23/08/2022
https://www.facebook.com/395398577578435/posts/1521058711679077/?d=n
See some great stories and an old listing for the sale of the Judith M Fishing boat. Not for sale now!
The other day when flipping through the Online version of BOATS & HARBORS
Boats and Harbors - Powered by PageTurnPro.com
Third November Issue 2014
I saw the above listed vessel put up for sale by the owner.
It had to be back in the late 1980's when the original owner, the late Captain Linwood Martin would start doing commercial crew trips for sea bass during the late fall, this after bringing back this pretty sharp looking and very well kept Lydia built party boat back to its homeport in Virginia Beach.
Surprisingly at that time, we didn't know that the big money for a party boat was not to be made, at least by him, out of Rudee Inlet, Virginia, but in steaming up north and fishing out of the major Eastern Shore port of Ocean City Maryland. Anyone who had fished down that way during those years, and as Captain Martin would tell us, people would be lined up at the dock In Ocean City during the late spring and throughout the summer for twice daily inshore sea bass fishing......and as he said, "tourist sea bass fishing."
You may be wondering what that means, "tourist sea bass fishing" was essentially targeting sea bass between 7 inches up to about 14 inches, and the fishing spots would be pretty much "picked over" by early July. It would be nothing like we would be doing at this time, running offshore and working over some pretty decent wrecks, and as much, his own crown jewel personal spots that he made over the years.
Many of you who have never experienced Virginia sea bass fishing during the 1980's and early 1990's have no idea on how incredible it was if you had you own book of honey holes, but also how lousy-poor it could be if you did not, since the black sea bass stock during that time period was pretty much in the crapper, about almost a decade short before regulatory management controls on the commercial and recreational sectors were ratcheted-up.
My buddy who owned one of the biggest wholesale fish businesses in the land of Dixie, would call me up and tell me to get down there with the boys to pull on sea bass.
"Goodie-Gumdrops" I would say, "Captain Joe Mizelle finally has the time to get back out there", and fishing with the finest pin hooking sea bass captain was what we always looked forward to, especially as the weather started to cool down in October and November.
"No not quite" George would then say, as Captain Joe was busy working as a Norfolk fireman. These trips would be done upon Captain Martins cream puff, the Judith M., and this would be pretty interesting the first time I gathered the crew together and drove down to Virginia in a tightly packed car.
The first trip on the Judith M. was something I never will forget as we fantasized about pulling every sea bass we could off the mid range and short of, offshore wrecks east of Virginia on a 75' party boat. Thing was we never, and "we" meaning all of us from the Bay, never saw electric reels being used for sea bass fishing in depths under and slightly over 25 fathoms. Normally that gear was reserved when running out and fishing wrecks in the 44 fathom range. As we boarded the boat, electric cords were now a jumbled mess, strewn all along the deck on one side of the boat as a number of Electramates were now sitting in rod holders.
We explained to Captain Martin that we didn't need to use the "egg beaters" and brought along our own tackle. He was fine with that.... well after my buddy George who would get the days catch told him that we were some heavy hitting fishermen from up north.
Commercial trips were to make money, and one has to remember the amount of bait needed and fuel for the 8-92's that would be burnt for these trips, and he wanted to minimize the costs as much as possible. Mind you, the bait was brick frozen salted mackeral caught last winter that we cut up on the way out, and diesel bought in bulk which at that time maybe cost around a dollar a gallon.
The funny part was as we made our first trip, that George also wanted something else on these trips....and it would surprise you. Bluefish was still in big demand at that time for the retail buffet and Greek diner establishments, and he gave us the word "if there are any bluefish around, fish for them…their worth money."
At the time, party boats like the Lydia built Judith M. were pretty much state of the art...well laid out along the rail, and inside the cabin for maximum comfort with contoured seats along with a big galley, and Captain Martin kept his boat meticulously clean.
After loading barrels of ice and flats of bait, along with enough tackle for a multi-day trip, Captain Martin steamed through and out Rudee Inlet. On the ride out, we were upstairs in the wheelhouse talking with him about our fishing exploits along with his, and he was not some day-boat "on and off the dock jockey", but had a pretty respectable fishing resume, having located a few virgin offshore barges where he made some insanely large catch of BO' size biscuits, but as much, held a record line class blackfish.
During this time period, few bottom fishermen would venture offshore and Captain Martin had pretty much any wreck and sea bass obstruction to fish, and as much, to fill up the Xactics boxes which were now on the boat. Surprisingly he aimed for the Spring Chicken and Chickadee spots, not commonly known at that time and as we came to see, pretty much loaded up with mixed size sea bass.
It was during this time on the ride out that Captain Martin would ask us about where Captain Joe Mizelle would fish since we normally would fish with one of the most noted high-liners out of Rudee.
"Does he go to the south or to the north?"
We all looked at each other, and claimed ignorance....we didn't know the area at all.....wink-wink....
Captain Martin then tried to coax us along....."does he go south of the Chesapeake Light Tower or north of it....that should help give me an idea...."
This time we gave him a smart answer that sometimes he goes to the south and sometimes he goes up to the north.
No shrinking violet when he wanted fishing info, or "pumping" us for info, Captain Martin drilled deeper and started to ask about roughly how far......"stuff near and south of the Virginia-North Carolina line, or up towards the north and past the famous Triangle wrecks?"
During this time period, Loran-C numbers ruled, and we again claimed having no idea about these waters....but we did hear of the Triangle wrecks and wanted to go black fishing there after hearing the stories about 20 lb tautog being caught there over the years.
Captain Martin was not interested in that type of fishing at this time...all this talk about catching big blackfish, but did say to us if we filled up the boxes, he would take us black fishing later in the trip....and I have to admit, he did keep his promise on a number of trips we did with him and we always had brought along a bushel or two of green crabs....just in case of course!
To deflect the talk about where Captain Joe normally fished, I started to ask him about his Sitex XJ-2 Loran which he used.
"You like that model Loran your using?"
The reason why I pointed this out is that I had the Sitex XJ-2 on my boat when it first came out, and to quote nicely here....it SUCKED!
Captain Martin said that it was more then good enough for what he did, this after us wondering on how someone could have a custom built quarter million dollar plus party boat, yet spending only a few hundred dollars on his navigation equipment!
I will never forget the look he gave us when he asked us what we recommended, and after telling him about dropping 2000 dollars on a Northstar, he then told us how he could always find his drops, and then would grab his "jug", (that is what he loved calling it, "his jug") and toss it out from the wheelhouse.
Finally we did get to fish, and it was a true pleasure pulling fish from a platform, well the only thing was the errr-grinding sound of those whiny Electramates on the other side of the boat.
The Xactics box started to get filled up as 5 gallon pails scattered around the deck were being filled up, then picked up when fish were over flowing and finally deposited in the big boxes in the stern of the boat.
Of course when fishing over a mid-range wreck during the fall period, other species of fish would be coming through at times, and the signs were now pretty evident that bluefish were starting to take hold, big ones at that were now making a showing around the wreckage we were fishing.
A few rods rigged with 4 oz diamond jigs were at the ready and George the seafood dealer was now cheer-leading us to "catch a few for his shop", and the flashes of metal with surgical tubing attached, as the jigs went flying away from the boat.
Oh boy...Captain Martin really did not like this....no siree as he watched the boys from the Bay first put the sea bass rods down and then start fishing for, hooking up, pulling in and then lifting and swinging in bluefish, a number in the double digit class up and over the rail. The sight of a Santeria blood letting ritual on his boat along with the sound of jigs sometimes banging off the the hull and cabin was something we knew he was not used to.
He was now coming around and asking us, "is this the way you guys from up north do this?"
What could you say other then we would try to be more careful and not make too many lumps and bumps on his boat. He didn't like this at all as I previously said, but he did like hearing about the return on the bluefish he would get though, and with these size fish, poundage would quickly be made. Besides, the guys with the electric reels on the other side of the boat wanted no part of this, and stuck with the original game plan of pulling in the mixed size biscuits.
Finally we had to move and this is where the fun would begin since I don't remember any hauler on the boat at that time....and this meant making a human tug-of-war chain with the anchor line. On one trip to this area I do remember his hook snagging the gear of one of the fish potters, and we had to get everyone on board to work in pulling the anchor up. Loosing a high tensile Danforth and chain, is something that will make any bottom fishing captains curse to the wreck fishing Gods.
Thankfully strong backs prevailed with the heaving and hauling, as the Judith M. moved up and we were able to recover not only the anchor, but a big sea bass fish pot that had been set here. It was promptly returned without removing any of the contents within...well that's what I remember and sometimes memories can by a little hazy!
I have to say thinking back, most of these commercial trips were very successful as Captain Martin had that kind of good luck when we fished with him. His frown eventually would turn to a half-smile, and though not the happiest captain around, he did loosen up to us and more so, put up with our shenanigans on deck when fishing.
Getting back to the black fishing he had promised us after helping him make his own payday, he would take us to his favorite blackfish spot. We first wondered where that would be, since along with his son, they had personally made a few of their own private spots to pick over..... but not for the lowly chisel-tooth, but to pull sea bass off of.
He also would by by pass the the big Triangle wrecks and the scattered wreckage around that particular area and headed right to his special spot.....right inside of the Chesapeake Light Tower where there was an artificial reef made years back.
At first we were disappointed upon first hearing about this....coming that far back in to fish for blackfish, but I must say, Captain Martin was right. The fishing there was pretty good with consistent size quality fish that seemed feistier then the tog we would catch off our area. In fact, an officially weighted 15 lb blackfish was caught there by our group during a trip. The good captain himself had a line class record blackfish caught right where he took us fishing that he had caught a few years back and which I believe, was on the books for many years thereafter.
Now seeing the boat again up for sale by this owner, made me think about these trips on her. Good memories on this Thanksgiving no doubt, and more so, never to be repeated again.
(Ps, I know both Mike Tog and myself posted pics and video of these trips...there are somewhere out there on the world wide web).
EC NEWELL MANS - Image
