Patapsco River Baltimore Highlands

[ttlewis3@me.com]

I am new to the area and was thinking about launching at the Southwest Area Park in the Baltimore Highlands area of the Patapsco river. I'm looking for recommendations for which species to target and possibly get advice on artificial baits and techniques. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[zimm]

belle grove ponds upriver of Southwest Park contain perch, pickerel, bass, crappie, carp, catfish. spinners (Mepps, roostertails) crankbaits , minows, nightcrawlers.
lots of flooded cover in the ponds

[ttlewis3@me.com]

Thanks, I will give it a shot.

[Markdilljr]

Have you have the ponds a shot yet I used to fish them growing up for cat and bass, I live right down the road from them and was thinking of hitting them tomorrow mornin

[ttlewis3@me.com]

I tried a little yesterday afternoon. No very good, was very hot and bright. Also first time out with my kayak so spent lot of time getting use to it and exploring. Will give it more tries soon. Had 2 hits on wacky senco. Something shredded it. Don't usually get that damage from bass, anyone have any ideas?

[BassMoore]

Place is loaded with big pickerel . N yelllow perch all over the place.. I can't catch bass in there on anything but a senko or Texas rigged worm. Not even drop shot. My dad and I got 16 bass n 5 pickerel last time we went. Monster carp in there. Big yellows. Sme rock in the main river before the bridge. Few smallies n walley in there as well.. I fish that place alot. It's the poor mans potomac river

[ttlewis3@me.com]

Went back today. Got a pickerel, small perch and one small mouth. It will take me some time but will get it figured out one day. Thanks everyone for the help.

[Markdilljr]

I was there this mornin didn't catch anything, was there from 8am to 10am, what were you using

[CAGE RATTLER]

Looks like a pretty cool area and close by too. Have to give it a shot one day.
Are the water levels ok there for a hobie to launch from the park and make my way to the ponds?

[BassMoore]

Yeh its 4 ft at shallow point if u go under brisge

[ttlewis3@me.com]

I paddled all the way up past I295 bridge, and it gets very shallow above the light rail bridge and annapolis road bridge. lowest up to ponds was 3-4 ft. Thats if the old fish finder was reading right. Marked 13 ft spot under I895 bridge and some 9ft spots in the upper pond.

[CAGE RATTLER]

Thanks. definitely have to try it out some time soon.

Anyone know how often google maps satelite pics update?
was just looking at the ponds area and noticed something I didnt see yesterday.
Looks like a plane was flying over the area.
I like to look at an area im not familiar to get a little insight. You can usually tell deeper areas and see sand bars and what not.
Be nice to know if the maps update daily so we can check the water quality after storms.

bgp.jpg

[Mike]

I'm sure they don't update daily but I don't know the schedule. I know they prioritize natural disaster areas but that's about all. I can see a construction site of mine in East Baltimore on google maps and based on the progress I know it was taken about a year ago.
I would try different maps for each area you're looking. For instance Bing maps had great aerial views of this area, see attached for a close-up. There's also mapquest and Yahoo maps. Yahoo looks like its images were taken in the winter and the water levels are different. I've also noticed that occationally google maps and google earth have different imagery so check them both.
-Mike
bing Balto.jpg

[medicyaker]

What ponds are you all referring too? do you mean the ponds off of Belle Grove Rd or the ones up stream/river from southwest park. I used to fish the area behind the old A&P warehouse off of Hollinsferry near the Alcoa plant in Halethorpe when I was a kid. I'm assuming that its the Belle Grove Ponds. Thats mostly brackish water and all I used to get out of there were Carp and Catfish...I can't imagine LM Bass being in the Belle Grove ponds...

[Jaspratt]

Largemouth are in brackish water in the Potomac, why not patapsco?