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Maryland Fishing Info
Re-Scheduled for Sat. Feb 20th
Tri-State Marine Fishing Flea Market. Deale, MD
More Info
Feb. 13th
Bass Class 2010
Hosted by: “Tackle Box” Tim Sherman Sat. February 13, 2010 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.at Chesapeake Bay Memories; Middle River, MD
A Full Day of Seminars to Help Improve Your Bass Fishing. Proceeds benefit the Chesapeake Bay Memories’ Children’s Programs
Bass Class Flyer
Feb. 13-14th
18th Annual Pasadena Sportfishing Flea Market/Show
Earleigh Heights Fire Hall
More Info
Feb. 20th
Bass Class 2010
Sat. February 20th 10am - 4pm @ Chesapeake Bay Memories in Middle River, MD
A Full Day of Seminars to Help Improve Your Striper Fishing. Seminars by Top Professionals on the Bay
Electronics, Striper Theories, Shallow Stripers, Susquehanna River – Fall, Summer Light Tackle Question and Answer Period, Catered Lunch
Door Prizes, Auction Items
Striper School Flyer
Feb. 27th
TieFest
Kent Island Yacht Club
More Info
Feb. 27th
Saltwater Fishing Expo
Annapolis Elks Lodge
February 27, 2010
More Info
April 10-11
Outdoor Fishing Expo
Presented by R.P. Mehl Tackle Sales
Flyer
Boat Ramps Map
Take a look at this very cool interactive map made with Microsoft Virtual Earth
Interactive Boat Ramp Maps
WE'RE SOCIAL
Maryland 2009 Fishing Guide Available Online
The guide traditionally accompanies the purchase of your fishing license and covers Freshwater, Chesapeake Bay, Coastal and Atlantic Ocean recreational fishing regulations for the State of Maryland.
To view and download the entire fishing guide book click this image 
MD Boating Safety Course
MD Boating Safety Course - course and exam now available to take on line
Regional Fishing Boards
Tidal Fish
Stripers Online SurfTalk
Atlantic Anglers
Chesapeake Light Tackle.Com
PASADENA SPORTFISHING GROUP
Important Phone Numbers
Rockfish Hotline
1-800-Rockfish
Catch a Poacher
1-800-635-6124
We Support
Catch & Release
Member of CCA MD
Join Today
Blue Ocean Institute
GUIDE TO OCEAN FRIENDLY SEAFOOD
Have a tournament or event to list contact:
The Maryland Angler's Network
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FISHERMEN TO MARCH ON WASHINGTON
“UNITED WE FISH” TO ASK FOR CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE ON FEB. 24
In a historic show of solidarity, recreational and commercial fishermen will gather
together on the steps of the Capitol on February 24, 2010 from noon until 3 p.m. in an organized
demonstration against the unintended negative impacts of the Magnuson Stevens Conservation
and Management Act (MSA), the federal fisheries law which was revised in January of 2007.
Coordinating the march under the flag of United We Fish™, rally organizers are hoping to see a
large show of force in defense of coastal communities.
Learn More
As Capt. Monty Hawkins said-
There are many reasons to go to the Capitol steps on February 24th. To restore flexibility to the Magnuson Act: We must allow science to discover a better method of restoration before all the teeth have fallen from the rotting, scurvied gums of America's fisheries.
Its not about habitat. Its not about recreational/commercial conflict. Its not about MPAs. Its about restoring stability to regulation. Its about calming the waters so that innovation can find its way back into the process: We must have the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act.
So make plans to descend on Washington on Wednesday Feb. 24th!
Md. officials consider $15 saltwater fishing license
By Candus Thomson- Baltimore Sun reporter
License, which needs General Assembly approval, would end free fishing on Atlantic and on coastal bays behind Ocean City
State officials want to implement a comprehensive $15 saltwater fishing license starting next year to bring Maryland into compliance with federal law and keep revenue here that otherwise would be funneled to Washington.
The license proposal, which is expected to be introduced in General Assembly as early as Friday, would end free fishing for anglers on the Atlantic Ocean and on the coastal bays behind Ocean City.
In addition, the bill would: increase the length of short-term licenses from five to seven days; establish a free registry for anglers fishing from pleasure boats, waterfront property owners and their immediate family fishing from their property and individuals fishing in a free fishing area; create reciprocal fees for non-resident tidal licenses; and authorize a commercial pier fishing license.
Finally, the bill maintains residential recreational fishing license prices established by the General Assembly in 2007 but scheduled to sunset later this year.
Fisheries Service Director Tom O'Connell said that in light of the economy and the state's desire to promote fishing opportunities it would be counterproductive to raise prices. For the sake of simplicity, the agency also opted not to have separate saltwater licenses for the coast and the Chesapeake Bay. The same thinking went into extending the length of the short-term licenses.
"For the coastal bay community and families vacationing at Deep Creek Lake, this gives them the opportunity to fish for a whole week at the same cost," O'Connell said.
The bill is in response to a law, passed by Congress and signed by then-President George W. Bush, that requires an annual census of saltwater anglers to provide a more accurate picture of the type and the number of fish being caught to prevent overfishing. For the eight coastal states--including Maryland--that lack a comprehensive saltwater license, a free National Saltwater Angler Registry is providing a one-year transition period. As a result, millions of anglers must go online (countmyfish.noaa.gov) or call 888-674-7411 to register before they fish.
But next year the national registry, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is expected to cost anglers $20 to $30. That money will go to the U.S. Treasury.
Later this year, Maryland will be switching to a new computer system to handle licensing and boat registrations, and officials hope to have permission from state lawmakers to implement the new license on Jan. 1. Revenue from a Maryland saltwater license would stay in state.
It's Back! - The Maryland Fisherman's Annual- 2010 Edition -The Sequel
Winter is here in full force. This time of year most of us are left with little to do except rebuild reels and rearrange our tackle boxes. Just in time for those winter doldrums, we are happy to unveil the 2010 edition of The Maryland Fisherman’s Annual. This year, we have a great group of writers covering topics including tactics for bass in Maryland’s reservoirs, how to catch giant black drum in the Chesapeake, the spectacular Gunpowder trout fishery, the ins and outs of catching and using bait, and a roundup of ice fishing opportunities in Western Maryland (very useful for our current arctic winter). The What’s Hot feature this year is Surf Fishing the Delmarva Coast, with a wealth of tips, tactics and info for surf fishers of all skill levels. We also cover current conservation issues, have a great homage to outdoors legend Bill Burton, supply some kayak fishing news, provide a few ways to create a feast with your catch, and offer three contests with great prizes. Then there are the bay charts, trout management area maps, and the 2010 centerfold – maps of six of Maryland’s most popular reservoirs.
Look for your 2010 copy of The Maryland Fisherman’s Annual in late January at your local bait and tackle shop, or go to
www.MdFishermansAnnual.com to order your copy online.
National Saltwater Angler Registry
OCEAN CITY - In the most sweeping change for Maryland anglers in 25 years, tens of thousands of residents and vacationers who fish in the Chesapeake Bay or wet a line in the Atlantic Ocean or its coastal bays will be required to register with the federal government.
The National Saltwater Angler Registry, authorized by Congress, is a new tool for scientists to get a better handle on the numbers of recreational anglers and migratory fish caught - part of their effort to protect species and rebuild dwindling stocks.
At 4 a.m. Friday, telephone operators at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are set to begin issuing registration numbers to anglers in eight coastal states - including Maryland - whose licenses lack details the federal government requires. Online sign-up is available at countmyfish.noaa.gov.
The national registry is free in the inaugural season, but registration in 2011 and beyond could cost as much as $25.
For Chesapeake anglers, especially those fishing for striped bass, the registry adds a step to the annual ritual of getting ready for a new season that includes buying a license and cleaning off the tackle box. But anglers in Ocean City and on Assateague Island fear it marks the beginning of the end of free fishing.
This week, Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologists started fanning out to tackle shops and fishing clubs to spread the word and explain the registry. So far, the reaction is mixed.
"I think it stinks because it's Mother Nature out there and they're going to charge for it?" said Cindy Sullivan, who works at Bucks Place on the road to Assateague Island. "It's going to be another way for the government to stick a hand in our pockets."
But just down the road, John Henry, a commercial fisherman who owns a bait and tackle shop bearing his name, was a little more philosophical.
"We need to conserve and we need to have better data so we know what we're doing. I think people will be OK with it if it'll help the resource and help them keep catching fish," he said.
For three decades, the NOAA and other fisheries management agencies relied on information collected through the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey. Staff waited dockside or visited piers and jetties to interview anglers and count and measure their catches. They also randomly called people listed in phone books, hoping to connect with someone who fished.
There was only one problem: MRFSS - or Mur-fiss, as scientists and fishermen alike call it - was designed to provide an annual coast-wide assessment of fish populations, not the kind of information policy makers and managers needed to set seasons and catch totals. As a result, MRFSS numbers were widely mocked and challenged by fisheries officials in coastal states and those in the recreational fishing industry.
"We've been living a nightmare," said Martin Gary, assistant director of Maryland's Fisheries Service. "Sea bass and amberjack seasons closed this year with no warning and we were told we exceeded our flounder quota based on MRFSS."
In 2006, the National Research Council, a scientific panel that advises Congress, confirmed suspicions, noting "serious flaws" and "inadequate analysis methods" in MRFSS. Its recommendation to overhaul the system resulted in the creation of the registry.
The new system creates "a phone book of fishermen" that will allow the NOAA to collect timely information by interviewing anglers about the number and type of fish they caught and where they caught them, said Gordon Colvin, who spearheaded the NOAA program.
Anglers registering will be asked to provide their names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers and the states where they expect to fish. They will receive a confirmation number that will allow them begin fishing immediately. A wallet-sized registration card will arrive in the mail in about 30 days.
"Most people, once you talk to them, can accept the fact that there's a need to get better data than running your finger down the Manhattan phone book and picking out names," said Colvin, who expects to register between three million and six million anglers this year. "What we're doing is starting with an empty book that we hope to fill over time."
Fifteen coastal states have saltwater licenses and NOAA anticipates that the eight remaining coastal states will come up with their own registration systems and take over the process. Already, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have approved licenses to take effect in 2011. Legislation has been proposed in Virginia to bring its saltwater license into compliance.
Maryland officials are working to account for anglers exempted from buying a saltwater license, including those on the Atlantic Coast.
But replacing or modifying the Bay Sport License, created in 1985, will require General Assembly action next session. If the legislature approves the license, any money raised in 2011 and beyond would stay in state. If lawmakers reject the proposal, registry fees paid by Maryland anglers would go to the federal government.
"The whole process is necessary. A license is necessary," said Budd Heim, president of the 300-member Atlantic Chapter of the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association. You go somewhere else and you have to have a license. What's so different about Maryland?"
The new rules
What: National Saltwater Angler Registry
Who: Maryland anglers who fish in tidal waters, including the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries
When: Beginning Jan. 1
Cost: Free for 2010
Exemptions: Anglers under 16; anglers on charter boats or head boats; anglers with Highly Migratory Species permits
How: Call 1-888-674-7411, 4 a.m.-midnight or via or via www.countmyfish.nooa.gov
Send us your Intrepid Angler Stories from around Maryland
The Maryland Angler's Network is a grassroots organization that provides information relevant to conservational minded fishermen in Maryland. We work with and support a variety of organizations whose goal is to protect our waterways and maintain a healthy recreational fishery
We hope to be here giving back and trying to make a difference to the angling community for a long time to come.
Copyright© 2010 The Maryland Angler's Network. All rights reserved.
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