North Of Portland - 2021 Edition

[Roccus7]

Special Event:  This morning's catch, trip #10 for the season, resulted in my catch count exceeding 100.  Nothing really big, best one was 25" and lots of dinks. 

 

I would have quit earlier, meaning a < 100 count, but needed to kill time to get the boat to the dock and stumbled across the "nursery"...

Edited June 11, 2021 by Roccus7

[7 Rivers]

2 hours ago, Roccus7 said:

Special Event:  This morning's catch, trip #10 for the season, resulted in my catch count exceeding 100.  Nothing really big, best one was 25" and lots of dinks. 

 

I would have quit earlier, meaning a < 100 count, but needed to kill time to get the boat to the dock and stumbled across the "nursery"...

Interesting, good for you. I am not near 100 yet, biggest is 30in...

[Crozzbow]

On 6/4/2021 at 4:15 PM, Crozzbow said:

Hey Roccus7

I don't have any problem with your hijacking of the North of Portland thread. In fact I was really hoping someone would keep that thread going while I continued battling my never ending medical issues.

BTW. I will get out there sooner or later as I am working hard to bring my yellow kayak back on line..

Crozzbow.

Hey Roccus7

 I finally completed my yellow kayak project and it is now ready to launch any time that I am.

The only problem is that I am still a physical and mental wreck with a bunch of docs doing what they can to get me better.

So early this morning I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself by digging  my 9 weight fly rod out of storage along with a hand full of saltwater flies. 

From there I then drove out to one of the beaches  that I usually can catch a fish or two with my saltwater fly casting equipment.

And sure enough I was able to quickly hook into a eighteen inch striped bass that refused to call the battle with me quits.

It took some time but I finally landed the fish after both of us were a bit worn  out. I carefully released the fish then moved on down the beach to see if I could hook up with another eighteen fish or larger  

However, my efforts only put me on the scoreboard for two smaller striped bass.

Note;  while my adventure to this beach may not sound like much it did a heck of a lot to lift my spirits.

[Roccus7]

Midcoast Stripahs: Thomas Paine and George Gershwin...

 

Woke up this AM at high tide and my first reaction was, These are the tides that try men's souls...  Took some time heading out and managed a 20" and a 26" fish in my backyard.  Decided to head out into the bay and check another estuary.  Got out there and got excited as there were splashes, but they turned out to be pogies.  Started moving a bit and looked behind me only to see bass breaking where I was not more than 5 min ago.  Thought I might be spending the entire morning thinking is that Pogie or Bass?  Picked a fish up there and went back to my backyard, where I picked up another...

 

Tough morning for fish, but a beautiful morning to be out...

[Bridog]

I went out on Casco Bay yesterday from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a friend and we caught and released 10 stripers to about 24"...nice healthy fish.

 

We saw a lot of stripers and had many follows with no hits.  The stripers we saw seemed to be chasing small (about 1") bait fish in the shallows and would seldom be bothered to look at our presentations.  The water was filled with the small bait fish.  Maybe a fly rod with a small streamer would have worked but i didnt try it. 

 

Found a large bait ball being bothered by gulls and caught a bunch of mackeral under them.  Was hoping to see a stripers feeding on the Macks but no luck. 

 

Beautiful day just wish we could have hooked up a few more times. 

 

Bridog

[BarryW]

I've been seeing and finding fish pushing into flats from dead low. I see small herring or similar baitfish getting worked by them occasionally. Flats are so rich with life (when I clam I see every kind worm) and I've wanted to fish shrimp flies on floating line to start testing the theory of what other forage they are targeting. Has anyone every fished shrimp flies in Maine on flats? If so, what's your approach? I have a stealth set up with trolling motor so I can sneak around on the rise. Just curious about what others typically do technique-wise when approaching a flat (tide, fly/lure/structure).

[Roccus7]

1 min ago, BarryW said:

I've been seeing and finding fish pushing into flats from dead low. I see small herring or similar baitfish getting worked by them occasionally. Flats are so rich with life (when I clam I see every kind worm) and I've wanted to fish shrimp flies on floating line to start testing the theory of what other forage they are targeting. Has anyone every fished shrimp flies in Maine on flats? If so, what's your approach? I have a stealth set up with trolling motor so I can sneak around on the rise. Just curious about what others typically do technique-wise when approaching a flat (tide, fly/lure/structure).

Not a "long wand sorcerer", but do 95% of my bass fishing in estuaries and can tell you this with absolutely no reservations.  Back in the days of the 20 - 26" slot and I was filleting a few dozen legal bass each season, virtually every one had grass shrimp in its stomach, and many had small green crabs in there also.  

 

Additionally, as mentioned in a post in this thread, when I fish one particular flat, each bass I catch has a "$hit eating grin" because there's mud in its "teeth", so you know these fish are rooting in the muck.  There are few worms and clams on this flat, so they're probably eating grass shrimp.

 

I would highly recommend your trying shrimp and crab patterns on your intended mud flats.  Report back on your results...

[JerryV]

13 mins ago, BarryW said:

I've been seeing and finding fish pushing into flats from dead low. I see small herring or similar baitfish getting worked by them occasionally. Flats are so rich with life (when I clam I see every kind worm) and I've wanted to fish shrimp flies on floating line to start testing the theory of what other forage they are targeting. Has anyone every fished shrimp flies in Maine on flats? If so, what's your approach? I have a stealth set up with trolling motor so I can sneak around on the rise. Just curious about what others typically do technique-wise when approaching a flat (tide, fly/lure/structure).

I used shrimp flies all the time for them on the mud flats. I’d coast in and shut the motor off. Best results were when I’d sit in about 6’ of water and cast to shore stripping into deeper water.  I used redfish flies with a little chartreuse in them. 
I used to have a killer set up for fishing skinny water. Unfortunately I sold the boat last year and haven’t really fished the flats this year. 

[BarryW]

I can see how you got into 6" of water. I'd be lucky to handle 12-20" (Jones Bro 20') but slow strip from shallow to deep is worth trying. I'm assuming floating line and long leader. Not my favorite way to fly fish (like nymphing for trout) but sounds like it works. If you have any pattern suggestions let me know. I have some that I tied using epoxy that don't have much movement; I would imagine bonefish flies work (Crazy Charlie) and others with that crustacean look, but small.  

 

BTW my network in Portland and south is complaining of no real numbers; these guys are sharpies too. Even schoolies are harder to find. lots of bait. Ugh.  My experience at Cape Cod last few weeks showed no large fish but more blues than past years. Decent numbers of schoolies up to 25". Still, June and no large fish signals the bottoming out of this cycle and hats off to fisheries managers for completely screwing us over.  I'm seeing some fish but for those involved in this fishery for 20 plus years we know what it was and could be and this isn't close to being it. We need to activate and push the so-called professional bureaucrats to place a moratorium or raise the slot to allow more robust breeding stock.

[Roccus7]

2 mins ago, BarryW said:

I can see how you got into 6" of water. I'd be lucky to handle 12-20" (Jones Bro 20')

I think he said he was fishing 6' (feet), but yes that boat would be able to handle close to 6" poling.

 

I take my 22' Eastern with a slight keel into less than 2' of water IF I'm drifting into the flats on a rising tide.  I'll routinely motor into the flats until I can no longer do so and either anchor up next to the "channel" the fish will come through, or just tilt up the motor and drift on in...

 

Caught my biggest bass last year on the flats when I could see it's dorsal fin slicing through the water.  30" fish are none to please when you hook them in 18" of water...

[BarryW]

6' sounds better than 6".  I need to re-calibrate my brain for flats as I usually think high tide and the first three hours of the drop. Flats are like the opposite. Low tide and the rise. Never a dull moment if you pay attention.

[JerryV]

Some of the crab and shrimp flies that I use to use. 

[7 Rivers]

4 mins ago, JerryV said:

Some of the crab and shrimp flies that I use to use. 

Nice,  hope all is well man, who was the guy from searsport you used to fish with?

[JerryV]

1 hour ago, 7 Rivers said:

Nice,  hope all is well man, who was the guy from searsport you used to fish with?

I can’t recall anyone from Searsport. 
It’s been awhile since I’ve been out with anyone from the forum. 
I think the last time was with Renagade6 hooking into blues on the Kennebec. 

[7 Rivers]

1 hour ago, JerryV said:

I can’t recall anyone from Searsport. 
It’s been awhile since I’ve been out with anyone from the forum. 
I think the last time was with Renagade6 hooking into blues on the Kennebec. 

Got ya, I remember a pic when you used to post of you and some one else from P Beach. He was a heavy set guy, I thought he was from Searsport area. I am originally from above there, cant wait to get back when I retire in a few years.. The Penobscot is a great river for many species now the dams are gone, and some down east rivers too.