Heading your way on tour

[kayakkevin]

Hey guys
I am touring the bay this year. All the way around. Ive got some questions about ya’lls area.
Im looking for beaches to camp on. it dosent need to be big just above high tide.
like this or bigger;


at the top of the susky flats, is the beach at the top campable? (red X)
are those spoil islands campable?


is the island (red X) legal to be on?
or is there any hangout beaches on the shoreline?


this looks very populated, and not alot of out of the houses view areas.
is there any small beaches anywhere?


it looks like there are more isolated beaches south of chesapeake beach. but im going to be looking for a site north of that. any spots here?


also, i would love some fishing spot tips along the way. nothing to elaberate just maybe some points or an area to cast at as i paddle by.

[CB kayak 02]

There is a beach located just south of Rose Haven but north of North Beach in relation to the last aerial view. On Google earth is it labled as Hog Island, but I'm pretty sure you could set up camp there for a night. If you need anything when you in that neck of the woods, I work at the Rod-N-Reel Tackle shop there in Chesapeake Beach. I've showed some of our Charter Captains there your pics with the trophy rock, they always try to say I'll never catch anything big on the kayak. While I haven't caught the big one yet it will come one day.

[dhmjd]

On the eastern side of the bay bridge, there is a tiny beach a lot of people launch from. There is a restaraunt there, Hemingways. there may be something north of the bridge as well.

[surfdog]

there are some beach areas around the triple radio towers south of the bay bridge, greenbury point. also some beaches between the magothy r. and sandy point above the BB (podicory point) area.

[kayakkevin]

very cool guys. im seeing some good little beaches y'all are talking about and it giving me some options, which is hard to find in civilized areas.
has anyone been on dobbins island in the magothy river? looks kinda cool
im gona have to have the perfect day to get past the aberdene proving ground area in one shot. how tight are they about landing?
is the hart-miller island ok to camp on? or the little island between hart-miller and that point campable?
matt i will try to stop in at ches beach, is your shop on the water?

[CB kayak 02]

Yeah pretty much directly off the bay at Channel Marker #1 right next to a big hotel with a red roof. Can't miss it..

[kayakkevin]

cool matt, i see it on google maps. ill stop by

[MDSmith370]

Hart-Miller Island is a state park with campsites. They charge $6 for a campsite which you have to make a reservation for with the DNR. I have no idea how closely this is monitored.

Last I knew Dobbins Island was closed. It is privately owned and because of liability issues the owner doesn't allow anyone on it. This was as of a few years ago so something may have changed. If you are there on the weekend you will wake up to tons of boats partying around you. It's the place to tie-up and party for boaters wanting to get out of the bay chop.

I would steer clear of the Aberdeen Proving Ground. They don't mess around.

[jffoley]

Kevin,

Here's a link to Maryland's DNR list of camping facilities: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/campinginfo.asp As mentioned Hart-Miller is an option and also perhaps Elk Neck or Susquehanna state parks might work for you. Susquehanna SP is up river above I95 and Elk Neck is right on the bay.

Regarding the island you have marked with a red X in your third pic that's Poole's Island. You probably want to stay away: "According to the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society, the Pooles Island Light is "off limits to the general public because the island was used for bombing and shelling practice from 1918 through the early 1960's. There are many unexploded bombs and shells all over the island."

It's part of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. More history: http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=414

Yes, Dobbins is private. There's been a big fight over it in recent years. However a judge ruled in May that the beach is public:
http://www.hometownglenburnie.com/ne...ins+beach.html

And as MDSmith says it is very, very busy in summer with boaters rafting up. Watch out for Saturday, July 24th. Big party planned: http://thenewbumperbash.com/index.htm

Safe Paddling.
John

[kayakkevin]

Excellent guys! Great info!
I know about weekends and civilization; I try to time it paddling through the cities during a week day.
Thanks on the hart island info and the dobbins island info, I will be getting into VA when the bumper bash is going on there.
As for Aberdeen I know how that is, I fish next to a base here and there is no landing or even looking like your going to land.
I looked at the charts and Pooles Island is within the restricted zone
I hope the spoil islands are landable or the fishing battery. I want to be as close to Aberdeen as I can so I can close the gap to hart-miller Island. I need a NE wind on that day.

[MdYak]

Up on the flats there are many options, although most are parks that probably have fees. There is Elk Neck State Park which was already mentioned. Your x is over what appears to be Carpenters Point which is most privately owned. There is also across from Furnace Bay - Perryville Community Park which has a kayak launch, but is closed dusk to dawn. It would be a nice location to spend the night if you could get permission from the Town of Perryville which is a small town that may accomadate you if you tell them about your trip. There is also Susquehanna State Park which is in Harford County and it has campsite for a fee. Probably too far up the river for you. Havre de Grace is a great little town that has a yacht basin with a boat launch. If you contact the City of Havre de Grace they may allow you to put up there. There is also Swan Harbor Farm which is owned by Harford County and a little north of the islands you have circled but south of Havre de Grace. You could contact Harford County Recreations and Park, (410)879-2000 is general Harford County Government number that can put you in touch with any agency in the County. Even further south is Gunpowder Falls State Park Hammerman Area and Dundee Creek Area. Can probably find information on DNR website about what is available there. Even if not staying there Dundee Creek is a trophy large mouth bass area to go fishing. Good luck. I will actually be down your way the end of this month in Cape Charles hoping to catch some fish from my Prowler 13. Last few years caught a bunch of spot and croaker, but hoping for something bigger this year.

[Grilled]

How long will this trip take you? I would love to do a fishing tour around the bay someday but probably only for a night or so. I've looked through your past tours on your site and thats some cool shit.

[kayakkevin]

thanks for the info mdyak, good stuff.
if you are coming down give a shot at cobia, that should be big enough
set up on latimer shoals off of kipto with chum and soak some baits. stop by chris's bait and tackle to find out exactly what and and where they are biting when your here.

thanks grilled sardine
this should take me six weeks to do. its looking like saturday is my wind window to launch. here is my SPOT tracker link:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/f...oakCW2vvVtyMhS
you will be able to see my track every 10 mins

thanks again for all y'alls input and help.

[Redfish12]

That's awesome Kevin! Do you have an estimate of when you think you'll be in rt 50 bridge area? I'm not the best at that area for fishing but I'd definitely be interested in trying to time being around when you go through.

[kayakkevin]

are you talking about the bay bridge? i think im going to go through the narrows on the way up, that should take about two weeks, then another week to get to the other side
fishing on tour for me is opertunistic. i dont spend alot of time hunting. if i se a structure that looks fishy ill hit it for a while. i do fish around at camp, its the only shore fishing i do, but at the end of the day i want out of the boat.
so what preditors will i be looking for, im guessing schoolie striper around the usual structres. are there flounder up there? i see reports of croaker. there arent any reds up there right? blues?