Maryland offers a lot of opportunities for recreational fishing. As part of promoting recreational fishing, Maryland has the Fish Maryland award program that felicitates good catches.
Location Details
The Chesapeake Bay is one of the prime locations for saltwater fishing in Maryland. It is located at an ideal spot that offers both a relaxing vacation and also many fishing opportunities using charter fishing boats. It is an estuary of both salt and freshwater and is the largest of all the estuaries in the US. It is located in the mid-Atlantic region and is separated from the Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula. The bay is a part of both Maryland and Virginia with its northern part facing Maryland, the southern part facing Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay boasts of a diverse environment.
Major Cities and Towns along the bay.
As the bay is the largest in the US, it has many cities in both Maryland and Virginia. The small towns along the bay also offer a wide variety of accommodation, restaurants, shopping and recreational facilities. In Maryland, the nearest cities are Annapolis, Baltimore, Cambridge, Chesapeake City, Chester Town, Crisfield, Deal Island, Easton, to name a few. All these cities or towns seem to have a rich history and aqua sports facilities.
One can always fly to a major airport like the Norfolk International Airport, which is 17 miles from the bay. It also has domestic flights to travel between the states. The closest city to the bay would be Norfolk VA which is 5 miles away on the Virginia side. It is at a distance of 18 miles from Virginia Beach.
The Environment
The 200-mile-long bay boasts of a diverse and unique mix of flora and fauna. The place has many wetlands, marshes, sandy beaches, many rivers and creeks that are home to a wide variety of aquatic life. This makes Chesapeake the most sought-after destination for recreational fishing. It is also home to several migratory birds such as the waterfowl birds. One can sense the salt in the air and be mesmerized by the serene beauty of the coastal town.
The Types of Aquatic Life in the Bay
The bay has many different varieties of fishes. The American Eel, Bass (both largemouth and smallmouth), Black Sea Bass, Black Drum, Bluefish, Cast Fish, Chain Pickerel (Pike), Cobia, Red Drum, and Croaker are some of the known species. The Northern Snakehead is one species where it is illegal to possess a live one. It also houses certain species of sharks, snapper species, mackerel, white perch, yellow perch, weakfish, and tautog. Some of these species are seasonal. Local guides can help with this information.
There are different licensing requirements around saltwater and non- saltwater fishing. These rules also differ from one state to another. There are also restrictions on the number of fishes that can be caught in a day. In Maryland, the residents can get annual licenses for $20.50 for freshwater fishing and $15 for annual Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing. There are also some areas where the anglers can fish without a license but need to complete online registration. Please visit the local states government websites for detailed information on these regulations.
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The Best season to visit the place to make the most of the fishing sport would be April- September. April to May is good for Trophy Striped Bass Fishing. September mixed bag fishing. Fishing at Annapolis in June to August would promise you an ideal catch.
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