No better Chesapeake fish for frying than spot, but be mindful of regulations

Name me a better Chesapeake fish for a fish fry than spot. Take your time, I’ll wait.

On a stifling August morning, my sister Laurel, her son Quin and I set off on a mission to catch a couple dozen of these tasty drums for a modest meal.

They were only in Annapolis for a brief family visit, and then on their way to drop my nephew off at college. Quin is in his final year at Swarthmore College, where he’s also a midfielder for the school’s lacrosse team.

It had been far too many years since the three of us fished together. Life has a way of speeding past us, even though we know we should expect it.

We got a later start than I planned, but we made quick work of catching our spot over structure near the mouth of the South River. We used Chesapeake Sabiki rigs, which are compliant with Maryland’s two-hook rule, and tipped them with lugworms. I’m not sure we actually need the worms, especially since the batch we bought looked tired and worn out.

Charter skippers and local anglers hereabouts favor spot more as live bait for rockfish than as an appetizer fried in peanut oil. (Side note: Once back at the cleaning table, a local skipper felt obliged to share his method of cleaning spot. Effective, yes, however I didn’t mind doing the extra work to get a better meal out of each fish filleting them my way. To each his own.)

We had less than a quarter of the number of spot we could legally keep, and later that evening it proved to be plenty. You may recall that back in June, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources enacted new spot regulations that limit recreational anglers to 50 spot per person per day with no minimum size. This move was necessary to be in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s management plan for spot.

After placing a sufficient number of these diminutive drums on ice, we went to Thomas Point Lighthouse to cast lures.

The south breeze offered a bit of relief from the humidity, though the compromise made for a bit of a bumpy ride in the flat-bottomed skiff.

A flooding tide slowed to the point that made conditions for light tackle fairly ideal. A quick tutorial on casting technique and retrieve was all it took for both family members to soon come tight to their first rockfish.

Three-inch soft plastic paddle tails in a glittery silver and white color that resemble alewife or bunker pinned on to a ⅜-ounce white jig heads were what the fish wanted. My sister took top honors with regard to number of rock caught (11), but nephew had the largest striper — a healthy specimen that was a fraction of an inch too short to join the spot in the air conditioned waiting room. All in all, four species were caught, including a lizardfish my sister called gnarly. Quin and I thought it was totally cool.

It wasn’t long before the day’s heat escalated to the point of impinging on our comfort level and enjoyment, to say nothing of the impact on the rockfish. So we called it quits and headed home.

Truth be told, there was more pressure on me — self-inflicted, obviously — to ensure they caught something, more so than if they were strangers. They just wanted to have a fun day on the Chesapeake Bay, and we did. We all promised to make fishing excursions a regular thing.

I’ve witnessed seasoned sport anglers and professional skippers throw such a hissy fit after losing a fish that it’d make a third-grader blush. On the far end of that same spectrum, I’ve watched newcomers to our sport shout with unabashed excitement at catching their first fish, even if it failed to stretch past a 12-inch ruler. My relatives fit the second version.

Duck hunting regulations

Who isn’t wishing for cooler days during this oppressive heat wave? Hard to believe, but the hunting season kicks off in less than a week with the Sept. 1 opening of dove season. Resident goose and teal seasons are also in September. New this year to Maryland duck hunting rules is the establishment of “duck zones.”

The Eastern Duck Season Zone comprises these counties: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Saint Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester. These counties make up the Western Duck Season Zone: Allegany, Carroll, Garrett, Frederick and Washington counties. To view a Duck Zone Map, see dnr.maryland.gov/ wildlife/Documents/EWduck-zones.pdf.

The daily bag limit for the regular duck season in both the Eastern and Western Duck Zones is identical: six ducks per person. Note that your six-bird limit may contain only two mallards ( just one hen), three wood ducks, two black ducks (during Black Duck Season only), two each of canvasbacks, redheads, and hooded mergansers, and only one pintail and scaup per day until Jan. 8-Jan. 31, when it changes to two per day. Check DNR regulations for specific rules.