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.