New to Maryland and Kayaking - Best places to start?

[Kent]

I used to live in Long Beach, Ca and did a lot of halibut and bass fishing from small boats. I was in the Dallas / Fort Worth area for the last 5 years and didn't fish at all. Now that I'm near a coast again I'm interested in trying out kayak fishing. I live in Odenton - any advice on what locations I would be looking to launch from as a beginner?

[Cowpokey]

What kind of kayak do you have, or plan to get?

Lots of good places to kayak fish around here; from the Chesapeake Bay to freshwater lakes and rivers. All depends what you want to do, what I mentioned in my previous sentence is all within 30 minutes of where you live...depending on what direction you go.

[Kent]

What kind of kayak do you have, or plan to get?

Lots of good places to kayak fish around here; from the Chesapeake Bay to freshwater lakes and rivers. All depends what you want to do, what I mentioned in my previous sentence is all within 30 minutes of where you live...depending on what direction you go.

I'm open to all suggestions I've never kayak fished before but was ogling kayaks at Bass Pro and thought that would be a fun way to get back into fishing and would be a good physical thing to do outdoors at the same time. Do you have any recommendations for good all around fishing kayaks? I'm 5'8" and 145lbs if that makes a difference in selection.

I'd prefer saltwater fishing just because I have more familiarity with it but starting off in lakes is recommended for beginners I'd be open to that as well. What are some close by lakes and where do you guys launch from when fishing the Chesapeake Bay?

[Yak Fish]

Anywhere you launch you can find fish, that's for sure. The main game in town in the bay will be stripers and perch, later will be bluefish as well. The big stripers are pretty much gone now, but there are plenty of schoolies that'll be around all year to keep you occupied. You'll have to decide if you want to paddle or pedal your kayak. That'll divide the field in half for options. Pedal kayaks are expensive, but you're a California guy so you're used to everything being expensive :-) Many people like to paddle, but I'm not one of them....ugh, seems so archaic. Hahaha, that'll ruffle some feathers :-) You're a smaller guy so anything larger than a Hobie Outback, ie a Pro Angler, may be difficult for you to manage. A Slayer 13 is another pedal yak to consider. For paddle yaks Wilderness Systems makes really nice ones.

[Cowpokey]

I started with a cheap Sit in Kayak (SinK) as my first one, it was also from Bass Pro. I would recommend getting a higher end Sit on Top (SoT), at a minimum get a Pompano 120 from West Marine...if you're going to get a new boat. It is actually an older mold that was previously the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120.

That will get you started, and provide a kayak capable of safely taking on the Bay anywhere you want to launch.

If you want a better (name brand) kayak cheaper than new, check craigslist. If you're willing to jump in with both feet and get a kayak that will last a long time and won't have you upgrading later, start of with the best kayak you can afford or would ever want.

Best of the best (in my opinion) are Hobie Mirage drive peddle kayaks, or the Native Watercraft Slayer Propel line.

Reservoirs I have fished for years around here are Rocky Gorge and Tridelphia, the offer all manner of freshwater fishing; bass, walleye, northern pike, white and yellow perch, catfish and carp.

For the Bay, you can launch at Sandy Point State Park or Beverly Triton Beach, just to name a couple. Right now there are striped bass and white perch in the area, later when the water warms up the bluefish and speckled trout will show up. I've heard folks are catching spot and croaker in the area, but haven't got any first hand experience with those yet this season.

[jmt1980]

I'm near you in Severn and I'm just starting out myself. I'm headed out on the bay for the first time in the morning with some forum members. I'm still trying to identify good places to fish too. I'm still learning how to approach MD fishing myself. Growing up all I did was fish for cat or artificial worms for bass so this is all new to me. If you want company let me know.

[ronaultmtd]

Get yourself a decent fishing outfit- most use spinning tackle but a few of us "old school" types prefer low profile bait casters- set it up with a double bottom rig with #6 snelled hooks and a 1 oz bay sinker- bait can be shrimp, bloodworm (use small pieces) cut bait or squid- the middle bay has good concentrations of white perch and some good sized croakers are showing up- both good table fish for dinner...8-10 feet of water around docks, pilings, etc. will get you plenty of white perch-