This summer I wanted to catch a big rockfish. So this summer, me and my dad learned how to catch them. Our first two times we did not catch any rockfish. But then we figured it out and started to get the hang of it and started catching them. So during the summer my dad and I had a blast. But I still hadn’t caught a big one yet. I asked if I could go[...]

The promise of freezing temperatures may be just the inspiration you need to plan a trip to try your hand at ice fishing. This winter sport offers not only an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the season, but could yield fresh table fare for those willing to brave the cold. In Western Maryland, anglers can typically expect a few weeks of “hardwater” angling. Here are a few choice spots and safety[...]

If you tell someone you are headed to a muskrat-centric weekend, they might look at you a little funny. That is, unless they are from the Eastern Shore. In that case, they’ll tell you that you are in for a treat. First things first—what’s the deal with these muskrats, sometimes marketed in the restaurants of yesteryear as “marsh rabbits?” Most folks get them a bit mixed up with beaver, otter, and the like. They are[...]

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[...]

For more than half a century, Maryland has been hosting youth fishing events. Not only do these events carry on the fishing tradition throughout the state, they also give youngsters a chance to hone their skills and even develop a hobby that can last a lifetime. Getting kids away from their phones and video games and into the outdoors can teach them valuable life lessons, and it’s a great way to spend quality time with[...]

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[...]

If you tell someone you are headed to a muskrat-centric weekend, they might look at you a little funny. That is unless they are from the Eastern Shore. In that case, they’ll tell you that you are in for a treat. First things first—what’s the deal with these muskrats, sometimes marketed in the restaurants of yesteryear as “marsh rabbits?” Most folks get them a bit mixed up with beaver, otter, and the like. They are[...]

Located on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, Sandy Point State Park provides fly fishers and their family and friends a great destination for fly fishing and a lot more. There plenty of sandy shoreline available for wading and fly fishing and the option to walk out along the stone pier to fish in deeper waters. With a boat and excellent launch facilities available, fly fishers can fish for striped bass, white perch, bluefish, white perch[...]

Where the free flowing river meets the tidally influenced river, the Choptank River at Red Bridges Trail site in Caroline County provides for a very unique fly fishing experience. For three seasons of the year, the menu of fish species that can be caught by fly fishers changes. Spring brings yellow perch followed by white perch, hickory shad and river herring. Then in the summer the menu changes to largemouth bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill, crappie[...]