Kayak fishing the Calvert Plant discharge?

[chex]

Has anybody kayak fished the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant discharge?

Is it safe?

Is there a convenient launch nearby? I see a beach just north of it, with a road leading to it.

There may be some fish there in the winter.

[J.A. Veil]

I have fished the CCNP rips once, and it was in warm weather and in a 24' boat. There is always strong current and standing waves there. When the plant is in full operation, it pumps an astounding 3 billion gallons per day of bay water through the plant to cool steam. The warmer water is discharged back to the bay through an underwater pipe.

I personally would not feel safe making a fairly long open-water paddle to get there then be faced with rough moving water and many other boats trying to catch the fish that congregate there. Plus the bottom has lots of rocks that snag your gear. Imagine trying to free a jig while being pushed at 4 mph and having larger boats drifting on top of you.

I suspect that a strong paddler/pedaler could do it on the right day and under good conditions -- but it is a risky proposition. Last winter, a guy I know capsized his 21' Parker at the rips. He was an experienced saltwater fisherman, yet the difficult conditions caused water to wash into his boat and quickly put him and his crew at risk. Fortunately, no lives were lost due to the efforts of a charter boat captain who was fishing nearby and rescued the guys in the water.

You make the call for yourself -- but safety should be foremost in your decision.

[mmanolis2001]

I don’t know if there is a launch spot close to the discharge. I think you would be looking at a 8 mile paddle from the closest spot near solomons.

I have fished the rips several time in a boat and like J.A. Veil stated it can become a circus. It is tempting and possibly doable from a yak but you better be prepared for 6 hours of paddle time to and from and constant paddling to cope with the current there.

[Shady]

The guy that I bought my previous Outback from claimed that he fished there in the kayak, but I don't know where he launched from....

[ictalurus]

I know a couple of guys that have done it, so it's definitely possible. The first problem is that there's no place really near to launch. There are a couple community beaches, but they will tow cars without passes. Flag Pond Park is one possibility, but their hours are stupid (9 to 5 or even less), and I'm not even sure the park is open this time of year. There is a marina near Flag Harbor, but I'm not sure how willing they are to allow kayak launches there.

http://www.flagharbor.com/

I keep meaning to check it out but get preoccupied with other stuff. Launching from the marina would be about a 2.5mi paddle, and the park would be 1+mi paddle. Another problem with the park is that I don't think you can park near the water, and it's about a mile from where you park to the beach, if I recall correctly.

The few times I've fished it from a boat it seemed like it would be pretty hairy from a kayak with the current and dodging boats, then add to that the possibility of fighting a big fish. However, it might be possible to pick up fish from the outskirts or ahead of the outflow (American and hickory shad hang out there sometimes). Lastly, finding a day where it wasn't windy or the wind was blowing from the west would also be tough. That area is open from a lot of directions with long fetches. I like to relax when I fish, and I don't think it would be very relaxing. It seems like it would be easier to find a buddy with a boat or cough up for a guide with a couple other guys and wait to try for the big ones from a yak until Flats season. However, I would still be tempted to try it under ideal conditions if there was a closer place to launch, but I find winter pickerel and perch fishing enjoyable and less work.

[chex]

Thanks. Sounds dangerous. I'll wait till I'm older and have caught a tuna. I can't catch it if I die young at the discharge.

Yeah, 3 billion gallons... you can see it clearly on Google maps. Pretty cool...

[Southerly]

you should see it 1st hand.

walleye pete of four season guide service runs trips there starting any time soon, if not already. give him a call. he seems to be very decent and knowledgeable with reasonable rates. he definitely knows what good fishing is and provides all gear/tackle for jigging up whatever is down there. i'm sure you can bring your own gear if you want.

this is the fast deep current and the bottom is lined with boulders to prevent scour. snag city is where the fish are. un-snagging - point rod at snag, hold spool with hand and pull to break. this method is actually a little funky in a relatively lightweight kayak but same general idea will help prevent rod/reel damage.

when wind opposes the discharge, it gets nasty there. last feb a 21' center console with 4 or 5 guys capsized due to waves rolling in over stern. they had pfds on and clung to upside down hull and were lucky to be rescued all things considered. it can also be reasonably smooth and very decent too, like a little kids' boat ride at the carnival. depends on the wind direction.

ps - i may kayak fish there sometime using the mothership method but i think good seworthy powerboat is actually preferred for reasons stated above, including other boats, etc.

[Redfish12]

+1 on seeing it first hand and with captain Pete.

I went a few times last year and I can honestly say I caught more fish last season because of it. Great time and great teacher!