The Chesapeake Bay Cast & Blast is a true “Only in Maryland” experience that any serious sportsmen needs to add to their bucket list. We’ll be honest–this is not an experience you should just show up and hope to enjoy. There are a few guides that provide this unique trip to sportsmen in Maryland. Check out the hunting guides & outfitters that take visitors out before coming to Maryland. These guides will help you plan[...]

Maryland offers a variety of sportsmen family experiences from species to locations. Even though Deep Creek Lake and its rentals are a great location in Maryland for the family, there are plenty of other options and experiences to choose from. Check out our Where to Go section that highlights each of our counties. Or, if you want to let the species determine your location, use our Local Species section to help plan your trip. For[...]

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[...]

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[...]