July 20

       Literally overnight the Striper fishing changed, much like it did when hurricane Arthur went through. Larger fish are finally being caught.  Periodically in the river and more reliably on the beaches, fish in the 30 to 40" range have shown in the just the past few days.  Also, fish seem to be setting up on many of the humps in the river providing a consistent bite.  As more larger fish get into the river expect all types of Striper fishing to turn on.

        The Macking has also improved substantially.  From Boothbay to the Black Rocks, bring some chum, and you should be able to load up on as many Macs as you like.  Today we found acres and acres of Mackerel in the Sheepscot River. 

        Offshore, good stuff is happening as well.  Giant Bluefin Tuna are showing up and being caught and ground fishing has remained steady.  

        If you are staying in Boothbay Harbor go get yourself some Squid.   Acquire some squid jigs and find a spot that has a light shining in the water you should be golden.   There are many around.  

Below is picture of  my son with a Striped Bass he caught today fishing with 3 ounces of weight on the bottom of the Kennebec River. The boy has not been shut out this year.

July 7

      What a difference a few days make.  Hurricane Arthur deposited vast amounts of fresh water all over Maine.  Today the river is a brown mess and 30 knot gusts are creating seas as high as 8'.  Today I postponed two trips to let conditions improve and they will.  Prior to the hurricane we were averaging double digits Striper trips jigging our way through the Kennebec River.  Yesterday we only managed 3 Stripers.  Friday morning, before the hurricane hit, my son and I freighted our newly made bait pen(pictured below) with Mackerel. Yesterday and today the Macking was slow.  Things are still unsettled.  Today's big blow will not help, but I expect things to improve and get back to pre-hurricane status in the next few days.  We shall see.

June 26

The boy and I decided to fish for Stripers today after my clients canceled and the US soccer team lost to Germany.  We caught lot's of fish, at first using jigs and then casting plastics.  It's the first time I can recall that the boy was able to cast for and catch a fish.  He is growing up. He caught two that way.

I have not fished the river in over a week but I had been getting good reports.  We caught fish both on the bottom and the top.  In the next few days the early morning out going tide should be good.  

Last weekend I fished the beach.  It was slow city.  Bait was everywhere and sitting comfortable by the shore and rocks.  You should see bait like that take evasive action every now and again but nothin was happening.  So we went just offshore and caught several cod and many other bottom species.  Chuck brought this keeper home.

The Mackerel have not been great.  Hopefully that situation improves.  The boy and I will make an effort on Saturday after my  morning trip to catch  Macs.    We shall see then.

June 16

         What a difference a week can make!  The fishing conditions in Boothbay Harbor have changed radically.  Last week the only signs of life were jellyfish of all colors and sizes.  Now, the jellys are still around but not nearly as omni present.  Instead, baby herring, known locally as Brit dot the water everywhere.  When the wind is down one easily spot these tiny baits dimpling the water, making it look like rain.  These tiny fish are also apparent on the finder mostly near the surface.
         Area fisherman breathed a huge of sigh of relief this week when the Mackerel showed up following the juvenile herring. My son and I caught all the Macs we needed to bait out lobster traps in 30 minutes on Saturday.   The Macs ranged in size from Tinker to Horse Mackerel.
         I have not used Macs yet on the Stripers. Special no bait no keeper regulations are still in place until July 1 in the Kennebec and Sheepscot Rivers.  Soon I will take a trip out around the special restricted zone to fish on the beach, giving bait a try.
         However, using artificials the bite has also improved in the Kennebec River. Below is a picture of  a father and sons team with their triple hook up.  

These fish were caught on the surface with a Spook lure and also subsurface with soft baits.   All lures during the special restriction season must have only one treble hook.  Remember that when fishing the surface, the best times are in low light and with low wind.  As a result, early morning and the evening are the best times.   

June 10

             The saltwater fishing, in the Kennebec/Boothbay Regions, has not changed much since my last report.  There are Striped Bass in the River in places with warmer water.  Most of the fish are smaller with just a few larger fish mixed in.  Several days ago we hooked up using soft plastics and a spook rig.  As you may know, the Kennebec is under special restrictions until July 1.  These special restrictions include no bait, one treble hook per lure, and no fish is allowed to be kept.
              Water temperatures are still very chilly.  In the morning, before the sun had a chance to do its thang, I recorded water temps in the upper 40s over the weekend.  I guess I should not be surprised.  Boothbay Harbor actually froze over this winter.  
              As a result, at the time of writing this, there are still no Mackeral in Boothbay Harbor.  I am sure they will come but their late arrival is driving some of us nuts. I want them to arrive so I can fill my freezer and bait my lobster traps.  
             My last day of school is next Monday so after that the fishing will take over my life.  I love my school job but I am looking forward to the different challenges presented by guiding.

June 1, 2014

          Boothbay Harbor is filled with jellyfish and little else.  Water Temps are still below 50 degrees in many places.  The Sheepscot had water temps of 45.  As a result, we are still waiting for Mackerel to arrive.  Ev and I fished several reliable Mac spots in good conditions and found nothing.
         However, in just a short time upriver near Bath, the Boy(Evan) caught our first Stripers of the year.

 Spread out, on several Mud flats, we found some Stripers enjoying some 57 degree water.  Ev caught his fish on plastic gummies he is learning to cast. We did not catch fish on every cast  but it was good enough.
           Overall it feels to me like the fishing is just a bit behind where it was last year.  I predict that coming next weekend I will be singing a different tune.