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A Sea Bass Population Boom
Recreational anglers have long blamed commercial fishermen for many fisheries ills. Commercial fishers look at vastly inflated MRIP catch numbers and point the finger squarely at recreational anglers. Well, mercy… I think management, however well intentioned, is way off with sea bass. Certainly not on purpose. Indeed, bad recreational catch…
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Ask an Expert Angler: Captain Tim Blanchard of Fish the Potomac
June 21, 2026
This month we check in with Captain Tim Blanchard of Fish the Potomac. The Fish the Potomac fleet casts into the waters in and around the nation’s capital year-round, targeting multiple species but…
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Paddler's Edge: Don't Make These 5 Mistakes While Kayak Fishing!
June 19, 2026
Mistakes? We all make them now and then. But picking the wrong movie on a Saturday night or making a mistake while out kayak fishing are two very different things. Picking the wrong movie may get you…
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Striped Bass and Temperature Mortality
June 17, 2026
In 2024 I was invited to jump on a boat to catch striped bass — out of season! After learning it was to participate in a George Mason University Fisheries Ecology Lab study on the catch-and-release…
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Fishing in Ocean City
July 14, 2023
In Part 1 of our "Gone Fishin'" A Maryland Road Trip" we headed to Cambridge with the crew from Fish & Hunt Maryland to hunt for northern snakeheads. For Part 2, we took a trip west to Mountain…
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Prospecting for Topwater Hotspots
July 11, 2023
Topwater is an exciting way to fish, but you can choose the most tempting plug, cast it with pinpoint accuracy, and bring it back with the picture-perfect walk-the-dog retrieve, and if it never…
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Sidearm vs. Through-Hull Kayak Transducer Mounts
July 8, 2023
Mounting a fishfinder on your fishing kayak is a big help in many Chesapeake fisheries, but getting the transducer mounted in a kayak isn’t always straightforward. The two most common ways of…
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Reader Letters on Trophy Rockfish Season in Maryland
July 5, 2023
You may remember that in the May edition Notes from the Cockpit column I asked readers to chime in with their thoughts on the spring trophy striped bass season. Here are some of the reasoned, well…
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Sportsman Open 262: Bred for the Bay
July 3, 2023
What’s the ideal size center console fishing boat for plying the Chesapeake’s waters? Many would argue a 26-footer is perfect. It has room for plenty of anglers and the heft to handle choppy seas,…
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Fishing Forecast for July, 2023
July 1, 2023
Fishing reports published in print are generalized and weeks may have passed before the report gets into your hands, so for timely up-to-date reports, visit our Fishing Reports online. Current…
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