1. VENZ CRABMEAT PRODUCTION ON SHAKY GROUND. Between the electricity outages and fuel shortages, it is a wonder they can produce any crabmeat at all. Demand is outstripping the supply. Prices are inching higher each week. We have crested the $21 mark. I hope this is it for increases but not totally sure.
2. LOCAL OCEAN CITY MD SCALLOP SEASON IS WIDE OPEN!!! Our very own Capt Derrick Hoy is back at it again catching his 600 lb daily trip limit of BEAUTIFUL DRY Atlantic Sea Scallops. They are BIG – counting 13 to the pound ! Feature these scallops on your menu now. He will scallop out of Ocean City most of the summer. These scallops are, without question, the freshest (24 hours out of the water), best tasting scallops you have ever tasted.
3. LOCAL MARYLAND PICKING HOUSES ARE CRANKED UP. It seems everyone got all the pickers they wanted so the potential is there to produce lots of local crabmeat this summer. Right now, starting out, prices are high, over $30 on jumbo, but I do not believe those price levels can be sustained for very long.
4. LOCAL ROCKFISH CAUGHT IN DELAWARE BAY. With all Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay closed to commercial rock fishing, and most of the Virginia Bay fishermen are gearing up to go crabbing, the only area producing wild rock consistently is Delaware Bay. The fish are nice but there just isn’t that many being caught. New York is running the price up quickly.
5. SOUTH CAROLINA PEELER RUN IS WINDING DOWN. We will have a few soft crabs to start the week – prices have leveled off for now. With water temps in the mid 60’s, big peeler runs in the NORTH Carolina Sounds are still 2 weeks away.
6. MAHI MARKET CRASH. After a brief period above the $12 mark, high volume mahi landings in Central America forced the market back under $10 on fillets.
7. ALASKAN HALIBUT IN THE HOUSE. We have some very nice 20/40 lb fish from Homer Alaska – prices are reasonable, about $1 per ounce
