Home to the state’s highest peak—the 3,360-foot Hoye-Crest summit on Backbone Mountain—and world-famous Deep Creek Lake, home to 3,900 acres of fishing, water skiing, a sandy beach, and forested shores. Western Maryland also boasts Wisp Resort, the epicenter of skiing in the state, and summer adventure sports like rock climbing and white-water rafting. All that and cool towns like Frostburg, Hagerstown, Oakland, Cumberland, and more make this a true four-seasons destination. Back to the[...]

Recreation is a big deal in Maryland's Capital Region, which boasts tens of thousands of acres of parkland, including a national park, a state park, and regional parks that offer boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, and camping. Nestled against the Potomac River, there are plenty of access boats to transport anglers of all skill levels looking to catch some of Maryland’s favorite fish. Back to the Map

You can choose your own adventure in the heart of Maryland, at the crossroads of diverse cultural and natural landscapes. With big-city draws of Baltimore and Annapolis, maritime adventures along the Chesapeake Bay, eclectic artist spaces in the cities and downtown, rural relaxation around Carroll County, and suburban splendor in between—the Central Region is truly the heart of it all. Back to the Map

Just south of our nation’s capital, Southern Maryland welcomes visitors with fascinating historic sites, delicious seafood, and 1,000 miles of shoreline stretching over the bay and along the Potomac and Patuxent rivers. Traditional, friendly, and genuine—the people and places of Southern Maryland are as charming as its waterfront backdrop is beautiful. Back to the Map

Some of the mill ponds date back as far as the 18th century. Dams were built to capture water from creeks and small rivers. The water was then used to power gristmills, saw mills, and textile mills. All but one of the mills are now gone, but their retention ponds are still here for our recreational use; and they are loaded with fish. The ponds hold a variety of species, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie[...]

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is the first fish that comes to mind when most people think of the Chesapeake Bay. “Rockfish” as we call them, is the State Fish of Maryland and the most sought-after species in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to my most recent panfish book, I’ve written two books about catching rockfish on artificial lures. I love targeting stripers, but I could never have learned to catch them were it not for[...]

What is an Invasive Species? An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. Invasive species can harm both the natural resources in an ecosystem as well as threaten human use of these resources. An invasive species can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, intentional and accidental releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens or bait, and[...]

A few billion will take to the air and some will inadvertently end up in the water. This creates a topwater feeding frenzy. During the last Brood X emergence 17 years ago, anglers noticed that fish keyed on anything that lingered on the surface as the cicada conditioned fish looked to the skies when eating. Around 2 inches in length, cicadas are not hard to find. They are all over trees and on the ground[...]

Tips for Taking Newbies Fishing Eliminate the Pressure – Prioritize the experience, rather than how many fish the beginner angler actually catches. Going out on a boat on the Chesapeake Bay, sitting on a riverbank, or paddling around on a pond are enjoyable experiences in and of themselves. Take advantage of this fact and make sure that having fun is “job number-one.” Use KISS Fishing Methods – Trying to explain the fine nuances of pin-point[...]