Leaderboard Changes For Day 2 at the Poor Girl’s Open and Block # 40,000 for the OC Reef Foundation

Posted on August 16th, 2024

Hit the vid for a preview on the MidAtlantic Tournament coming to Sunset Marina!!

Just got back home from a busy day of scales action at Bahia Marina for day 2 of the Poor Girl’s Open where some tuna hit the board and there was some shakeup to the billfish release division.  Team Pure Lure still leads with 8 white marlin releases, but there are few more notable catches on the board as well.  Here’s who’s leading after 2 day of fishing.

Billfish Release

1st Place      Sea Hag     8 White Marlin Releases

2nd Place     Cabana     6 White Marlin Releases

3rd Place     Pachanga     5 White Marlin Releases

Tuna

1st, 2nd and 3rd Place     Sushi     49.7, 49.5, 49.0

Mahi

1st Place     Espadon     53.3 Lbs

2nd Place      Prime Hook     30.3 Lbs

3rd Place     Nauti Norwegian     30.2 Lbs

Wahoo 

1st Place     WOP     49.2 Lbs

2nd Place     Restless Lady II     18.9 Lbs

Jr Angler

Ava Helwig     2 White Marlin Releases

Away from the tournament, Alex Valliant and Gavin Love caught this nice mahi while chunking around the inshore sea bass pots.

Big Bird Cropper used his world famous Roy Rig to catch some nice bluefish in the OC inlet today.

Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a steadyish bite today with some quality sea bass and some flounder coming aboard.

Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had some good fishing today and recently dropped block #40,000 for the OC Reef Foundation *(See Below)

42,000 Reef Blocks Deployed..

Adding up Reef Blocks and Pyramid deployments for my Fish Report, I had not realized when Abbey, Lorie & Gail deployed an 18 block reef unit atop Rambler Reef on 7/17/24 – that block number 42,000 went among them..

(Been dropping mostly pyramids since!) It’s a slow reef building project, but it has sure built some productive structure!

I believe it was 2007 when The Nature Conservancy heard my plea for a ‘boat deployable’ reef unit and donated two pallets of their Oyster Castle blocks.

Stackable & interlocking to resist estuarine wave pressures, I soon ordered a truckload. In those days I had no idea where OC Reef Foundation would find $3,000; but I was positive we could renew loat reefs–those sanded in, lost to scour, and especially atop flat steel barges where we could raise productivity on an existing piece by increasing rugosity/intersticial spacing (this the reef builders’ vernacular for nooks and crannies) that drive reef life and its spawning production..

We worked up to 10,000 Oyster Castle blocks (no oysters out here. Maybe Coral Castle Blocks when we use em?) Then, just as Deepwater Horizon oil recovery grants took off, the price of a truckload tripled and I began looking for another source.

Many concrete block companies and individuals have donated block since. By far most have come from York Building Products in York PA. When they take material ‘off inventory’ we get a crack at it – are growing a lot of coral on their concrete. Our primary delivery man is David Bauer. He keeps numerous truckloads on hand at his farm. When we start running low? It’s like magic – More Appear!

I might also mention Mo & Joe who graciously allow us use of an empty lot in West Ocean City. This project could not continue without convenient storage.

Thank You All!!

How do we know concrete will last? Is it free of pollutants? Concrete from Roman times still stands. Concrete is always cleaner than the water we drop it in and is approved the world around for reef substrate. Even MD claims it’s approved as an oyster substrate. After all, according to their head shellfish guy they tried it once twenty years ago.

MD’s Chesapeake artificial reefs are nearly all robust pieces of precast concrete – every AR in the lower Bay is fairly well loaded with oysters. The Nature Conservancy VA Preserve (behind VA’s barrier islands) has an abundance of concrete thriving with year after year afrer year of oyster spat settlement. Maybe the idea will catch on with MD oyster restorationists too (like literally everywhere else in the world.)

Reef made of concrete will last a very long time and create zero pollution.

Concrete is hard to run an oyster dredge through though. I think that’s the sticking point in MD. It’s just not easy to commercially harvest from.

Personally? If I were an oysterman and the feds/state told me they wanted to make giant spawning populations?

Hmmm..

And if MD built tall, hollow oyster reefs from a lattice work of concrete pipe? They wouldn’t need to close it to harvest. Fellows could hand tong and power tog all they want – there’d be many layers if growth beneath that accessible top.

In the ocean where I do my reef work we have wonderful collections of sessile growths (immobile animals) including star coral and sea whip – but no oysters.

Consider the oyster; though hundreds of miles away as a fish swims, they are 100% tied to marine water quality. It’s called a Benthic.. (fancy word for bottom) .. a Benthic/Pelagic Coupling.

The Mid-Atlantic turned green as oysters collapsed.

Only one way to turn the Mid-Atlantic blue again..

Reef building in the ocean’s marine benefit is far more straight forward, biologically speaking. Anywhere there’s a hard substrate – even only if slightly harder than just sand – you’ll have a collection of growths that absolutely fit the definition of “Reef.”

If only I could get NOAA to take note and study them; especially learn their long lost historical footprint to facilitate a master plan of restoration..

Alas, there are numerous stern towed gears in the ocean too. They’re supremely well represented in federal fisheries and, as I was told point blank at a habitat meeting years ago: “We like the seafloor just the way it is.”

It’s a small thing, these reef blocks my crew loads & clients deploy. Some of the very best fishing I’ve ever seen is on reef we’ve restored. It’s certainly worth doing.

I believe Maryland is the only coastal state from Massachusetts to Texas without a marine reef program. Our little nonprofit, the Ocean City Reef Foundation, does what it can with donated funds/reef materials/& labor. see ocreefs.org

Currently we have four ongoing reef projects.

Reef pyramids: Kinsley Construction has over a thousand pyramids on standby. They make 20 every other day! Bear Materials has also made a substantial amount of pyramids. Both companies also donate pyramids to CCA MD for their habitat work. (This fall we’ll have a look. Some should be naturally colonized by now.)

Now too Harkins Concrete has begun using leftover concrete to fill molds for us. Atlantic Concrete used too but we’ve somehow lost touch. Gillis Gilkerson Construction has made a fair many on different sites with truck overages.

We have

Captain Stormy on the Tiki XIV has taken out the lion’s share of our marine seployed pyramids. He’s had 200+ pyramids for months ready to deploy. Got jammed up with aquarium shark collecting and military work I suppose. His next load goes to Ryan and Shari’s Bay Breeze Reef at the Bass Grounds.

We also have a 50 ft barge donated by McGinty Marine Construction. My plan is to tow it to WOC Harbor bathhouse and have volunteers cable down reef pyramids before taking it off to Ringmaster’s Reef Group at the Bass Grounds and sinking it.

OCRF bought a fifty ft Navy dive boat a few months back.

I’d originally thought to sink it – but it’s absolutely perfect to make a small, self-propelled barge with — and we shall.

Too dang busy to get it together. One engine is with Chuck at Diesel Drs. While he is indeed a grand master of old Detroit engines, I have a volunteer to rebuild it with parts on the shelf!

The other engine is in Monkton and ran fine when removed.

Get em both checked over and reinstalled, then my young welder friend Jonah Robertson with a portable system can begin decking it over to make the entire topsides area useful.

Should be able to take 350 pyramids I’d think…

Sure build some reef at that pace..

Then there’s a tug in Salisbury that Murtech has donated. It’s almost ready for a tow..

Though taking blocks or a few pyramids will continue apace from the stern of my boat, larger reef builds will always be through the OC Reef Foundation.

We’d welcome your help!

see ocreefs.org

Cheers,

Monty

Block Update – As of 8/16/24 we have 42,067 Reef Blocks & 2,404 Reef Pyramids (170lb ea) deployed at numerous ACE permitted ocean reef sites – there are also 1,336 pyramids deployed by MD CCA at Chesapeake Bay oyster sites working to restore blue ocean water – Counting those awaiting deployment we’re nearing 5,500 pyramids made since my crew and I fashioned a prototype mold in late August 2019.

Currently being targeted oceanside: Ryan & Shari’s Bay Breeze Reef 208 Pyramids – Uncle Murphy’s Reef 284 Reef Blocks; Rambler Reef 400 Reef Blocks & 13 Pyramids – Pete Maugan’s Memorial Reef 116 Blocks & 14 Pyramids – Calder’s Reef Improvement 88 Blocks & 12 Reef Pyramids – Virginia Lee Hawkins Memorial Reef 550 Reef Blocks (+96 Reef Pyramids) – Capt. Jack Kaeufer’s/Lucas Alexander’s Reefs 2132 Blocks (+53 Reef Pyramids) – Doug Ake’s Reef 4,194 blocks (+16 Reef Pyramids) – St. Ann’s 3,035 (+14 Reef Pyramids) Unnamed Spot at Jackspot Reef 152 Blocks & 2 Pyramids – Sue’s Block Drop 1,762 (+30 Reef Pyramids) – Kathy’s Cable 276 blocks (11 pyramids) – Rudys/Big Dad’s Barges 140 Reef Blocks (+9 Pyramids) – Benelli Reef 1,552 (+18 Pyramids) – Capt. Bob’s Bass Grounds Reef 4,670 (+ 110 reef pyramids) – Al Berger’s Reef 1,946 Reef Blocks (48 Reef Pyramids) – Great Eastern South Block Drop 248 Reef Blocks (+ 8 Pyramids) – Cristina’s Blast 140 Reef Blocks & 2 Pyramids – Capt Greg Hall’s Memorial Reef 362 Blocks (+2 Pyramids) – Kinsley’s Reef 964 Pyramids – Bear Concrete Reef 512 Pyramids, 44 Blocks plus 16 pipes..

****

Now available as ‘name a (small) reef’ are ‘Tog Cabins’ made of parking lot car stops & ‘Coral Castles’ made of concrete pipe.

See ocreefs.org‘s ‘donate’ page for this opportunity.

Capt Monty Hawkins

[email protected]

Caught another limit of nice flounder last week…..and won a couple bucks!!  Check it out!!