Need some advice where to fish

[Mattybofmd]

Hey guys I'm in Baltimore city. I'm new to bass fishing and I'm looking for some nice nearby public ponds or any freshwater fairly close. I'm right by M&T bank stadium. I'm looking for somewhere to practice my techniques and catch a few bass to get my confidence up. Any suggestions are appreciated. Id also appreciate a list of popular lakes, rivers that all u guys fish. I have an ascend fs10 angler kayak. Please help because I have no idea where to find LMB or SMB

[imagine29028]

Eastern Shore really....Smithville, Wye Mills, Unicorn Lake.

You can do Belle Grove Ponds in Brooklyn, launching at the Baltimore Highlands ramp...but it's a bit of a paddle.....and in a 10 foot boat that might not be the best. Smaller the boat, slower it is normally. Thats like 15 minutes from you, if that. Lots of species in those ponds....Ive read about Perch, Largemouth, Pickerel, Rockfish, and even Smallmouth in the last pond.

[bignose]

Lake Roland, just north of the city, is a easy place to get started. It has bass, and sunfish.

[DennyFishbones]

Columbia, MD is often overlooked in fresh water discussions. There are 4 nice bass lakes, 3 of which you need to get a permit through the Columbia Association to launch a yak and the other is pay-to-launch. Lake Elkhorn, Kittamaqundi, and Wilde can be fished from shore or by permit and are very accessible. Lake Centennial is pay to launch. I prefer fishing Elkhorn and Centennial. Elkhorn has two access areas, one is just off of Rt. 32. There is plenty of structure and cover so it's pretty easy to figure the lake out. I also fish out of an Ascend FS10, so I can understand your search for smaller waters. It ain't gonna set any speed records, but it's incredibly stable to fish from. Hope that helps.

[BassMoore]

I have never got a permit to fish those lakes nor paid at centennial to launch a yak.. I believe its pay to keep a trailer there.

I do know they say you need a permit, which is free. But ive never seen anyone use one

[bignose]

re: The Columbia area ponds
You are "supposed" to have a permit and sticker to fish the 3 Columbia Association ponds. It is available for free from the CA Open Space Management office.

Of the 3, Elkhorn is most accessible, there is perhaps a 100 foot portage from the nearest parking lot to the ramp and generally fishes the best.

Kittamaqundi has become virtually inaccessible for a kayak or canoe unless you are willing to portage your canoe down the steps at Town Center. Construction for the new Whole Foods has closed off the parking lot we used to launch at. The C.A. ramp at the lower end of the lake has all sorts of warning for motorized traffic. And they will call the police.........

Wilde Lake has all sorts of posted and unposted rules and restrictions, plus many of the neighbors are a**holes. I live in this neighborhood and the locals who own property adjacent to the lake view it as "their" lake. They are not fishing friendly. I've gone round and round with the CA people, and to be honest, the fishing is not worth the aggravation. The funny thing is, CA is using a picture of me fishing there from my canoe as a part of their lifestyle promotion in their offices!

Centennial is a bigger lake, but by this time of the year is usually a weedy mass of hydrilla mats. It does fish well in the spring. I don't like to fish here. It gets very crowded and noisy on the weekends.

[Fishinfool]

I don't know the details in terms of launch points, permits, and regulations about keeping your boat there to avoid invasive species, but Loch Raven Reservoir is worth looking into. It's the city water supply, but is out in the county east and north of Towson.

Check out the Gunpowder River too, depending on the section. Again, some of the other guys in the forum have fished there and know more about places to put in, etc.

Just a thought, but you may want to consider expanding your target specie to include fresh, and brackish/salt water fish. Brackish and salt water fishing is generally more productive in terms of numbers and variety in and around the C. Bay.

[bignose]

Loch Raven, Liberty and Prettyboy all require a Baltimore City issued permit to fish there and you can only use your craft exclusively in those bodies of water, due to the fear of Zebra Mussels. You have to sign an agreement. You cannot use them anywhere else in the State, and you cannot use an unregistered craft there.
Piney Run Lake in Carroll County charges a fee, but is fairly accessible. Nice lake, about 300 acres.

Another nearby, easy area is the Patapsco River, just upstream from the Daniels Dam for Smallmouth Bass ( low current flow), and the Lower Patapsco down near Harbor Hospital. There is a ramp there and brackish water fish: White Perch, small rock and occasionally little blues in the Middle Branch area. Just watch out for power boat traffic on a weekend. The surrounding neighborhood is a little rough but I have never had any issues there. And the ramp in Canton is not bad for looking at boats in the marinas, and fishing the piers and pilings, once again for brackish water fish. Lots of kayaks in this area as there is a rental somewhere down there.

[hooked again]

Another spot is Dundee Creek it's part of Gundpowder Falls State Park - Middle River area. Easy free kayak launch before the main parking lot - next to the watersports kayak racks. There are bass, perch and other brackish water species. The shorelines are usually worth trying.

[fishnfan]

I just fished the Patapsco and launched 10 minutes from M&T at the Baltimore Highlands Park. You can read my post in the Boatyard forum titled Patapsco River. Nice bass and rockfish!

[melissa728]

Just watch out for power boat traffic on a weekend. The surrounding neighborhood is a little rough but I have never had any issues there. And the ramp in Canton is not bad for looking at boats in the marinas, and fishing the piers and pilings, once again for brackish water fish.