All of Maryland’s natural beauty springs open for the enjoyment of sportsmen and women with the coming of spring. As the days grow longer and the temperatures warmer, it’s time to grab your fishing gear and head out to take advantage of the abundance of perch and trout stocks throughout the state. Three Fish to Chase this Spring Yellow Perch: Yellow perch are a favorite sportfish in Maryland – especially in the Chesapeake Bay area[...]
As avid hunters, one of the best and most rewarding things we can do is pass the love for our sport on to the next generation. The good news is that it’s fairly easy to get kids interested, as many are naturally interested in wildlife and nature, but some will take to it slower than others. You can start by watching turkeys and deer at close range and show your kids the little things. Just[...]
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[...]
We knew where they should be, and we can affirm that catching big fish right there that time of year with heavy jig-heads and plastic baits on conventional spinning gear is quite doable. We’ve done that. But, could we dial in an effective fly pattern, achieve the perfect drift, and get the nearly weightless fur, feathers and wide-gape hooks down in the rip-current to where the fish were hunkered? There was only one way to[...]
About White Perch Ask anyone in Maryland to tell you the first fish they caught, and the most likely answer will be a white perch. (Morone americana). Close cousins to striped bass, they’ll take an artificial lure quicker than a whipstitch on a shad dart. They’re prolific in most tidal streams, and they are great fun to catch. Not just for kids either - there are plenty of full-grown adults, including this old stump jumper[...]
Being a Multi species angler growing up in Maryland, at a young age Steven found himself in love with fly fishing and hoped to make a living off of it. Soon he realized that Snakehead fishing doesn't compare to any other species in Maryland let alone the States. What makes Maryland unique? No matter where you are in Maryland, you're within driving distance of mountain trout streams, ponds and lakes, tidal and brackish rivers, saltwater[...]
With almost 29,000 acres of fully protected marshlands, forests and tidal waters, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge offers very unique opportunities for fly fishing for northern snakeheads, striped bass, speckled trout, redfish, flounder and bluefish. You will need a boat with a shallow draft to take full advantage of all that these seemingly endless tidal creeks, open waters and marshlands have to offer. From the soft launch, you can head west and fish the marsh edges[...]
Protected by multiple state parks and conservation areas during its journey through Harford County on the way to the Susquehanna River, Deer Creek offers fly fishers three seasons of three very different fly fishing experiences. Spring brings hickory shad swimming all the way up the Chesapeake Bay and the lower Susquehanna River and entering Deer Creek to spawn well upstream. Once you hook into one of these silver sided jumpers, you will need to take[...]
If you are looking for a place to fly fish with family members, somewhere to fish during the middle of the winter, or a spot to fly cast from an ADA accessible fishing platform, then you definitely need to head to Unicorn Lake in upper Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore. You can fly fish from an extensive section of shoreline as well as in the spillway and stream below the dam. If you[...]
White Marlin As anglers in the “White Marlin Capital of the World,” we know a thing or two about these big, strong, exciting billfish. White marlin, who primarily stick to the deep waters of the Atlantic, are famous for being fierce fighters when hooked, engaging in what’s called “tail-walking” on the water’s surface and high-flying acrobatic jumps. For those who don’t have their own boat or are seeking tips on how to catch their first[...]