Red Drum Red drum are generally iridescent silvery-gray in overall color, with a coppery cast that is usually darker on the back and upper sides. They also have one (or more) black ocellar spots on the upper sides near the base of the tail and elongated and robust body. Their Maximum adult size is nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters) total length and the largest caught in Maryland in 1977 in the Tangier sound weighed just[...]

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[...]

I am very fortunate to have been born into a family of avid outdoorsmen. Although I have few memories of my grandfather (his nickname was “Pop Daddy”), as he died when I was 6 years old, my father told me that he had a reputation for being a knowledgeable, self-taught naturalist and avid hunter and fisherman. Folks used to say, "If Pop Daddy isn’t catching them, there is no reason to go." I have wonderful[...]

Fishing for Smallmouth Bass In largemouth bass the maxillary always extends past the back edge of the eye. Smallmouth bass are typically brown, bronze, or tan in color. Smallmouth bass also have dark vertical bars which are usually green or gray in color. In the largemouth bass you would see dark lateral band. Smallmouth like cool, clear streams with moderate current, as well as large, clear lakes. Preferred habit has a gravel or rubble substrate[...]

White perch are semi-anadromous members of the family, Moronidae, that migrate to tidal fresh and slightly brackish waters each spring to spawn.​ Silver in color with a slightly projecting lower jaw and teeth, white perch may reach a mature length of 19 inches but are more commonly found around 7 to 10 inches, weighing from 8 ounces to 1 pound.​ The largest was caught in the Chesapeake Bay and weighed 2.6 pounds. Seasons While the[...]

Bluegill Members of the sunfish plan, Bluegills are olive green with some light yellow on their belly with dark bands running up and down. They have small mouths and an oval shaped body. Typically about 6 inches, they are found inshore from the Great Lakes to Florida—and here in Maryland in all tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay with salinity less than 18 ppt. Freshwater fish, although they will venture into slightly salty water, blue gills[...]

What are the Numbers Every boat captain on the Chesapeake Bay can show you a different way to tie your shoe, but the fact is that there is no single correct way or depth at which to troll. It's really just a matter of finding the right fish. One way we help key in on the fish is by covering all depths of the water column. This means running 3-5 rods, with two rods trolling[...]