Family Fun on the Choptank

Type: Nontidal
Region: Eastern
Location: The upper Choptank River located about 3 miles east of Goldsboro

On Sunday, I enjoyed spending a couple of hours fishing with my son and my youngest of three daughters. Mom and the older two daughters went shopping. Fish or no fish, I knew we would have a better afternoon. Our trip began with collecting worms from underneath logs and digging in the garden. After collecting about three dozen worms, off we went. Our destination � the upper, upper Choptank River located about 3 miles east of Goldsboro. For those of you familiar with the famous white perch destination �Red Bridges�, we were about another 5 miles upstream. After baiting the first hook, and negotiating who could cast first�., the fishing began. My son caught the first one � a nice 8.5 inch red-eared sunfish. He then managed to catch the next four before my youngest daughter managed to catch her first fish. In total, we caught ten fish � mixture of red-breasted sunfish and bluegills. Anywhere there was some still water, we managed to catch fish. This stretch of the river is pretty wooded, and while I was not able to walk the stream too far with my kids, another guy in his 20s walked by us doing so. This guy told us that he had managed to catch a chain pickerel, a 2 lb bass and a few sunfish. He also told me that he lived near-by, and grew up fishing this stretch of the Choptank with his grandfather. While I didn�t ask, and he didn�t say, I�m sure he was reminiscing about fishing with his grandfather. I can�t imagine that what I�m about to say is uncommon with others who grew up fishing and/or hunting in the outdoors � that is some of my most vivid childhood memories are those for which I spent fishing and/or hunting with my father and grandfather. Why that is, I�m not sure, but there is something special about a child�s exposure to the outdoors. So, find some time and take your kids or a friend fishing. Fish or no fish, the chance you�ll create a life-lasting memory is greater than sitting in front of the TV or computer. Best of luck!