Chesapeake & Delaware Bay Recreational Fishing Safety

by Chris D. Dollar, Alan Battista, Daniel Macelrevey

Recreational fishermen regularly visit structural features - shoals, rocks and rockpiles, wrecks, natural and artificial reefs, ruins, obstructions, bridges, and offshore facilities - many of which are navigational hazards. Why? That's where the fish are! So too are risks to vessel and personal safety. This book, with a foreword by professional fishing and kayaking guide Captain Chris D. Dollar highlighting safety needs, jump starts building of safety awareness and practices that would otherwise take years of on-the-water experience to develop. The Author, a recreational boater and fisherman, former Chesapeake Bay artificial reef manager, and Coast Guard veteran draws on decades of marine operational, safety, and fishing experience to share insights which, when effectively applied, can aid in reducing boating and fishing risks. Book content takes a fresh four season look at inherent and site-specific risks, equipment, practical safety measures, emergency corrective actions, and risks associated with tidal river hydrodynamics by assembling and supplementing details from specialized safety chapters in Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reefs and Mid-Atlantic Fishing Reefs books. Kayaking safety observations by light-tackled kayak fisherman and author Alan Battista contribute to expanding awareness of paddleboat safety. Safety around commercial vessels draws on contributions from marine and docking pilots. Many Chesapeake and Delaware Bay fishing hotspots are presented as examples of marine habitat which pose dangers to navigation to inform recognition of hazardous characteristics. Also included are details about past and present live fire military target and test areas, some of which are well known and others which have been forgotten and are uncharted, and all of which potentially hold unexploded ordnance. Whether new to boating on or fishing Bay waters and tidal tributaries or an accomplished recreational fisher, you'll find insights and tips inside that will assist in bringing you home safely with your catch.