Just Like Bugs, Fish LOVE Lights

Especially totally crazy lights under a boat. Caleb called late (really late I might add) on Monday night to tell me to get down to the dock, there was a fish flurry feeding frenzy going on! Filled with stripers, large and small and tons of hickory shad (?).
We stayed for about 45 minutes and saw so many fish and lots of stripers. There were two very large ones that Caleb thinks weighed about 25 lbs!

Check out the video. Nope, this isn't the aquarium, just Noank!

Pine Island Clean Up: Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 8 AM!

Alright kids! I am currently recruiting volunteers for a beach clean up on Pine Island. Pine Island is right off of Groton / UCONN Avery Point. It is a small island that unfortunately gets lots of trash. Last year, Caleb and I participated in a clean up there with the Fly Fishing Club. This was organized through Connecticut Fund For the Environment's Save The Sound. To learn more, visit their website by clicking on the link. I am organizing this clean up with them this year too. (I think the fly fishing club is still doing one, but the island can definitely use a double sweep!)
Last year's clean up was in pouring rain but we had a great time. We picked up SO much trash. This trash included boat parts, monofilament line, other fishing supplies, plastic ties for lobster pots, cans, cans, cans and more. If you ever spend time at the beach and you want to give back, here is your chance! Sign up for this beach clean up and help us tidy up Pine Island. You can sign up for this clean up by sending an email to me at misskrys@hotmail.com.
I am hoping that we can all meet at Pine Island Marina Parking Lot at 8:00 am, RAIN OR SHINE, then take boats over. This means, if you own a boat- we need you! Volunteers with boats are very important, so if you have a boat and would like to help take other volunteers over to the island, please indicate this when you send me an email! Kayaks and canoes welcome!
I hope to get 20-30 people for this event. If we need to make a couple of trips in the bigger boats, it is not far.
To view pictures from last year's Pine Island Clean Up with the fly fishing club, click here!

PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING!
ALSO, Please dress appopriately. This means:
1. Dress for the weather, bring a jacket / rain jacket.
2. Wear close toed shoes and long pants! There is a very rocky terrain on the island.
3. Bring some long sleeves and gloves. (There is poison ivy in places.)
4. I will bring water and a snack for all.
5. I hope to be done NO LATER than NOON.
6. If you have a life jacket, bring it for the boat ride over!

Facts about Bobby the Mantis Shrimp

Crazy facts about Bobby the Mantis Shrimp:
1. Bobby is a member of the order stomatopoda, and is neither a mantis nor a shrimp, although he closely resembles both of them.
2. One of his interesting features is his claw. Around 400 species of mantis shrimp are divided into "spearers" and "smashers." We think that the Bobster might be a "spearer" but he was punching a lot so who knows.
3. The smashers use their claw to punch prey. The punch delivered has roughly the acceleration of a 22-caliber pistol.
4. They have been known to break the glass in an aquarium, all from one little punch from ye old fist!
5. The claw hits its prey with such great force that it actually causes cavitation bubbles between the appendage and the striking surface. The collapse of these cavitation bubbles produces measurable forces on their prey, in addition to the instantaneous forces of 1500 newtons that are caused by the impact of the appendage striking the surface, which means that the prey is hit twice by a single strike: first by the claw, then by the collapsing cavitation bubbles!
These facts were brought to you by: Wikipedia.com's article on the Mantis Shrimp.

Ichthyokids in a Whaleboat . . .

That's right, this was the size of the whaleboat that we blogged about earlier:
I have to say, we look a lot happier though. On second thoughts, Caleb's forearms sure do look yummy.

Mantis Shrimp and Ol' Blue

Well tonight we went crabbin' on ye ole trusty canoe and me new kayak, the Chubby Shark.
Strange things seen by Caleb or myself today:
1. tropical fish in Stonington waters (caleb)
2. Very large blue crab (kk & caycay)
3. Very large mantis shrimp (kk & caycay)
4. SHARK!!!! (caleb)
5. The host of Antiques Roadshow singing t.v. show themesongs. (kk)