Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Coatesville junior savors saltwater dream
When it comes to summer jobs 16-year-old Willie Poole is living his dream. On any given day, you’ll find the Coatesville High School junior on the back bays of Ocean City, MD, pursuing his summer vacation vocation of First Mate aboard Captain Nick Clemente’s Get Sum, a 26 foot custom Ray Davis charter boat. While Get Sum Charters has been in business in Ocean City since 2001, Poole just began his mate services last summer and, despite the long hours involved, thoroughly enjoys the job.
The Get Sum typically plies Ocean City’s back bay waters ten hours a day, seven days a week, primarily in quest of flounder. “We do three trips each day,” said Poole. “We offer two four hour trips daily. Our morning trip runs from 8:00 a.m. to noon; the afternoon trip goes from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Then we have a two hour trip that goes from 5:15 p.m. to 7:15.” While catching flounder is the primary objective, the family friendly Get Sum also mixes in some crabbing and clamming for anglers who prefer to bring a seafood smorgasbord back to the dock.
Other species of fish back bay anglers might encounter include bluefish, tautog, croaker, red drum, weakfish, and rockfish along with skates, rays, sea robins and little black sea bass.
“This is just my second year working as the mate on the Get Sum,” said Poole, “but I’ve been coming down here every summer since I was a baby and staying at my grandfather’s place on 28th Street in Ocean City.” Poole’s grandfather has been instrumental in promoting his grandson’s passion for the outdoors, especially fishing and hunting, and, through his connections with Clemente, helped Willie land the mate’s position.
As mate, Poole’s tasks include baiting hooks, netting fish, maintaining equipment, and washing down the boat at the end of the day. With as many as twenty-one fishing forays each week, the hours are long but Poole doesn’t mind. The only downside is that, as an avid angler himself, his Get Sum obligations don’t leave him with any time to fish himself. Cost of charters on the Get Sum are $450 for a four hour trip, $250 for two hours. Fishing from one of the most successful boats roaming the back bays, Clemente’s clients seldom return to the docks empty-handed, so it comes as no surprise that the boat’s charters are fairly solidly booked throughout the summer.
There’s no shortage of other options back bay anglers here have when it comes to hiring a fishing boat. In addition to rentals, there are at least half a dozen party boats cruising the back bays and more than a dozen other small charters available. Despite all that competition for angling dollars, the Get Sum is always in demand. Clemente and Poole work hard to get their folks on fish, and Clemente, with over 25 years experience of offshore and bay fishing, knows these coastal waters like the back of his hand. He understands how to best play the tides and where to find the clean water that flounder prefer.
While conditions might lead the Get Sum crew anywhere from the Route 90 Bridge, to the Fishbowl, to the Ocean City Inlet to the West Channel, to Assateague, and anywhere else the fish are biting, Poole will tell you that the most consistent “sweet spot” for catching keeper fluke is the East Channel near the Route 50 Bridge. “For flounder, our preferred rig is two jig heads on top and bottom rigs dressed with four-inch white Gulp swimming mullets,” explained Poole. “Sometimes we’ll also add live minnows to that.” Of course, one secret to successful fluking is to keep the bait moving, jigging, and bouncing the terminal tackle off the bay bottom. That’s advice that Clemente and Poole likely share with their anglers.
For me, when it comes to locating fishing hot spots, I’ll confess I’m a party-boat parasite. I figure that these guys are on the water with multiple trips every day. If all these boats are concentrated in the same area, my guess is that’s where the fish must be. Admittedly, knowing how successful they are, my ultimate bellwether has lately been the Get Sum. If I’m fishing in the same neighborhood, I know I must be in the right place. Nonetheless, even when I’m drifting over the same stretches of bay on my trusty vessel, Open Debate, I’ll sometimes notice that while the fluke are ignoring my efforts, Willie Poole and the folks aboard the Get Sum just keep on netting fish.
Poole’s mate gig runs from the time school ended in June until Coatesville High School classes resume again in September with Poole entering eleventh grade. The honor student also plays second base for the Red Raider baseball team. Outside of school, Poole has a major passion for deer hunting, something he’s been doing since age five. Last year he bagged a nice nine point buck along with three antlerless deer with his recently purchased state-of-the-art Ravin Crossbow. With high school graduation still two years away, his future academic plans remain undetermined. On the other hand, there’s little doubt that future summers will find him again drifting the back bay waters of Ocean City in pursuit of new fishing adventures.
The Get Sum is docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center in West Ocean City, MD. For more information give them a call at 410-430-5709 or check out their website at https://www.getsumcharters.com/.
WOMEN IN THE WILD
The West Caln Sportsmen’s Club at 1271 Telegraph Road in Coatesville is hosting its annual Women in the Wild event on Saturday, August 10 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (rain or shine). The one day event is for women ages 18 and over who may choose from eight different classes designed for beginners that include archery, orienteering, shooting, self-defense, and more. No prior knowledge or equipment is needed. Pre-registration is $45 per person ($55 on-site registration fee, space not guaranteed) and includes a continental breakfast, up to four sessions and a catered lunch. A dozen or so vendors will be on hand offering local products and services. This year a mother/daughter discount is available during preregistration. Visit the Women in the Wild website at www.sites.google.com/view/witw for full session descriptions, list of vendors and registration.