Break The Streak, the Rogue's session log.

"The bottom line is that when hordes of boats are in the “best” fishing spot, it can be so darn crowded that any keeper flounder who dares swim by is plucked from the water in short order. Get away from all those competing hooks and baits, however, and you can improve your chances of enjoying a fresh flounder dinner."     -Lenny Rudow

Uncrowded salt flats of Sinepuxent Bay, home of keeper #2. Assateague Island, 7/22/2023

      Been a while since that last keeper. 2022. 30 miles out in the Atlantic. Sea Bass fishin' aboard the Morningstar. Even longer than I can remember in the back bays. Hours tossing rigs into the cloudy abyss. The right bait combo, difficult to find. Throwback after throwback after throwback. Was ready to break the streak. Had a boatfull. Wife and sister, couple of nieces. Get this particular group together, and conversation goes to a new level. I liked this group.

East Channel pickin's.

They were along for the ride. I could focus on the fish. First drift, East Channel by Harbor Island. Couple of Penn rod combos. Fire Tiger Mullet Gulp! and a strip of squid. Two minutes drifting...TWO! No sooner had I tossed the 2nd jig, and went back to check the first then, BAM! Fish on! Nice keeper flounder. Approximately 18 inches. Approximately. Let it live to fight another day. Goin' to dinner after fishing. Did not want to chance killing this beauty before I could clean it. Couple more drifts. Nada. That's okay. Still early. Passed through the Rt. 50 Bridge into the Sinepuxent. By marina-bar row. Past the inlet. Into that part of the bay behind Assateague.  Air in the upper 80s. Water around 80F.

Flattie in the Flats.

Winds at a light 6 knots. Couldn't help but take in the day. All the way up to the Verrazano Bridge... and back. The flats next to the island, across from the OC Airport. Slowed and got to within twenty to thirty feet of the sandy shore of the island. Probably pulled at least two drifts. Felt what seemed like nibbles, or crabs, or seaweed. Then the rod jerked and bent down. Another flattie. Not quite as big as the first. Yet a little more wranglin' to bring this one in. Met the 16" requirement. Maybe 17". Heft seemed about the same. Like the fight these Summer Fluke give. Lotta fun. At this point, the dinner bell was ringin.' Actually stomachs were growlin'. Freed the flounder. Headed north towards the commercial harbor and dinner at Harborside. Not sure what's more challenging- docking in their narrow slips, or the menu. Finished the day's voyage with two nice size flounder, a dockside seafood feast, and an elevated sunset cruise back to the ramp. Straight up stoke.

Verrazano- road to the island.

     Beer pairing. Successful day fishing, and a beer called Slow Tide. Fin City, the first brewery in the OC. Most actual brewing done in Baltimore. Beers are quality. Slow Tide was an Amber Ale. Little hoppier than most at 38 IBUs. Brother called it a "wide" beer. Bad story. Orange-amber pour. Off-white, 2-finger head. Caramel and roasted malts in the nose. Flavors of toffee, and caramel. Citrus-hop bite in the final act. Smooth. Not overly sweet. Close to and English style in it's bitterness. Part of a sixer. At 5% ABV... doesn't scare ya away from another. Rated a B-.

Return flight on the "Jet."

Rack 'Em, the Rogue's session log.

 

Always good for a paddle- next sesh to include Ms. West. Dusk on the St. Martin, 7/18/2023.

     Been meanin' to get our latest purchase out for a test run. Found the board on Facebook Marketplace at the end of last season. Short drive (if 50 minutes was short) to Lewes, DE. Too late in the season to get a test drive in.  Did the test run couple days ago. Back fin drops down and locks in place...not very well. Launching from the DP's drop down dock; as the board slid into the water, the edge of the deck rolled the fin back up into the pinned fin box... unbeknownst to me. Standing up as I pushed away from the dock- two issues: 1) the rubber deck pad became a bit slippery when wet, so I had to focus on the foot grab (maybe a coat of wax will help - TBD), 2) the tail was extremely loose... every stroke of the paddle seemed to start me into a hard turn- looking behind at the tail I could see the fin back in the box. Paddling to the nearest empty dock, kneeling onto the board, I managed to drop the fin back down and lock it in place. The rest of the session went uneventfully into a stunning sunset on the river, maneuvering through a back canal, around a small island, and back out into the river. Got back to DP 's dock. Told him about the sea trial and said tribulations. To which he promptly reminded me - next time take a life vest... always on any watercraft in the bay, or on the sea. Good tip. In the surf? Uh, no.

     Wife's been on me all season to get the SUP's on a rack, and easy to access. Racks came in the mail about a month ago. All up. SUPs racked. Performance delivered as promised. Easy to pull out. Easy to rack 'em when done. Tonight proved the system out. Suspenz Storage. Highly recommend.

     Speaking of good tips...Kalypso's Island. Blonde Ale worth the visit courtesy of Alewerks Brewing in Williamsburg, VA. Pours a slightly cloudy straw gold. Finger or so head of white fizz. Aromas of grain, pineapples, and lemon zest. a little coconut, and hints of nutmeg. Flavor profile was primarily pineapple, not enough coconut, and still, the hint of nutmeg. At 7.5%, this tropical brew packed more of a punch than your average blonde. Enough hops in the finish to refresh, yet one can feel the bite. Dangerous on a hot summers day... or evening. Rated a B+.

So I'm gonna sit right here
On the edge of this pier
Then watch the sunset disappear
And drink a beer.
-Luke Bryan

Fire On The River, the Rogue's session log.

Fire on the river, Independence Day on the St. Martin. 7/4/2023

     As a kid- fireworks in the OC were the best. Summer at the beach. Family and friends. Set up camp on Grandparents driveway. Dead center of Mallard Island off 15th street. Old style nylon webbed lawn chairs and chaise lounges. Music from a portable radio. Charcoal grillin'. Lightin' firecrackers and sparklers. Noise making fountains. And then the show. From the beach near the pier, two miles away. Back then the high rises were near non-existent. Had a pretty clear view. And the flash bangs mixed in were plenty loud. Nowadays... fireworks over the St. Martin. Annual tradition. Not quite as loud. Yet sharp, bright reflections on the water. Fairly clear view. Burgers and dogs. Barbeque baked beans with bacon. 'Tater salad. Beer. Desert. Beer. Etc. Still have the Atlantic's brine in the air. Pretty hard to beat short of being right there. And you still can't knock the comfort of home turf, family, and friends. Happy July 4th!

     The latest summer brew review. Batavia, IL's Energy City Brewing. Fair selection of go-to beers with a focus on fruited sours. So thick with puree that they are not available on draft as they clog up the draft lines. Tried a few, as my Bro In-Law fell head over heels for 'em. Advertised as a Bistro style "Heavily-fruited Berliner Weisse," the one that shouted hot seasonal temps was the Pineapple & Lime Habanero. Thick, hazy pour, with a foamy, 2-finger, fast dissipating head. Plenty of juicy pineapple, a splash of lime, and hit of heat from the Habanero. Slight hop bitterness in the finish to remind you- it's a beer. 6.5% ABV. Maybe 15 IBUs. Couldn't do more than a pint. Somewhat sweet. Very heavy. Very filling. Rated a C+.

"Give my people plenty of beer,

good beer, and cheap beer, and you

will have no revolution among them."

-Queen Victoria