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Getaway Guide To Hooking Dinner

What luck! My first ever fishing trip and the line is snagged, won't budge, probably I think - hooked on a coral reef off Bermuda. My shipmates are talking about cutting the line. Then it takes off. The reel is spinning like a dreidel. I beam. My very first fish is a shark. Not a Great White. But hey, a shark is a shark. You don't have to travel that far for a satisfying day of fishing with friends and family at little to no cost, in pristine, scenic surroundings. It can be as close as your backyard. Your rig can be as inexpensive as a two-buck flea market rod and reel or a whole set including sinkers, hooks and bobbers for under $25 at a big-box store. So, where can we go for a day or weekend? Follow me.– Jay Lloyd

Sartoga Cover
(credit: Jay Lloyd)

LAKE FISHING

Various area parks

Our region is rich in lakes. Most of them are part of state or county parks. Among the most popular where you can fish on the shoreline or rent a small boat are Marsh Creek, French Creek, Nockamixon and Green Lane. You're looking at a harvest of pan fish here including bass, perch and catfish. You'll find a lake less than an hour from home and launch a spontaneous day-trip getaway with a free dinner at the end.

Hampton Saratoga
(credit: Jay Lloyd)

CREEKS AND STREAMS

Various Locations

If you're searching for solitude, pick a stream. I've plucked a school of sunnies out of Sandy Creek in Norristown within minutes of the KYW Suburban Bureau. The nearby Brandywine, Perkiomen, Wissahickon, Tohickon and Skippack Creeks are just a few of dozens that flow through the city and all 4 suburban counties. Don't forget the Medford Lakes and Mullica River areas in New Jersey. Simply fish from the banks or in waders. I once caught an eel in the Tohickon. It was on the table within 20 minutes. Now, that's fresh.

Boca Tapas
(credit: Jay Lloyd)

CAPE MAY POINT

Experienced fishermen and women gravitate to the beaches and jetties at Cape May. They cast from the shore for blues, sea trout and flounder. They're smaller fish than you get offshore, but you don't have the expense of a charter boat and you're on your own with a superb view. And when you're ready to walk away, just pack up and go. Something relatively new over the past few years is the appearance of kayak fishermen. They can get out to deeper water and larger fish at little cost.

Wheatfields
(credit: Jay Lloyd)

POCONO MOUNTAINS

From Lake Wallenpaupack to Lake Harmony and the Tobyhanna River, the Pocono Mountains are among the regions richest source of freshwater fish. Clean fast flowing streams and rivers along with waterfalls and deep water lakes provide some of the best fishing for the greatest variety. A trout dinner cooked at a waterside camp site in the Poconos is still one of my most indelible Boy Scout memories. For ideas on where to go, just check in at: www.visitpa.com/pa-local-resources/pocono-mountains-visitors-bureau. A spot I like is the vast Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. www.nps.gov/dewa/index.htm

Jacob and Anthony's
(credit: Jay Lloyd)

CHARTER BOAT FISHING

OK. You want to go big - get out on the open water and maybe hook a dinner for 6 or get a trophy to hang on a wall. But you don't have a boat or a friend with one. Just as well. The fuel tab for an ocean fishing trip can break the bank. A less costly way to go is fish from a party boat or a private charter, usually split among 6 friends. They come with all the gear and bait you'll need. The Jersey Shore is the closest spot for most of us with a major fishing fleet in the port of Cape May. Get an idea of what's available and the price right here: www.capemay.com/activities/charterfishingboats.html

You'll find party boats and private charters out of Lewes, Delaware. I cast off here from Fisherman's Wharf for a great run and then a fin food dinner and a lot of fish talk around a great bar, after docking. Just navigate to: www.fishlewes.com/

Now, a few tips. Make sure you have everything you need, because you may not be able to find it where you're going. Carry a towel to clutch the catch while removing hooks. Fish are slippery critters. A bucket or cooler to keep the catch, a first aid kit and a sharp knife. Don't forget the bait, unless you're on a charter, then the skipper provides. Have sunscreen, bug repellent and a good hat. To fish in state waters you will need a license. Each state has it's own season, catch limits and regulations. Each state fishery web site provides a comprehensive review of current license requirement and fishing regulations. Here's where to look:

PENNYLVANIA: fishandboat.com/
NEW JERSEY: www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/licenses.htm
DELAWARE: www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Pages/FWPortal.aspx
MARYLAND: dnr2.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Here's the biggy on a deep sea charter. You may very well get seasick. For a day-trip, dramine is just fine. But take it before you cast off, not when you turn green. By then it's too late. Now, go get a free dinner. Enjoy.

 

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