said it was going to use GonaCon. NEVER. It merely set strict standards for its use, which is a responsible thing to do. I mean, you don't want the guy in the stained T-shirt at the end of the block running around accidently shooting neighborhood pets do you?

In fact, state wildlife managers have made it clear that they have no intention of injecting deer at a cost to taxpayers of up to $1,000 per animal as a means to control the population. So all you knee-jerk Tea Party types who didn't read the fine print in any of the stories, put your tri-cornered hats away for the moment.  

Where could GonaCon be used? Fenced-in land, islands or peninsulas--places where you have an insular doe population and can't rely on hunting. That rules out most state-owned land.

The pesticide is 80 percent effective the first year, but drops off to 50 percent the second year. Licensed experts would have to locate the deer for a booster shot on a regular basis. That counts out DNR, which is a little low in the manpower department.

So what really happened? Maryland wildlife managers set standards two months ago for a substance that might be used by private landowners willing to shell out big money to make their deer go away.

Where's the news in that?    

Posted by Candus Thomson at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Guide Ken Penrod, owner of Life Outdoors Unlimited, files his weekly bass fishing report:

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: three stars; 68 degrees; clear; 3.5 feet at Point of Rocks. This river gets better every day as the water recedes and clears. It’s been a long time coming. The best baits continue to be Campground Special teaser tubes, Rapala DT4 crankbaits and Case Magic Stiks.

At Lander, we do best upriver, especially the deeper holes adjacent to Catoctin Creek, Sawbuck ledges, The Wall grass beds, holes and ledges below the Fence ledge and holes below Burkhart’s Riffle.

At Whites Ferry and Edwards Ferry, fish the ledges near Edwards, the mouth and short portion of Goose Creek, wood cover near the power line on the Maryland side and Balls Bluff. From Whites, motor upriver and fish the Virginia side. When you can see the power plant smoke stacks—you have about one mile of good cover. Do another drift but stay in the middle.

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: three and a half stars; 75 degrees water; major high tides. Clearing to clear. What a great week to fish! Except for rain on Friday and the weekend, the weather was beautiful—and I’m not used to that. The tides have been really screwed-up with major high water. Fishing has been great.

Around Washington, we like the shorelines above Three Sisters for smallmouth bass; tubes and Rapala crankbaits were favored. Key Bridge, Long Bridge, Pentagon Lagoon, Washington Channel and Blue Plains all have something to offer. Again, the Rapala DTs, Mizmo tubes, Big Mouth spinnerbaits and Case plastics are good choices. There are still some stripers on bridge foundations and in the Washington Channel.

In the vicinity of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, cast tubes and Stiks in Penrod Cove and nearby barges. The coves near Belle Haven Marina; Broad Creek barges and grass bed; south sore of Swan Creek and coves in Piscataway Creek have been the best so far. It’s hard to beat the 6-inch Case Magic Stick on a 3/0 hook.

In and around Mattawoman Creek, work the back half of the creek on falling water with Bigmouth spinnerbaits and Stiks. Near Smallwood State Park, work the grass with stiks, spinnerbaits and try a buzzbait or frog once in a while. Look for grass bass in Chickamuxen, Blue Banks, Wades Bay and Aquia Creek.

DEEP CREEK LAKE: two and a half stars; 59 degrees, clear. LOU guides Brent Winegardner and Brent Nelson say that bass fishing has been really good with pre-spawn action and even some spawning going on in the upper lake coves and creeks. Bret says to fish shallow boat docks, especially when the sun is up. He likes Big Mouth jigs and 4-inch Magic Stiks. Bret also likes the lower lake for smallmouth bass, especially points and rocky shorelines, where Mizmo tubes and chartreuse crawfish crankbaits do the deed.

SUSQUEHANNA and JUNIATA RIVER, PA.: three stars; clear to clearing; 65 degrees; 5.4 feet at Harrisburg; 5.3 feet at Newport on the Juniata. The rivers and creeks have settled down now and bass have moved to more common habitat. Fishing has been fair to excellent most of the week. Our most reliable lures have been the Rapala DT04; X-Rapp; Campground Special “teaser” tubes in the KP Series and critter baits like the Case Sweet P. On the Juniata, fish the pools and eddies both sides of the river at Amity Hall and the confluence.

Upriver, on the main stem, the bass are in current. Nearby Sherman Creek is doing well and we really like the Rapala DT04 here. LOU guide Dave Kerrigan has been working the main river and he likes the KP Rose tube. Mike Breeding is working down toward the Statue and he is all over the many islands. LOU guide Andy Chiu is in the lower Juniata and he likes jerkbaits.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:00 AM | Permalink
        

Hallmark doesn't have a card for the occasion, but that shouldn't stop us from congratulating the state reptile for snagging a shout out today from Top Terrapin Martin O'Malley.

OK, it might have been better if the Gov had chosen a day other than Friday the 13th for Diamond Terrapin Day, but maybe after the university announced its new basketball coach earlier this week, MOM decided to go with the flow. 

The proclamation doesn't get too specific on what we're supposed to do to celebrate or reflect. I guess if we were at College Park, we'd overturn something and set it on fire. So here, in no particular order are some suggestions:

1) Put on a turtleneck sweater

2) Polish up your car with Turtle Wax

3) Lay on your back and fling your limbs around. You know, turn turtle.

4) Challenge a rabbit to a race

For those of you who want to do something more meaningful, you can:

1) Save a turtle trying to cross a road by lifting it to its destination.

2) Visit the Terrapin Institute Research Station Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and learn more about the critters.

3) If you're a waterfront homeowner who sets crab pots out, be sure to install a Turtle Excluder Device. It not only helps save turtles from drowning, it is required by state law. Read the regulation and then buy or make the TEDs for each pot. Here are some simple instructions.

Diamondback Terrapin Day may just come once a year, but we can make it a year-long event. Don't just Fear the Turtle, give it a little love. 

2002 Baltimore Sun photo

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Looking for adventure, bragging rights, a better sense of Maryland history? Step right up and try one of these outings this weekend. 

1) Built in 1930, the stately Woodmont Lodge in Washington County has been visited by seven presidents who loved to fish the nearby Potomac River and Babe Ruth. Now you can visit the lodge from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday during an open house. Volunteers from the Izaak Walton League will describe the history of the lodge, DNR staff will discuss the early days of conservation and wildlife management and conservation organizations will have displays. The lodge is at 11761 Woodmont Road, off exit 77 of I-68. For information call 301-842-2155. While you're out there, stop in Hancock and walk the width of Maryland along Pennsylvania Avenue--it will take you about 30 minutes to walk the 1.7 miles.

2) Fear the turtle no more. Visit the Terrapin Institute during its open house on Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. and see terrapins up close, take a tour of the facility and take home something from the native plant sale, fishing display, and toursBring a picnic lunch and hang out. The institute is at 6311 Neavitt Bozman Road in Neavitt. More: 410-745-8359 or terrapininstitute@comcast.net.

3) The National Sailing Center and Hall of Fame in Annapolis is playing host to one of the Chesapeake Bay's best-known vessels this weekend: the Sultana, a 51-foot replica of a Revolutionary War-era schooner, will arrive Saturday afternoon from St. Michaels and will depart on May 20.

4) On Saturday, stretch your legs on a 7-mile hike in Patapsco Valley State Park's Hilton Area with the Howard County Sierra Club. Bring lunch and water. Meet at 9:15 at the parking lot behind the Hilton Area Nature Center, just inside the Hilton Avenue entrance on the right. Details from James Perschy: 410-964-1902 or jameshike@verizon.net.

5) On Sunday, take a walk on the Loch Raven Dam and learn how a structure built in the 1920s was renovated. Just north of the bridge at the Pines Area on Loch Raven Drive the Department of Natural Resources Scales and Tales program will display rescued animals and naturalists will talk about the critters in the watershed, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 10:30 and 12:30, join a guided hike in the woods around the reservoir. Details: 410-396-3500.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

I have three cats. They can perform amazing feats: sleep, eat, play and ignore me. One kinda plays fetch if the moody strikes her.

These critters will never be mistaken for outdoors beasts and every so often I yearn for a dog-like creature to take fishing or hiking. Then I add up my hours away from home and put the idea back in the box labeled "Things to do in retirement."

But what if a cat could do those outdoors things? What if I had a cat like this one?

Posted by Candus Thomson at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Since 1991, BoatUS, the Triple A of the nautical world, has been compiling annual lists of the most popular names people give their vessels. The database now tops 8,500.

Sometimes the list reflects the times. After 9/11, patriotic names were in. Movie subjects (think, Black Pearl, Endless Summer and Seabiscuit) translate well. Aquaholic has appeared eight of the last 10 years and Serenity has made the Top 10 in 15 of 20 years. After making the list for almost a decade, Obsession stopped being one in 2000.

This year marks the first time that two names are non-English: Andiamo (let's go) and La Belle Vita (the beautiful life). Alas, no really clever ones (A License to Chill, 2005).

So, what names made the grade? Drum roll, please: 

1) AquaHolic

2) Andiamo 

3) The Black Pearl

4) La Belle Vita 

5) Mojo

6) Island Time

7) Second Wind

8) No Worries

9) Serenity

10) Blue Moon

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

It was a good idea at the time, even though it sounded like something best left between a patient and his or her physician: Scoping sessions.

They're all the rage among public officials who can't get enough of sitting in a poorly ventilated room with malfunctioning audio-visual equipment listening to people who don't actually have a question but want to extract a pound of flesh.

DNR Fisheries Service people adopted scoping as part of the process of getting a concept from office cubicle to regulation. Instead of wondering what the public would think about requiring all felt-soled waders to be encased in plastic wrap before wearing, managers could throw the idea out there in the name of transparency, although one would think plastic wrap was transparent enough.

And so scoping sessions became part of DNR's sausage making.

As Outdoors Girl, I attend as many of these things as I can stand, which is to say almost all of them. Only a root canal could keep me away.

But you're smarter than that.

Before Monday night's listening session, which attracted about a half-dozen people, the most recent two scopings brought out a total of three people. Three. Total.

When you consider how many staffers have to attend (seven Monday night) to be able to answer questions about everything from poaching penalties to horseshoe crab quotas, and then you factor in the prep work they do--producing hand outs, PowerPoint presentations and charts--it hardly seems worth it.

Oh yeah, and because DNR headquarters has a pitiful public meeting space that would be better suited as storage for documents from the Ron Franks era of managerial incompetence, Fisheries has to rent a room in a church basement.

Then comes the actual discussion, which has the effect of waterboarding without the water and could easily be handled by email.

Sightings of members of the Sport Fish and Tidal Fish advisory commissions at these sessions are as rare as pictures of Martin O'Malley fishing. Guess that's because there's no free barbecue dinner involved.

So why do DNR Fisheries Service managers continue to hold these scoping sessions despite an overwhelming lack of public interest?

I guess it feels so good when it stops.

It's time to extend that feel-good sensation in perpetuity. Stop the scoping already. 

Posted by Candus Thomson at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

OK, so it will never be mistaken for Harrison Ford's plunge in The Fugitive.

Still, standing atop the 101-foot dam at Loch Raven with the mighty Gunpowder ripping below your feet is still worthy of a Facebook post, yes?

On Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Baltimore city watershed officials are having an open house to show you how water gets from the river to the spigots in your house. 

Engineers from Gannett-Fleming, the firm that did the dam reconstruction in 2005, will talk about the history of the dam and how they renovated a structure built in 1923 that holds back a reservoir covering 3.8 square miles. City staff will discuss the history of the Gunpowder Valley and how the water system operates.

After getting the background, check out the wildlife that calls Loch Raven home at the Pines Area on Loch Raven Drive just north of the bridge. The Department of Natural Resources Scales and Tales program will display rescued wildlife from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The Pines area also is the trailhead for guided hikes at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

City officials are inviting the public to pack a lunch and lace up its hiking boots. Call 410-396-3500 for more information.

(For the record, Ford's diving platform is North Carolina's Cheoah Dam, which stands 225 feet and creates a reservoir of 644 acres).

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Water levels are dropping and water is clearing. The weather looks good this week. Guide Ken Penrod, owner of Life Outdoors Unlimited, files his weekly bass fishing report for the region:

SUSQUEHANNA and JUNIATA RIVERS, PA.: two and a half stars; high 50s; clearing; 7.0 feet at Harrisburg. On the Juniata, Newport Gauge, 6.2 feet. As the rivers recede, bass fishing has improved and without additional rain, the waters should be perfect by week’s end. LOU guide Mike Breeding had a great day on the Juniata early in the week where he caught impressive smallmouth bass on Rapala jerk baits, Campground Special tubes and Rapala DT4 crankbaits. During another outing, Mike had about 35 bass on Rapala crankbaits in Sherman Creek.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: one star; 60 degrees; clearing; 5.9 feet at Point of Rocks and falling. The river is returning to normal and should be good to go by week’s end. Boaters should be careful when using launch sites as river mud on those hard surfaces could be very slick. It’s a good idea to carry a snow shovel and a 5-gallon bucket to clean ramps.

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: two to two and a half stars; 65 degrees; clearing. Strong winds and cold fronts caused different results throughout the system during last week but bass are in a strong pre-spawn attitude and improvement is eminent. Around Washington, most of the debris is gone and the water color is very good. Smallmouth bass during low water between Key Bridge and Three Sisters Island has been good. Rapala DT-4 crankbaits and 4-inch Mizmo tubes get the nod here. Also look for brown fish on railroad bridge foundations and the entrance to Pentagon Lagoon. Decent largemouth numbers come from the Washington Channel, Pentagon Lagoon and rip rap near Bolling Air Force Base. The Blue Plains treatment plant outfall and nearby habitat has been fairly productive.

At the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, we're having fair results in Penrod Cove with Case Stiks and Rapala DT Thugs. The nearby submersed barges and old bridge rubble as well as points in Smoot Bay offer bass to four pounds. Coves near Belle Haven, grass and barges in Broad Creek and coves in Piscataway Creek get better every day. We like the Rattlin’ Rapala, Case 6-inch Magic Stiks and 4-inch Mizmo tubes. To the south, Bulltown Cove, Gunston Cove and mouth of Pomonkey Creek are worth some time, especially during falling water.

In the vicinity of Mattawoman Creek, cast Big Mouth spinnerbaits and Case Magic Stiks to spatterdock/grass cover in the 6-MPH zone. Grass beds between Marsh Island and the main river are holding up well and Rattlin’ Rapalas and Stiks are productive. Nearby Chickamuxen Creek (points and coves), Wades Bay and coves in Aquia Creek have been improving.

DEEP CREEK LAKE: two and a half stars; clear; 50s. Deep Creek Lake is a different climate in that the area is usually a month behind that of the Piedmont. Bass are staging in coves in the upper lake to spawn. Look for smallmouth bass on points and dropoffs between Deep Creek Lake State Park and the dam.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:27 AM | Permalink
        

From a boat on the Chesapeake Bay, you can see how bad spring runoff is.

From a NASA satellite, it's even more dramatic and doesn't look like it's going to clear up anytime soon. This image was taken April 30, the last really clear day, but a peek through the clouds on Tuesday shows the chocolate brown plume still in place.

The muck coursing down the Susquehanna River chased off veteran largemouth bass guides like Ken Penrod last week. Capt. "Walleye" Pete Dahlberg, a striped bass guide who works Susquehanna Flats--the bowl-shaped area at the mouth of the river--has given up and moved south to Solomons.

"This year was by far the worst season I have ever seen at the Susqy Flats," Dahlberg wrote in an email. "The fish were in the region, many large fish caught on bait but not on lures. The Susquehanna River watershed recieved way too much water for us to have a good catch-and-release fishery at the Flats...Because of the horrible conditions, I canceled all my trips and was forced to pull the plug at the Susqy Flats and run home with my tail between my legs."

Turbidity is measured with a secchi disk, a simple black-and-white circle suspended in the water and lowered until it becomes invisible.

A Chesapeake Bay Foundation staff member was on the Flats last Friday and lost sight of a secchi disk at three inches.

Comparing data from all of April to April 2010, the turbidity is worse in places like the mouth of the Susquehanna, Turkey Point at the mouth of the Elk River and just north of the Bay Bridge.

You can follow the progress of the muck on the Department of Natural Resources website, Eyes on the Bay. 

"Historical data reveals very successful spawning when waters are high," wrote Dalhberg. "So, I'd say maybe we have a silver lining to our horrible Flats season."

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:49 AM | Permalink
        

Happy Mother's Day to all you outdoors mothers...and fathers and kids. Looking for something to do together this weekend?

Here are five suggestions:

1) On Saturday, join the staff at The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Visitor Center in a celebration of the spring hiking season, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. May marks the arrival of northbound thru-hikers from Georgia and an upswing in day-hikers and overnight hikers out to enjoy the milder temperatures. Festivities will feature an official unveiling of new visitor center exhibits and displays, kids’ and Leave No Trace activities and stories from recent thru-hikers. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters is in Harpers Ferry at 799 Washington St.

2) On Sunday, give mom a scare (like you haven't already done that) by taking her for a zip-line ride at Terrapin Adventures in Savage. Moms get a free ride with two adventure purchases of equal or greater value. Use promo code MFF15 when booking. They're open daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Phone: 301-725-1313.

3) Take the kids to a fishing rodeo Saturday in Bel Air at the John Carroll School Pond, 11 a.m. The event, open to kids 15 and younger, is part of the Maryland Fishing Challenge. Kids under 16 are eligible for prizes and will be entered in the Grand Prize drawing in September. Need some more details? Give Bob Wall a holler: 410-245-0854 or robert.wall@baltimorecity.gov.

4) Spend either Saturday or Sunday exploring the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel. On Saturday at 10 a.m., learn about "Nature’s Other Carnivores--Plants." The interpretive program is suitable for kids 8-10. On Sunday at 2 p.m., discover Patuxent’s amazing variety of life from big to small and fuzzy to slimy through interactive games, adventure walks and stories. This event is suitable for kids 5-7. The visitor center is on Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Route 197. Call 301-497-5887 to reserve space.

5) Take a bike ride on the Indian Head Rail Trail in Charles County and stop by the art exhibit at the Mattawoman Creek Art Center. Local artists and their depictions of the trail on on display, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The 13-mile trail is paved and the scenery varies. 

Posted by Candus Thomson at 10:42 AM | Permalink
        

Chinese mitten crabs aren't native. They don't taste good steamed and coated in Old Bay. They are pests, potentially harmful to aquatic critters and shoreline and on the move into the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is asking recreational crabbers, watermen and boaters to keep an eye out for them and report sightings on its new website.

The first mitten crab was pulled from the mouth of the Patapsco River by a waterman in June 2006, setting off alarm bells in the environmental community. The species is native to Asia and notorious for invading bays in California, Germany, England and elsewhere around the globe, then multiplying like rabbits.

Unchecked, they they tear fishing nets, clog water intakes and dig burrows that weaken and destroy earthen levees and dams.

Mitten crabs have round, light brown or olive green bodies that are smooth. Adults are 3- to 4-inches across. The most striking characteristic is the "fur" that covers their white-tipped claws.

Since 2005, more than 100 mitten crabs have been discovered in the Middle Atlantic states, from Maryland to New York.

Mitten crabs live most of their lives in freshwater streams and rivers, but travel to saltier water to spawn.

If you catch a mitten crab the research center is asking folks to:

Take a close-up photo;

Note the precise location of the find;

If possible, put the crab in the freezer or on ice;

Call the Mitten Crab Hotline (443-482-2222) or upload photos and information to the new website or email the information to SERCmittencrab@si.edu.

Whatever you do, don't toss it back.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 10:59 AM | Permalink
        

Guide Ken Penrod, owner of Life Outdoors Unlimited, has filed his weekly bass fishing report:

SUSQUEHANNA and JUNIATA rivers, Pa.: zero to two and a half stars; muddy; 60 degrees; 11 feet at Harrisburg; on the Juniata's Newport gauge, 7 feet; Sherman Creek, 2.8 feet. Before the latest flood, we were doing pretty good on the main river and Sherman with Campground Special tubes, X-RAP jerkbaits and Rapala DT 04 crankbaits. We expect to resume our guiding schedule this week. It looks like we will have plenty of water through May and June so be sure to get signed up for some great fishing—especially the ferocious spinnerbait bite.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER: Zero stars; muddy; 60 degrees; 8 feet. Needless to say, we don’t have any fishing report as the river is high and dangerous. Noteworthy though, on April 25 a man caught a 24-inch long snakehead from the upper Potomac near Whites Ferry. That’s the first I’ve heard of a snakehead in the upper Potomac. Kill-them all guys.

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER: two and a half stars; 62 degrees; muddy and more coming. The river is still pretty muddy and there is a huge, new volume of muddy water and shoreline debris on the way. Still, bass fishing wasn’t as bad as you would think. Be careful out there, though. Around Washington, the upper Potomac flow has been more than the falling tide so during incoming tide the river becomes very high. In the Washington Channel, which always stays a little clearer, expect to catch bass along the dropoff on the right side but don’t encroach on that wall or the cops will visit you. I like the Rapala DT6, Mizmo tube and wacky-rigged Case Stix here. In Pentagon Lagoon, go to the northeast corner and fish the dropoff and outcroppings with crankbaits and tubes. The Blue Plains treatment plant spews plenty of clear water so fish the outfall and nearby dock structure.

Around the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Penrod Cove usually stays clearer than the main river so Rapala DT crankbaits, Case Magic Stiks and Mizmo tubes are recommended. Nearby points in Smoot Bay, Belle Haven Coves, Broad Creek grass and barges and Bulltown Cove are good stops.

In the vicinity of Mattawoman Creek, the water is pretty stained but cast Big Mouth spinnerbaits to spatterdock in the 6-MPH zone and Rattlin’ Rapalas to grass beds between the state park and the main stem. Nearby Chickamuxen, Wades Bay and coves inside Aquia Creek improve each day.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:49 PM | Permalink