Picture yourself outside on a beautiful day, discovering nature, and enjoying some peace and quiet. If this sounds enjoyable to you, you may want to look into the hobby of fishing! Whether you want to walk along the bank of a local pond, or get out on your buddy’s boat at the nearest reservoir, fishing is available for everybody young and old to enjoy.

Starting out

If your planning on going out fishing for your first time, you will need to go out and get some of the necessary equipment. Head to your nearest sport supply store, such as Bass Pro Shops or Dicks Sporting Goods, and find your way to the fishing section. You will need a spinning rod spooled up with some line. Ask any of the employees at the store to help you with your selection and they will show you which rod, reel, line, and other supplies will be necessary for the specific fish you are trying to catch, they will  even spool up your reel with line if you ask.

Locations

Different locations and bodies of water obviously have specific pros and cons for specific types of fishing. You can either look on google for your closest public fishing spot or on google maps. Make sure the area you are attempting to fish is public, because people tend not to be very happy when you trespass at their secret fishing spot. A few ponds around the Frederick county area include Urbana Pond and Whittier Lake.

Regulations
I prefer to practice catch and release whenever I go out fishing. Catch and release is just as it sounds, you catch the fish for fun, and release it back into the water with as little harm done as possible. This gives future fisherman the ability to catch the fish and does little harm to the ecosystem. Also, each fisherman in Maryland over the age of 16 needs a State registered fishing license for the state of Maryland. One can get their fishing license and any other information they need at www.dnr2.maryland.gov.

Tight lines!