Summertime Fishing Transition: Bowfishing

This summer, the Blue Crabs have been not only scarce. They are terribly expensive as well. It would upset my stomach to pay sixty dollars a dozen to eat crabs. Who would pay five bucks for a crab?

Usually, while fishing baited bottom rigs, we pick up about a half dozen crabs that fall off at the surface. This summer, the crab net is positioned close by in the boat to dip those big Jimmies. Would you let a five dollar bill float away?

Also, the most successful summertime anglers are actually archers who are putting hundreds of pounds of fish flesh into their coolers while most of us are sleeping. The sport of bowfishing is quickly growing in Southern Maryland. During the day, Cow-nosed Rays are usually targeted. At night, the more delectable invasive snakehead fish and Blue Catfish are more easily seen in the floodlights.

Maryland officials just don’t get it: taking away the license of waterman who poached is silly — he doesn’t need a license!

Joseph Bruce Janda Jr., 28, of Wittman, had his commercial license permanently revoked a year ago by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Over a decade, Janda has been charged more than 60 times and been found guilty on numerous occasions for poaching oysters, illegal striped bass fishing and harvesting undersized crabs. In addition, he has been convicted of fishing without a license and fishing on a suspended license.

In 2011, Janda was cited for two crabbing violations within a two-year period worth 35 points on his licenses, which triggered a revocation hearing by an administrative law judge.

In writing last Friday, Judge J. Owen Wise rejected Janda’s appeal, calling him a “chronic offender” who had accumulated 415 days of suspensions.