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Tog and sea bass dominate the fishing

October 29, 2016

Tog and sea bass dominate the fishing right now. So far the tog are being caught in decent numbers, but sea bass anglers have been hampered by windy conditions.

The Lewes Harbour Marina Tog Tournament ends on Monday. As of Wednesday, John Leader was in first and second place with tog weighing 11.81 and 7.58 pounds. Ted Garmin was holding on in third with a 7.13-pound tog.  With five days left, it is possible that all of these fish could be beat.

The surf action has been slow as has the Indian River Inlet. The last report I had from the pier at Cape Henlopen State Park indicated a few flounder caught from the end on strips of fresh mullet.

Hunter safety

With several hunting seasons already open and more to come, I believe a refresher course in hunter safety is in order. I say refresher course because we have all gone through one sort of hunter safety course or another, and I think we need to be reminded that what we learned back then is still relevant today.

Perhaps you read a story in a recent edition of the Cape Gazette about the gentlemen who shot himself in the foot with a 50-caliber muzzleloader. The gun had been in storage and he wanted to fire a cap to make sure no moisture had accumulated in the barrel. This is something many muzzleloader hunters do.

He loaded the cap and for reasons we do not know, he put the end of the barrel on the top of his foot. Unfortunately, the gun was still loaded and the bullet went through his foot. Having done more than a few stupid things in my life and gotten away with most of them, I do not criticize this guy, but I will use his action as an example to remind me and all others that you should always treat every gun as if it were loaded.  

I have removed the cap from my loaded muzzleloader when transporting it in my truck and left the charge in if I was planning on hunting the next day. I won’t be doing this anymore. First of all, now that I am in my dotage I, on rare occasions, forget things. It would be just my luck to forget the charge and bullet were in my gun and that could lead to an accident. I now fire the rife in a safe direction or take out the breach plug and the charge and bullet at the end of the hunt.

It is just as easy to leave a shotgun or rifle loaded. I always unload my gun when the hunt is over. Usually, I do this at my truck before loading my gear or before getting in the boat if I am hunting from a water blind.

Tree stands pose a very dangerous situation. There are so many ways to injure yourself climbing into, out of or while you are in a stand. Several years ago a friend fell out of his stand while on an archery hunt. He landed on an arrow and put it through his upper leg. The loss of blood was severe and almost cost him his life. It took a long time to recover, but he still hunts.  

I recently heard of a hunter who fell from his stand, breaking his pelvis and a couple of ribs. He too will be in recovery mode for a long time.

If you build a permanent stand, make sure it is strong enough to hold your weight and secure enough to stand up to sudden movement. Try to give the steps to the stand an angle. It is easier and safer to climb up a ladder than a few boards nailed to a tree.  Use some sort of rough surface on the steps and in the stand to keep from slipping in the morning dew or when it rains. Have a system to get your gun or bow from the ground into the stand. It can be as simple as a piece of rope, just so long as you don’t try to carry the gun or bow up the ladder. And always use your safety belt from the time you leave the ground until you have both feet back on the ground.

I have never used a climbing stand, and I am pretty sure I never will. Of course, if you hunt public land that is the only choice you have. I would think this is one piece of equipment that you want to spare no expense to make sure you get the best.

Finally, make sure of your target before you pull the trigger or release the arrow. Sounds simple, but people are killed and injured every year because someone mistook them for a game animal.

  • 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.

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