|
Fishing Report: MAINE FISHING REPORTS
Dave Ganter at Kittery Trading Post's fishing department suggests that bluefishermen should check out the situation in the Piscataqua River and tributaries, as huge schools of big pogies are being reported in the Salmon Falls and Cocheco Rivers as well as at the mouth of the river. "There's been a lot of bluefish going after those pogies in places. Also, you have the chance of catching that striper of a life time. The blues are often near the surface, chopping up pogies that in some instances are almost as large as the fish eating them! But those big stripers are lazy and will lay under the bluefish carnage, feeding on the remains."
"Ground fishing for cod and haddock seems to have picked up some and there are those big pollock that show up here in the fall that are worth a trip offshore. Shark and giant tuna will continue to be around for a while and then will move south as the water cools. And don't forget that mackerel and flounder will also re-appear shortly," Dave ended.
Chad Woodward at Kittery Trading Post has been travelling to the Salmon River in Altmar, New York where he says the king salmon fishing is "world class." "Three of us chip in for gas, so it makes the trip relatively inexpensive. Last week, in two days, the three of us landed about 50 kings, with most of them over 20 pounds and a couple that were 30. We've been fishing in the fly-only sections, and the fishing pressure in those zones isn't that heavy, so it's still quality time. Our best flies have been a number six (salmon hook) black egg sucking leech and number 8 to 12 black stonefly nymphs."
"We use running weight fly line and rig with slinky-type sinkers to prevent hooking up on bottom--so it's chuck-and-duck type fly fishing. The river has been running 335 cfs, making for good wading and fishing. We've been staying at the Salmon Heaven Lodge in Altmar. It's an easy walk to the Lower Fly-Only Zone. Later in the year, when the salmon slow down, this same area should produce some great steelhead fishing using the same methods and gear," Chad suggests.
"We fished in the Bronzeback Open Bass Tourney on the Androscoggin River in Turner yesterday, and it was a very tough bite," reported Dave Garcia at Naples Bait and Tackle at Long Lake in the Sebago Region. "There were constant weather fronts coming though and that had a bad effect on the bass, although the pickerel were very active. Tyson (his son) and I decided to call it quits even before the tourney had ended, and we released our fish without even going to the weigh-in. It was hot coffee time!"
Dave reported that most of the trout and salmon fishing will close the end of September but a special catch-and-release zone is open on the Crooked River and a barbless hook, catch-and-release area is open at the Sebago Station. He recommends checking the law book closely when fishing late season areas.
"Bass and panfishermen will have almost unlimited opportunities to stay on the water, as most of the ponds in Cumberland County remain open, but here again, check the laws before going. Late season is a great time to find smallmouths schooled up in 17-20 feet of water. Jigging spoons like Silver Buddies work well under these circumstances."
"A friend of mine just returned from fishing Aziscohos Lake in the Rangeley area. They were jigging for big smelt which this lake is popular for and in the process they caught a four and a half pound brook trout and 23 salmon, most of them in the three to four pound range! They were all caught on little smelt jigs tipped with cut smelt or bits of worm!"
Carroll Cutting at Jordan's Store in East Sebago is enthused about the comeback of the smelt schools in Sebago Lake and says that the quality of the salmon and togue (lake trout) have improved dramatically. "We're scheduled to have a doubling in the amount of salmon stocked here next year, and we are all upbeat about the outlook for Sebago. It took a lot of patience by our fisheries team here but it looks like their work and that of the sportsmen's groups that helped all came together."
"We're finally seeing some fish stating to gather at the river mouths and going into the rivers," reported Ken at River's Edge Sports in Oquossoc in the Rangeley Lakes area. "The boss saw a three pound trout landed just as he was slipping his canoe into Steep Bank Pool and several other fish were obvious in the pool. There's fish in the Cupsuptic and Rangeley River as well as Upper Dam and the Crooked River. Some of our rivers will be open past the September 30th closing, so check the laws before you fish. Most of the extended seasons are fly-only, catch-and-release."
Penny Legere at Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville in the Moosehead Region reports that the Roach River is producing some steady fishing--all salmon and up to 22 inches. "There are lots of fishermen. You'll do best by staying away from the crowds. The East and West Outlets will be open until October 31st for catch-and-release, fly-only fishing but most of the other waters here will close on September 30th."
"Cool nights have helped drop water temps in the Boothbay Harbor area, and the striped bass appear to be feeding a bit more voraciously in preparation for their migration south in a few weeks," reports Barry Gibson of SALTWATER SPORTSMAN magazine. "Regular client Wilson Kipp and I fished the Kennebec River above Bath on Thursday and took ten nice fish to 33 inches on mackerel chunks. I also caught a "first" of my career that day-- a two-pound freshwater catfish, which was evidently right down there on the bottom feeding with the bass. I received a report of a number of large stripers up to 50 inches taken off Popham Beach on Saturday, so perhaps the "big boys" are moving out of the river and working their way down the coast."
"Mackerel have been hitting like gangbusters every morning in the bay, but most are large "chunkers" and the little tinkers and spikes we like for live-lining bass have been scarce. Bluefish seem to be pretty much gone, but bottom fish, mostly haddock, are still providing action offshore. Most of the guides and skippers here will run through Columbus Day weekend." (Capt. Barry Gibson, Shark Five, Boothbay Harbor; (207) 633-5929; barrygibson6@aol.com) |
Welcome fellow anglers to Fintalk's Maine Fishing Reports and other sport fishing reports for fresh and saltwater regions of the USA and world. We have a long list of up to date fishing reports for various USA hot spots along with some select international hotspots. If you don't see the fishing report you are looking for then feel free to post your own report about any type of fishing you do. You are more than welcome to become one of the Fintalk.com fishing report authors. These reports are for everybody from the surf and pier angler to the angler on an offshore charterboat. From Alaska fishing reports to Maine fishing reports to Maine Fishing Reports.
Send to friend
Email the author
