I used to ice fish a lot around here. The Severn and Magothy creeks would ice over thick enough to go out on. First couple times - the groaning / cracking as tide raises/lowers can be spooky.
Had access to a pond in Severna Park - it held Pickerel and it was fun to use tip ups for them. I'd jig for Bluegill while watching for a flag to " tip up ".
Fished there one night in a light snow storm - Bass and Bluegill would bite. It was about 10 pm and a cop comes down the road. He flashed lights so I walked over. He had a call some one was in trouble on the ice. I told him no one but me was there. He looks me up / down - asks me what I'm doing. I told him fishing. He shook his head and asked if I was catching any thing. I laughed - said , Officer - it's 25* out , dark and snowing. Think I'd be here if the fish were not biting ?
He just shook his head and drove away.
Conowingo creek used to be great for huge Crappie through the ice but few go up there now.
The warmer winter temps lately have made ice fishing tricky. We get ice too thick to get a boat through but too thin to walk on.
Ice fishing is fun - my favorite lure is a Rapala ice jig in gold / black. Lower to bottom - then bring it up 6 to 12 inches. Put a small cork slip bobber there and then lift it about a foot. Plastic bobbers shatter on ice too easy.
Drop the line so bobber splats the water. The jig will bounce / swim / circle dragging bobber along the hole. It takes a few tries to get it right but it draws fish in.
Repeat when bobber stops - 10-15 seconds. The hit can be light - bobber just floats higher - or a full fledge slam , where bobber is gone. Most times - bobber just slowly goes under.
It is very relaxing - just sitting on a bucket waiting a bobber.
One old school trick - take a scrap carpet 18'' x 36 '' to put under your feet. This helps insulate you from the cold.
If you get a chance to try Deep Creek - I'd take it.
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