If you are looking for a way to follow social distancing guidelines and have some fun in the fresh air, it’s time to try your hand at shad fishing. Seasoned anglers say the time to go shad fishing is when the dogwood trees are in bloom. Hickory shad start showing in the upper bay tributaries by mid-March; the run peaks in late April and goes into early June. The larger and more sought after American[...]

Northern snakehead: a species that sparks both disdain and adoration. As controversial as they may be, there’s no denying the excitement of pitching flies into their path. These frankenfish, native to Asia, have been making quite the splash throughout parts of the Eastern Seaboard for two decades. Anglers are drawn to their explosive strike, raw power, and succulent meat. But here’s the catch: at the end of the day, they’re still an invasive species that[...]

Tuna are some of the biggest, most powerful, most exciting fish in the ocean — and if you’re fishing off the coast of Maryland, there’s a good chance you’ll find those tunas far offshore at the canyons. There are five Mid-Atlantic canyons within range of many of the sportfishing boats running from Maryland: Wilmington Canyon to the far north, then Baltimore Canyon, Poorman’s Canyon, Washington Canyon, and finally Norfolk Canyon to the far south. The[...]

Hunting on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is without question one of my favorite outdoor activities, but there’s one hunt I recall a few years ago that was far more memorable than most. One of the hunters in our party was a Marine who had been severely injured while serving in Iraq. I first met Lt. Andrew Kinard while visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. I had no idea how that visit would change[...]

Fashion news rarely makes it into the hunting scene. However, this year Maryland’s Blaze Pink bill sponsored by Senator Addie Eckart, and created by young huntresses Paige and Brooke Simonsen of Easton, made a huge statement – fashion and otherwise. As a female hunter (one who admittedly has always worn mascara deer hunting, even under my ski mask in case a post-hunting picture with a trophy buck happened to come into play) and, okay, one[...]

Freshwater With water temps ranging between 68-75 degrees, fishing across the state is at its peak. Anglers have reported prime spawning conditions when targeting bass, snakeheads are still being spotted guarding fry balls, and fishermen and women are consistently catching brown and brook trout on dry flies in the streams and creeks. Prime locations include Loch Raven Reservoir and Deep Creek Lake. Located just north of Baltimore, Loch Raven is ideal for any angler. This[...]

Drive through the Eastern Shore of Maryland during the hot summer months and you’ll see field after field loaded with bright, cheery sunflowers; their yellow petals popping against the red barns. It’s a picturesque scene for sure, but to the dove hunter, it’s even more picturesque when the sunflowers shrivel to brown. Dove hunting is something my husband and I have enjoyed with friends at a nearby farm since we started dating. These days, our[...]

Just this past week, a large push of rockfish have come out of the rivers and are setting up on the humps just north and south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. There are many ways to target these fish. We have been very successful jigging on them in 15-20ft of water, using 3/4oz jig heads and 4” Bloody Point Chartreuse shad. If the current is strong, we noticed that using 1oz jigs and a 5”[...]

I began my career with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a forest ranger in 1987; a year later I accepted a position with the Wildlife Division. Never a big advocate of hunting, I had learned about wildlife population management in college and understood the sports’ recreational and management values. Still, I had much to learn. Working in a division primarily funded through federal dollars and hunting license sales, I wanted to see what[...]