Saturday, September 07, 2013

Jonas Green Park Goes......Green?

This is a couple of weeks old, but I took my son, our neighbor, and my nephew fishing at Jonas Green Park in Annapolis in mid-August.  I think this was our fourth trip to the fishing park in Anne Arundel County this year.  However, things were a little different this time.  A little more.....Portland, Oregon, if you may.

Fishing, as you probably know, is a poor man's sport, which makes it ideal for me.  This is probably a terrible stereotype, but I think generally it's true.  The white guys have boats and go fishing out on the river or in the Bay.  You can always spot the pompous arrogant asses as they fly by the park in their mortgaged boats that they can't afford, plowing huge wakes behind them, cutting inside the buoys, snapping fishing lines, getting all drunk, laughing.  Sounds like I'm describing Anne Arundel County delegate Don Dwyer, doesn't it?

Everyone else fishes from the shore from parks like Jonas Green.  Cuz we can't afford a boat.  And it's true....I'm probably the only white guy fishing there.  But I honestly don't care.  Everyone there is really nice and I've learned a ton about fishing from everyone.

The fishing was about normal.  My nephew caught a 16 inch striped bass.  It was pulling on his pond rod so hard that he couldn't reel it in, so one of the ladies next to us ran over and pulled the line in for him.  He was pretty excited, except that he wouldn't hold the fish for a pose.  He likes to fish, but he's a bit intimidated by the fish.

My son caught a stingray, but that's not a big deal on the Severn River.  Stingrays are like squirrels. They're everywhere.  I wonder if stingray are good to eat.  Anyway, we caught a bunch of white perch, several spot, and a couple of blue fish.  We used razor clams as bait on bottom rigs, for those interested in tackle.

The thing that really caught my attention on this fishing trip was this new sign on the path leading to the bridge.  Jonas Green is now a "Trash Free Park".  I'm not sure if you've ever been to a fishing pier, but fisherman are not what you'd call "trash-free".  They leave crap EVERYWHERE.  Old line, dried up bait, plastic shopping bags, cans, bottles, snelled hook packages, McDonald's sandwich wrappers..... you name it.  Fisherman a trash-douches.  Except me, of course.  I always come home with a big bag of my trash, and everyone else's trash.

Making Jonas Green Park a Trash Free Park that has "Gone Green", one of my least favorite cliches of all time, means little.  Adding this sign really doesn't do much to improve the park's image.


Now, being a trash-free park is a noble idea.  However, I'm really confused as to the method of implementation.  They put up a sign, but looking at this picture below, you can see that they removed all of the trash cans on the pier.  If you know fisherman, if there's a trash can nearby, they'll use it about 60% of the time.  If you remove all of the trash cans and tell them to take their trash to the dumpster at the far-end of the parking lot, they'll not do that 100% of the time.

Notice no trash cans:


This cracked me up.  What's hotter than fishing?  When some dude brings his hot girlfriend fishing and she's wearing skin-tight yoga pants.  They were so tight that I think she actually just painted herself black from the waste down.  She actually had a decent cast.  You can say I was a bit 'distracted' for a while.


The prize catch of the day was this 5 inch crab.  We steamed him as if we caught a bushel, then we shared him.  He was REALLY good.


And it tasted even better with this Sam Adams Oktoberfest.  And why is it that if you want Oktoberfest beer, you have to buy it in August?  When I go to the liquor store in October and ask for Oktoberfest beer, they fall down laughing at me.



Ever fish at Jonas Green Park?  If so, what is your experience?

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