Fishing Report: Waterworks Park is BACK!

Many of you may remember Waterworks Park (the old Annapolis Reservoir) from last Sept-November while the last permits were valid. The City of Annapolis decided to once again open up Waterworks for March-May, perfect for the Spring bass spawn. Zach and I bought our permit in February in anticipation of the opening on March 1st. The City changed the rules a bit this Spring, for the better. They have decided to leave the park open 7a-7p every day rather than the 4p-sunset they had in the Fall. Heres the info from the site:

Waterworks Re-Opens March 1, 2012                                Waterworks Park Brochure

The Annapolis Waterworks Park is a passive recreational facility operated by the Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department. This Park is one of the few open space resources in the area which provides the public with hiking trails, as well as places to picnic and fish. There are miles of nature trails and a picnic pavilion (first-come, first-serve.)

Waterworks Park is located at 260 Defense Highway, about one mile past the Annapolis Mall. There are three fresh water fishing ponds – catch and release fishing only (the fish cannot be taken home.)

Maryland fishing licenses apply and can be purchased at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Rowe Blvd.) in Annapolis.

PERMIT INFORMATION - entrance to the park is by permit only

The permits sold by ARPD are for access to Waterworks Park only. Due to the Park’s ecological sensitivity and limited parking, all visitors are required to obtain a permit to use the park. Permits are issued to City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County residents only. Valid identification must be provided prior to the issuance of any permit. A limited number of quarterly and monthly permits are issued beginning the 15th of the month preceding the month the permit is valid. All permits are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Permits are available for purchase from the Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department office located at the "Pip" Moyer Recreation Center at Truxutn Park, 273 Hilltop Lane in Annapolis during building hours.

Spring 2012:  the permits are sold on the 15th of the month prior to the permitted month:
• March permits on sale February 15
• April permits on sale March 15
• May permits on sale April 15

Permit Cost:Monthly (30 allotted) = City of Annapolis Resident $10 / Anne Arundel County Resident $15
Quarterly (50 allotted) = City of Annapolis Resident $30 / Anne Arundel County Resident $45

In order to prove residency, we need a copy of your driver’s license. Please remember to have your "hang tag" visible in your car while parked at the park. We also recommend having your receipt on hand while you're at Waterworks Park too as the receipt has the combination to the lock which allows you to access the park.

HOURS - park re-opens 3/1/12

7 a.m. to dusk, all seven days (Sunday-Saturday)...

A bit long winded, sorry, but you can read the rest on the site.

So far, we've been 4 times and were proud to say we are 4/4. I headed over on the opening day before sunset and had this 1.5 lb Largemouth go beast mode on a popper I picked up at Backwater Angler a few weeks ago, it was awesome.

The next trip I was able to fish with Zach the day before my birthday and pull in another 1.5 pounder on the same exact fly. It simply slayer the bass, enough said.

I decided after school the other day to give Waterworks a few casts and I was able to try out some new frog poppers. As soon as one of them hit the water in the back pond, the water started to boil. The only thing was, the fish weren't taking the fly, simply smacking it in the air with their tail... I tried to video tape it after it happened 5 times in a row but of course, they didn't do it again. I tossed on a Clouser Minnow that I had rigged up with a spinner and as soon as I started to strip, boom. There was a green flash, about 5 yards of line taken and next thing you know, I had this beautiful 16-17" Pickerel in my hands.

Zach went over yesterday for a few casts and ended up nailing this 23.5" Pickerel and helped a guy land this bass we estimate to be around 6 lbs.

Needless to say, the pre-spawn has started and the bass, Pickerel, and even Bluegill are going nuts. Keep and eye on our Instagram, Facebook page, and the blog for new reports from Waterworks as we will be fishing it often.

 Boom...Morgan