Photography: A Fine Day for Fishing

Tuesday was a beautiful day for sailing and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay.

The weather Tuesday on the Chesapeake Bay was beautiful. The temperature is usually much cooler on the open water of the bay during the spring because the bay's water temperature is still quite cool this time of year, but on Tuesday, light winds and bright sunshine made for very mild conditions on the water. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon for fishing.

Every spring, striped bass swim up the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn in the Bay's tidal tributaries before returning back to the Atlantic. On Tuesday, the Symantec Corporation held a fishing tournament on the bay called the Chesapeake Challenge, with a goal to raise money for our area's homeless families.

Keep reading to see a photo of my trophy fish and to learn more about the new face of the homeless in the D.C. area. When will the rain return? See our full forecast and don't miss NatCast for the outlook for tonight's game.

My fish measured 37" but the tournament winner was 46.5".

Many trophy fish were caught Tuesday in the tournament, but the real success story of the day was that the event helped raise over $20,000 for the Stepping Stones Shelter of Rockville, MD. The Stepping Stones Shelter provides homeless families the opportunity to regain independence by offering food and shelter in a positive atmosphere. At the dinner that followed the tournament, Robin Sparer, executive director of Stepping Stones, explained that families are losing homes due to foreclosures after over-extending themselves on mortgages. She used an example of a family that recently lost their one million dollar home and ended up bankrupt after going in deep debt following the foreclosure. The family is now living in the shelter and Robin explained this is becoming the new face of the homeless in our area.

Fishing for striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay Tuesday afternoon.

Hans Littman poses for a photo while fighting a large striped bass.