“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[...]
Gather round, we’re whipping up a fresh batch of Perch Chowder. While this recipe features white perch, fear not if they aren’t available in your area – any white-fleshed, mild fish will do. I’ve experimented with various panfish species and yellow perch in the past, all yielding fantastic results. One of my fishing buddies recently tried this recipe with blue catfish and raved about the outcome as well. Widely distributed, great eating, and often game[...]
Where To Go The Eastern Shore Maryland’s Eastern Shore offers a variety of choices for everyone in your family, from angler to beach bum. Summer is the perfect time to plan a family trip to the shore, with plenty of lodging and dining options, attractions and activities, not to mention some of the best fishing you can find. For the angler: With wonderful fishing opportunities over hundreds of square miles, this is a hot spot[...]
In the spring, Maryland’s Chesapeake swells with silver: shad and river herring. Like salmon, these fish are anadromous: the adults run upstream into fresh water to spawn, then return to the Atlantic Ocean to live for the rest of the year. The new generations develop from fertilized eggs suspended in stream currents to swimming fry and then juveniles, feeding and growing over the summer before migrating to the ocean, where they somehow meet the adult[...]
progging NOUN (also proging, praggin, progueing) The action or process of foraging, delving; searching or hunting about, especially for timber or firewood (British regional), or for food (United States regional [especially Chesapeake Bay], Caribbean, Irish English). Also occasionally: the wood or food for which one forages. Got winter cabin fever? The rivers of the Chesapeake Bay can help. Prudent cold weather fishing forms a great excuse to get outside with friends (don’t go alone at[...]
My first rod was flamingo pink with a reel that flashed pink and green lights when you cranked it. That rod isn’t what made me want to go fishing as a kid or spend time on the water. I didn’t fall in love with my FisherGirl-branded cap, or pink camouflage, or even my Barbie tackle box. I fell in love with fighting a fish and watching it get scooped up by the net, being dunked[...]