On a crisp October afternoon, the PropTalk team headed out to do some fishing with our resident fish whisperer, Capt. Chris Dollar. While we wanted to put fish on the table, what we wanted even more was to come home with a few new tricks. And that we certainly did.
The thing that separates Capt. Dollar apart is his high regard for the fish he catches. “I only eat about 20 percent of what I catch,” he told us. “The rest go back. My freezer’s plenty full.”
And when they do go back, Dollar makes sure that they’re healthy and uninjured. Cupping a juvenile rock fish in a soft towel, he turned it upside down to calm it. The fish instantly stopped thrashing, and he ran a finger along the underbelly between the gill plate and the pelvic fin to soothe it while removing the lure.
Gently placing the fish back in the water, he revived it from its minute in the boat by sweeping it left to right along the gunwales until it darted out of his reach and disappeared. We’ll see you in another few years, fella.
We asked Dollar for some tips on careful catch techniques, which he’s developed over the last two decades fishing the Bay.
Be ready and have a game plan. How many fish do you want to keep, ideally? Are your storage coolers or kill boxes free and clear if you do need them?
Everybody has a job on this boat. When you’re reeling in a keeper, you don’t want to think about getting the net out yourself. Make sure everyone knows what role they play.
Keep your equipment on hand and in sight. You don’t want to be searching for pliers or de-hookers when you most need them, so take a minute to organize yourself and make sure everything is within arm’s reach.
Be supportive. When taking a photo of a fish who’s going to live to swim another day, support the fish’s weight by placing your hand (or your partner’s hands) underneath her belly. And make sure the camera is ready (see above).
Keep her swimming. If possible, release the fish underwater.
Get the sleepyhead moving. To get oxygen to pass over the gills, gently hold the fish’s tail, moving him back and forth through the water.
As afternoon turned into early evening, it was PropTalk’s layout designer Zach Ditmars who snagged the keeper rock while trolling in the Severn River. Ditmars, like Dollar, has a full freezer, so he let senior editor Duffy Perkins take dinner home, but not before he and Dollar led a master class in fish filet technique from the back of his pickup truck. Those two are talented when it comes to sharp knives.
Fishing is an art form. It is animal instinct and appreciation; concentration and consideration. And it pays to learn it from the masters.
And when they do go back, Dollar makes sure that they’re healthy and uninjured. Cupping a juvenile rock fish in a soft towel, he turned it upside down to calm it. The fish instantly stopped thrashing, and he ran a finger along the underbelly between the gill plate and the pelvic fin to soothe it while removing the lure.
Gently placing the fish back in the water, he revived it from its minute in the boat by sweeping it left to right along the gunwales until it darted out of his reach and disappeared. We’ll see you in another few years, fella.
We asked Dollar for some tips on careful catch techniques, which he’s developed over the last two decades fishing the Bay.