Here's tons of fishing spots!

[Yak Fish]

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/p...ets/index.aspx

Look at all the pound nets set up on the bay! Wow! They're set up in these locations for reasons. Lots of you love Beverly Triton, and it looks like the netters do too for the same reason!
If you ever wondered where to fish, consider where they have the nets....although when they're up, it kills fishing.

[EMSer]

Thanks for the intel, Alan. Just goes to show that you can find great info if you know where to look.

How long do the nets usually stay up?

[Yak Fish]

Thanks for the intel, Alan. Just goes to show that you can find great info if you know where to look.

How long do the nets usually stay up?

I don't know what the regulations are, but I see them go up in mid December. I saw some in September too. Perhaps they move? I tried to find commercial regulations but wasn't successful. Maybe someone who knows can shed some light on it.

[J.A. Veil]

I was surprised that Alan mentioned pound nets as something he observes in winter time. Most of the pound nets I have seen are fished spring to fall, then removed. Here is an excerpt from DNR's pound net page http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/P...s/general.aspx.

"Not all registered sites are fished each year. Waterman may chose to rotate their active sites from year to year. Few nets actually remain in the water year round (with permission), the majority of pound nets are set and fished between April and November. Nets are typically set in 12 - 20 feet of water; however, some fisherman use deeper sets (20 -35 feet) but this is rare."

For years there was a pound net between the South and Severn rivers. I used to take guests for boat rides from the South River up to Annapolis. I always pointed out the pound net as a unique style of Chesapeake Bay fishery. I have not noticed a pound net there in recent years. Individual pound nets are effective for harvesting fish. When multiple pound nets are located near one another (I have seen this in the waters just south of the Kiptopeke ships) they can devastate a fishery.

[Mark]

There used to be a pound net near Hackett Point. I didn't see it this year. But in prior years I caught stripers near it. I often wondered if the trapped fish at the end of the net attracted the free swimmers nearby to investigate.

[Yak Fish]

I was surprised that Alan mentioned pound nets as something he observes in winter time. Most of the pound nets I have seen are fished spring to fall, then removed. Here is an excerpt from DNR's pound net page http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/P...s/general.aspx.

"Not all registered sites are fished each year. Waterman may chose to rotate their active sites from year to year. Few nets actually remain in the water year round (with permission), the majority of pound nets are set and fished between April and November. Nets are typically set in 12 - 20 feet of water; however, some fisherman use deeper sets (20 -35 feet) but this is rare."

For years there was a pound net between the South and Severn rivers. I used to take guests for boat rides from the South River up to Annapolis. I always pointed out the pound net as a unique style of Chesapeake Bay fishery. I have not noticed a pound net there in recent years. Individual pound nets are effective for harvesting fish. When multiple pound nets are located near one another (I have seen this in the waters just south of the Kiptopeke ships) they can devastate a fishery.

I guess not all the nets I see are pound nets. I'm not sure of all the kinds, but I see people "netting" in the winter. On one of the DNR pages it seems to corroberate that with the high catches starting in December, peaking in January and then starting to taper in Feb. Here's the harvest charts: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/p...s-harvest.aspx

[Widgeon]

Winter time is gill netting. They are hard to see on the water. Targets are perch and rockfish.

[Rhino]

While it's being monitored, it sure seems like a lot of pounds. It's got to have an impact on the fishery.

[Sportsman]

While it's being monitored, it sure seems like a lot of pounds. It's got to have an impact on the fishery.

Louisiana banned gill nets over a decade ago and it was great for the fishery. Just too much by catch. It was a tough battle in a huge commercial fishing state but it was worth it.