OFFICIAL RULES FOR: The Maryland Office of Tourism's Great American Outdoor Show Prize Package Giveaway There is no purchase or payment of any kind required to enter the Great American Outdoor Show Prize Giveaway. The giveaway is not open to employees of the Maryland Department of Commerce (“Commerce” or “the Department”) or Miles Partnership or their families. All entrants must be 18 years or older. The Giveaway will close and the winner will be selected[...]

Casting- Easier than you think Undoubtedly, the act of fly casting is what many find as the most intimidating aspect of fly fishing. Yet, casting is actually very easy with modern fly fishing equipment. It comes naturally to most who try it and the technique is quickly enhanced with only minimal instruction. is also the most aesthetically pleasing characteristic of the sport. Fly anglers find it incredibly rewarding to observe their fly line unfurl in[...]

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a teenager from Carroll County set a new state fishing record in the Atlantic Division for sheepshead. Sykesville resident Robert Martin, 17, caught an 18-pound sheepshead Sept. 22 off the coast of Ocean City. After hearing rumors sheepshead were biting, Robert and his father, Brad Martin, took a few days off to fish in Ocean City. The father and son duo caught a staggering 11 sheepshead on[...]

Spanish Mackerel They have a green back and their silvery sides are marked with three rows of elliptical yellow spots. Spanish mackerel have a single row of cutting edged teeth in each jaw (around sixty-four teeth in all) are large, uniform, closely spaced and flattened from side to side, these teeth look very similar to those of the Bluefish. Those caught in Maryland waters tend to be between two and four pounds, though a record[...]

Maryland Crabs Adult blue crabs can grow up to nine inches. The blue crab is one of the most important species harvested in the Bay, has the highest value of any commercial fishery, and supports a recreational fishery of significant, but undetermined, value. Blue crabs are harvested as hard shell crabs, peeler crabs just prior to molting, and softshell crabs immediately after the molt. Recreational gear includes baited hand lines, mesh rings, collapsible traps, trotlines[...]

One true harbinger of spring is the traditional Opening Day of trout fishing in waters throughout Maryland. This is especially true of the myriad of streams and small lakes that lie within the Catoctin Mountains of Frederick and Washington Counties. Trout fans have the option of wading small, cascading creeks, kayaking medium-sized lakes, or hoofing it at any number of smaller ponds that all get a more than ample stocking of rainbow, brown, and golden[...]

Three years ago, I decided to make the transition from hunting casually for a week a year for elk or mule deer to someone who does not stop hunting. That journey started with a sika deer hunt with Muddy Marsh Outfitters through the Sisterhood of the Outdoors. I started hunting 13 years ago after moving to Colorado from Maryland. Now as an avid hunter, I often kick myself for not enjoying the bounties of hunting[...]

The website for the Chesapeake Conservancy and the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay office, www.FindYourChesapeake.com, includes a section devoted to virtual trips, tours, and other online experiences for those who are self-isolating in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resource is amazing for those who are looking to explore new water and fishing opportunities. Fish & Hunt Maryland picked five river tours from their offerings that are great summer fishing destinations: The Patuxent River[...]

There are few things that bring me as much joy as a squealing child as he or she hoists a gyrating sunfish up on the bank. The fish is flopping, and the child is giggling as they try to immediately pounce on this incredibly interesting form of life we know as a “fish.” By my own claim, I caught my first fish, a humble bluegill, at the age of five…and I haven’t been the same[...]