Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Looks like a fantastic afternoon.

Here is Fritz' spin of Saturday afternoon's fishing : http://fritz-aviewfromthebeach.blogspot … shing.html

Apparently it was much better the few days prior.  That's a numbers spot.  If Pete can't get multiple fish per drift in the boat he thinks it's slow and he won't take you.

I've always wanted to jig for stripers. Awesome report Ernie!

Great pics - I fish that area w/ my buddy and his father quite often.  Thanks for sharing.

Joe- I am not so sure I would take a kayak there. That water is very turbulent and you will have many boats to deal with.

Where Capt. Pete has his boat is a private dock.

Fritz,
Thanks for the tips.  Flag Ponds Park is closed for winter, I planned to launch from the Flag Pond but never did it.  According to my kayak friends, He launched from the beach near Flag Harbor.  I kept my boat in Kent Islandand I used keep my boat at Breezy Point Marina for 11 years. Ihave fished the CCNPP many times in winter. I gave my boat to my friend when I started kayak-fishing seriously. 
I was stopped by coast guard twiced and good boaters came to me when I fished on the rough water.  But because of the cold water, I will do it on a calm day.

http://www.youtube.com/user/comeonfish0 … Smdilf74vc

http://www.youtube.com/user/comeonfish0 … 2u3Eau7CHc


Thanks,
Joe

Just do what Pete says.....he is totally dialed in. He has equipment but you can bring your own.....MHF or MF.

Redfish12 wrote:

. We didn't get anything over 34" but still had a blast.

How cool is that? Next year, I will take more time off to do this with Pete or Capt. Dennis Fleming....what a way to get the fishing year started!

Earlier in the post, I warned about taking a kayak there. I would not do it!

The following story comes from Capt. Dennis Fleming, just a reminder.

Boat capsizes at ccnpp today  (2/10)- 3 men overboard...and they were all lucky I was there to pull them out of the water.

If you do not think THE RIPS at CCNPP are dangerous - think again.

I arrived at Flag harbor today ay 7 AM and told my guest that I was very unsure we should even go. Even though the weatherman predicted NW winds, they were NE. Looking at the Bay it was white capping a bit, but my bigger concern was a NE wind at the Rips and standing waves. I told him we would give it a try, but if it was sloppy I was pulling the plug. We break ice to get out of the harbor.

We arrive at Rips at 7:45 and find one boat with a lone angler way, way back. At the head of the RIP was a another 18-19 ft CC with 3 anglers. Waves were not the worst I have seen so I try a drift in the upper 1/4. We start drifting into waves and I pull out thinking it is just to rough. I try another short drift, we each catch one. Then I look up at the other boat and can not believe my eyes!

The other boat (fellow Tidalfishers who shall remain un-named unless they choose to join in.) was listing badly after they tried a drift through the plume. Seconds later the boat has turtled. I immediatly radio a MAYDAY to Coast Guard, fire up boat then head over. USCG wants coordinates and wouldn't you know it, my GPS is non-functional. I try on 2 occasions to just tell them Calvert CLiffs Nuclear Power Plant. They still want coordinates.

I arrive at their boat about 15-20 seconds later, all 3 are standing near bow on bow rail that is 3 feet under the water. ( Thank God for their high bow rail). They are all wearing the Type III life jackets. We throw a life ring, winds blows it off course. I get next to them and now I have the danger of our boat beside theirs and the waves smashing the two boats together with them between them but there is no other way since they are stuck to their boat and not letting go in 38 degree water. Now they transfer over to my boat hanging on to my bow rail. (Inversely - Thank God for my low bow rail) With 5 people on one side of my boat I am now worried of getting caught in the standing waves and flipping. I work the guys one at a time from the bow of the boat to the stern where I have a swim ladder with step. The first guy says "Hey Dennis". I say, "Do I know you?" He says no, but he knows me from TidalFish. Now imangine trying to pull 200+ full grown men who are in shock, freezing to death and losing strength. One is panic struck begging us to hold onto them and not let them go. My guest is having a hard time dealing with one guy. I eventually get them in using every bit of strength I have and coaxing them to use whatever they have left. I tell them all that at this point to be thankful - they are alive. I radio Coast Guard telling them I have all 3 victims on board, no physical injuries, but I am sure they are hypothermic. All 3 swear they are not. I request medical assissitance at Flag Harbor.

The guy at the far end of the RIP has no idea what has happened, DOES NOT have Channel 16 on and is of no help.

We beat are way back in 15-20 MPH NE wind the whole while the USCG wants to talk to me and I have the problem of making time (engine noise) and communicating. We get back to Flag Harbor, ambulance crew is at far end by jetties despite seeing us come in on boat. (or did they) I use all the air I have from a air horn to signal our location. They are sitting in their heated "units" and never hear us. I need to call back to 911 to give my location, slip 120.

The men walk or crawl down the dock to the ambulance and are taken to Calvert Hospital. DNR is on hand for a report.

I visited them later, 2 were OK, one had his core temperature go down 3-4 degrees and was having a much harder time.

Lessons learned.

Monitor Channel 16 - always

The RIPS are dangerous in a NE wind.

The drift they made put the boat sideways in the waves, they took a wave in a boat with a cut out transom. I am not sure where they were standing. The boat also had an auxiallary kicker motor (more weight) Do not get sideways in the waves.

Have a plan for a man overboard drill - I always tell my people the drill before each trip.

Have your throw ring tied to a rope. (I though loose would be better but I wish now I had a tether on.)

You absolutely need a swim ladder - no way were these guys coming in w/o one.

And for all of you guys who ridicule me for having a low sided boat (it is more akin to a "bay boat"), there is no doubt that it helped save the lives of 3 guys who surely would have died if we were not ther and able to get them in.

They were lucky...living right. Dennis told me he almost didn't go.

I was out on my buddies 26' Regulator on Saturday at CCNPP ... got a late start and didn't get the lines wet til 11:00 or so.  Caught a bunch (30 or so for the boat) - biggest at around 30".  Wind picked up as forecast around 1/1:30 and we hit a couple more drifts and called it a day.  Good times and good fishin - hope to get out there again soon.