mikeusru,
First of all welcome to MD, Baltimore and P&S!
I'd like to suggest some places that have already been mentioned and two that were not. If you are interested in any of these places, Google them for directions and hours of operation. Good tides can be Googled at MD DNR fisheries. Make sure you have your Tidal Water license with you. It is common to be checked at all these places and know that MD fishing licenses expire on December 31st each year.
1) Fort Armistead Park Pier (FAP) is located on the south shore of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, on the Chesapeake Bay side of the bridge as compared to the Inner Harbor side.
It used to be quite a big pier with two free boat launches, but Hurricane Isabel wiped it out. It was free and open 24/7. Parking for the pier was a 1 minute walk and there are probably still some places you can drive your car right up to the rocks on the shore right next to the pier. Now it appears a smaller pier has been built. I assume you can fish there. I have not been there yet.
Some have remarked that Fort Armistead is unsavory and I would agree. But I would not hesitate to fish there - alone, early morning and during the day – but always with a buddy during evening and night times. I have done so many times and I’ve not had 1 problem. The area is scruffy, and rough looking, as are some of the folks (including my friend and me at times). You can catch white perch, spot, croakers, keeper blues & rock fish, and if this drought is anything like the drought of 2002, you may catch some keeper sea trout. In the fall, there are some nice keeper blues and rockfish caught there, some into the 30” range. A high-low rig, 2-4 oz weights using BWFBs (Blood Worm Fish Bites), real blood worms, peeler crabs, cut Ely (pronounced Elwhy – aka Alewife) work fine there, as well as, at the other places I will mention.
2) Fort Smallwood Park (FSP) is located at the very end of Fort Smallwood Road, (which is the first exit south of the Key Bridge). Head east on Fort Smallwood Road toward the Bay. The park is about ½ hour from the Key Bridge. It is a nice peaceful, pretty clean, place where the Patapsco River (Baltimore Harbor) empties into the bay. It opens around 8-9am, closes at dusk and there is a fee. You can park your car right next to the water. They used to have one Saturday a month when you could fish until 12am. I have fished there a few times (summer) with mediocre results. The type of fish catch is like FAP, but the locals also say in the fall some good sized blues and rockfish can be had, like at FAP.
3) North Point State Park is located in the town of Edgemere, in eastern Balto. County right on the Bay. The hours and fees are similar to FSP. There’s a pretty good bait shop, Fearl’s, after you enter Edgemere, next to the WaWa. This park is clean, pretty and quiet. It has a long, flat, wide jetty where most people fish. It will take you about about a 10-15 walk from your car to the jetty’s end. The fish catch again is like FAP, but here it seems that the biggest rocks get caught in the spring. Ask Fearl what he thinks.
4) Rocky Point Park is an eastern Balto. County park located in Essex, right where the Back River meets the Bay. It is open 24/7. But there is a hefty $7 fee per person – between Memorial Day and Labor Day, from around 8am-5pm. If you arrive before or after that, no one is manning the booth, so it’s free. You can fish anywhere in the park but most folks just take the park road all the way to the end and walk down the paved hill to the rocky shore (3 minute walk). Best times are undoubtedly about 1 hour before sun up until the sun rises over Hart/Miller Island, directly across from the shore, or a couple of hours before sunset and into the night. Bring a buddy if you plan to stay there after dark, otherwise it’s ok to fish alone. Most think the best place to fish there is on the actual “rocky point”, on the left of the shore (you can’t miss it). Do not bottom fish the right side of the “rocky point”. It is loaded with snags, from the beginning of the “rocky point”, to about 90’ down to the right, along the shore. After that it’s ok to bottom fish. It’s mostly white perch and spot during the day. Early morning/evening there’s always a chance of a keeper rockfish, generally 18-25”, with some catfish and carp thrown in. Early morning in October can be really good for rockfish using plugs and poppers.
As far as eating any of these fish, all I can say is I have eaten them for years aaaaaaannnnd ititititisss’s NnNnNeevvveR bothththEred MMMMMMMEEEEE!!@#%! :--| :--|
Actually, I do eat the rockfish from all the places I mentioned.
Good luck and be sure to post a report wherever you go!
Blue Heron