||||Lee Samson's Fish Stories

On the Water with Gary Rymer Lee Samson Shapira

The Chesapeake, the Virginia and the North Carolina coastal waters offer some of the richest fishing waters and most beautiful boating experiences one may have. But the idea of heading offshore in Hatteras in a 17 foot Aquasport is not one to be considered lightly. The sea can change her character in a heartbeat, and it takes knowledge, experience and a great deal of respect to respond safely to the challenges she may present.
I have taken this offshore adventure with Gary Rymer, a man I trusted at the helm of that 17 footer in some rather large seas and navigating some seriously treacherous inlets. Our fishing dates back to when we were 12 years old, chasing huge rays from a Boston Whaler off the beaches on the Bay’s western shores. In early spring we would anticipate hearing the peepers (tree frogs) fill the evening air with their song and we’d know the white perch migration was underway. In summers we’d find a mound to drift over looking for flounder. I spoke with him recently and asked him to share his thoughts with The Sportsman’s Magazine.
The Bay offers great bottom-fishing, trolling, live-bait fishing and it does so in all seasons. In early spring, Gary will start looking for where the rock fish will start showing up, developing a strategy to prepare for trophy season. Usually launching around the mouth of the Patuxent, he’ll begin his explorations and range as far north, south or east as any day will permit.
Warm water discharges in these still cold waters often attract perch, the occasional trout or bluefish, huge catfish, rockfish and even a rare drum or two. As the waters warm, Gary starts trolling for the big Rock and he’ll vary light weights and bucktails with parachute and umbrella rigs, generally staying fairly high in the water column. He finds the big fish tend to attack from below, striking up toward their prey.
As the waters warm, the big fish tend to disperse and Gary prefers, then, to go live-lining. He’ll fish bloodworms and catch a few spot or perch and then send them out to look for larger fish, rock, blues or trout. As seems to be the case most everywhere, the large trout have not been as present in any significant number as they used to be. Gary thinks that whether this phenomenon is cyclical or is influenced by other factors is a matter for careful study – not knee-jerk reactions and pronouncements by anyone who cares about fisheries.
Summers’ warmer waters bring a fantastic array of fishes, from spot and hardhead to Spanish mackerel and blues, black and red drum to flounder. Gary looks for the locust trees to start their bloom and finds that around this time he might find a soft crab or two – probably the single greatest and most universally devoured bait in the bay, its tributaries and its surrounding waters, from Delaware to Virginia.
Gary’s game plan – he usually tries to have one – will change by location, season and technique. He talks to other boaters and fishermen to stay informed about edges, troughs, structure and where the fish are moving. When he locates fish, he fishes the area hard – “Never leave fish to go find fish” is an old saying he believes in.
When trolling, Gary will often use a combination of double rigs using bucktails and swim shads of one kind or another and weighted from four to nine ounces, a parachute rig or umbrella, and small, in-line down-planers with small spoons to vary his depths, presentations, and to keep control of the lines he has out. While he has found planer boards to be a useful and productive method of fishing, from his own boat, with a friend or two, Gary prefers methods which are more easily controlled and more easily changed.
Sight casting to breaking schools, bird activity or bait shoals is another productive and exciting way to enjoy a day out on the waters, and a useful technique to add to others both inshore and in blue water.
Catching trophy rock is a great experience for anyone, but chasing a variety of fish by trolling, spin-casting, bottom-fishing or live-lining offers Gary and his fishing companions the best of all the experiences our waters have to offer, from white perch making their way into the tributaries to mahi and wahoo making their way well off-shore.

Salt for Freshwater Anglers by Lee Samson Shapira

If there are any great lessons to be taken from life, from experience, or from a body of water, one is likely to be that what we have learned in one instance can serve us well in another.
Consider the last time you walked by a stream, observing the twists and tumblings of the water coursing over rocks, around limbs; backing up behind a dead-fall, riffling over a shoal of gravel. Remember the first time you closely studied the eddy created as the water’s force was split by a large rock. How the waters spiraled and pooled back into each other, just behind the rock, slowing and swirling bits of leaf and debris and…food.
How often have you considered the ease with which you could approach a lake’s edge on an overcast day, keeping yourself to the cover of trees, knowing you were less likely to spook the trout?
And how much did it add to the day’s pleasure, and its reward, when you probed the bark and the banks and the under-bellies of rocks in pursuit of your own naturally occurring bait?
When you hooked up a nice one and he ran downstream from you, you fought not only his maneuverings, slants and leaps; you then had to consider the force of the water itself as you drew that rascal against the rush of the stream, or the power of the river.
Take these thoughts with you the next time you have a chance to smell salt in the air. You don’t need to change out all your gear. You don’t need a new course or a lesson. You can start with what you already have, in your head and in your tackle.
And you, we all, can open ourselves to what we see in front of us. To see it thoughtfully, reflecting on what we’ve learned elsewhere, respectful of what we have not yet experienced or understood, but confident that these waters, too, will welcome us – as visitors, as observers and as sportsmen.
If you’re at an ocean, look out and see if there is a line of wave-break off the immediate shore – a sandbar. Is there an opening, a cut through which the water moves more fluidly? Recall the eddy in the stream behind the rock, and the swirling movement it created.
The sense of safety the trout were lulled into on that overcast day at the lake is not unlike dawn or dusk at any beach. It is an opportunity presenting itself as nature so often does – briefly, and for those who watch and listen for her clues.
Thinking about, searching for, and finding the locations and movements of baits and baitfishes in salt waters and their environs is a great and worthy recreation, an enriching experience for us and for the friends and family with whom we share them.
If variety is the spice of life, consider adding a little salt to yours. And if you are one who has spent many years enjoying the wonders of the sea’s edges, consider again taking a quiet walk by another, sweeter water’s banks.

Kayaking the OBX
Lee Samson Shapira

Some years ago, I returned from a leisurely afternoon of wading in a quiet stretch of shoreline on the sound side of Hatteras Island. I had a nice Speckled trout and a couple of beautiful Flounder, so it was a particularly good day.
My nephew, Charlie Wertz, was just arriving back at the rental house, too. Without comment, he pulled his filet knife, Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish out of the cooler and proceeded to tell me about a character he had met out at the Cape Point.
Now Charlie is one of the most competent fishermen, and hunters, I’ve ever known; possessed of a natural decency and humility which make his word generally reliable and worth your attention except, of course, allowing for the occasional fish story…
So when he told me about this guy he met, Jam, I made it my business to seek out this fisherman and enlist his help in a project I was researching at the time. Our acquaintance has now spanned some years and I have found Jam knowledgeable on any aspect of fishing about which I inquired.
But I have recently discovered that he has become proficient at a technique about which I know almost nothing – kayak fishing. In fact, he is now a licensed guide, so I called him to get his perspective on this growing sport. His real name, by the way, is John A. Mortensen.
The first thing I asked him about was something which appeared to me as two very different worlds of kayaking – the ocean and the back bays.
As Jam explained, his initial attraction was to the ocean side; the challenges and opportunities it afforded. There, he said, a great part of the experience is the requirement to be constantly alert to the conditions surrounding you and the nature of the seas. Rogue waves, sudden wind changes, water and weather conditions must be perceived and adjusted to; this, in addition to making your way out, and back in, through the breaking surf. Losing various pieces of equipment is common and Jam advises travelling light and bringing only the gear you’re willing to lose in these outings.
But once out there, the vast expanse of the ocean is there, literally right under you. His successes with King Mackerel and large Drum in his first year stoked his interest and led to repeated forays in all manner of conditions, and to continuously learning more about the joys as well as the hazards of this sport. A shorter, 5-6 foot rod to work larger stingsilvers or bucktails (2oz) usually accompanies his 7’ trolling rod, which might trail an 00rmbs Clark spoon as he goes to paddling.
But then, a few years ago, he also launched himself into an exploration of the Sound side. And here, Jam says, he discovered a different quality to the fishing – a greater opportunity to closely read the environment, to explore its nooks and crannies, in short, a greater focus on the hunt rather than on the constant vigilance required by the open ocean’s unpredictable nature.
Here, a 7’ rod and 8th or even 16th oz. jig heads tipped with bait in the deeper water or his own, home-redesigned popping corks for the flats serve up an array of table-fare. And hooking up a large fish provides the occasional sleigh-ride.
Make no mistake, he cautions, safety and common sense are essential in the back waters too, but there is also a greater opportunity for a quieter reflection and a more thoughtful approach. And here, too, it is safer to take out more, and better, equipment – to use the best stuff you’ve invested in, with some confidence that you’ll return with it intact.
Jam has also used the kayak to tie up to structure and wrecks and helped himself to Trigger fish, Tilefish, Sheepshead and Spadefish. Vertical jigging with three-hook bottom rigs or large butterfly jigs often proves productive. Here, when a school of sharks once brought the fishing to a sudden stop, he was reminded to exercise caution and remain at the head of the food chain rather than become a part of it. And there are still other attractions.
Live-lining on open waters provides some thrilling fishing, and it has led to an interest in pushing the envelope a little further, a possibility Jam and a business partner, Rob, are exploring. Testing these possibilities and developing effective and safe excursions is high on their list. And working at The Roost in Teach’s Lair Marina has provided access to the insights, and the cautionary tales, of the local Captains, mates, boaters and fishermen of all types – commercial and recreational.
As is true in most activity on or near forces of such power as the seas, it is attention to this wealth of knowledge and experience which often defines the difference between adventure and tragedy. And in the process, he and a growing number of fishermen on all our coasts are enjoying a pretty far-ranging world of experiences, of really drawing close to the nature surrounding them and of some pretty terrific fishing.

Lee Samson Shapira                            2.1.10

The earliest depictions of “anglers”, as yet discovered, date back thousands of years and include both ancient Egyptians and Chinese using a rod, a line and an angle – a material bent to the shape of a hook. With this thought in mind, it is not difficult to imagine more prehistoric tool-shapers the world over having grasped this concept and having applied it to their survival, despite those occurrences having no written or painted record.

It is clear that the devices, methods and general experience of angling have benefitted from centuries of considered thought, discovery, innovation and experimentation. And, owing to advances in science, technology and communications, both the development and the general awareness of every aspect of angling have accelerated beyond anything imagined prior to our lifetimes.

But, no matter how widespread or accessible these advances have become, the value and the pleasures of angling are, at the most fundamental level of our experience, deeply personal. The process of gaining knowledge and skill is often born of trial, error and insight. And on this very personal level is where it will be known and felt and remembered, making the process itself a singularly important element of the allure the sport holds for us. This is true, importantly, both in our own experience and in that which we share, whether that be among friends or engaging the next generation in discovering our sport.

Another personal element is embodied in the instruments we employ – rods, reels, tackle of many kinds, terminal tackle. At their core, our preparation and maintenance of our equipment, the knots we tie, the uses to which we put our instruments – these are all  part of the experience and the choices we are afforded.

It is likely that when Benjamin Disraeli stated: The secret to success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes, he had something in mind of greater consequence than time spent fishing.

Nonetheless, its relevance to us as sportsmen and women remains. We have, each and all, found ourselves at some time, a victim of our own impatience or lack of thought about where we are, what we’re doing, or how we have  approached it. And, conversely, we have enjoyed the successes resulting from our preparations and our discoveries.

In terminal tackle, particularly, we may most visibly see that there are some essential, fundamental aspects of craft which transcend time, place, and development. And in these many presentations – in lures, rigs and flies – the allure of fishing takes on its most tangible form.

Lefty Kreh’s Deceiver pattern is quintessentially representative of two indispensable components of not only a fly, but of all fishing tackle of any type. First, it is effective – in its use, its applications and the results it produces in a number of conditions and for a wide variety of species. Second, it is adaptable. Many an angler who has used this renowned creation has also, in the words of Angelo Peluso, “…tweaked it a bit to suit our own preferences and needs, and that is the true beauty of the fly – it lends itself to tinkering.”

In this same vein we can view the commercial re-emergence of the classic wood plugs. These are floaters, swimmers and divers spawned by the creative and dogged craftsmanship and, I would suggest, by the productive play of enthusiasts the world over. They did not wait for popular or commercial interests to look with approval on their endeavors, but heeded, instead, a voice within.

Let’s stay with this notion a moment longer, and consider the clever minds who first carved or fabricated molds and then poured into them tin or lead, giving form to the first elongated diamond shapes to mimic a squid. These shapes somehow contained, defined and expressed the essential attraction of the features they sought to emulate.

The technologies of fabrication, of synthetics, of plastic and paint and foil – all these have contributed to seemingly infinite invention and variety in terminal tackle. But, as we admire these attainments, it is important to retain somewhere in our thinking the notion that the original, primitive creations, and the methods employed, caught fish back then, and they still do.

Perhaps this is a good moment to give a thought to the incredibly realistic features of some modern lures. In a lure, the conceptual similarities to a bait offered by a flash of reflected light from a spoon, or the form and displacement given a water’s surface by a fly, may create an urgent and instinctive response in a fish. But what is the final effect when a lure has so perfectly mimicked the natural bait that it also incorporates all those features which nature has spent millennia developing, just to assure the very survival of that same bait? A fine line to consider.

I make no claim to authority on these subjects; I am an amateur, in that word’s most literal sense. My commentary draws from the experience of fishing generically, from spin fishing more specifically and from observation and study.  I leave a more thorough treatment of the particulars of fly-fishing to others, as it is a subject whose exploration I have only begun.

That said, I find this thought relevant: At some point, Lefty Kreh and Bob Clouser merged Bob’s minnow pattern with Lefty’s Deceiver, and in so doing they created a prototype for a whole new breed of fly – one which has been given a hundred subtle changes in size, weight, form and color – and these reanimations have found the widest possible array of use.

This transcendence of salt or fresh-water application, this abstract form given to a mimicry of natural baits, the thoughtful approaches to presentation and variation in method; these all are reflective of a mind-set, a philosophy, and a joyful pursuit which is equally shared by the creators and adherents of any other methodology, lure or tackle. And the collaboration, the interest in and the sharing of knowledge and experience exhibited by these men, is relevant and useful in anyone’s tackle box.

Whether purchasing or tying our own flies; whether buying, constructing or modifying our own lures, rigs, or gear of any kind; it is thinking about and playing with these tools, their applications, the techniques and presentation of our tackle and gear; and it is merging this body of thought with our own experience and understanding of the environments we visit and with our observations of the condition and behavior of fishes and naturally occurring baits; it is this merging, I repeat, which offers not only a more profound enjoyment and a more rewarding experience, but the very real possibility of enabling our own contribution to the wider body of knowledge we share.

There is art here, in creation, adaptation, in performance, and in intuition. Perhaps this is, in essence, the allure which has served us throughout the sport’s history, and our own.

Lee Snyder, Muskie Hunter                         Lee Samson Shapira 2.10.10

At the Fishing Expo in Maryland this January, I had the chance to speak with Mr. Lee Snyder, a gentleman, a sportsman and a legend in muskie, walleye, pike and pickerel fishing since the 1940’s. But his truest passion was, and is, the hunt for giant muskie, an art he has mastered. We might also mention that his wife, Charlotte, is an extremely able fisherman, particularly for tiger muskie; and that she is a far better cook – one who loves walleye.

Virginia and Pennsylvania lakes have provided  his preferred locations now for many years, but Lee’s interest in the big-game sport began in earnest in Lakes Erie and Ontario as well as the St. Lawrence and Ottowa river systems.. Learning to bait-cast at the age of six, he was instructed first by his mother, a fine fisherman. Lee’s uncle and Leonard Hartman, himself a pioneer and legendary muskie, pike and walleye fisher; along with Betty Fisher, contributed a great deal of knowledge and insight to the development of Lee’s skills in the outdoors.

At 16 years, Lee caught his first muskie, at 36”, in the St. Lawrence and at 19 years he caught a 55” beauty in the Delaware River, fishing the Pennsylvania side, using a bamboo rod and a Penn reel.

Six or seven inch lures were fine for rivers and relatively shallow lakes, but the pursuit has taken new turns since those days. Fishing large, bladed lures is physically demanding, and, though casting was a great part of his early experience, he now prefers trolling. He will often use downriggers and weights in addition to his electronics to map out a lake’s contours. He prefers wire line, both for strength and for rapid descent. Then a controlled and consistent boat speed combines with weights ranging from 6-10 ounces to help him understand the bottom he’s working.

Lee’s hunt now begins with studying the thermocline, the temperature and oxygen-saturation conditions and the zones of a body of water. These conditions will vary according to a lake’s depth, its changing contours, and the seasonal surface-temperature influences. The giants seek out these conditions for stability and for a location from which to launch their forage attacks.

Using this grasp of the waters he’s plying, Lee will then search out the shoals or groups of bait-fishes likely to be hunted by his predators. Lee has been making his own oversized crankbait lures (lipped, for diving and movement) since the 1960’s. He began by carving his first out of an axe-handle, but now prefers cedar and other woods. Then deer and skunk hair and a swim-shad synthetic with large, really large blades, combine with 8-0 to 10-0 lead and stinger hooks to create huge lures for huge fish.

The revitalization of fisheries, primarily focused in Pennsylvania lakes, is his principal focus these days. Lee points out that the true giants of all species are female, and so he assures future generations by a very careful handling of them, always keeping their body weight in the water after netting. He also notes that even such factors as the overpopulation of food species, such as crappie and yellow perch, results in stunted populations and an imbalanced relationship, unhealthy for them and for the big predators.

The committees on which Lee serves take on the re-population of predator and food species, seminars for educating the coming generations who will inherit our fisheries, and advocating the catch-and-release philosophy. Lake Marburg, near Lee’s home, is currently the focus of Lee’s fishing, and his educational efforts

Fishing Tidal Waters – Where to begin              Lee Samson Shapira 2-21-09

OK, let’s start at the very beginning. What is tidal water exactly? Good question. Although you may immediately think of the ocean or a bay, where the rise and fall of the tide is obvious; any estuary, river or other body of water emptying into a bay, sound, sea or ocean will also be affected by tide to some degree, and for some distance. Sometimes for very considerable distances.

So, what is the Tide? The word’s ancient origins denote a time, a period or an interval. The moon and the sun exert a pull on the surface of the earth, and especially its oceans and the waters near them. The pull of the moon is about three times more powerful than the sun so their influence is unequal. This causes different effects on the water, depending on where these heavenly bodies are in relation to the earth. So tide is a word given to signify the periods, or intervals which define the rise and fall of these waters.

When the sun and moon are opposite each other, with the earth in the middle, you see a full moon. When they are directly lined up on the same side of the earth, you see only the moon’s darkened form, back-lit by the sun – the new moon. Both of these moments create higher than average tides.

When you see quarter-moon phases, the sun is counteracting the power of the moon and the tidal surge is reduced. Do these changes in depth affect fish and fishing? Let’s begin with a simple approach to the question, using common sense. If there are shallows, grasses or structure near the shoreline, deeper water would give closer access and greater safety to predators searching for food. Conversely, shallower waters could drive predators to search “holes”, pockets, channels or slews.

It gets more complicated. Wind strength, and direction, temperatures and salinity – all these combine with this rise and fall to create currents. And all of these factors affect the movement of fish and their food sources – especially baitfish, and they may affect them daily, weekly or seasonally.

Tidal waters harbor surprises. The access, for a great number of fish species, to salt, brackish (partly salty) and fresh waters, provides the highways, country roads and small side-streets they will travel to reproduce, to feed and to maintain the balances they need in their particular life-cycles. For us that means we can fish for different species at different times, and, every once in a while, be entirely surprised by a fish we never expected to see.

So how much of this do you really need to know to go fishing in the surf or at any tidal shoreline? None of it.

Seriously, you don’t. But, it is also true that the more you pay attention to what you see and the more questions you ask yourself, the more successful you’ll become, and the more pleasure you’ll experience, not just from fishing, but from simply being where you are.

OK then, what do you need, essentially? To work any lure or bottom rig up to two ounces (a hook or two with a one or two ounce sinker) you can use your regular 6-8 foot rod with a spinning reel. The reel should be large enough to hold 10 – 12 pound test line. Any lighter than that and you might be in trouble with any fish larger than a few pounds (plus the force of the water).

If you have an 8 foot rod or larger, better still. You can throw 3-4 ounces more easily. If your reel comfortably accommodates 14-17 pound test line, that’s what you want to go with.

There are real good reasons for having, and using, 10-15 foot rods, large spinning reels, conventional or bait-casting reels, a wide assortment of lures, rigs, hooks and sinkers. And there’s a great deal of advantage to being well equipped and organized, from proper clothing to tackle boxes or bags, and so on. But these are elements of gear that you can grow into. The point is; don’t wait to have the experience; use what you have, or can easily acquire. Nature will have to cooperate – you can’t use light tackle in heavy weather. But the point of your first experiences in the surf or tidal shorelines is to discover their attractions, the fun of fishing them. Dealing with their more difficult or complex aspects should wait until your experience and confidence have grown a little.

For a primitive, but entirely effective set-up, all you need is a hook and a sinker. You can tie the hook on above the sinker or tie the sinker on, leaving a foot to 18 inches of line, to which you’ll tie your hook. Number 4 to number 2 hooks are a good start. For pan-fish like spot, croaker, perch, pompano and others (same family groups west coast, just different names) you might need smaller hooks, say number 6 or 8.

For a good all-around rig, use the over-under bottom rig. Tie a snap-swivel to your line – always a good start. Then attach your bottom rig. Now you have two hooks and a handy snap to attach your sinker.

For bait, try a piece of sea-worm (bloodworm, rag-worm, etc.) If you catch a small fish with this, continue using the blood worm on one hook, remove the scales from your fish by scraping from the tail toward the head, cut a small piece of fish and attach it to your other hook. Squid and shrimp are also typically good baits. Ask questions. You have a right to learn, and no one ever started off knowing a lot.

If you want to try casting and retrieving a lure, there are infinite types, varieties, colors and sizes. Go to a tackle shop, a library or on-line. Read a little, listen a lot – to the dealer, to other anglers, to local fishing clubs or organizations.

But, we have to start somewhere. Get a jig of some type – they’ll recommend what works best where you’re going, be it a naked jig head with a strip of bait, one with feathers or hair or some kind of sqiggly soft body or tail. Throw it out and let it sink to the bottom. Then lift your rod tip high and reel in quickly as you lower your rod tip. Pause. Repeat, over and over.

And get a plug of some kind, something that swims at various depths depending on the speed of your retrieve. They may be weighted or have bills (lips) that make them dive. Ask questions.

And finally get a basic spoon of some type. A relatively heavy and very shiny, flat or curved piece of metal with a treble hook attached. Throw it and retrieve it at various speeds. Ask questions.

Alright then, you’re almost there. Get a five-gallon bucket with a lid. You can sit on it, cut bait on it (bring a rag), and keep your fish in it. Have a small cooler if you can.

A couple of important points. If you have children with you, have water. Keep them, and yourself, hydrated. If you’re in sun all day and don’t put sunscreen on, you’ll wish you had. I guarantee you’ll find it was worth the effort when you, and the kids, are not in pain and are able to sleep. Carelessness or inattention near any body of water is dangerous. At its least effect it will cause discomfort or annoyance; at its greatest, it can be life-threatening.

Couple more items to have on hand – some long needle-nose pliers, and a filet knife, both of them preferably on your belt.

One of the great joys of tidal waters is the fantastic variety of wildlife they attract. Aquatic creatures of an infinite variety, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles (be aware of what snakes are in your area -  a copperhead or cotton-mouth bite is no joke). The birds you’ll observe are not only fascinating in themselves, their behavior may indicate activity beneath the water’s surface.

Another delightful aspect of these waters is the ever-present possibility of seeing or experiencing something extraordinary – in nature or in the type or size of fish you may catch. Anything can happen and a great part of the fun is learning enough about your environment, your gear, your techniques and the fish themselves that, when it does happen, you’ll be ready. Ready or not, it’s all part of what makes fishing a great sport.

So… grab your stuff, give it some thought (better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it) and get out there. Last thought: don’t wait to learn to feel like you’re ready to share the experience. Sharing the process, the failures and successes of learning, is, itself, a great experience.

Enjoy.

Fishing the Cold-water Tributary

Lee Samson Shapira                copyright Feb.8, 2009

There are a number of reasons to take a walk by a creek or stream bed on a cold day. First among them are the beauty and the serenity you’re likely to encounter. The brambles and briars have thinned out to lend an easier trail. The minimal underbrush lets you take in the surrounding nature for greater distances – tracks, wildlife, the course and meandering of the water itself.

The cut etched in each bend taken by the stream may identify a hole or refuge to be fished, now, or perhaps again when rains and rising temperatures give the spot a whole new feel. These walks are a great time to pause often as you follow the water’s course and look – really look – at its form, its movement; to identify landmarks and to plan the paths you’ll take when the surroundings are far more dense and difficult.

The insects you spot on a mud-bank, under a dead-fall of limbs or on overhanging brush may signal an attractive source of food. This may also be true where a feeder rivulet or a natural runoff ravine add their supply of edibles. Keep an eye out for those spots exposed to longer periods of sunlight, as they will also be the first to hasten insect activity.

Wearing waders can assure that you can ford a stream with greater confidence or remain in it for longer periods without real discomfort. But, often, a pair of knee-high rubber boots and some warm socks will do, giving you easy access to the banks and shallows and allowing you to cross where the riffles and exposed rocks can guide you.

Native species, including trout, may behave a little more slowly than in warmer months, so you may adjust your lure retrieval or set your baited hook more gently. Floating a bait may take a little experimenting too – upstream and down, and casting both with and without a little weight. A short rod and an ultra-light reel take a few tosses to get used to but, together with a handful of tackle in your vest pockets, they make comfortable work of keeping your feet as you negotiate the banks and the stretches of fast water.

Alone or with family or friends, the cold-weather months offer a silence and a space all too rare in our hectic lives. And the vitality of small streams and creeks in these months can be surprising. Tossing into a nice pool formed by the convergence of a tiny feeder creek into a larger stream, I was surprised by a tough little battle with a carp weighing a couple of pounds. Not what I was fishing for, and certainly not at this time of year. Of course the beauty of a trout, even a small one, breaking the surface with a defiant leap is a treat no matter when it is witnessed. But it is all the more appreciated in its rarity at this time of year.

And if the perch aren’t moving or the smallmouth are shy, you can just pause for a moment in that silence, a sound mostly lost to us in the rush of our daily lives. In just such a quiet moment, with a little luck, that feeling in your fingertips of your bait tumbling over the gravel bottom, or the steady retrieval of a spinner may suddenly give way to a bump, a tug. And in that moment that cold, clear world starts to heat up just a little.

A Simple Summer Set-up    Lee Samson Shapira  5-26-09

All along the east coast, the bait fishes have moved through the bays, sounds and rivers and the larger species have had a good early feed. Rockfish in the Chesapeake and as far north as New England where they are more familiarly hailed as Stripers, awesome sea-trout in Atlantic City, New Jersey and down on the Outer Banks, north and south the wrecks, rock-piles and jetties have found terrific Tautog, also called Blackfish, Fluke in New York and Rhode Island and Flounder in Hilton Head.

For me, the warming waters of summer will produce my favorites of them all – the delicious, varied and challenging species called Spot, Hard-head (Croaker) Whiting (Sea Mullet) Pompano (Butter-Fish), Summer Flounder, Grey and Spotted sea-trout, the Red Drum (Puppy Drum) and, of course the flounder . Let’s not forget the explosive Bluefish. I can assure you, after your first hook-up, you won’t. All of these will be found a short cast from the beaches and a nice walk to the kitchen table.

Wherever you’re traveling this summer you can equip yourself very simply for the peace and quiet of a solitary excursion or for the more dynamic fun of a group or family outing on the beach. In addition to the blankets and coolers, the dog and the beach toys, bring a little something extra – a rod and reel and a small tackle kit.

First stop – the local tackle shop, for advice and a few simple elements. Your tackle shop is there to serve your needs; so ask questions and get advice. If they’re really busy, don’t hesitate to ask your fellow anglers. I’ve fished my entire life and found there’s always some little twist or insight to be gained from local knowledge and experience. And most anglers are pretty friendly folk.

If you own a rod and reel that can hold 10 to 15 pound-test monofilament, use them. If not, a simple combo is easily and inexpensively found. If you haven’t changed your line in a few years, do yourself a favor; re-spool with fresh line or have the shop do it for you. Brittle line will ruin your day, first with tangles, and then with break-offs.

Your simplest set-ups will be a bottom rig with two hooks (try snelled #4s and #2s for starters) with a pyramid sinker. The snelled hooks will attach easily to the loops of your bottom rig – you’ll just insert the loop of your rig into the loop of your snelled hook, then pass the hook itself through the rig’s loop and give a little tug. They can be removed just as easily. Get 1, 2 and 3 ounce sinkers and use the smallest one needed to keep you in place, or to move very slowly in the current. This will be determined by conditions of wind and current at your particular beach. Then get a few sea-worms of whichever type is available and a few shrimp or some squid or clams.

These can be used in pieces large enough only to cover your hooks. A small piece of the first fish you catch may offer your most productive bait. Start with short tosses and find out what’s right in front of you; then extend your search with longer casts.

If you want to try a lure, ask the tackle shop for a swim-shad, a spoon and a jig. You can tip each of these with a small piece of bait, or leave them bare. Retrieve the spoon quickly, vary the speed of the swim-shad and bounce the jig off the bottom, raising and lowering your rod-tip as you retrieve your line.

It’s not rocket science; don’t concern yourself with doing it “wrong”. Experiment and discover what works. That’s part of the fun, discovering and bringing your own tricks and twists to the experience. You can profit from the sage advice of those with more experience. And you can also know the excitement of trusting your own intuitions and feeling them turn into a responsive tug from the other end of the line.

And consider taking the family out for a few hours on the local fishing pier. Here you’ll find a broad array of depths, species and characters, too. The perspectives of the beach and the nature surrounding you will be unique and interesting. Another element to add to your family’s experience of the beach vacation.

Last thought – when fishing, always look around and behind you before your toss. A little safety will go a long way toward a great day for all. Enjoy the day!

Shoreline fishing with Charles Wertz Lee Samson Shapira

The Spring thaws and abundant rainfall have swollen the streams, creeks, and, in turn, the rivers and tributary waters feeding the coastlines of the mid-Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay. The season begins anew, and to explore its possibilities, I had a chat with Charles Wertz, a life-long hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman familiar with both shores of the bay and its tributaries reaching up into the western hills, eastern marshlands, the cold creeks of Pennsylvania and the warm marshes of Virginia.
In earliest spring, the spawning yellow perch and shad move into incredibly narrow and shallow waters, closely followed by the white perch and then the rockfish. Charlie and I have both been surprised by the variety of species we have found in waters of hugely varying salinities. During a spawn this is to be expected, but it still occurs outside those seasons.
In these swollen and more turbulent conditions of early spring, Charlie often prefers natural baits – worms, grubs, even insects found under rocks and deadfalls. His feeling is that these fast, muddied waters do not offer ideal conditions to present most lures. When the waters settle a bit but are still obscured with color, as the season advances, Charlie finds a greater flexibility in working lures of various colors and sizes.
But his preference is clear water, a condition in which he can sight-cast to structure, eddies, deeper pools and holes with greater accuracy, targeting the areas his own experience dictates. Still, when seeking this kind of lure placement, both Charlie and I have found ourselves, at least once or twice a year, locked in mortal combat with a tree limb or brush-pile on an opposite bank.
In the mid-Atlantic, casting from shore may range from the shallow creek head waters of a thousand feeder creeks to surf fishing the coastal ocean waters and bays. The varieties Charlie encounters range from sea trout in salt and even brackish coastal waters to brook trout in the faster, colder waters found only a few hours away. While large-mouth bass can be found in a very wide range of fresh and brackish waters, the small-mouth will more likely be found in waters whose bottoms are rockier or less silted. Throughout the seasons, in these colder, faster moving waters, even the bluegill and rock bass attain impressive size and provide a spirited engagement for any angler’s wits and skills. A lake with sufficient depth to keep cold water will also harbor trout, pickerel and these other species
After the spawn season, Charlie starts looking to broader expanses of water – the rivers, the bays and the sea-shore. As the waters warm, Charlie says he finds the spring fish will disperse, giving way to the movement of spot, croaker, rock and others making their way in. Now Charlie will often bottom fish with some bloodworm and peeler crab, looking for areas with a little harder bottom. He also, in these conditions, likes to break out a top-water lure or toss a rattling or broken back swimmer to see what species they might coax into a strike.
As the summer heats up into July and August, Charlie tends to limit his fishing to the early mornings and evenings. Now he likes to work the shorelines and marsh grasses with spinners, spoons or grass-shrimp. In the deeper stretches he’ll drop in some cut bait or a diving lure to find catfish and other species. Though the sizes tend not to be as big as in spring and fall, he has, in a single evening of fishing, caught eleven different species of fish.
As fall comes on, so does the return of bigger fish. From crappie in fresher waters to striped bass in brackish and salt waters, the varieties and numbers are strong and the weights of fishes greater.
In general, to fish almost any shoreline, Charles carries a 5-7 foot spinning rod and reel, and 8 pound test monofilament line. He finds this combo sturdy enough to handle most circumstances, light enough to toss even small spoons and jigs. In more coastal areas, where the likelihood of larger fish increases, he’ll shift closer to 12 pound test line, or a braided line with a length of mono shock leader in circumstances in which distance casting becomes critical. He hasn’t met a lure he’s been unwilling to try and finds most of them effective, as are the newer artificially flavored synthetic baits.
In the cold months Charlie likes to gather up a few friends and head to the Virginia beaches where they will hook up with a charter, a cold beer and a warm lounge in which to hone their stories.
For families, especially with younger children, Charlie recommends getting a fishing map from your state DNR. This will help you locate boat ramps, parking, public access areas- the kinds of locations which will make a day-trip easier, more enjoyable and more memorable for the kids and for the parents, too.

Size doesn’t matter
Lee Samson Shapira

Sure, it was a thrill hooking up and landing (and releasing) a Sailfish. Same goes for Dolphin (Mahi), Wahoo, Tuna, White Marlin and a host of others. And their size, weight and fight took all the concentration and care I could bring to the moment. The cruise to the waters in which we would find them, the clues Nature offered in the search, the skills of Captain and mate alike – all these brought an element of expectation and a rich experience to the day.

And it’s also true that, even from the shoreline, a pier or a rock jetty, a live-bait rig can attract False Albacore, Cobia, King and Spanish mackerel – even Tarpon. And if you are well-equipped and well prepared, landing one of these will rank among your most thrilling fishing experiences.

But, I have to tell you, for pure, unadulterated fight, for testing your own skill and stamina at playing and landing, and to discover your equipment’s mettle, try a close encounter with just a fair sized stingray in the surf or from a pier.

For agility, control and finesse, try coaxing a RockBass (redeye), a Smallmouth or better yet, an average trout out of their home turf in an upper-river tumble of rocks and shrubs. Or a fair-sized snapper or barracuda from a tangle of limbs.

For pure strength and test of wills, any shark over three feet will afford you all you want to handle. At 8 or 9 feet, from a beach or pier, you’d better have help.

For stealth and to open yourself to complete surprise, ease yourself down the side of a rock jetty. Offer up an unweighted natural bait. Or work the descent deeper with a locally recommended artificial lure. Or try leading the current with something a little heavier, trying to let it tumble across the sand at the base of the rocks just as the current brings your line parallel to you. Then lift your rod tip and retrieve quickly, bringing your rig back safely over the crags and stony gaps which lie there waiting to take it from you. Or maybe just drop right into those rocks with a weight attached with a rubber band. You’ll lose the weight, but who knows what you’ll find. On all our coastlines the food, and the fish, drawn to this world are stunning.

Are you a spin fisherman? Tie a fly onto your rig and figure how you want to work it. A fly fisherman? Look at the baits occurring naturally around you and dress a small jig-head as closely as you can into the robes of one of these, and go to your presentation. I watched a woman work her own particular magic in just this way. She was not particularly skilled or experienced, just curious, and willing to give it a try. And watching her bring up a pretty pompano in the early light was a great satisfaction.

It’s summertime, and from the moment the temperatures rose over 70 degrees, a stunning array of species have made their way along the coasts, into the estuaries all the way to sweet (fresh) water and back, along the rock jetties and through the inlets, into the bays, coves and backwaters.

Look to the movement of water coursing through the grasses, oysterbeds, rock and sand bottoms. Look to the ebb and flow over sandbars, into and out of the deeper troughs. Look to the kelp and weedlines, to even small pieces of debris, beneath which, some prey will seek shelter and, near which, some predator will keep watch.

It is the surprise to which I referred earlier, the surprise and the not knowing, the search itself, which I find most exhilarating. When you’ve prepared yourself and your tackle and presented it, when you’re taking in the sounds and sights, the rhythms which surround you. When a puppy drum or sea trout or a flounder or any other species was only hoped for, was only a possibility, when you wonder what may be out there, and then, suddenly your line presents a tap, a twitch, a lunge – this is a moment when size matters very little.