Crowds Surge at Ocean City

The cash registers were jingling at thousands of retail stores as shoppers loaded up on groceries and other items needed to fuel families on vacation at the beach this past weekend, throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland but especially at Ocean City.

The sales tax collection for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s spending programs must have been tremendous while a review of roadside campaign clutter revealed that the big fight between O’Malley’s junior partner and Republican Larry Hogan has yet to catch fire.

Cap’n Larry Jarboe: Croakers by the Pound

Croaker fishing from a pier is quite productive. But, you can increase your odds by taking a boat to the edge of a channel and fishing along that edge. Also, oyster beds are particularly good feeding grounds for croakers to dine upon. Drift fishing will help you cover a lot of bottom till you find a good area to anchor.

The croaker limit of 25 per angler is quite generous. Make sure you keep those noisy fish chilled or iced down well. No sense spoiling that delectable salt water taste that croakers are known for. Fresh fried croaker is fine eating. Freezing the fillets diminishes the flavor greatly.

Chesapeake 1850

Ken Rossignol’s new series is off to a great start with Chesapeake 1850, the tale of Ethan Douglas from his days as a 10 year old cabin boy on his grandfather’s Chesapeake Bay steamship before the Civil War, through his rise to become a wealthy ship owner. The young boy witnesses everything from a hanging to hurricanes, to bloody Oyster Wars, and meets the love of his life and later marries her. The author does an excellent job of bringing history to life in an entertaining and captivating way that keeps you reading from start to finish.” — New York Times best-selling author Nick Russell