During late fall and early winter there are lots of outdoor opportunities for anglers and hunters to take advantage of. It's often a confusing time of year, as I don't know whether to reach for the salt water rods, freshwater rods, the deer hunting rifle or the duck call. Obviously I can't do them all at once, but there are times, when conditions are right, that at least two of my fall outdoor passions can be linked into an enjoyable morning on the water. And in a place like the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, with its myriad of coastal bays and back water creeks, it's possible to do a little duck hunting along with some rockfishing. I believe the popular term for this kind of outing is called "cast n' blast."

I first witnessed this so-called "cast and blast" strategy when I was a federal game warden down in Texas. I would often check waterfowl hunters along the bayou who not only had a mess of ducks, but often a cooler full of redfish and speckled trout as well. The boats seemed uncomfortable, with guns, decoys, rods and coolers all crammed into small tin boats, but from their smiles it didn't seem to bother them. Though I did a lot of hunting and fishing in Texas, I never had the chance to do the bayou cast and blast outing. But I did take mental notes and have since applied it here along the Eastern Shore on several occasions.

During the month of December and even into January, it's possible to both duck hunt in the early morning hours and then shift to striper fishing during the later part of the day. Of course the potential of success often depends on tides, water temperature, location of the hunt and appropriate harvest seasons for the state. So if the conditions are right and the ducks are uncooperative, trading rod for gun can sometimes be a viable swap.

GAME PLAN
Much of the gunning around the seaside of the Eastern Shore is for both puddle ducks and diving ducks. If I am hunting puddle ducks I usually find myself gunning around brackish water creeks and ponds. Depending on which area I'm going to, I'll use either a small motorized boat, canoe or my kayak. Fishing opportunities linked to this kind of hunting usually limits me to casting bucktails or jigs around grass lined banks, cuts or under small creek bridges. But if the water temperatures are holding above 48 degrees, these areas can hold some nice fish well into the season.

On the other hand if I am hunting diving ducks or brant, we're usually out in a larger boat and hunting around wide deep water channels and near larger tidal creeks that dump into large shallow bays. These hunting locations put us closer to deep water or in some cases near an ocean inlet, giving us a shot at some different angling possibilities.

On one occasion while out hunting with a friend for brant and diving ducks, our blind was right along a bank, which dropped off sharply to deep water. We bagged a few birds just after sunrise and then things got real slow. It was about this time that I broke out my eight foot spinning rod, rigged it with a fish finder rig, complete with fresh cut bunker and tossed it out into the deep water just out from the blind. Yes, it wasn't a pretty sight and when we had to swing on a few incoming birds, I caught a lot of abuse about the damn rod being in the way. The rod didn't bother the birds and I didn't catch anything, but I'm sure this awkward method of fishing can be productive at the right times. I plan on trying it again this season, regardless of what my hunting partners say.

GEARING UP
If after a morning of duck hunting you plan on fishing, you'll have to decide ahead of time where you plan on rockfishing. Around the seaside of the Eastern Shore you have three areas that will hold rockfish during the late fall and early winter. These include bridges and banks; deep channels or cuts; and the rips out near the inlet or along the beach. Weather and your boat size should dictate where you can go.

Fishing method options include casting, jigging or trolling. If you plan on casting around shorelines, deep cuts or under bridges, you'll need a light tackle rod and a handful of lead head jigs, bucktails and some metal spoons. For jigging, say in deep channels or near the inlet, I recommend some larger lead head jigs, heavy jigs and metal spoons. And if you plan to troll around the inlet, you'll need big swimming plugs, heavy spoons, big bucktails or rubber eels. For casting light lures, bring a 6-7 foot spinning rod loaded with at least 12-17 pound test line. For jigging duty, I use a fast taper 7-foot spinning rod with 20 pound test line. And if we plan on trolling, I bring a conventional outfit loaded with at least 30-40 pound test line. Lately I've been using the new Supreme line made by Shakespeare. You'll also want to bring a few pre-tied 3 ft. leaders made of 60 pound fluorocarbon line for trolling heavy stuff.

Probably the most important items to take with you on a "cast n blast" adventure is a good life jacket and your appropriate hunting and fishing licenses. (I know from my law enforcement days that some sportsmen can sometimes forget one or the other). You'll also need a marine radio and room for all the gear, which is going to include decoys, guns, fishing rods, coolers and personal clothing. And as always, make sure you let someone know where you are and when you'll be back, 'cause if the fishing is better than the gunning, you may be in a little later than most of those early morning duck hunters.