History In Maryland, duck hunting traces its roots to the colonial era, with settlers relying on waterfowl for sustenance. As the state developed, hunting traditions persisted, adapting to changing conservation needs. In the early 20th century, there was a growing awareness of the importance of regulating hunting to protect waterfowl populations. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 marked a significant milestone, granting federal protection to migratory birds and regulating hunting practices. This legislation influenced[...]

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[...]

In our state of Maryland, September and October brings more than spectacular foliage. As stockings pick up and anglers concentrate on other species, fall bring with it a pleasant shift in trout fishing opportunities for both fly and spin fishermen. Throw in the fact that many Free State outdoorsmen and women are taking to the woods for the annual deer, waterfowl and small game seasons and one can imagine that many of our better trout[...]

It’s hard to imagine somewhere more quintessentially Maryland than the lower Eastern Shore. Deeply connected to both its past and a sense of place, it’s the source of most of our iconic blue crabs, the home of our remaining skipjacks and the center of some of the region’s last working maritime communities. It’s also a place where the land and water are so intertwined, it’s hard to know where one starts and the other begins[...]

The White Marlin Open (WMO) is a 48-year-old, deep-sea fishing tournament held annually in Ocean City, Maryland. It awards prize money for the biggest catches of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin, and shark. The first tournament, held in 1974, drew 57 boats, 150 anglers, and paid a total of $20,000 in prize money with the top award being $5,000. Today it is known as the “World’s Largest Billfishing Tournament,” and has awarded more[...]

In the Upper Bay area of the Susquehanna Flats and surrounding tidal rivers, largemouth bass begin to stir in March. Yellow perch spawn in early March depending on the weather. The hungry bass eat yellow perch fry since the colorful perch are the first species to hatch in the upper reaches of the bay’s tidal tributaries. White perch hatch in April, then herring, followed by largemouth and striped bass in May. Largemouth bass eat some[...]

Typically, the state begins “preseason” trout stocking in December or January, stocking rainbow, golden and brown trout and aggressively stocks for spring trout season, in February, March and April. The department also will conduct a smaller fall stocking running from September to October. You can check the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website for additional information and you can sign up for their email subscription to receive trout stocking notifications. You will also need a[...]

Hunting is a wonderful way to get the whole family outside together and to see some naturally beautiful parts of Maryland. Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days in Maryland – held twice each year for hunters aged 16 and younger -- offer a great chance for young outdoor enthusiasts to master their skills. The most recent youth waterfowl hunting day was Saturday, Feb. 8. An added bonus to the February hunt was that many of the ducks[...]

Sometime in mid-March my pulse quickens. Subtle signs, imperceptible at first, announce the arrival of spring. Daffodils and crocus appear. Even our dormant lawn starts to show signs of life. No longer do I need to pass the time watching countless fishing videos on YouTube or scrolling through tackle websites announcing the latest fly rod built with space age technology. It is time to dust off my fishing tackle and make plans to fish the[...]