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FALL
FISHING '07
Here are some great fishing tips, stories, and photos.
Covers fall '07. Maryland region and more... | |
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 Pocomoke
River - Part I
Fresh Tidal,
Bald Cypress Swamp
Worchester County, MD
10/19/07
Submitted By: Mark Burchick
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Dave, Jeff and I took the day off and
went fishing. It was humid and in
the upper 70's, with much needed rain
much of the day. At times we were
standing in water in the boat, and had
to bail several times. I did not
get nearly as many photos as I would
have like to, because I did not want to
get my camera wet. We were all
saturated for much of the day!
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In a book by Bill Sipple he states
that the Pocomoke cypress swamps
were heavily harvested in the 1850's
for shingle making, with cypress
measuring four to eight feet in
diameter, and with knees reaching
eight to ten feet high. He
mentions a botanist from 1881
who noted a nine foot diameter tree.
To see old-growth cypress swamps
today, you would have to go to
Congaree River National Park in
South Carolina.
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In an account of extinct wild
animals, William Marye recorded
black bear, elk, cougar, panther,
bison, timber wolf, ivory-billed
woodpecker and Carolina parakeet as
having lived in the remote, southern
portions of the eastern shore prior
to the 1700's.
John Muir, the founder of the US
National Park Service visited the
Pocomoke cypress/cedar swamps in
1898.
In 1912 a famous botanist by the
name of Brooke Meanley said that the
Pocomoke River reminded him of the
Santee in South Carolina and that
the swamp was infested by horseflies
by day and mosquitoes by night.
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Dr. Sipple says that the
"Pocomoke may be the greatest
wetland system in Maryland due to
its phytogeography, rare and
uncommon plants and animals, as well
as its isolation and uniqueness."
The forested swamp is 30-miles long
and one-half to two-miles wide and
dominated by bald cypress, swamp
tupelo, green ash and red maple and
with the forest stream border
dominated by spatterdock.
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The Pocomoke represents the
extension of the deep swamps of the
south, with the Delmarva populations
representing the northernmost extent
of natural bald cypress. 40%
or 111 Pocomoke plant species range
southward (with such species as
Spanish moss, cross-vine and water
oak) and only 9 species (3.2%)
ranging northward.
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The arrow is Dave's cell phone and
his pocket was filled with rain
water. We placed Dave's phone
on the truck defroster for the
evening ride back to the western
shore, but to no avail. His
Motorola Razor is history.
In a 1994 fisheries study performed
by S. P. McIninch he documents 35
fish species in the Pocomoke River,
including six species of bluegill.
Today we caught well over 50 fish
including largemouth bass, bluegill,
chain pickerel, yellow perch and
black crappie.
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Using a small white and yellow jig
and medium action rod, Dave works a
largemouth bass back to the boat.
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Nice catch! Dave had a crappie
wrapped around a tree stump.
As we motored to the stump an
enormous predator pickerel ate the
fish right before our eyes! |
Mark Burchick
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