On the Road During the Deluge

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Northern
Location: Baltimore County

I was on the road yesterday traveling through Baltimore County and north through Harford and Cecil Counties in the rains, stopping at tackle shops that are award centers for the Maryland Fishing Challenge. I found myself driving up Route 40 past such famous yellow perch fishing locations such as Gray�s Run. The creeks and rivers were running a torrent of muddy water flooding low lying areas and pouring into the bay. When I stopped at the town of Northeast a sign caught my attention directing one to the sand bag station. I followed the signs out of curiosity, to a parking lot with a dump truck load of sand and a supply of sand bags. I�m assuming town�s folk take the flooding of the Northeast Creek as part of life when living nearby. On my travels down Route 213, I crossed the tidal rivers of the eastern shore along with many creeks. They were certainly flowing briskly but were holding their color and looked nothing like what I saw on the western shore. Let there be no doubt that non-tidal wetlands and forests do a better job metering out the effects of Thursday�s deluge than asphalt and concrete. At the Tuckahoe I even spotted this enterprising yellow perch fisherman backed up to the waterside and watching his fishing rods as they sat upon forked sticks from the back of his dry vehicle.

Many of you are familiar with the Maryland Sport Fishing Tournament and the carbon paper entry forms that are filled out to obtain a certificate (suitable for framing) for your trophy sized fish. This spring when you find we have a new system that should be a whole lot easier and you�ll get your award certificate faster. The awards centers now have a book of two part tickets and once you obtain your ticket; you can enter your fish quickly by going online or calling the provided phone number. The ticket is also your entrance ticket to the Fishing Challenge awards event on September 10, 2011 at Sandy Point. We already have a boat, motor and trailer combo donated by Bass Pro Shops and over $10,000 in prizes and there is hope a pickup truck and another boat, motor, trailer combo will be also offered as prizes. A list of award centers and information can be found at http://dnr.maryland.gov/fishingchallenge