Sea Bass

Ocean City party boats are reeling in plenty of black sea bass.After a one- to two-hour ride to an offshore wreck, the captain carefully positions the party boat over the wreck so all the anglers can fish over it. The fish are attracted to these wrecks because there are so many places in them to hide and food is plentiful.When the captain shouts, "Put 'em down folks," everyone drops their 6- to 8-ounce sinker and No. 1/0 wide-gap hooks to the bottom and waits for the first bite. It is usually only seconds before anglers begin to catch sea bass averaging 1 to 3 pounds.

You can say this about Hyatt: It keeps its properties fresh. I was looking back at the different concepts that have populated the Hyatt Regency Baltimore on Light Street since 1981. Who remembers Berry & Elliott's, the upper-story predecessor to now-bygone Pisces? You'd have to be a real old-timer to remember the Trellis Garden, the original name for the third-floor dining facility that eventually became Bistro 300. The name remains the same - and, really, who could improve on Bistro 300?

This is the time to take a kid fishing since it's almost impossible not to catch a fish from one of Ocean City's piers or the U.S. 50 bridge.Though the much sought-after flounder are becoming harder to find in the bay, Norfolk spot, small sea bass and tiny snapper blues are abundant. The spot, which are averaging 7 to 9 inches in length, are getting the interest of locals and visitors alike. The spot, one of which we heard tipped the scales at 1 pound, 2 ounces, are definitely large enough to eat.The Norfolk spot take bloodworms or night crawlers for bait.

One of the first things the new owners of Blue Agave did when they took over was to prop open the front doors. Now when you walk by the Light Street entrance of this Federal Hill restaurant, it looks like a place that's ready for company. Inside, they enlarged the bar area and made some subtle but effective cosmetic changes to the cantina-style dining room. Then they got busy on social media, reassuring Blue Agave's old customers and encouraging new visitors. The new Blue Agave, they said, would keep the classics but introduce something new - fun. The new owners are led by Brian Acquavella, who spent 10 years at the popular Macky's in Ocean City , where the atmosphere, its website says, is "upbeat and laid back.

Hungry for fish at P.F. Chang's China Bistro? The Hot Fish, with crispy catfish slices in a Szechwan sauce, sounds fun, but its calorie and fat counts are steep. If you choose the Oolong Marinated Sea Bass instead, you'll save a whopping 817 calories and 59 grams of fat, including 11 grams of saturated fat, along with 71 grams carbohydrate. Hot Fish Per serving: 1,338 calories 60 grams protein 71 grams fat 14 grams saturated fat 111 grams carbohydrate 8 grams fiber Oolong Marinated Sea Bass Per serving: 521 calories 64 grams protein 12 grams fat 3 grams saturated fat 40 grams carbohydrate 3 grams fiber Nutritional analysis and photos from P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

This recipe from Jerry Edwards, owner of Chef's Express restaurant, calls for either sea bass or rockfish. HERB-CRUSTED SEA BASS OVER PANCETTA HASH Makes 4 servings SEA BASS 1 / 2 bunch fresh basil (about 12 leaves) 1 / 4 bunch fresh parsley 1 / 2 bunch fresh thyme 2 tablespoons butter 1 / 2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs four 4- to 6-ounce filets of Chilean sea bass or rockfish In food processor, blend herbs, then add butter. Remove to bowl and add breadcrumbs, blending until smooth.

The summer's sea bass blitz is on center stage for vacationers and weekend visitors fishing out of Ocean City.On a rainy, stormy day in midweek I joined Glen Burnie's Chris Jensen and Bill Bates aboard the OC Princess and brought home a dozen of the bluish-black bass.Both Anne Arundel anglers make this trip throughout the early summer months, and Bates even made plans to return during the weekend.The OC Princess, which operates out of Shantytown Pier, is 3 years old and pure state-of-the-art headboating.

If you have a sensitive conscience and palate, eating fish can be tricky. The stocks of large, wild, ocean fish are diminishing. Problems in the environment affect the catch. The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurred in the spawning grounds of giant bluefin tuna. Farm-raised fish have had their issues, both with the questionable tactic of feeding them wild fish and with the waste created when a great number of fish are raised in a contained space. Finally, there is the question of what happens when fish hits the dinner plate.

Just when we've fallen in love with Chilean sea bass, a group of chefs has risen to warn us we could love it to death. Only a few years ago, this was a fish living in obscurity in deep, cold ocean waters off South America and with the unappetizing name of Patagonian (or Antarctic) toothfish. But like an aspiring Hollywood starlet, its name was changed and it became a hit. No one cared that Chilean sea bass wasn't really a bass and didn't always come from Chile. With its white, moist flesh, it took leading roles in top American restaurants.

You can say this about Hyatt: It keeps its properties fresh. I was looking back at the different concepts that have populated the Hyatt Regency Baltimore on Light Street since 1981. Who remembers Berry & Elliott's, the upper-story predecessor to now-bygone Pisces? You'd have to be a real old-timer to remember the Trellis Garden, the original name for the third-floor dining facility that eventually became Bistro 300. The name remains the same - and, really, who could improve on Bistro 300?

Blue Agave has new owners, Brian Acquavella and Nicole Callender. They closed the Federal Hill restaurant right after Cinco De Mayo for renovations. They plan to have it back open on May 17. In the meantime, they're asking the dining public to weigh in on what the new Blue Agave should be like. A message on the restaurant's website says: "We plan on making some changes, but want to make the right ones. Please send us a message via email, Facebook , Twitter , or if you're feeling adventurous stop by in person to give us your feedback.

If you have a sensitive conscience and palate, eating fish can be tricky. The stocks of large, wild, ocean fish are diminishing. Problems in the environment affect the catch. The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurred in the spawning grounds of giant bluefin tuna. Farm-raised fish have had their issues, both with the questionable tactic of feeding them wild fish and with the waste created when a great number of fish are raised in a contained space. Finally, there is the question of what happens when fish hits the dinner plate.

Hungry for fish at P.F. Chang's China Bistro? The Hot Fish, with crispy catfish slices in a Szechwan sauce, sounds fun, but its calorie and fat counts are steep. If you choose the Oolong Marinated Sea Bass instead, you'll save a whopping 817 calories and 59 grams of fat, including 11 grams of saturated fat, along with 71 grams carbohydrate. Hot Fish Per serving: 1,338 calories 60 grams protein 71 grams fat 14 grams saturated fat 111 grams carbohydrate 8 grams fiber Oolong Marinated Sea Bass Per serving: 521 calories 64 grams protein 12 grams fat 3 grams saturated fat 40 grams carbohydrate 3 grams fiber Nutritional analysis and photos from P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

Prettyboy Reservoir -- Joe Butta reports similar conditions, water 7 feet down, with largemouth and smallmouth bass still suspended over deep water structures. They're best caught when they leave the structures to feed, with crankbaits, plastics or jigs. Liberty Resevoir -- Doug Geis at Old Reisterstown Bait and Tackle says anglers are catching smallmouth and largemouth bass, at weights as heavy as 6 pounds on live shiners and nightcrawlers. Catfish and white crappies are starting to pick up. He predicts cloud cover could help the number of catches.

Newly released government data provide the best evidence to date that some cans of light tuna - one of America's favorite seafoods - contain high levels of the toxic metal mercury. Testing by the Food and Drug Administration found that 6 percent of canned light tuna samples contained large amounts of mercury, which can cause learning disabilities in children and neurological problems in adults. The government has stated that canned light tuna is low in mercury and a good choice for pregnant women and young children.

You know how some places just look like they have a sticky floor, even if the floor is perfectly clean? Well, that's Huckas. The cavernous Canton restaurant and bar has a pocked, black cement floor that looks like it belongs in a fraternity-house basement. The shapeless interior, lined with a few booths and dotted with tall round tables, is large enough to hold 1,000 people, according to vice president of operations Vernon May. Huckas has four bar areas, plus about a million televisions, all turned to sports.

Some cooks dream of roaming through the outdoor markets of exotic lands and learning regional specialties from the locals. If you've never lived that fantasy you can at least benefit from the experiences of Chris and Carolyn Caldicott, who have produced an ambitious, beautiful and informative book that will whet the appetites of both cooks and travelers. In The Spice Routes (Publishers Group West, $35) they offer an accessible culinary guide to the most famous of these routes: the overland Silk Route and China, the Mediterranean path the Phoenicians traveled carrying spices through Europe and the routes taken by Arab caravans and the Venetians.

**** EXCELLENT*** GOOD** FAIR* POORSalt waterOCEANInshore ** According to the Department of Natural Resources, surf fishing has picked up. Snapper bluefish, spot and flounder have been taken in the surf on squid and cut mullet. Bluefish have been the most abundant. In the bays, a few large flounder have been taken by drift fishing with minnows.Offshore ** Talbot Street Pier reports that a few sea trout, three-quarters of a pound to 1 1/2 pounds, have started to show on the bottom. A few sea bass have turned up at the wrecks.

This recipe from Jerry Edwards, owner of Chef's Express restaurant, calls for either sea bass or rockfish. HERB-CRUSTED SEA BASS OVER PANCETTA HASH Makes 4 servings SEA BASS 1 / 2 bunch fresh basil (about 12 leaves) 1 / 4 bunch fresh parsley 1 / 2 bunch fresh thyme 2 tablespoons butter 1 / 2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs four 4- to 6-ounce filets of Chilean sea bass or rockfish In food processor, blend herbs, then add butter. Remove to bowl and add breadcrumbs, blending until smooth.

Mark Schek, chef and co-owner of the Rooster Cafe in Elkridge, offers a recipe for an "easy fish dish" that can be baked in the oven in 25 minutes. Baked Sea Bass With Fresh Lemon, Wine and Oregano Serves 2 Two 10-ounce whole sea bass, bone in 3 teaspoons sea salt 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 8 full sprigs of oregano (or marjoram, if available) 1 very fresh, ripe lemon 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil One 12-by-14-inch rectangle of heavy-duty aluminum foil 3 tablespoons of dry white wine Preheat oven to 375 degrees.