Patapsco Ponds: Belle Grove Rd

[chimo]

Did a little exploring today and went to look at the Patapsco Ponds along Belle Grove rd. I had been told there was a little pull off just before the American Legion with some good fishing in the area. Well, I found the pull off but the fish eluded me



There seems to be enough parking for about 6-10 cars in the spot and then it is a short walk down this path, maybe 200 feet to the waters edge.



Getting the kayak to the water is a little tricky as it is a pretty steep bank down to the water but it is doable.



The pond itself looks extremely fishy with steep shorelines and lots of fallen trees. Lots of gravel and hard bottom around too. I fished soft plastics on jig heads to begin with around the timber hoping for a crappie without any luck, then switched to a chatter bait, then to soft plastics suspended under a bober and soaking worms on the bottom and finally I tried fishing a black wolly bugger under a float. I had a couple hits on the float/soft plastic rig and a couple on the wolly bugger but nothing else. I saw a few fish caught from shore, a couple panfish and a bass, but considering there were probably 20 people fishing the area it seemed everyone was having a tough time of it. Lots of carp jumping out in the river, and there was some kind of hatch going on that had fish picking bugs off the surface now and then. Made me wish i had the fly rod. Beautiful evening on the water and I will be back to wash the skunk off my hands sometime soon

Chimo

[jarradw]

Thanks for the report, maybe I will try closer to the harbor and see what is there.

[HJS]

I've only fished those ponds a couple of times and never did that well. I'd catch a few small bass, crappie and sunfish and once a 4" striper on a crappie jig. But yeah, it does look very fishy.

There's a good & free launch/access to those ponds at Southwest Park, Baltimore County. It's located on the other side of the Patapsco about 1/4 mile downstream of the ponds.

There's a small ramp there thats good only for smaller boats and cartops. I had the most luck fishing the river between the launch and the ponds. I bet white perch will be found there shortly as they go up there to spawn.

Check out the MD-DNR boat launch web site. Click on Baltimore County, then click Southwest Park.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/boatramps.asp

[jarradw]

I've only fished those ponds a couple of times and never did that well. I'd catch a few small bass, crappie and sunfish and once a 4" striper on a crappie jig. But yeah, it does look very fishy.

There's a good & free launch/access to those ponds at Southwest Park, Baltimore County. It's located on the other side of the Patapsco about 1/4 mile downstream of the ponds.

There's a small ramp there thats good only for smaller boats and cartops. I had the most luck fishing the river between the launch and the ponds. I bet white perch will be found there shortly as they go up there to spawn.

Check out the MD-DNR boat launch web site. Click on Baltimore County, then click Southwest Park.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/boatramps.asp

Thats where I want to try out today

[HJS]

Halfway between the ramp and the first pond is where I've done well with wperch. They might not be there just yet, but with this crazy weather you never know.
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BTW, the first run of alewife herring may be in progress as I type (always around mid/March). It's not a heavy run by any means but maybe a few stripers might follow them upriver.

[jarradw]

Thanks for the info HJS, I am hoping that the warm weather has them up a little earlier than normal.

[chex]

Bummer on the skunk but cool exploration Chimo.

I almost went to Elkhorn Lake this morning, but ended up going to Centennial Lake instead. Fished a bit from shore with no bite. FYI, they will be resuming the dredging of Elkhorn in June.

[ictalurus]

Nice recon. Sorry about the skunk. It's a rare day when a woolly bugger won't put a fish in the boat. I wonder what was going on.