March 19, 2024

Captain’s Message: All Storms Are Different

hurricane

The Storm of 1933, 10 years before I was born, caught everyone by surprise. It ended maritime transportation and commerce in St. Mary’s County by knocking out the wharves. Here’s a look at the major storms in my lifetime, 1943 to last month.

Message from the Cap’n – Oh, That Skunk

Skunk

Don’t get skunked!

Message from the Cap’n: Saga of a Burned Duck Blind

Robert Lynch was a big-time waterfowl hunter in the St. Mary’s River. He had a duck blind as decked out as a restaurant. Then one night his premier duck blind burned.

Message from the Cap’n – Maryland’s Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

Year-round residents of the Chesapeake Bay region, Belted Kingfishers are a bright flash of blue on the wing, their territories along streams and rivers.

Oyster Prices Down in 2023-24

shellfish harvesting

“Oyster season in the months with R” used to be the norm, but conservation efforts and disease have dictated some changes to that meme.

Winter in the Chesapeake: Where Are the Ducks?

It’s the time of year where rafts of ducks fill Island Creek for good eating — and usually hunters are out looking for the same thing. But this winter has seen few arrivals thus far. Give Cap’n Jack a shout if you’ve spotted some of the ducks listed here.

Message from a Cap’n: Season of Jellyfish, Turtles, Ospreys

With the water temperature in the 80s, jellyfish are taking over. Bad news for swimmers. Good news for oysters.

MD Offers Free Fishing Day on July 4

Fishing

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers a license-free fishing day for all state residents and visitors on Tuesday, July 4.

Catch a Snakehead & Maybe Win a Prize

Snakehead

The northern snakehead tagging program is continuing this summer in an effort to spur removal of invasive fish from Maryland’s waters.

Catfish Still Problem in Chesapeake

catfish

Wet, Wet, Wet times brought catfish downriver with the lower salinity to the point that they have become a dominant species. Catfish dominance became obvious in 2018, still the wettest year on record for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, its impacts still affecting the rivers today. Now 2022 has clocked in as the third wettest year on record in Maryland, suggesting the trend is likely to continue.