Looking forward to another great season of fishing. The boat is ready and so am I. I have had a great first year at Falmouth High School but I am looking forward to fishing.
Last season ended with a terrific bite. I kept my boat at the Tavern Marina all fall and on Columbus day weekend I brought it home. But, before heading back to Boothbay I did 3 drifts and hooked up on each one. Even more wild, were the 3 or 4 chaser Stripers that accompanied each caught fish from the bottom to the very top of the water column.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Saturday, June 23, 2012
It's summer. Time to dust the cobwebs off this blog. Time to let everyone know what can be seen and found in the waters along the coast here.
First, the Boothbay Region has a plethora of fishing options. There are a ton of Mackerel. Macks can be caught all over Boothbay including Spruce Point, Cabbage Island, and Negro Island. Reliable reports say Stripers have been caught in Linekin Bay just east of Boothbay. Squid are all over town. Find a dock with a strong light and you are most likely in business. A few friends and I spent a short time a few weeks ago and we caught 60 something. Finally, my lobster take has been puny but from what I hear that is not the case for the guys who do it for a living.
In the Kennebec, schoolie Stripers have come back for the first time in 4 years. These 12" to 18" fish are showing up in he Damariscotta River, St Georges River, and the Penobscot. These northern rivers had not seen any Striped Bass for several years. The Kennebec is also holding larger fish as well. Under bait restrictions, the Kennebec River Stripers have grown picky with artifical lures. Outside, beyond the no bait zone, fisherman using live or chunked Macs have been having luck. Here is a fish we caught today for example.
The end of the special restrictions on the Kennebec is in July and all the special regulations around bait and keeping a fish a person will be lifted. From this point on this area will be under the same restrictions as the rest of the state. Fish between 20" and 26" and over 40" will be permitted to be taken, one per angler per day.
First, the Boothbay Region has a plethora of fishing options. There are a ton of Mackerel. Macks can be caught all over Boothbay including Spruce Point, Cabbage Island, and Negro Island. Reliable reports say Stripers have been caught in Linekin Bay just east of Boothbay. Squid are all over town. Find a dock with a strong light and you are most likely in business. A few friends and I spent a short time a few weeks ago and we caught 60 something. Finally, my lobster take has been puny but from what I hear that is not the case for the guys who do it for a living.
In the Kennebec, schoolie Stripers have come back for the first time in 4 years. These 12" to 18" fish are showing up in he Damariscotta River, St Georges River, and the Penobscot. These northern rivers had not seen any Striped Bass for several years. The Kennebec is also holding larger fish as well. Under bait restrictions, the Kennebec River Stripers have grown picky with artifical lures. Outside, beyond the no bait zone, fisherman using live or chunked Macs have been having luck. Here is a fish we caught today for example.
The end of the special restrictions on the Kennebec is in July and all the special regulations around bait and keeping a fish a person will be lifted. From this point on this area will be under the same restrictions as the rest of the state. Fish between 20" and 26" and over 40" will be permitted to be taken, one per angler per day.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Mount Pleasant (Northern Suburb of Charleston, S.C.)
Since this is a fishing blog, I will try to keep my recap of our trip to South Carolina to boat/fishing experiences. In the process, I will neglect many of the great times we had with new friends and old. I won't go into the terrific meals we had which ranged from shmancy super delicious Washington DC French/American cuisine to an oyster roast wheel-barrowed in from local pilings.
Our first fishing adventure came with OC Polk aboard his 18' Parker. We met OC and his first mate Lisa Marie at a boat ramp by an inlet on Sullivan's Island. We cruised 8 miles offshore on beautiful flat seas to an offshore reef. We spent the next 5 or 6 hours hammering fish. We caught some nice Black Drum and Sheepshead. The biggest fish were 10 and 11 pounds and in all we caught over 160 lbs of fish. You can see a video of the bait above.
Later that day our hosts Ben and Marci treated us and some of their friends to a cruise around Charleston Harbor in the sportfishing boat Ben runs. The Jabez is a 56' fishing extravaganza complete with fancy pants fighting chair and the whole show. It's the boat on the right pictured below and you can click on the link if you care to see more.
The next morning we decided to join OC at work. OC pilots the Spirit of the Low Country, a giant Pink Lady kind of rig that seats over 500 people. You can see Ben and I in the space located behind El Capitan. The boat took us out to Fort Sumter which recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of what is generally considered the beginning of the Civil War.
Later that afternoon, Gayle went to the beach with Marci, and Ben hooked me up with his friend John and his son Ellison for some Redfishing. John's boat, when planed off, draws less then 6" of water. You can probably tell in the short video below. In the picture below you can see I was successful. In fact, I was the only guy to catch a fish. I caught that fish on a shrimp with a jighead. We had a tough day of fishing with a bit too much wind and a drainer tide. We did not spot many fish and we polled around for a long time. Much thanks to John for all their effort there. Going up and down those nooks and crannies is really fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, we had to get back home to relieve the grandparents and to get stuff done. Apparently, Gayle and I missed a fishing extravaganza offshore on Thursday. The Jabez caught a pile of black fin tuna and several wahoo and who knows how many other types of fish. Hopefully, next time we go to SC, we can jump aboard.
Later that day our hosts Ben and Marci treated us and some of their friends to a cruise around Charleston Harbor in the sportfishing boat Ben runs. The Jabez is a 56' fishing extravaganza complete with fancy pants fighting chair and the whole show. It's the boat on the right pictured below and you can click on the link if you care to see more.
The next morning we decided to join OC at work. OC pilots the Spirit of the Low Country, a giant Pink Lady kind of rig that seats over 500 people. You can see Ben and I in the space located behind El Capitan. The boat took us out to Fort Sumter which recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of what is generally considered the beginning of the Civil War.
Unfortunately, we had to get back home to relieve the grandparents and to get stuff done. Apparently, Gayle and I missed a fishing extravaganza offshore on Thursday. The Jabez caught a pile of black fin tuna and several wahoo and who knows how many other types of fish. Hopefully, next time we go to SC, we can jump aboard.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Report from a Public Hearing on Proposed Rule Changes for the Kennebec
Did you know the rules on Striper fishing in the Kennebec may change? It's true. To bring you up to speed, let me summarize the special regulations that have been in place on the Kennebec watershed for the past 18 years. In the area between Small Point and Cape Newagen and all areas upriver there has been a catch-and-release-only season from May 1 to June 30. Also, during this time of year, all use of bait has been prohibited in these same areas.
The proposed rule changes for May 1 to June 30 would shrink the catch-and-release area significantly. It would open up the entire Sheepscot as well as the Southern and Western facing beaches of Popham. More significantly, bait would be permitted in the entire Kennebec watershed as long as fishermen use circle hooks.
Tonight, at the Bath City Hall, I attended a public hearing on this rule change. I witnessed a very civil and orderly debate on this topic. According to several people in attendance, the last time there was a hearing of this sort (in 2002), the meeting was so disorderly that people could not speak without being heckled from the opposing side.
Lining up against the rule change was the Coastal Conservation Association(CCA), the Maine Association of Charterboat Captians(MACC), and various other recreational fishermen. Some of the more notable speakers against the amendment were Duncan Barnes, the president of CCA, Forest Faulkingham, the president of MACC, and Doug Jowett, a long-time guide out of the midcoast. Their position was that Striper fishing is on the decline and why make it tougher on the fish by shrinking the catch-and-release part of the river and permitting the use of bait.
In support of the amendment was the Recreational Fisherman's Alliance. There were many captains who spoke out in favor of these changes including Russell Troy, Barry Gibson, Jeff Tims, Pete Ripley, and Bill Spencer. Chris Grill, owner of the Kennebec Angler, also spoke out in favor of the amendment. Their position was that the current situation does not reduce pressure on the fish and favors one kind of angler over another.
I, as most of you know, am a bait guy. I love to work my way up the food chain. Not having to use artificials will save me tons of money on lures and will allow me to fish the way I love to. I grew up fishing nothing but artificials for Stripers, but I just prefer to step up to the "Meat Table" as Captain Russell Troy once told me.
At the same time, I want to protect our fishery. I just think we have little effect on the overall condition of the Striped Bass fishery. I hate to pass the buck but I am afraid I will here. Our Stripers come from the Chesapeake, that we know. Also, we know, that Maine is the end of the Stripers' swim. We also know that very few fish are caught here in comparison to places like Virginia and New York where the fish breed. If we really want to preserve Striped Bass the solutions lie to my South.
In the meantime, I hope this amendment goes through. This summer I am excited to take people like Zach and Cindy Taylor fishing with live ones. They always come in June which means they have always had to use artificials. For the Taylors and other families, this amendment will make the Striped Bass fishery a little more accessible.
Finally, tonight was great for another reason. It was so nice to take off my teacher hat and put on my fisherman hat. I am so lucky to be able to have two great jobs. I must say that wearing my charterboat captain hat is always fun and I am really looking forward to putting it on come June.
The proposed rule changes for May 1 to June 30 would shrink the catch-and-release area significantly. It would open up the entire Sheepscot as well as the Southern and Western facing beaches of Popham. More significantly, bait would be permitted in the entire Kennebec watershed as long as fishermen use circle hooks.
Tonight, at the Bath City Hall, I attended a public hearing on this rule change. I witnessed a very civil and orderly debate on this topic. According to several people in attendance, the last time there was a hearing of this sort (in 2002), the meeting was so disorderly that people could not speak without being heckled from the opposing side.
Lining up against the rule change was the Coastal Conservation Association(CCA), the Maine Association of Charterboat Captians(MACC), and various other recreational fishermen. Some of the more notable speakers against the amendment were Duncan Barnes, the president of CCA, Forest Faulkingham, the president of MACC, and Doug Jowett, a long-time guide out of the midcoast. Their position was that Striper fishing is on the decline and why make it tougher on the fish by shrinking the catch-and-release part of the river and permitting the use of bait.
In support of the amendment was the Recreational Fisherman's Alliance. There were many captains who spoke out in favor of these changes including Russell Troy, Barry Gibson, Jeff Tims, Pete Ripley, and Bill Spencer. Chris Grill, owner of the Kennebec Angler, also spoke out in favor of the amendment. Their position was that the current situation does not reduce pressure on the fish and favors one kind of angler over another.
I, as most of you know, am a bait guy. I love to work my way up the food chain. Not having to use artificials will save me tons of money on lures and will allow me to fish the way I love to. I grew up fishing nothing but artificials for Stripers, but I just prefer to step up to the "Meat Table" as Captain Russell Troy once told me.
At the same time, I want to protect our fishery. I just think we have little effect on the overall condition of the Striped Bass fishery. I hate to pass the buck but I am afraid I will here. Our Stripers come from the Chesapeake, that we know. Also, we know, that Maine is the end of the Stripers' swim. We also know that very few fish are caught here in comparison to places like Virginia and New York where the fish breed. If we really want to preserve Striped Bass the solutions lie to my South.
In the meantime, I hope this amendment goes through. This summer I am excited to take people like Zach and Cindy Taylor fishing with live ones. They always come in June which means they have always had to use artificials. For the Taylors and other families, this amendment will make the Striped Bass fishery a little more accessible.
Finally, tonight was great for another reason. It was so nice to take off my teacher hat and put on my fisherman hat. I am so lucky to be able to have two great jobs. I must say that wearing my charterboat captain hat is always fun and I am really looking forward to putting it on come June.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Woke up early this morning. "Daddy." "Daddy!" "DADDY!" Dang boy. At 6am the sky here in Boothbay was dark from clouds that ended in the far eastern sky. As a result, the sky looked pitched black over the snowscape and dark ocean ending in a horizon of dim light. There was absolutely nothing about that sky that said let's go for a boat ride.
Nonetheless there are many guys from town who have switched over to shrimping. Rusty Brewar, captain of the 38'(that's a guess) F/V Look Out, has been helping me with basketball and telling me about Shrimping. Yesterday he eyed my boots and said,"You could come on the boat with me this winter with those babies." I let Rusty think I could handle it out there this time of year but I am not so sure. Guys shrimping go out in all kinds of weather. "The shrimping season is like a sprint" Rusty told me. Indeed, they haul in all kinds of shrimp and supply the entire state with Maine shrimp for year round consumption in just a few short months.
That is the fishing report from this area right now. In southern maine ice is just beginning to form on Lakes and Rivers. We are supposed to have a warm up this weekend too so the beginning of ice fishing season will be delayed for many. Smelting will be delayed even longer. Bummer. I just got a brand new ice auger and I would love to feel a little tug.
Happy Holidays.
Nonetheless there are many guys from town who have switched over to shrimping. Rusty Brewar, captain of the 38'(that's a guess) F/V Look Out, has been helping me with basketball and telling me about Shrimping. Yesterday he eyed my boots and said,"You could come on the boat with me this winter with those babies." I let Rusty think I could handle it out there this time of year but I am not so sure. Guys shrimping go out in all kinds of weather. "The shrimping season is like a sprint" Rusty told me. Indeed, they haul in all kinds of shrimp and supply the entire state with Maine shrimp for year round consumption in just a few short months.
That is the fishing report from this area right now. In southern maine ice is just beginning to form on Lakes and Rivers. We are supposed to have a warm up this weekend too so the beginning of ice fishing season will be delayed for many. Smelting will be delayed even longer. Bummer. I just got a brand new ice auger and I would love to feel a little tug.
Happy Holidays.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Fat Lady Has Not Yet Sung!
Guess what. You guessed it. There are still fish here in the Gulf of Maine. Over the weekend I went out with some friends including Matt and Mark Piccerelli from Rhode Island and Captain George Harris of Super Fly Charters. We had a real good time despite the wind and the temps and defied all odds and caught fish. I got a nice 30" and we cut up two more fish and made some delightful grilled Striper for dinner that night.
Yesterday George slayed the Groundfish off of Monhegan and today he is catching Stripers with clients. Conclusion? There are still fish to be caught on the coast of Maine. However, I am done for the season. If you want your fix you should give George a call. George runs the same boat as I and he knows his stuff. He has done almost 140 trips this season alone.
Anyway, not sure what fishing news will be here till next May but I am sure there will be something. I will update anytime I catch a fish through the ice or I hear about something of interest. Make sure you have the Fishwhistle in your RSS reader.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
October
Holy shit! Its cold on the ocean. Water temps are mostly in the 50s, but Sunday Morning while on a fishing film shoot for my film making class we endured air temps in the upper 30s. Standing still was fine. Moving was the problem.
We Macked up by the Cucold's Lighthouse and the sunrise was terrific. We captured great HD video and I will share more of it eventually. What a cold ride! You can see a little bit of the footage below.
Today, its raining like cats and dogs but the fishing reports from the week have not been real promising. Our season, therefore, may be over. Too bad. This time of year I just can not get enough tugs as I have been able to fish myself quite a few times over the last month. The fishing has been real consistent too so its real sad for me to have put the rods away.
The next time I haul in a fish it may be through the ice. I will let you know if the Fat Lady has sung after this weekend.
We Macked up by the Cucold's Lighthouse and the sunrise was terrific. We captured great HD video and I will share more of it eventually. What a cold ride! You can see a little bit of the footage below.
Today, its raining like cats and dogs but the fishing reports from the week have not been real promising. Our season, therefore, may be over. Too bad. This time of year I just can not get enough tugs as I have been able to fish myself quite a few times over the last month. The fishing has been real consistent too so its real sad for me to have put the rods away.
The next time I haul in a fish it may be through the ice. I will let you know if the Fat Lady has sung after this weekend.
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