Looking Forward to the 2021 Season

 

Looking back at my last post on this blog(June 14, 2020) I have two conclusions about 2020. One, I was really bad about posting to this blog.  I should do better with that. And two, things were absolutely crazy last year. In the Spring and months leading up to the Summer season I was filled with dread that no one would be able to go fishing.  March to June of 2020 were scary uncertain Covid Times. 

June hit and I had more calls for fishing or sightseeing or anything to get on the boat then ever before.  This summer looks like it will be just as busy.  I am taking more reservations than usual. If you know you want to get out with me I'd call as soon as possible.  

The bad news for my clients is that I have raised my prices. I have not changed my prices much over the years and the price of everything has gone up.  This increase brings me in line with other captains who work on the Kennebec River and up and down the East coast with similar boats.

But, there is some good news too!  A few years ago we put a trolling motor on the bow which has been a terrific addition.  Holding us in current or sneaking up on fish, the trolling motor is super helpful.  Recently, I ordered an Active Target system by Lowrance which we can deploy when the trolling motor is down.  Lowrance is having supply chain problems just like the rest of the world so I am hoping it gets here soon.  Active Target is a forward facing sonar which should add a video game element to the fishing and also help us spend our time more efficiently.  

Right now the big question in every Striped Bass Fisherman's mind is how will this season be?  This will be our 18th year of operation, I think, and it feels like each year is markedly different from the year before.  Last year, according to the Maine fisheries experts, only 1% of the catch was in the keeper range(28"-35").  That was our experience for sure, maybe less than 1% were keepers.  I know your chances of catching a bigger fish were definitely improved if you fished on Popham Beach which I did not do once last year.  The fishing up river in the Kennebec was too much fun, too easy, and too predictable to risk a swing and miss on the beach kind of thing.  

So, this year?  Who knows.  I am hoping the Stripers arrive in the Kennebec by Memorial Day Weekend.  I'm sure I will be out there that weekend giving it a shot.  School ends for me on June 17.  I'd be happy to take anyone fishing in June after school for an evening trip just give a call or better yet shoot me a text. 

Below you can see how well Active Target allegedly works. Person is swimming on the surface.

  

Fishing Report 6/13

          A dream of mine (at least since March) has always been to catch a fish while leading a zoom meeting.  So, when I saw that conditions looked just about perfect for yesterday and meetings starting at 8:30, I decided to go for it.  In the Kennebec River right now we have special restrictions for catching Stripers which prohibits the use of bait among other things. So, I needed a way to catch them without moving much and bait was not an option.  I decided to anchor up in a spot I knew had good reception and just put a diamond jig down around 15'.  I figured jigging would not be too much motion for the other participants which might distract them from the meeting and hopefully the fish would just pop buy.  Mission accomplished as you can see from below.  Caught two during meeting one and five during meeting two which was only 25 minutes.  Dream fulfilled.  

Currently the bite is good enough for me to catch them while I lead zoom calls for my school.  We are catching a lot on top when we see them and on the bottom as well. The fish range in size from about 9" to about 24".  Hopefully that will improve.   Macs are around but I would not say thick yet.  I've got to go, it's time to fish.  

Fishing Report 6/3

     

      Apparently, Striped Bass can be caught as far north as Penobscot bay with the best fishing the further South you go.  I had a chance to fish out of the Harraseeket River on Monday which is just North of Portland.  There were tons of fish and we were catching Stripers up to about 23" just chasing birds. 
        This easy bite to my South is encouraging because I have yet to see any kind of massive biomass of fish in the Kennebec River.  I have been fishing maybe a half dozen times now and until today the fishing has been spotty.  We have had our best luck with a Spook lure, catching the preponderance of our fish on the surface.  Below is a picture of one of the smallest fish I have caught in years.

        Today was definitely just one of those good days.  Overcast and calm, the conditions made it easy to find fish with the Spook Lure.  However, what made today most different so far was finding a spot to jig up some fish reliably.   Until today, I have been jigging the ledges in the Kennebec with little luck.  This morning, finally, I found a spot that produced at least one fish on every drift and many of those fish had followers.  In other words, I found the kind of bite a charter guy really needs to find.  Phew.  Hopefully I can get back there tomorrow and see if this spot will continue to produce. 
       

the latest

On April 28th, Governor Mills released the plan for reopening Maine and phasing out some of the restrictions currently in place.  Here are the cliff notes:

1. Guided fishing trips are permitted if required precautions are taken.
2. People entering Maine will be expected to quarantine for 14 days.
3. No hotels are permitted to receive out of state guests as of now through summer. 
4. No gatherings of more than 10 people in June and no more than 50 people in July and August.

There is some talk from the Maine CDC about lifting the quarantine requirement for July and August but that also might be wishful thinking.  The hotel lobby is screaming and the government might cave.  Who knows? 

Here's what this all means for Sweet Action Charters this season.  First, I am going to run trips and follow any COVID procedures that I need to.  Second, I am still taking reservations.  However, I am not going to take anymore deposits.  For those of you who have already given a deposit, if you want me to refund you, just let me know.  We could also wait and see if something good happens and you are able to come.
Finally, it makes me so damn sad to think of all my repeat clients who come just for a week or two and rent a private cottage/house.  I was hoping those folks would still be able to come.  I love seeing the same people on the boat from year to year. It's one of the best parts of guiding. 



Meanwhile, the Striper Migration continues to swirl northerly.  Schoolies are being caught regularly in Rhode Island and are spreading out across the Massachusetts Coast north of Cape Cod.  In New Hampshire and Southern Maine, some fish are being caught but those are most likely advanced scouts for the rest of the bunch.  Larger schools should start arriving soon. 

If you have any questions about all this, please feel free to reach out. 

Are we fishing this summer?

I am not sure, how Covid will impact fishing charters this season just yet but I will definitely be fishing.  I will work within whatever guidelines we are given by the state of Maine and provide trips for Stripers as soon as the fish and the law allows.  As of now, the Stripers are as far north as Cape Cod and look to be on track for a somewhat early appearance on the coast of Maine.  When Covid 19 social distancing measures will go away is much less clear. 

Anyway,  if you know or hope to be coming to Maine and want to plan a trip give me a call.  If we plan a trip, but Covid gets in the way, well, at least we tried. 

Waquoit Bay Albie Fishing

Been over two weeks now since I caught this beauty.  The fish above was the first Albie (False Albacore) I caught with Peter Fallon and his longtime fishing companion Fritz.  On this day, conditions, while not the kind of day where the fish were chewing holes in the boat, were pretty easy to take.  A hot September day with a cool and building breeze.  A stolen summer day.  We started early and by maybe 7 am I had already caught my first Albie.  Take me back to the dock, mission accomplished, I joked with Peter and Fritz.

And while that was a joke then,  now I think if they had brought me back I would not be as messed up as I am today.  Apparently, I now have Albie Fever.  However, as a guide, my fever is a bit more complicated than just wanting to catch another Albie.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to catch more Albies but most of the time my "fever" is about guiding for Albies and perhaps other species I have not tried in places I have not been. 

Catching/guiding for  stripers this weekend in Maine may help, but I caught/guided for Stripers last weekend and the weekend before and its not helping my Albie/fishing/guiding fever.

After Albie number one I was ok (unchanged), but somewhere well before I caught my 6th and final Albie of that day something in me snapped.

So what happened on this fateful day?  First, let's start with the boat and location. The boat was a 27' Southport with twin Yamaha 250s.  Wifi Network ✅  Auto Pilot ✅. Incredible gear like Stella Reels✅.  Yeti Cooler with gourmet munchies ✅.  My Kennebec River Mentor and Partner✅. Two guys who will get after the fish as fervently as I ✅. 

We took off from inside Waquoit Bay and spent most of the day not real far from here with some of the best fishing being on the ocean side of the pass. 

Sunrise that day was probably around 6:30 and we were certainly there at that time.  When we got to the pass there were about 8 other boats there.  Here, I was taught the way we were going to play this Albie game.  First, Fritz insisted that I take the front of the boat.  Very gracious and kind of him as the bow definitely ended up with more chances. Why?  Reminding me of stalking Tarpon in Florida on the flats, the vast majority of our Albie chances occurred when we saw the surfacing fish.  Albies, as I learned throughout the day, have several different behaviors in terms of surface action.  So, as the guy in the front of the boat, I was primarily looking for surface action within or close to casting distance.  Then, when the surfacing fish are within range I am left with two huge decisions.  Cast or wait to cast and then where to cast.  First, deciding when to cast is determined by where you are going to cast in order to lead the fish.  Think Tom Brady for a second.  Brady can throw short or throw long, but the throw must be perfect.  And so, not only does the Albie fisherman have to see the fish, the guy with the rod has to see in which direction the fish are heading and perfectly lead the fish. As a result,  every time you do catch one or get a bite you end up feeling like you just made a Tom Brady like cast.  Think how fun that must be.  And, just like Brady, there are factors that make lesser quarterbacks miss their spots.  Wind and choppy water, super long and precise casts, and the highly unpredictable nature of the fish make this kind of Albie fishing tough on beginners.

I ended up doing really well. Time folded and an 11 hour day on the water flew by.  In between bites, Peter and Fritz were the perfect fishing companions. While there were tons of laughs at all times these guys were always focused on the next fish.  Looking, searching, scanning, and thinking in order to cross paths and make chances. I ended up catching 6 Albies and had many more bites.

What else to tell you? If you want to try Albie fishing, I would call Peter Fallon and I would plan to make a date next September.   You can shoot Peter a text or call him at 207-522-9900.  Some of you have heard me talk about my client Chuck who has probably fished with me 50 to 60 times now.  Chuck is convinced and he is planning to leave Maine next fall to give Albies a shot. It's a no brainer.  Honestly, Peter has been after me for years to come down to the Cape and try Albies and now I feel stupid that I waited this long.   Kind of like some one who likes to travel who has never left the country.  Big world out there. 

Two weeks later I am still basically on cloud 9 from this fishing trip.  Below you can see a video that might actually be the moment that my life changed.  Check it out and I hope you all get a chance soon to catch some fish.

fishing report 6/22

       Today's fishing report tells the inshore fishing story in the region pretty well.  Our day began at 4:15am.  This particular client has been with me many many times and I know he loves fishing the early morning bite.  The game plan was to fish in Boothbay outside the restricted zones where we could fish with live bait before heading to the Kennebec River. 
       Macking in the Harbor was quick quick and no chumming was necessary.  So, after spending maybe 15 minutes getting Macs we started to Striper fish in and around the Boothbay Harbor Region.   We caught 3 fish 20-27" in 3 different spots before we decided to Nix the bait and head to the Kennebec. 
       In the river, we quickly found surface feeding fish.  We caught 4 more on the surface and 4 more on the bottom. After that bite seemed to die, the rest of the day was spent in one of my usual drifts fishing both the bottom and the top.  Which caught more is hard to say but in the end we boated another 15 Stripers ranging in size from about 20" to 27".

I also went out this week on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.  Both trips were excellent and the vast majority of the fish were caught on topwater.  The weather was calm and overcast which is,as you know, perfect.  The Wednesday morning trip boated approximately 50 Stripers and the Tuesday evening trip said they got around 30.  

So, clearly, things have changed since my last report.  I felt compelled today to write this blog post.  I did not want to leave anyone wondering whether or not its time to catch fish in the Kennebec Region.  It is time. 

Fishing Report 6/16

       

           Before my trip in the early morning(4:30 am) on Saturday I tried to Mackerel fish in Boothbay Harbor.  I covered some territory and spent about an hour and caught 2 Macs.  On Fathers Day my family humored me and went Mackerel fishing with me.  We spent another hour on Macs and caught 0.  I am sure there must be pockets of Macs in the Harbor but they seemed few and far in between.  

             At 7am on Saturday I took my clients over to the Kennebec River to fish for Stripers.  We had an incoming tide and special restrictions prohibiting the use of bait and lures with two treble hooks.   We had a really good time.  This trip was the clients' first guided experience and they were terrific and game for anything. The fish were caught pitching Albie Snax where Stripers lay in ambush positions.  Other Stripers were caught jigging the bottom.

             I would describe the Striper fishing in the Kennebec Region as meh. I spoke to a few other guides that day and they reported slow going.  It was a beautiful day and as all fisherman know those are sometimes not the fishiest days.  So hopefully the fishing will get better soon.  That said, I am optimistic about the upcoming outgoing tides I will get to fish midweek.   If you don't see a fishing report soon just feel free to reach out to me if you need information on the fishing. 

                               

December Fishing Report! Come on No One's That Good. Definitely not me.

      Well well well, the last thing you thought you'd read today would be a fishing update from Sweet Action Charters.  I get it.  The first Stripers won't be swimming upriver in the Kennebec until Late May and Mackerel won't hit the bay until water temperatures have begun to rise.
      I've been writing this fishing report over and over again in my head since late November.  Apparently, once in December I got so far as to title a blog post but got no further.  Hey, I'm on it now right?
      After I hung up the guide hat and picked up my teaching hat I still got to fish quite a bit as a weekend warrior.  In September when i got the chance I fished the Kennebec River with luke warm results.  We caught some fish but nothing of size.  All the while I knew that a few captains were doing much better fishing on the outside away from the Kennebec River
      I too experienced some good luck in Boothbay Harbor and was intrigued by the idea of fishing some of the outside areas around the mouth of the Kennebec. Finally, on Columbus day weekend, I was able to take a tankful of Macs over to the mouth of the Kennebec.  I have a few pics of the fish we caught which you can see below.  We ran out of bait as the bite was fierce. I caught the most fish and qucikly and you can see I was rubbing it in.

Right after killing the Stripers we hauled the boat and brought it to Newport Rhode Island. In Weekend Warrior fashion I trudged down to Rhode Island to keep my season going every other weekend or so until December.
         However, down in Narraganset Bay we ignored the Stripers, still around there until November, in favor of Tautog fishing.  Tuatog love crabs and structure.  So, with a bucket of crabs and some heavier rigs we found spots with rock piles and wrecks with the bottom finder in about 15'-50'.  Once you get on the spot you only need to wait about 10 seconds and if you don't have a bite you should reel up and check to see if you still have bait.  So, its real active fishing.

        Now its March, and I am excited to get out there see my people catch fish.  Those days are coming.  Every few days someone calls, texts, or emails about going fishing this Summer.  

        My boat is still in Rhode island and I was hoping to start my season early down there but I think house work is going to get in the way. That puts my season starting sometime shortly after Memorial Day.  For the past five years or so Memorial day has been just a few days too early for the return of the migrating Striped Bass.  However, by the first weekend in June schoolies can be had in the Kennebec River and usually found by just looking for birds.   Remember, with June fishing we are somewhat restricted by the special Kennebec Rules.   But, fishing in June is still really fun as Stripers are more likely to be up on the water's surface that time of year.  

             

Final Report

         Looks like I dropped the ball right there at the beginning of July in terms of keeping up regular fishing reports.  Oh well.  I wonder why I stopped then?  Striper Fishing has really remained strong all the way through the summer.  Aside from 1 or maybe 2 trips this summer we caught a lot of Stripers each time out also averaging almost 1 keeper a trip.  I went fishing this summer around 70  to 80 times including times with family and friends.
       One thing I really enjoyed about this summer was how many fish we caught on live mackerel and a hook with no weight.  On one hand, I love the idea of catching fish without bait, but on the other, I just love the feeling of that live Mac on your line being chased, harassed, bumped, picked up, dropped, and swallowed.  This year, the presence of smallish Mackerel and the addition of a Minn Kota Trolling Motor allowed us to fish Livies in current with ease.  I'm sure others will copy us but for now we are the only boat out there that I've seen using this technology(Spot Lock) with live bait in the Kennebec.  I know of other boats with the same Minn Kota motor as us, it's just that they are not coming from Boothbay, where its relatively easy to get live bait.  Nice right?
        Anyway,  I heard all summer how difficult getting the bait was. Many were even saying the Pogies drove them out.  Come on!  We did have a ton of Pogies(bunker, menhaden), which we like to snag and use for chum but the pogies are just a side show.  As far as I could tell Stripers never showed up under those Pogies.  I thought the Mackerel supply was pretty good. I have seen better and worse years.  The Macs being a small size was really effective. However, I did a lot of Macking by myself before clients to save time on trips to get people right into fish and not Macs.  Sometimes Macking took a while.  There were plenty of Macs in Boothbay Harbor but I always blacked out the livewell faster if I could fish out around the tip of Southport. 
         This Labor Day weekend I have decided to take it off.  I won't fish again until September 15 and 16 most likely.  My teaching job needs my attention right now.  It's just one of those years.  And once I'm out of the charter fishing for the season I'm out.  So, if you want to go fishing I can recommend a few guys who are still actively charter fishing.  If you are in Boothbay you can try Mainetain Charters and Ben Kaler or The BlackJack and Dan Stevens or Sea Raptor Charters and Craig Murray and Catch 22 and Russ Troy would also be a blast. If you are coming from up north and could meet in Bath you should try Peter Fallon.  All these guys are great people and are still actively chartering/fishing which is what you want when you hire someone. 

Another Fishing Report? Come on. No one's that good.

  Since July 1 We have been using predominantly live Macs to target Stripers.  One reason? We have some smallish Mackerel that work really well.   Today, I jigged up some Herring while we were in the Kennebec River and proved those work too.  We are seeing fish up to 32" and are catching between 15 and 30 or more Stripers a trip at the moment.  I know there are bigger fish around and have solid intel of bigger ones on the beaches which we have yet to fish.

     Earlier in the week one could have caught a Striper simply by driving up and down the Kennebec River looking for birds.  During those trips, using light tackle gear, we amassed some really good numbers.  Since the high pressure has been in control, the birds have disappeared and we have made our hey floating livies catching fewer fish but catching bigger ones.  Fishing with a live mackerel has got to be one of the most fun ways to catch a fish. While its not stalking fish on the flats its pretty dang fun. 

     What else is there to tell you about the inshore bite here in the midcoast?  The Macks have been on and off. I have had my most consistent bite at the Cucholds but I have had slow moments out there too.  If you are using a boat to get the Macs and you put some time into an area without success don't be afraid to make a move.  There are pogies around too and a cool site has been local fisherman seining them in for lobster bait.  Also there are  acres of herring in the Kennebec River too.
      Maybe with all this bait we will get Bluefish this year.  We shall see.  I read they were in the St. George which is beyond us(as the Bluefish Migration goes) so you would think they would be around here too.  The on and off nature of the Mackerel also makes me believe there are some Bluefish around. 
      I still have holes in my calendar.  Give me a call if you want to go fishing. Its a blast right now. 

Fishing Report

      There seems to be Striped Bass all over the place.  For the first time in years it seems as though someone with shoreline access can find a few schoolies to play with just about anywhere along the Maine Coast.  In Boothbay Harbor, in early June at night, one would commonly find Squid slowly pulsing under any powerful dock light.  Now under those lights it's common to find Calamari-Eating-Stripers. 
      Still, while there are fish in Boothbay we are still choosing to head to the Kennebec River.  The moving water, structure, and amount of fish will likely out-produce the Boothbay Area even minus the run time.  Yesterday I took The Boy and his friend Noah fishing for 2 hours and that counts the run.  You can see a video of Noah describing the fishing below.  We are getting solid numbers for fish caught and our best in terms of size this year is 30" so far.  I am sure that will change in the next week as the bait prohibition eases in the Kennebec Watershed.

On a different note I took the family to see the Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Fireworks last night by boat.  I love fishing and watching these fireworks by boat is comparable.  I can not tell you how cool it is to get right underneath awesome exploding pyrotechnics.   Check out the video below to get a little of the flavor.  For the July 4th fireworks a longtime client has already hired me.  Hopefully, I will be able to get my family on someone else's boat.  

Early Season

Woot Woot!  Early season Striper fishing is on in the Kennebec.  In the video below you can see fish rising around our boat .  Stripers are moving in all the time and anyone cruising up and down the Kennebec on a day without wind should easily be able to spot fish.  However, notice from the video that the birds are not on these fish yet.  No birds make it a little harder to spot the fish but the birds will figure it out soon.

What is the other big fishing  news for Boothbay? I'd say its the amount of Squid we have in the harbor.  People are catching good size squid all over the harbor usually under lights at night.  If you are visiting for a short while bring your squid jigs and head down to the Footbridge at night and get on them. 

slack

yep, I'm lame.  Not one update from the 2017 season?  Why?  Why was I so bad about updating this blog?

I've thought a bit about it and there are two reasons.  First, I hate trying to make this blog perfect.  Having other people have to edit is a pain in the beans.  From now I am gonna write first and edit later!  Seems like that approach is much more apropos for the times.   My second reason for not blogging last Summer was even less logical than the first.    I did not want to disturb the mojo of our fishing season by writing about it.  I was worried I'd jinx us.

Last season, the Striper fishing was excellent and was good from the beginning to the end.  Catching fish far into the double digits was the norm for every trip.  About 8-10% of all the fish caught were keepers until the tale end of the season.  A keeper is 28"+ FYI.  Most trips we would catch using a variety of methods from casting artificial to drifting bait along the bottom through current and over ledges. 

I am going to keep this short.  Maybe later I will add on to it. Maybe I won't.  In any case, I am really excited about the season coming up.  I've enjoyed quite a few guided trips myself in the past year both here in Maine and down in Florida and I know just how much fun a fishing experience can be.  Come on June, I'm ready now.

August Update

So, the Striper Fishing is off in the Kennebec.  Its odd, in just a few days it seemed to dry up. It won't stay that way and that is the tricky part for a guy who keeps his boat in Boothbay.  At some point soon, I will need to and want to get back to the Kennebec River .  For now, we are still having good trips in Robinhood, Hockamock Bay, and the mouth of the Kennebec including the  beaches.   For the most part we are seeing fish 30" at best.   

The Mackerel situation in Boothbay is unchanged.  I can't help but think that our Bluefish drought is causing this Mackerel surplus.  In other words, because we have seen no Blues at all north of  Casco Bay. the Mackerel have been super easy to get day in and day out all season long.  In the next week we will at some point look past the Mackerel for our super top top secret top secret top secret Striper Bait.  

Pictured below you see a Client off of my friend and fellow guide George Harris's boat.  This codfish was caught just a few miles off the beach and measures 28" and guess what?  This guy got to keep this codfish because DMR has opened the season on them requiring a fish to be 24".  If it is a flat day I would be delighted to do some nearshore Codfishing with people.  Just saying.

  

update

     I feel like the Mackerel situation has got to change.  There are soooooo many in Boothbay.  Now there are gigantic Macs mixed in with the smaller ones.  Allegedly, there are also Pogies (Bunker or Menhaden) in Casco Bay.  It seems like that would create a clear food path for the swarm of Bluefish that must be somewhere south of here.  However, we have seen no signs of Blues in the Kennebec or points north.  If the Blues do not arrive it will be the third year  without Bluefish in the Kennebec.  In the years when the Blues make it we have seen some kind of sign of them by now.

    The Striper fishing continues to be stellar.  This entire week we have caught fish top water, casting under birds.  We have also enjoyed hooking up on many consecutive drifts on the bottom through rips  in the Kennebec with bait.  We have also found some spots to chum and chunk Mackeral in shallow water for Stripers.  Best action has been the morning.
   
     One thing that has changed since my last update is the water temperature.  As I head  the boat into the Kennebec River winding through upper hells gates, I always keep one eye on the water temp, and usually by the time I go under the Arrowsic bridge, the water temp has reached 71 degrees.  Generally, this means to find Stripers look for some cooler water.  Some guys will fish really deep in the Kennebec River and some guys will head closer to the mouth or the beaches of the Kennebec.  Or, some guys will look for water that mixes with Sheepscot River water which still is running 56 degrees.

Fishing Situation

   

   An update is way over due.  And, you would think, with all the good fishing to talk about I'd have updated sooner.  But, then again, I am so slack when it comes to this internet thingamabob.  Kind of ironic considering my day job.
      Anyway, today, I actually walked across Boothbay Harbor on Mackerel!  I'm serious.  There are so many.  Last week several times, I chummed in the Macs from my dock and got the day's bait without untying the boat.  I have never had it so good!
       Even better than the bait situation is the Striper fishing right now. If you had a boat, but did not know the river, a good strategy might be to look for birds.  Its not uncommon this year to find busting Stripers in both expected and unexpected spots.  So far, the fish are on the smaller size.  We have caught only 2 28"fish and our smallest fish is about 9".  We have had terrific light tackle action.  To catch them we have been using diamond jigs, ronz, zipsters, poppers, and live and chunked Macs.  The Macs, by the way, are on the smaller size which is nice.
   

New Regulations for Stripers and a New Season

Chuck participating in the Snap a Striper program with his keeper

Eric caught this keep on one of those tough days.  You can kind of see the brownish river.

Marshall and Peter slayed em.  This is the one they brought home.

The one thing I know for certain about the fishing in 2015 is that the rules have changed.  Now, to bring a Striper home you need to catch a fish 28" and over.  The pics here are of fish that have made it back to the dock in the last few days.

The Stripers have been pretty darn consistent in the Kennebec River. We have been catching them on live and chunked mackerel, live pollock, with jigs, and on top water artificials. We have caught some fish off Popham Beach and some larger fish have been landed out there.  However, the recent blow seems to have slowed that action.  It could change tomorrow.

As mentioned above, the Kennebec River has been good, however, there have been pulses of muddy water that follow big rains. The muddy water makes fishing in the river slower and if it is unfishable on the beach you can end up with a difficult day.

Right now conditions seem good.  The bite is real strong on the outgoing tide in the morning in the Kennebec and the Sasonoa.  I expect Popham Beach to turn back on any day now.  The bait situation is improving and filling livewells is taking less time.  Most of the fish caught in the river seem to be running between 25" and 30".  Overall, we are having an excellent year.

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.