A while back, I wrote about all the trash our fellow fishermen left on the beach. That article received more email responses than any before or since. It seems I am not the only one who cleans up after our less-than-responsible beach users. I say beach users because we all see folks who go up on the beach, cast out a line and never touch the rod again until they are ready to leave. Then they spend the day sitting in the sun, swimming, playing cornhole, having a picnic or taking a nap. I know some of the trash I pick up comes from them, but some also comes from actual surf-fishermen.
There is a lot less trash than there once was. Back in the early 1960s when I was in the Navy and stationed on the USS Saratoga, we dumped all of our garbage off the fantail. Believe me, 7,500 men can generate a lot of trash. All the other Navy ships, plus all the merchant ships, did the same. That put all sorts of things on the beach. I never had to worry about a cutting board when surf-fishing, because I could choose from a wide variety of pallets.
Today, those sorts of trash are not a big problem, but trash on the beach is still something that needs attention. Fortunately, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will hold the 37th Delaware Coastal Cleanup Saturday, Sept. 14. I am bringing this up now to allow you to put together a group of your friends, or your fishing club, your church or your crew at work to have a fun three hours from 9 a.m. until noon. There are 45-plus locations to choose from, including beaches, parks and waterways.
For more information and to register, go to de.gov/coastalcleanup.
New structure at Site 11
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife recently sank two vessels at Reef Site 11, also known as the Redbird Reef. They were the ex-Baltimore fireboat Mayor J. Harold Grady and the World War II-era US Maritime Administration tugboat TD-21. Both boats were prepared by Coleen Marine out of Norfolk, Va. This company has prepared several boats and ships for placement on Delaware reef sites. All vessels must be cleaned and certified to pass inspection by the Coast Guard.
Once they are ready for sinking, holes are cut near the waterlinem and then the boats are towed to the reef site from Norfolk. Once there, additional holes are cut in the hull at the waterline to allow water to enter the hull, and sinking soon follows.
The positions of the structures are: Mayor J. Harold Grady – 38.40.457/74.42.961 at a depth of 75 feet, and Tug TD-21 – 38.40.427/74.43.073 in 80 feet.
You should enter these coordinates in your GPS, because they do not appear on any publication from Fish and Wildlife.
The cost of obtaining and preparing these boats is not small. Fortunately, we have our general fishing license to cover 25% of the burden. The 5% federal excise tax on fishing equipment covers the other 75%.
Boat speed limit
NOAA has proposed a 10-knot speed limit for boats from 35 to 65 feet in the ocean from North Carolina to Massachusetts from Nov. 1 until May 30. While this is the rule that would affect boats from Delaware, similar rules are in place for all states along the East Coast.
According to the article in Friday’s Cape Gazette, NOAA expects the heaviest burden to be upon commercial shipping. The agency goes on to name several other businesses, but never mentions charter or head boats. At 10 knots, it will take two-and-a-half hours to reach the Del-Jersey-Land Reef from Delaware or Maryland, and a five- or six-hour ride to the canyons, for a 10- to 12-hour round trip.
The reason for this restriction is to save the right whale from extinction. According to NOAA, since 2020, there have been at least four documented cases of fatal strikes on right whales by boats between 35 and 65 feet in length.
I don’t want to be the cause of right whale extinction, but I don’t want to see the head and charter boat industry go down the tubes, either. There are only so many hours in a fishing day, and if it takes five hours out of a 10-hour trip just to get to and from the fishing grounds, not many customers are going to be fishing on your boat.
If these speed limits concern you, let Administrator Kimberly Cole know how you feel by emailing DNREC_DCP_PublicComment@delaware.gov. The comment period was supposed to close July 31, but I hope emails will be accepted beyond that date.
Capt. Dale Parsons
Capt. Dale Parsons has passed away. He was the patriarch of the Parsons family that runs Fisherman’s Wharf. I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Capt. HD, Capt. Brin and the entire Parsons family during this trying time.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
