With a little rain, the trout fishing should get very good again. Sometimes, when you locate a school of perch, you can have nonstop action for hours. Today, Bob got a nice 3 pound fish that Nero couldnt ignore long enough for a good picture. Weve had a lot of rainy and cloudy weather with daytime highs in the 40s and low 50s. We had a good couple of days. The trout fishing has continued to be excellent. Luke was bit by the fishing bug and he wanted to get his brother Vinny into fishing. Just because the ice has been out for three weeks, doesnt mean the water is much warmer than it would normally in the third week of April. In the morning, the angle of the sun allows fish to feed close to the surface where they are easier to catch. Fly fishing is a ton of fun. Focus your efforts around rocky structure with deep drop-offs. The big fish of the day were caught in deep water between 10 and 15 feet. The bass arent super aggressive yet. Weather: Warm with southwest winds at 5 to 10.

4 and 5 pound fish are not out of the question for more experienced anglers. Bass are still spawning. I was impressed by some of the fishermen on the Bunny Clark. If youre still learning, 5 or 6 missed opportunities can end up meaning no fish for the day. When the alewives are running, its best to fish landlocked bodies of water. Fish are moving into the shallows and feeding heavily on sunny days. By the official opening of spring fishing on Saturday, the rivers should be completely open and ready for a fly. The next week and a half should produce some nice fish.

The stream fishing is excellent right now. Its tough on us all. Trout were difficult to hook, but the smallmouth were eagerly taking leech flies on sinking line and topwater poppers on floating line. Read Forrest Bonneys book, Square Tails. Most of the streams are open, but still have significant ice in the slack water. I have been testing out the Goose River Guide Canoe in the above picture. Weather: Warm with high winds from the north west.

Nero retrieved the 3 ducks and the grouse in the pictures above. The bass fishing is excellent right now. The fishing was great this week! The tips for today is when in doubt, set the hook! The smallmouth have been sucking in baits and swimming directly toward the boat. The Alewives are still in the rivers, but they have started heading back out to sea in some places. Fish in the 18 to 20 inch range are not uncommon this time of year. Good hatches of dark mayflies are getting the trout to look up. Spring is a great time to bring a kid trout fishing. There is plenty of room to cast and the action is fast. The water is cold and the fish are sluggish. When we got closer, he saw a big smallmouth guarding the bed. Trout fishing in the streams is excellent right now. We had early ice, so most ponds in the area have 5 to 8+ inches of relatively clear ice. The bass spawn is just finishing up. Ponds are still fishing very well for bass and trout. You could fish all day and catch nothing or catch 15 trout in 30 minutes. Fish are chasing bait in very shallow weedy or rocky cover, or they are hanging out on deep water ledges and weed beds. The warmer the water, the more active the fish will be. When planning a fishing trip, I tend to recommend morning trips. Its finally starting to feel a little more like spring. Jeff caught his first smallmouth and Tess landed her biggest largemouth. The stream fishing will be superb once the Alewives finish their run. This client was spin fishing while his buddy was fly fishing. This winter, Im installing a french drain in my basement, pouring new footings, running a new carrying beam and adding floor joists. Because the water is low in most of the streams, bass fishing is the name of the game. If you have a trip planned, start casting 2 or 3 times a week for at least 3 weeks. September fishing can be tricky. Yesterday, David and Anders got to see how good the fishing in midcoast Maine can be. The trout fishing is still good on the streams. The water is still cold, but the fish seem to be collecting around deep, rocky structure and drop-offs. This week Chris and his daughter had an awesome day catching largemouth and smallmouth on popper flies. Trevor landed the awesome trout in the picture on a smelt pattern in a remote pond. Ash made a good hook set and said: This ones coming home. Being superstitious, I immediately shushed him. It took an experienced guide to teach me that water temperature is tied more to the angle of the sun and length of the day than the air temperature. Black flies are a part of spring. The fish are spread out a bit more than last week and are a little more willing to take the same old bait. Summer is quickly coming to a close. If you use a thermometer, you can monitor the water temperature and adjust your techniques accordingly. The fish hold a soft fly longer. One is a sweet 76 4 wt. Last weeks trip almost was canceled due to road conditions. On most trips, were getting one or two bass in the 3lb range. If youre thinking about getting a wooden boat, do it! The early bass bite is excellent. The black flies are out and the trout fishing is great. October was busy. Sight casting is the most effective method right now. In the ponds, trout are cruising shallows and rocky ledges looking for minnows and mayflies. Crank baits are also working. Whether you are fly fishing or spin fishing, keep the tip of your fishing rod two or three inches above the water when retrieving a fly or bait. The fly fishing for smallmouth bass has continued to be excellent. After 48 perch it was getting dark and we had to head back to the dock. I find that the best early season tactic is to fish streamers and leech patterns on sinking lines. In the pictures above, Quinten poses with a few brook trout for the frying pan. During the bass spawn, try to fish on calm days. When fishing a new body of water without a trolling motor, let the wind push you around. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are in the streams and make for fun fishing on a 5 or 7 weight rod. They arent very aggressive yet and I didnt see any females near the beds, but spawning activity should start to pick up next week. While I havent seen anything too impressive yet, some three pound brook trout, decent rainbows, and even an 8 lb. I havent seen any caddis yet. When the alewives make their yearly spawning run from the Atlantic Ocean to our coastal rivers and ponds, they tend to make the bass and trout fishing much more difficult. I found it very surprising that we didnt catch any smallmouth. When the weather gets hot, early morning or late afternoon trips are the most productive. But the weather hasnt negatively affected the fishing. Wash your hunting clothes in scent-free soap and hang them outside for a few days. Sight fishing for big fish can be a whole lot of fun. Once things settle down a bit, stream and brook fishing should be great. The water level in the trout streams is a little lower than I would like, but it hasnt seemed to hurt the fishing any.

Large and smallmouth bass, pike, trout and salmon can all be caught in this chain of lakes. The trout fishing can be very good if you hit the weather right. Rain in the afternoon. Springtime fishing is very dependent on weather. I still have dreams about a very large fish that broke me off last year. These flies work best when fished very slowly and deliberately. The fish will likely come back to the bait. Itll catch plenty of fish, but you often have to weed through a ton of small fish to get into a big one. If this kind of fishing continues, I might have to quit teaching school! Most inexperienced guests are getting into fish in the 3 pound range on each outing. Spin fishermen have also been doing well. I have a deck in the works for the spring in between fishing trips. On lightly pressured lakes and ponds in Maine, you dont need to set the hook as soon as you see the strike. Weather: Clear and dry with South winds at 10-15. The ice finally left the ponds in my area last week. The bigger lakes have open water with large patches of ice. Setting the hook after you have seen the fish eat is sometimes the only way to catch a big one on a bed. Weather: Cooler and cloudy with high humidity. Now, its cold and feels like fall again. largemouth took a dark sleeper. The cool temperatures are welcome. In all of my years on the water, I have never seen a loon on a dock and have never seen a loon egg. Check it out: https://whitewoodcraftmaine.com. Once the sun gets high fish go deep or look for cover. The water was still cold and the fishing a little slow, but the quality of the fish caught was excellent. 90% off the fish hit on the pause or just after a the twitch. After the trip, I gave Luke a tip on a local pond and he went out with his own kayak and caught the nice four pound fish in the above right picture. Hadley had an awesome afternoon on Seven Tree Pond with a mixed bag of large and smallmouth bass.

Nymphs are effective, but you need to put them right on the fishs nose. The next warm day will be time to test out a new fly rod. Use a sinking line and nymph or streamer fly. Ive seen people drifting nymphs with mixed success. Days were warm and nights were cool. In addition to the two nice brook trout in the pictures, we caught several more excellent fish. In clear water, midday trips are difficult. The owner ran out of gas and was trying to swim it to shore. We had fast action on some very cooperative birds. As the water warms, the fish start moving into deep water. All the practice showed! Right now, the fishing is consistent. People are reporting 8 or more inches of ice on the ponds, but always check before venturing out. After close to two days of rain and clouds, more should be coming out soon. The past two weeks have been downright frigid. Fish on the warmest mornings of the week. He caught a number of good brook trout and a decent smallmouth. Spend your time on a spot and you will likely see her cruising near the bed. Males are usually much smaller than the females. But sometimes its important for the guide to do some fishing on his own. As a whole, the month of September was a lot of fun with plenty of awesome fishing. The weather was perfect and the fishing was phenomenal. Sometimes, if you put in the time, you can get these big girls to bite. The smallmouth in the above picture took a jig dragged on a shallow sandy bottom. Now, Im thinking of adding a new rule: Dont call your fish before they are in the boat.. Lou Dagneau was able to get a few good pictures on our trip last week. Make sure you set your drag right. Dont think central Maine is safe either.

The wind made things a little difficult, but the fish were cooperative.

When water temperatures approaches the mid 60s, trout find springs and head for the deep parts of lakes. I also saw my first tick of the season. Fish are biting. We had a decent snowpack in February and March. When the bite stops, pull up your anchor and continue drifting. If you see a fishing moving toward your fly, dont move the fly unless the fish loses interest. On the streams, Im transitioning from trout to smallmouth fishing. Fishing for smallmouth bass is excellent and getting better by the day. Megunticook really gets good when water temperatures creep up into the 50s, or, as the old-timers say, when the swallows come out. An alewife even took a dry fly in a small pocket. Fish are moving from shallow rocky areas into deeper waters and shaded shallows. My tomatoes and peppers arent looking very good. While targeting smallmouth with a jig, I had a large brook trout grab the lure. The sun was out and the wind was up. The water is cold and high so dont expect the fish to take a dry fly. Smallmouth from deep cold lakes like Megunticook can be excellent table fare. The cloud cover kept the fish feeding shallow and made it a little cooler for us in the boat.

The water levels in the rivers are low enough to make fishing possible. Dont over look pike. I headed out to a new pond with the dog and Mrs. Maine Guide for her birthday. You might be surprised at the number of nondescript little streams in Coastal and Central Maine that hold trout in the summer. David from Pennsylvania hooked one of the biggest smallmouth Ive seen since spring.

Light colored mayflies and caddis are hatching. Its getting hot out. The big bass are definitely around. (LogOut/ Once the bass spawn is over, Ill be back on the streams chasing trout with a fly rod. That can make things difficult fishing clear water for bass and trout. If you put in the time, you will be rewarded with some nice fish. Its been a while since Ive had a chance to sit down and write a good fishing report. In some ponds with really clear water, a good pair of glasses will allow you to see a fish eat your bait. The bass spawn will be happening very soon. After last weeks snow storm, Im hoping the weather starts to settle a bit. When the water is cold, fishing the shallows for bass is often unproductive. Its still early in the spawn and the fishing should be at its peak by the weekend. Large numbers of alewives have moved into the rivers. Weather: Cloudy with light winds from the west. Topwater bugs are working for smallmouth and largemouth. I loved his Sage Smallmouth rodit threw a popper in 7 wt. The past seven days have been full of fish and fun clients from all over the country. Most new fishermen break their wrist and drop the rod tip well below their shoulder line. This is a great time of year to fish in Maine! As the water warms, big fish will move deeper, but for the time being, shallow is working. Sections of Megunticook Lake are open and some of the smaller ponds are starting to open up. Next weekend the beams will be pegged together and installed. I think well start to see big smallmouth on beds by late this week or this weekend. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. A good pair of sunglasses is super important during the bass spawn.

Last Sunday, the water temperature in the afternoon reached almost 80 degrees. The bass bite is getting good and the fish are thinking about spawning. The loons, eagles, and osprey are moving back to the ponds. Trout fishing is great, but you have to hit the early bite and make long casts. I like to leave the plastic worms at home this time of year. The rocks retain heat from the sun and attract aquatic bugs and baitfish. Once the high water returns to normal levels, the fishing should get good.

I even watched a guy walk down my road wearing orange, carrying a rifle, and smoking a cigarette. A day before his birthday, Quentin landed this beautiful northern pike. The bugs were bad, but the fishing was excellent! Both rods are great fishing tools and an absolute pleasure to cast and fight fish with. They can make the bass fishing a little difficult, but we managed to do well this week. The bass are off the spawning beds and the alewives are running in the rivers and many ponds. Things are going well, but the alewives will show up soon and make things difficult on certain bodies of water. Weather: Hot and humid with variable winds. The alewife run is a great opportunity to see ospreys and eagles fishing. This canoe was built by Bob White of Rockport, Maine. Ive seen a number of great fish between three and five pounds.

Ive been heading out after my morning trips with a fly rod and poppers. The early stonefly hatch should start to happen in the next few weeks. Check a map before heading out this time of year. At the end of November, we should be getting snow instead of rain. Fish from 2 inches to 15 inches were taking dry flies yesterday. If the wind cooperates and you have a good pair of polarized glasses, you can sight cast to big largemouth and smallmouth. Most serious fishermen get to the point where the quality of the fish and the fishing experience becomes more important that numbers and size of fish. When the wind is down and the sun is up, its easy to see spawning beds. Even in cold water, a trout will chase down a well presented streamer. 1 and 2 pound fish are making up the majority of the catch. In others, the fishing is phenomenal. Fishermen can unintentionally contaminate bodies of water with invasive aquatic plants transported on gear. On Saturday they boated over 20 fish with the biggest one at 4 pounds. The weather still feels very much like early spring. To find great early fishing, put in lots of time on the water or hope someone takes pity on you and shares some information about their favorite pond. Ive had a lot of calls recently about fly fishing. Ive just been starting to see mayfly duns. The streams are down to reasonable levels after the spring runoff. Focusing on docks and weedy areas can produce some bigger fish. The past two weeks of fishing have been excellent. The day started off rough. Yesterday, Trevor landed one of the bigger bass Ive seen this season. The weird weather hasnt seemed to hurt the fishing any. The changing light has helped the water cool very quickly. When Im losing a lot of fish, I will switch to a night crawler or change my hook size. Hes been a great help with design and woodworking tips. When you book two half days, you can maximize the amount of productive fishing time on the water. The fishing has continued to be excellent for both trout and bass. This one made some delicious fillets in the deep fryer.

If you can identify any patterns, keep looking for similar temperatures elsewhere. I hope they come back next year so we can get a 5lb fish on a fly rod. Quantabacook has also produced some nice bass. Its one of my favorite times of the year. It feels like spring is just around the corner. State biologists estimate the success rate for deer hunters in Maine at somwhere between 11 and 14 percent. Most of the people calling are new to the sport and want to learn. As a guide it can be easy to fall into a routine of fishing the same spots with the same lures. Apple blossoms are starting and fiddleheading is excellent. Duke, Merv, Brian, and Steve all out-fished me. The freighter canoe made a pretty nice tug boat. Today, I got the boat into Bob Whites shop for a good cleaning and to touch up some varnish and paint. It is officially summer! Last week I took a trip to northern Maine for lake trout and brook trout. Two patterns have been working well. Ed and his grandson had an awesome morning on Megunticook Lake. The fishing should really pick up around the third week of April.

We were catching numbers and size. The weather is warm and the bass are off the spawning beds. My favorite time of the year is almost here! This morning felt like fall. The smaller males will guard the beds, but the big females are still around. Dressing warmly is an important part of spring fishing. Happy New Year! Some ponds have been out for 2 weeks and others a week or a few days. My favorite is a clear intermediate sinking line. We released a big female before we could get a picture. At one point, Willie landed 3 big fish on consecutive casts. In morning and evening, they can be found chasing baitfish in inches of water. Sometimes, I wait until I feel the weight of the fish to set the hook. On Saturday morning, we got into a bunch of nice bass with the biggest one four and a half ponds. The weather here in Maine has been beautiful. Trout fishing in the rivers is great right now. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are taking baits in shallow water. Its hard to leave an area when fish are jumping all over, but its often more productive to target fish that are not actively feeding on a specific forage species. If you have a spot with aggressive, schooling fish, a jig rod is often productive. Unless you have spent years hunting the same spots, I suggest getting out of the stand and walking around. I filled the doe tag on opening morning, but took another 25 days to tag my buck. Even though it was a bit windy, Brenton spotted a bass bed in our ultra clear water. Conditions change quickly in late spring. The bass are on spawning beds in certain ponds and the fishing is fantastic. Winter is upon us and Im already dreaming about long, warm days on the water. I always get excited about the opening day of spring fishing. As of today, my guiding season is over until April.

He could pitch a popper super close to cover with great accuracy. A few males have made their way into the shallows and are guarding spawning beds. Weather: Warm and sunny with moderate winds. A lot of people tend to overwork soft plastic baits. Unfortunately for us, the cloudy water made conditions tough. They are also relatively easy and inexpensive to repair should you ever have a problem. The purple rod barely had enough backbone to land the fish, but Rachel did an awesome job getting it in the boat. Young Kate did an awesome job reeling in all those big trout! Sometimes the weather is brutally cold and the winds are unforgiving. At the end of a very busy season, its important to remind myself that I guide because I love it. In the winter, I like to fish during the warmest part of the day. The bigger fish are starting to show themselves. The fish show up in ponds 30 or more miles from the coast. Jeffs big largemouth escaped into the deep with the scale still attached before we even got a picture. Weather has a big influence on the bass fishing in early spring. This year, it went out more than a month later. On Monday, Ash and I came across a large pleasure boat dead in the water. Its also hard and frustrating at times. When possible, refrain from bananas, white lighters, and calling your fish.. The smallmouth and largemouth fishing on Megunticook Lake in Camden has been excellent. After just a couple of hours fishing, they had released close to 60 fish. As my good buddy likes to say, you cant eat the antlers..