Hi. First time poster. My question is multiple parts sorry lol. I am longtime hobby fisher from Baltimore MD. I have recently decided to get more serious about bass fishing this year.

I was hoping to get some experienced anwsers as to where to start fishing seriously. Either piney run or liberty reservoir? I do not have a boat YET ... which will bring me to the next question. So which is better for shore fishing?

Next question is which boat would be good "enough" for these reservoirs? I am looking to get one of those 2 seater flat bottom tracker boat with 3.5hp electric. Would that do or is a jon boat "really" needed? Thanks for any info!

Welcome to THE boards Kenny83!

I've only had the chance to fish both places one time each, but I liked Piney Run a little better (although my experience at Liberty was very short and during the big drought about 4-5 years ago).

One nice thing about Piney Run is you don't need the special permit for a boat that you need if you're fishing Liberty. With the permit, you're limited to only being able to put you boat on the Baltimore county lakes (due to the zebra muscles).

I have a 16' jon boat so my preference would lean me that way. I got around rather well at Piney Run with my 43# thrust trolling motor. The electric outboard would probably be better suited if you choose to go with Liberty (since its considerably larger)!

If you hadn't noticed, there's a Maryland Who's Who thread in this section too. Pop in on there and you may be able to find some anglers close to you!

I personally have never fished Piney Run or Liberty... But I noticed you live in N. Baltimore.... Have you tried Loch Raven. From what I hear, its a great place and you can rent boats there with motors. You should give it a try

If you are fishing from the shore I would shy away from Piney Run. Piney Run has limited shore line opportunities since it is only 300 acres of which most is surrounded by private land owners. Since Liberty Reservoir is owned by Baltimore City there is plenty of shore line on both the Baltimore County and Carroll County shore.

Boating has its pros and cons for each. The biggest con for Liberty is that you have to get a permit and sign an affidavit which limits your boating use to only Liberty, Loch Raven and Prettyboy Reservoirs. I think Loch Raven even charges an additional fee.

The biggest con for Piney Run is that it is small in size and can get crowded. It draws a great deal of Kayaks and Canoes and those people are mindless when it comes to avoiding areas you are fishing. Piney Run also develops huge grass beds that can further limit the area to fish starting in mid June. You can fish the grass edge and small holes in the grass but any downed trees and stumps are impossible to reach.

May is the best time to fish Piney Run from a boat. There are several points that extend to deeper water and have submerged stumps that fill up quick with spawning fish. There is also areas of submerged stumps throughout the reservoir that offer good quality bass fishing. The key to Piney Run is locating the many stumps that are submerged. If you have a 20 fish day you had a bad day. You should easily catch 30+ fish during the month of May with a few females weighing 5 pounds or more. You may also get a surprise. Piney Run has some pretty huge Muskys that love crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

The best baits to use to catch numbers is a wacky rigged 4 inch Senko or a Yamamoto Shad Shaped Worm. If you want larger fish stick to jigs and spinnerbaits.

Since I have a 20 foot bass boat I have never boated on Liberty. But growing up in the area I will warn you to pay close attention to the weather. Several areas of Liberty are wide open and winds can kick up some nasty waves that can impact your boating if you have a small boat.

Awesome info. Thanks alot. I was thinking piney run was not the best spot for shore fishing. I may try loch raven rented boats till I get my own for piney run. Thanks!