“Citizen science? Not for me. I just want to go fishing.” That’s an understandable reaction. Sometimes all of us want just to kick back and relax on the water. But most of us anglers also want to learn to “think like a fish,” to hone our skills and catch more, even if we plan on releasing some of that catch. It turns out that the more we learn about ecology in our favorite waters, the[...]

As you can imagine, when a fish has a name like “northern snakehead,” there are going to be things about them that are good, bad, and ugly… but luckily, they’re also tasty. In Maryland, the love-hate relationship is so strong, there’s even a highly anticipated tournament series for them. About the Northern Snakehead First, the bad and ugly – what is a snakehead? As an invasive species in the Maryland area, the northern snakehead first[...]

She grew up in Maryland, with the Chesapeake Bay always being a part of her life. She really developed a passion for working on boats when she lived in the Caribbean for a couple years. Later she moved back to Maryland and started working on charter boats and fell in love with working and fishing on the bay for a living. Since then she decided to get her captains license a few years ago and[...]

The Eastern shore of Maryland is home to winding rivers, miles of marshes, and the emerald green waters of the Tangier sound. Monster fish dwell in the depths, drawing in anglers from across the country and producing (in my opinion) some of the best fishing in the world. These backwaters are often best accessed on a kayak, and by the end of this article you’ll know exactly where to go and what to throw for[...]

Included in this wide span of surf is Assateague State Park, located on Assateague Island. This is the only oceanfront park in Maryland and is a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Sinepuxent Bay on the west. This park is a great spot for weekend camping. Its 300 pet-friendly sites fill up fast so be sure to book early. Assateague’s two miles of ocean beaches offer swimming, beachcombing, sunbathing[...]

Included in that wide span of surf is Assateague State Park, located on Assateague Island. This is the only oceanfront park in Maryland and is a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Sinepuxent Bay on the west. This park is a great spot for weekend camping. Its 300 pet-friend sites fill up fast so be sure to book early. Assateague’s two miles of ocean beaches offer swimming, beachcombing, sunbathing[...]

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[...]

Central Tochterman’s Tackle, at 1925 Eastern Avenue in Baltimore City is the oldest family-owned tackle shop not only in the central region but in the country. Thomas G. Tochterman, Sr. opened the store in February 1916 and they are still at the same address. Originally, Mr. Tochterman sold confections, but soon started selling soft crabs and peelers to local anglers to use for bait. Before long he added bamboo fishing poles and started making cork[...]