Labor Day weekend approaches and many of us are wondering, “How did we get here so soon?” The kids will be going back to school and we will slowly start to see cooler temperatures in September. If you’re trying to fit in some family fishing time, remember who your audience is – kids just want Read the Rest…
This past weekend, I happened to pull up behind a pickup truck at a traffic light and I could not help but notice something about the license plate that impressed me. First off, there was a bumper sticker that said “Stress is caused by a lack of fishing” and there were several years’ worth of Read the Rest…
One of the fun and exciting things about fishing is you just never know what surprises await when you cast your fishing line into the water. Some have been surprised with a record-breaking catch, a novelty catch or just a fun encounter with a fish to help round out a peaceful day. Enjoying the outdoors Read the Rest…
It is often said that summertime is for kids, and truer words could not be spoken this month. August will be gone in a flash so don’t delay getting any youngsters you know out or near the water to enjoy some fun fishing. Two fish that are always ready to accommodate our young anglers are Read the Rest…
Recent heavy rains caused a lot of changes to our Chesapeake Bay waters. Large volumes of water coming down from Pennsylvania necessitated the opening of more than 20 gates at Conowingo Dam, causing high water levels in the lower Susquehanna River and floating debris entering the bay. Boating will be difficult in the upper and Read the Rest…
We all face daily challenges that tug at how we spend the dear time that is given to us. All anglers and outdoor enthusiasts know how hard it is to follow their favorite pursuits. Summer is fleeting, make time.
If you spend enough time hanging around seasoned commercial or sport fishermen, you’ll often hear that it’s impossible to figure out why finfish and blue crabs are in certain places at certain times. These thoughts came to mind this week as I spoke to some of the most respected captains on the Chesapeake about how Read the Rest…
Many of us found ourselves fishing in the rain last week. I was with a friend on the lower Choptank River last week enjoying some striped bass topwater action — the fishing was fun and the overcast weather showed us one of nature’s many moods to be enjoyed. Often less-than-perfect weather gives us a unique Read the Rest…
Most anglers know we had been going through a bit of a dry spell for several weeks, but, oh boy, did that come to an end. The heavy rains and stormy conditions moving through the state the past few days are expected to last through the weekend. But the sun will shine again and it Read the Rest…
Those who fish know that the waters they love have many moods, and perhaps one of our favorites is when they are quiet and calm. This past weekend with overcast skies and little wind was one of those times that the waters we fish seem to talk to us – from the bubbling mountain streams, Read the Rest…
Warmer and more seasonable weather has finally descended upon the Maryland landscape, offering a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors. The warm air temperatures and sunny weather, along with relatively cool water temperatures make for perfect fishing conditions in many local waters. Community ponds, trout management waters and lakes offer fun shoreline fishing adventures that Read the Rest…
Patience is supposed to be the hallmark of an angler, but many had theirs strained this past opening weekend for trophy striped bass season. Most understand it has been a chilly spring, and low water temperatures have delayed striped bass spawning in the tidal rivers. In the past couple of days we have seen water Read the Rest…
Baywide Total Breaks 100,000 Acres The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports 2017 was the third consecutive record-breaking year for underwater grass abundance in Maryland’s portion of Chesapeake Bay. An annual baywide survey showed 62,356 acres of underwater grasses were mapped in Maryland’s tidal waters, a 5 percent increase from 2016. This is the fifth Read the Rest…
This coming Saturday, April 21, is a big day for those who dream of catching a trophy striped bass. More than a few anglers will spend the night before checking alarm clocks just to find themselves waking up a half-hour before the alarm is set to go off anyhow. Weather is predicted to be a Read the Rest…
Cold nights and chilly days have prevailed far too long in the past couple of weeks, but change is on the way, with air temperatures of 80 degrees promised for the weekend. We are a little more than a week away from the opening day of the trophy striped bass season and it would be Read the Rest…
It continues to be a chilly spring and there seems to be no immediate end to it. We’re a week into April and water temperatures are considerably lower than usual — in the mid-40s in the tidal rivers and bay. By comparison, last April 5, the bay was just about 50 degrees and the tidal Read the Rest…
It’s safe to say that more than a few trout fishermen will spend a restless Friday night glancing at their alarm clocks. Opening Day holds all the promise and anticipation one can imagine, like something out of our youthful fantasies. A carnival-type atmosphere will greet most anglers as they arrive at the more popular and Read the Rest…
A Prince George’s County man was charged Sunday with recreational fishing on a suspended license. A Natural Resources Police officer on surveillance on the Dorchester County side of the Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park saw Elser Roque Guerra, 35, of Hyattsville, fishing for striped bass. When approached, Guerra told the officer that he was Read the Rest…
We are less than a week from the official first day of spring, and the recent switch to daylight saving time gives us an extra hour of daylight to enjoy some fishing after school or work. Daffodils are blooming and so are the fishing prospects. There is plenty of fun trout fishing to be had, Read the Rest…
Most everyone has some observations they consider harbingers of spring. It could be as simple as crocus or daffodils popping up in the yard, geese flying north or even the sound of spring peepers in a nontidal wetland, singing the evening away. For many anglers spring means fishing for yellow perch and white perch as Read the Rest…
Bringing Everyone on Board for Stewardship As we commemorate Black History Month and celebrate the many contributions of African Americans like Benjamin Banneker, Clarence Mitchell Jr., Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Josiah Henson, Matthew Henson and Thurgood Marshall, it is a time to reflect on Maryland’s past as well as the Free State’s future.
J. Millard Tawes Clears Ice for Neighbors in Need The Maryland Department of Natural Resources buoy tender M/V J. Millard Tawes conducted emergency icebreaking operations to Tangier Island, Virginia, answering a call for help from our neighboring state. The crucial mission helped deliver food, fuel, mail, medications and other essential items to the island, which Read the Rest…
Extremely strong winds last weekend made for a tough time fishing on the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and kept most boats at the dock. Along with that, a lot of boats were taken from the water and put to sleep for the winter months, now parked and covered in boatyards and backyards. That Read the Rest…
The fall colors are in full swing throughout much of Maryland this week, offering some added delight to fishing experiences; the leaves won’t last much longer so don’t miss out. Meanwhile, many of the best fishing opportunities are occurring this month, as fish feel the need to feed and prepare for the winter.
The fall months offer some exciting fishing opportunities for anglers across Maryland, from the trout management waters of Garrett County to the shores of Ocean City. Daylight is getting sparser and this weekend the clocks fall back an hour, making it a little harder to get some fishing time after work and school. We’re all Read the Rest…
It seems hard to believe but the month of October is slipping away and November is just around the corner. Temperatures continue to be somewhat mild, and it is a wonderful time to take the young ones out fishing after school or on the weekends. The fall trout stocking program for October is almost over; these put-and-take Read the Rest…
Annual Young-of-Year Survey Tracks Spawning of State Fish Results of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources 2017 young-of-year striped bass survey in the Chesapeake Bay shows the fish is reproducing in strong numbers. The annual survey’s index is 13.2, above the 64-year average of 11.7. Striped bass, popularly known as rockfish, is Maryland’s state fish. The Read the Rest…
The recent cold evenings this week are beginning to have an effect on water temperatures in the Chesapeake Bay and tidal rivers. Bay surface water temperatures are down to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the tidal rivers are in the mid to upper 60s. As a result, the upper bay region striped bass fisheries are Read the Rest…
The heat and humidity hanging over Maryland continues to hold a grip on us, but it won’t be long before fall is here to stay. The striped bass fishing in the upper bay remains rather stable this week due to warm weather keeping water temperatures in the mid-70s. However, at some point in early October Read the Rest…
Many would agree we are entering one of the most beautiful times of the year in Maryland. Mornings are cool and daytime temperatures are inviting for outdoor activities. Where I live crops are being harvested, wildlife is on the move, bait in the tidal rivers is beginning to feel the urge to move out into Read the Rest…
Four Demonstration Projects Proposed The Board of Public Works today approved funding for a new Coastal Resiliency Grant Program to help Maryland’s coastal communities enhance their resiliency to the effects of extreme storms and weather. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources program will help design four shoreline improvement demonstration projects across the state with an additional two Read the Rest…
After being away for two weeks, I’m struck by the changes that are occurring as we drift out of the grasp of summer. We all need to thank Erik Zlokovitz for doing such a great job covering the fishing report and keeping you informed of our fishing opportunities in Maryland while I was away.
This is Erik Zlokovitz filling in once again for Keith Lockwood on the weekly fishing report. The big weather story this week is Hurricane Irma, which is making landfall in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean islands. The storm made landfall as a Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, making it the most Read the Rest…
As the summer vacation time for kids begins to approach the end, I could not help but notice many of them are enjoying more simple things to do with the week or so left before they go back to school. Summer camps and other organized types of children’s activities are winding down, or already over Read the Rest…
Although the waters of the lower Susquehanna River and Flats area are still showing some stained water, it is a big improvement from last week’s conditions. Slowly the early morning striped bass bite at the dam pool is improving. Around the edges of the Susquehanna Flats, the early morning topwater action has been a mix Read the Rest…
Today the Chesapeake Bay Trust in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the City of Baltimore Office of Sustainability announce $843,486 in funding for the Chesapeake Bay Green Streets-Green Jobs-Green Towns Grant Program.
Grand Opening Events March 11 and 12 The public is invited to the grand opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center March 11 and 12. The National Park Service and the Maryland Park Service have teamed up to provide special family-friendly Grand Opening events and activities at the site and a first look Read the Rest…
Deer poaching topped the docket of cases handled this week by the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Acting on tips, officers charged a Pennsylvania man Thursday with 10 counts of deer poaching in Frederick County.