Harrison’s Chesapeake House Rocks On!

Spring rockfish season brings excitement and along with it, the Harrison Family Invitational Fishing Trip. Great stories, camaraderie, food, fish and hospitality which are Harrison family traditions, abound during this time they dedicate to say thanks to their customers and friends. This year, the event was held on May 9-10, 2007 with the center of fun and activities being Harrison’s Chesapeake House on Tilghman Island, Maryland.

The event started on the evening of May 9th as we swapped recollections of great times previously had at Harrison’s. These stories were shared over cocktails, raw oysters and snacks and continued later in the dining room, where we enjoyed the famous crab cakes and fried chicken along with country style fixings. The masters of ceremony, Buddy Harrison and Buddy Harrison Jr., welcomed all in attendance as they and the Chesapeake House staff made sure that everyone enjoyed themselves. There were many statements about how long they have enjoyed the great hospitality provided by the Harrison’s throughout the generations. Lou Rodia told how he had been coming to fish with the Harrison’s for 44 years. He was already enjoying his 4th generation of Harrison’s and enjoyed bringing his children and grandchildren. Many of the guests had been coming to Harrison’s Chesapeake House for 20 years or more. Several guests noted how important it is to take our next generation fishing and making it a positive experience. Even those who had only been visiting a few years promised they would always come back to the fine hospitality Harrison’s is known for.

The next day began with an early call for a famous Harrison’s fisherman’s breakfast before heading out for a great day of fishing and hospitality. Shortly after 6:00 a.m. the “Dawn Marie” headed out into the misty fog, which did nothing to dampen the spirits of the crew. The beautiful 46 foot bay built boat fully equipped with state of the art electronics including a fish finder, radar and global positioning system (GPS) guided us safely through the fog. Captain John Motovidlak’s 45 years of fishing experience would take us through an incredible and unforgettable day of fishing action.

What a fantastic day it was. Our first striped bass hit at 8:05 am and was pulled in my John Swinton and measured 34 1⁄2”. Minutes later, the second fish was on and was pulled in by Chelly Scala, measuring 33 1⁄2 “. Robert Brunner pulled in a 29 1⁄2” rockfish at about 8:10 a.m. Randy Reynolds pulled in a real striped brute measuring 42” at 8:45 a.m. Not to be out done by Randy, Carl Engleman also pulled in a 42” striper at 9:05 a.m. The sixth and seventh fish were released as they were between the early season slot sizes of 35 to 41 inches. Charlie Evans pulled in one of the fish that was released which measured 40 1⁄2 “. Bud Wood caught a nice 41” rockfish at 9:37 a.m. Two more stripers were released before our final keeper made it to the boat at 10:00 a.m.

The charter boat, “Rock It”, with Captain Tim “TK” Kastel at the helm treated his customers to an exciting day of rockfish action on May 10 by trolling the shipping channel edges between Parker’s Creek and Taylor’s Island. TK showed his skill at handling the large fiberglass deadrise charterboat while getting two large planer boards overboard and a total of 12 rigged fishing rods in the water. Throughout our entire day of fishing, there were no line twists or tangles and none of fish hooked up were lost. At times, the Rock It crew had two big stripers hooked at a time. In the course of catching the 2007 spring season limit of one fish per person at either 28 to 35 inches or over 41 inches, we also had to release 9 hefty stripers between 35 and 41 inches. TK noted that the timing for our May 10 coincided with catching rockfish which appeared to be part of a post-spawn pulse of stripers that were not carrying any roe. The tired but happy crew aboard the Rock It on May 10 included Bill Lescallett, Kevin Beard, Dave Jones, Robin Beard, Allen Hudson, and Steve Scala. Our 6 stripers ranged from 33 inches to 43 inches in length, with the two heaviest weighing in at 20 and 24 pounds each. Our catch provided lots of fillets for the trip home which were cleaned, wrapped and iced down by staff at the Harrison’s fish cleaning dock.

Besides the excellent table fare and grilling opportunities it provides, fishing memories last a life time. Consider taking a child, relative or friend fishing and make the place Harrison’s Chesapeake House. There are several options to choose from which combine fishing with great lodging and food on beautiful Tilghman Island. Among these is the Buddy Plan Fishing Package which includes breakfast, fishing and a boxed lunch for only $145 per person. Another popular option offered is the Super Fishing Package which offers overnight accommodations (based on double occupancy), dinner, breakfast, fishing and boxed lunch on the boat for $249 per person. A great fishing season in Maryland Chesapeake Bay waters is just getting underway and offers a summertime and fall of excitement and good times. Call Harrison’s Chesapeake House at (410) 886-2121 or visit their website at www.chesapeakehouse.com to find out more.

Photo: This group fishing aboard the Dawn Marie out of Harrison’s Chesapeake House on Tilghman Island enjoyed a great spring striped bass season in May. Steve Scala photo..