Spring is here and there is no better time to get away with friends and family for a little outdoor activity. To help you with planning, we suggest the following Maryland State Park or park-owned land for a great camping and fishing experience. There are plenty of more options, but these will help to provide some inspiration to get outdoors. Each park offers its own unique opportunities, ideal for experiencing the thrill of the catch[...]

At one time, the property was an active sand and gravel mining operation, now it is restored to its natural environment. Governor Bridge Natural Area offers a unique fishing experience in Prince George’s County right off Route 301 in Bowie. Today, largemouth bass flourish in the eight-acre lake. Fly fishers can also cast for black crappie, redear sunfish and catfish. A loop trail encircles the lake and provides excellent opportunities for hiking, bicycling, nature study[...]

If there is one fish that has antifreeze for blood, it is the chain pickerel. I have caught them along ice edges using the ice as an ambush source. Cold weather in Maryland from late October to late May is pickerel time. The pickerel can be found in many brackish waters as well as ponds and lakes. The aggression of these fish is what most pickerel fishermen like about them. This is the perfect fish[...]

Nearly 50 miles in length and straddling the Maryland-West Virginia borders, the North Branch of the Potomac was first surveyed under a British sovereign’s land grant to Thomas Lord Fairfax in the first half of the 18th century. The Fairfax Stone survey marker, dated 1746 and located at a small spring, still designates the headwaters, and can be visited today. Lord Fairfax was awarded all of the lands between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, and[...]

Family of 3 who loves spending time outdoors! Capturing moments and creating memories together. If you’re inspired and want to see more of our adventures please follow us on our Instagram pages @barelyhooked and @theatribeadventures. Questions & Answers What makes Maryland unique? Maryland is not only known for its blue crabs and the history it brought to our nation. Maryland provides a vast opportunity of world class outdoor activities for all ages all year round[...]

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[...]

It’s 4:30am on November 4, 2023. My alarm rings. Filled with excitement and anticipation, I easily wake. My brother-in-law and I head out, hoping to harvest my first buck during the rut. We walk into the dense woods of Southern Maryland. I pick my spot. It’s set over a regularly hit communal scrape on a creek bottom between two shallow ridge systems. I climb and set up my tree saddle. It’s 5:30am. Doe bedding to[...]

Casting- Easier than you think Undoubtedly, the act of fly casting is what many find as the most intimidating aspect of fly fishing. Yet, casting is actually very easy with modern fly fishing equipment. It comes naturally to most who try it and the technique is quickly enhanced with only minimal instruction. is also the most aesthetically pleasing characteristic of the sport. Fly anglers find it incredibly rewarding to observe their fly line unfurl in[...]

Bear activity is increasing throughout western Maryland as the black bear population continues to expand eastward. With its rural landscape and vast forested land, western Maryland holds some prime bear habitat, much of which is found on public lands open for hunting. A Guide to Planning a Black Bear Hunt in Maryland There are a limited number of bear hunting permits available each year in Maryland and they are awarded through a lottery drawing. The[...]