Evening star., 1941-08-22

With the wind having been circl-
ing the compass almost daily, and
the barometer equally undecided,
fishing in Chesapeake Bay and along
tn ocean front has been distinctly
spotty. The stretch Of hot weather,
during which one would expect a
display of piscatorial temperament,
is over. Henceforth we can expect
cool nights and with them better
fishing. The kind we have come to
expect in September. The waiting
for the fish to bite, knowing they
have to eat sometime, is over.
Catches will not be so large in num-
bers, it is true, but the individual
fish should be larger.
There is little to go by for any
fairly accurate forecast for this
week end, but we believe one place
will be as good as another.
The large hardhead that anglers
have been catching in the steamboat
channel from Point Lookout to
Baltimore Light have about fin
ished their spawning Stragglers
are being caught here and there,
and probably will continue to be
taken for another week or 10 days,
but they definitely are on their way
out Of the Bay.
In their place, until late Septem-
Der, will be the yearlings and they
aren't much fun. With them, how
ever, will be larger numbers of trout
Small Trout Plentiful.
Small trout are as numerous this
year as small hardhead, which au-
gurs well for next years fishing.
They are schooled and rise often
to the small schools of silversides.
Trolling for them is little sport, yet
TO pass up school without trying
might mean losing a chance at
large fish because there are some
large trout around.
The best lure is a junebug spin
ner with a bloodworm. although
some are being caught with bright
lures.
Here and there in the trout a
small bluefish is found, but there
is no cause for excitement for thew
are nothing more than struggling
summer yearlings. We continue to
hold to the opinion we expressed
late in May-there will be no run
OF blues in the Bay this season.
Records of commercial fishing for
the last 80 years show definate cycles
IN all species. These cycles seem to
be OF about 10 years duration. which
would mean, considering 1885 as the
last peak year of bluefishing. that
now We are at the lowest point of
the cycle, and, starting next year.
the run will increase in size until 1t
reaches maximum again in l945.
We believe also. the extreme pres
ent low for the species is due to the
uncontrolled take by commercial in
terests, and that the peaks of the
cycles will continue to become
smaller until there is Federal con-
troll. The disappearance of other
species due to overfishing has dem
onstrated well that fishing interests
have little thought for the future.
School Of Blues Reported.
1t was reported last week a large
school OF blues appeared of Indian
River Inlet. Two catches semeed to
supstantiate this report, but since,
there has been nothing further
heard OF the school, which appears
to prove most of them were men,
haden.
BY late August stripers usually are
rising over long periods and con-
tinuing sometimes until late Novem-
ber. This year there Is little to in
dicate we will have more than
mediocre fishing.
/ Schools continue TO feed in the
mouth of the Chester River, around
Bloody Point Light and above the
Hill" in Eastern Bay, and at Tall
Timbers in the Potomac. Good
catches have been made out of
every ope of these schools, but only
| occasionally. This might be due to
the 1884 brood attaining a size to
take them out of the capes to Join
the sea-run of large fish. Or 1t
might mean commercial men have
taken too great a toll.
The striper is another species that
should be under Federal control
Will it come before the 1910 brood
the largest since 1884, goes the way
of all other hroods?
There is no doubt about the great
number of Norfolk spot in bay and
river, nor that they are Of laIge size
But for some reason anglers have
had little success in finding them.
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