My 8 year old son and I drove in from Cleveland, Ohio to spend a few days on the Inner Harbor and to go fishing. (His first fishing trip!) We booked a Saturday trip knowing we would be driving home afterward and would be able to keep the fish on ice. Unfortunately, Saturdays tend to see a bit more boat traffic and the wind had changed from the previous days causing the fish to be a little slow in biting. This was not acceptable to Captain Marion and he made sure we left with fish in hand.
We arrived at the marina at 6:00 AM and set sail for a delightful 2-hour boat ride to where the fish were most active. It was a relaxing trip and Captain Marion was great and knowledgeable company. The time on the flat water enjoying the roar of the motor and the sunshine flew by. When we first arrived at the fishing location we dropped the live bait lines and within 3 minutes had snagged our first striped bass. My son reeled it in and we had a keeper. Thereafter, the fishing was slow as the wind changed direction and the tide rolled heavy. We had a few nibbles but no good bites to set. Caption Marion moved the boat several times and communicated with other locals in an attempt to find the best location. We could see that the other boats were also having little success. When time came for us to head back and the other boats began to leave Captain Marion would not accept sending us home to Ohio with a single fish. He went above and beyond and extended the trip feeling confident that waiting out the tide and other boats we be successful. We ultimately found a spot where he thought we could have success and we dropped anchor instead of drifting and cast our lines. About 15 minutes later we snagged our second stripped bass. That followed by simultaneously catching another stripped bass and a catfish! We then hooked another stripped bass which looked too small to keep and managed to fight its way off the hook as I was guiding him to the net. Still, we continued to fish to see if we could hook anything else. We managed to get a few more nibbled on the bottom of the water but they were more nibbles than full on bites at the bait and ultimately our net hull for the day was three stripped bass and a catfish.
Other than the catfish, my son reeled in all of the fish we successfully caught. I am convinced that they way the fish were nibbling at the bait the skill of Captain Marion was the difference that allowed us to hook more than a fish or two. He carefully followed the nibbled and moved the rod so to get the hook set when there was not a solid bite. He went above and beyond to ensure my son had the best possible time he could have while fishing and extended the trip by a good amount of time to make it happen.
We cannot control nature. The plan going in based upon the previous days catch was that we would catch our limit rather quickly and then take my son bait fishing for the extra time so he could hook as many fish as possible. Things changed but Captain Marion’s patience and genuine care for his client’s made all the difference. Although he in no way had to he extended the trip and made sure that we caught our share and my son had a memorable first trip live bait fishing on the boat. He did it with a smile on his face never making us feel a burden. He was also willing to accommodate my son at the beginning of the trip having gotten ill from taking motion sickness meds prior to leaving the dock (which I do not recommend).
We made it home on Saturday evening and cooked up our catch on Sunday. The stripped bass was fantastic and the extra bonus of catfish nuggets made the meal!
Thank you Captain Marion for a great trip. We enjoyed meeting and chatting with you and had a great time on the water. We highly recommend this fishing charter and will make sure to book again.
I highly recommend Capt. Marion for those looking for serious fishing. If your goal is to sit back and drink a bunch of beers possibly look elsewhere.
My 8 year old son and I drove in from Cleveland, Ohio to spend a few days on the Inner Harbor and to go fishing. (His first...
