Regulars (All)

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 10/21/10

A Twitch in Time Nets Dinner

Saved by an old bait sporting a new name

It was extremely frustrating. There were rockfish working the rip in front of me, but they wouldn’t hit my lures. I could see their occasional feeding boils marking the surface, and it was obvious that they were eating — and at least a few of the feeders were good sized. Fish Are Biting When the weather cooperates, the fishing for stripers is excellent. Shallow water plugging is anywhere from decent to fantastic just about everywhere along both sides of the Bay....

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/21/10

By the Light of the Moon

Autumn’s full moons help dispel the impending darkness

Sunset Friday the 22nd, at 6:17, reveals the full Hunter’s Moon rising in the east. Like all full moons, this one rises with sunset and sets with sunrise, around 7:25 this week. The full moon is always juxtaposed to the sun with earth right in the middle. As sunlight washes over the other side of the world, it spills around the planet, striking the face of the moon head-on. Think of yourself in a movie theater, with the projector beaming behind you. That light doesn’t brighten...

Article - Our Capital by Ellen Moyer; by Ellen Moyer - 10/21/10

Dealing with the Downpour

The Parking Garden at Little Gotts Court in Annapolis is soaking up stormwater runoff and getting it back into the ground

It rained and it rained. Three inches, five inches, nine inches, 13 inches of new water fell on Annapolis. City Dock was underwater. Compromise Street was flooded. The low places in Eastport on Second Street and Chester Avenue and in West Annapolis on King George Street were flooded. Roads with the least bit of incline were sluiceways for water. Overloaded storm drains seeking new outlets made missiles of manhole covers. On September 30, 2010, a mini-Isabel was flooding Annapolis. Off West...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Frank Gouin - 10/14/10

Watch Our for Spider Mites

Test and treat your plants before bringing them in

A friend told me the leaves of her Ficus benjamina are covered with black soot. I suspected that the plant had been infected with a soft-scale insect that exudes a honeydew substance that breeds sooty mold. However, upon examining the plant, I saw it was severely infested with spider mites. If you moved your houseplants outside for summer, there is a good possibility that they are infested with spider mites. Spider mites are tiny insects about the size of dust particles. On houseplants, look...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 10/14/10

Perseverance Pays

If you’re on the water, the fish may come to you

The sun was getting low in an overcast sky, night was rapidly falling — and still there were no fish. Conditions were perfect off the shallow-water point, the tide was up, there was good current, a chilly wind was lying down nicely — and only one other boat was present. But no fish. Fish Are Biting Better weather and cooler water temperatures have jumped the fall bite into the red zone. Nice rockfish are schooling at the mouths of all of the major tributaries and are...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/14/10

The Wonderful Bear

From Zeus’ paramour to Arthur’s kingdom

The waxing moon reaches first-quarter on the 14th, appearing due south as the sun sets, well before 6:30 this week, and setting around midnight. Each night the moon appears 15 degrees farther east at sunset, and each evening it sets almost an hour later. The night of the 19th, the gibbous moon passes six degrees north of brilliant Jupiter. Jupiter, brighter than any star, beckons low in the east-southeast as darkness settles. Look for him high in the south around midnight and edging...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 10/7/10

Fall’s Favorite Fruit

You’ll love persimmons — once you learn the to eat them

Now that I have returned to the Deale Farmers’ Market Thursdays from 3 to 6pm with persimmons, I get lots of questions: What do you do with persimmons? What do they taste like? The persimmons I grow and sell are the Asian type, almost as large as tomatoes and with very few seeds, if any, depending on seasonal conditions. This year, persimmons have more seeds than usual. Persimmon Pie Dissolve two packages of unflavored gelatin in 1⁄4 cup boiling water. Blend the dissolved...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 10/7/10

Two's a Party

Vertical jigging snares many a pair

Three weeks of big wind and steady rain got me thinking about a trip this time of month last year. Back then, it was calm and lovely, and we were drifting a bit south of one of the Bay Bridge rock piles in 30 feet of water. I had just lowered my rod tip to let the flashing lure at the end of my line flutter back down to the bottom. Fish Are Biting The relentless wind and rainstorms have pretty much killed the fall bite. Besides muddying the water and scattering the...

Article - Where We Live by Steve Carr; by Steve Carr - 10/7/10

Putting Wind In Your Sails, Power In Your Engine

The U.S. Boat Shows are a wondrous spectacle like nothing else in the world

Folks around Annapolis have for years debated the differences between sail boaters and power boaters. Every October, the annual United States Sailboat and Powerboat Shows intensify the debate by bringing thousands of both to town back to back. Sail boaters take over Annapolis October 7 to 11. The sailboat show draws the Topsiders crew with their bright foul weather gear and sporty sunglasses on a string. Sailing is more cerebral and tactical. It’s serious business, and everyone has...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 10/7/10

Early Treat or Fizzling Trick?

The always puzzling Draconids

Thursday’s new moon provides an unobscured backdrop for this year’s Draconid meteor shower, which peaks at week’s end. Not some early Halloween reference to Dracula, this annual meteor shower is named for the constellation Draco the dragon, from which the meteors seem to emanate. It’s tricky to predict the rate of the Draconids each year, but there is always the potential for some awesome stellar treats. Like most meteor showers, the Draconids occur as earth...