Running 2023 Small Point to Port Clyde, ME VAL Area 4, Fishing Reports

[Skunkoff]

So I won't put today's trip in it.

[Roccus7]

Another Hypothesis Down The Crapper & Unwelcome Visitor

After all my hits on Thursday were very close to dawn and then things died, I reasoned that the fish were feeding in the dark, so yesterday, I left the dock at 03:45.  Then I proceeded to beat the water for 2 hours until I finally got a beautiful 30" fish to crash my plug in <3' of water, one of only 3 hits all morning.  Well that lost 2 hours of sleep and my bright idea was shot to hell.

 

The frustrating thing was multiple pods of large fish cruising just under the surface making distinctive V wakes across the surface of the water, only to scatter and ignore your offerings when you'd cast to them.

 

So for today I decided on a normal 05:00 start time.  Might as well stayed in bed, because the fish had lock jaw.  The "Highlight" of the morning, that had me spitting bullets, was drifting through multiple pods of large fish scattering every time I casted at them, with only a couple of fish deciding to follow my plug, only to turn away at the boat.  I threw the entire tackle box at them and nothing besides the normal popper drew any interest.  Had at least 8 cast with "fishterest", but not a single one touched the lure.  Hadn't seen bass do this since the late 60s on LI, just infuriating.  It was like July when the bluefish are more intent on spawning that hitting your offerings.  Not a happy face, but I decided to accept the skunking, albeit with very bad feelings...

 

So time for another hypothesis...  Based on the observation that the 30" fish on Friday spit up 4 well-digested alewives boatside, maybe the fish are stuffing themselves early at night, and like to bask in the sun in the early morning light.  Damned if I know and damned to figure out what to do tomorrow, but I will be out there casting and cursing...

 

 

 

[Roccus7]

Poseidon, what a capricious SOB...

 

After yesterday's skunking, I was seriously considering sleeping in, but when I woke up at 03:45 and realizing there was zero wind, I figured WTF, Poseidon be damned since I certainly can't catch anything lying in bed...

 

Hopped on the boat and headed to the site of yesterday's debacle.  Found a flock of gulls sitting on the water and as they took off at my arrival, figured WTH, maybe the fish are hanging under the gull and tossed out an "unusual" popper, my normal Creek Chub 2500 Striper Strike, but instead of Blue Flas, it was a Menhaden color.  Don't even think I popped it 2 times before there was a bass on it, a feisty 22" fish.  After I landed it I was concerned, could that SOB Poseidon be f-ing with me and evoke the "First Cast Curse"??

 

Well turns out he wasn't ended the morning when the bite ended just as the flood ended.  Thank goodness for the dead calm water, as this was a "cast to the V wake", sight fishing morning.  Ended with a pair of 25" fish, along with two slot fish, 29 & 31".  Didn't spend too much time measuring, as both fish were destined to be released, but I think if I did the "tail pinch" on the 31 it would have gone over the new slot limit of 31...

 

Let's hear from the rest of you!!  I can't be the only fishing in this area, am I??

[Roccus7]

Beautiful Morning, from both scenic and piscatorial perspectives...

 

Casted off at 04:00 to make sure I beat the sunrise at "the spot".  When old Sol decided to wake up, I was greeted by this beautiful sunrise:

And yes, that is smoke on the water because of the 57°F water hitting the air temp of 45°F...

 

Shortly after that I was greeted by a new Maine PB of 37", ~20 lbs, a true pig of a fish for these parts who fought like a Banshee.  She eclipsed my previous best of 35".  Was concerned when I saw that she had inhaled the plug, but fortunately, the hooks were around the gill arches with no punctures so it was a quick and bloodless unhooking.  She revived very quickly and swam away strong.

 

Ended the AM session with "Big Bertha, a 28" slot fish, and 3 schoolies.  Back at the barn at 06:00 for AM coffee...

Edited May 31 by Roccus7

[Scott Charlton]

2 hours ago, Roccus7 said:

Beautiful Morning, from both scenic and piscatorial perspectives...

 

Casted off at 04:00 to make sure I beat the sunrise at "the spot".  When old Sol decided to wake up, I was greeted by this beautiful sunrise:

And yes, that is smoke on the water because of the 57F water hitting the air temp of 45F...

 

Shortly after that I was greeted by a new Maine PB of 37", ~20 lbs, a true pig of a fish for these parts who fought like a Banshee.  She eclipsed my previous best of 35".  Was concerned when I saw that she had inhaled the plug, but fortunately, the hooks were around the gill arches with no punctures so it was a quick and bloodless unhooking.  She revived very quickly and swam away strong.

 

Ended the AM session with "Big Bertha, a 28" slot fish, and 3 schoolies.  Back at the barn at 06:00 for AM coffee...

reminds me of the old Army slogan "We do more by 7:30AM than most people do all day"!  That's a HOG!!!!

[Pagoo]

I fished from the rocks on the ebb at near dead low on Sunday and saw almost a dozen cruising fish up tight along the shoreline over the course of an hour. I can't recall ever seeing cruising fish like this in Maine before - usually they're a few more feet out into the bay and plenty lower in the water column. Felt like I was fishing the salt marshes on cape cod for half a second. Enjoying the warm water up top probably?

 

Had a few follows on herring flies and chartreuse clousers but no bites unfortunately. Will get out on the boat next week and hope to break the skunk. Next up will be the spin gear if that doesn't work out! 

[Roccus7]

Goldilocks Fishing, nothing "Just Right"...

 

Nice morning, with 7 fish.  Thank goodness The Admiralty didn't have a dinner order in, because the high end of the fish had two 27' fish and a fat, feisty 32" fish bracketing the new 28-31" slot.  

[Scott Charlton]

On 5/31/2023 at 8:54 AM, Roccus7 said:

Goldilocks Fishing, nothing "Just Right"...

 

Nice morning, with 7 fish.  Thank goodness The Admiralty didn't have a dinner order in, because the high end of the fish had two 27' fish and a fat, feisty 32" fish bracketing the new 28-31" slot.  

It's good to have a positive relationship with the Admiral...

[Roccus7]

Quick update, I've caught 21 over the past 2 days up to 27", including only my second fish below 20", a 19" fish.  That is truly scary, only reinforcing the wisdom of narrowing the slot.  On both days I've had very large fish grab my plug and crash about the surface, only to spit it out, back at me.  Oh well, waiting for some more water so I can head out and get abused again this AM, the glory of fishing in a protected estuary, "Noreaster?  We can fish in a stinking Noreaster!!"

[jimbighead]

just south of you a bit…
 

Tough day today.  River was dirty, wind was silly, Decent runoff,  mudline was further out than I wanted to fish but we managed to save the skunk in a semi protected island Pt 

 

bone white SP minnow yielded the only fish today

 

just above slot, very healthy fat fish

 

I’m still thawing out

 

 

 

jim

Edited Saturday at 06:49 PM by jimbighead

[Roccus7]

3 hours ago, jimbighead said:

just south of you a bit…
 

Tough day today.  River was dirty, wind was silly, Decent runoff,  mudline was further out than I wanted to fish but we managed to save the skunk in a semi protected island Pt 

 

bone white SP minnow yielded the only fish today

 

just above slot, very healthy fat fish

 

I’m still thawing out

 

 

 

jim

Could not shake Pepe myself this AM.  Dropped a few fish so I had my chances...

Edited Saturday at 10:12 PM by Roccus7

[Roccus7]

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

It's day three of a Nor'easter here that may last until next Saturday, June 11!!! Blissfully, the Big Girls have been sitting in a pool at the base of the falls at the head of tide, the site of my 37" the other day. Can't get to the very well sheltered Honey Hole until the tide is a good 3' above MLW, and with the early morning moon tides, the chance of fishing there at first light is the impossible dream.

To add to the degree of difficulty, it's tough to get them to strike anything as they're still slurping alewives, but I'm usually good for one decent hit a session with 20 or so V wakes following my popper. Got skunked yesterday and tried fishing this AM in the "lovely weather", but bagged it because even for me, sideways rain and >15 kts winds with 20+ kt winds isn't fun even when protected.

This evening the wind dropped to about 10 kts from high teens and the rain was more of a schmutz than rain so it was Game On. I saddled up and started the boat up into the pool as soon as I dared to. On the way I saw some breaking fish and found myself bound to a 23" fish, yeah, when I hoisted him into the boat he ended up hooking my hand with the front hook, while he was hooked on the popper's back hook. That was an interesting and bloody event, but I manned up and yanked the hook out of my hand, unhooked and released him and proceeded to the intended target.

As soon as I dropped the hook, there were V wakes and surface disturbances a plenty, so I knew I was going to score big. After a dozen or so V waked popper retrieves it was time for Plan B. I started to toss a rubber imitation eel, a Big Occhi, at em. Big bass can't resist eels, right? After a dozen or so casts I decided to go to Plan C and try a different colored popper, but realized I had dug out one of my few remaining X-rap Surface spooks and put it on the spare popper rod. WTF, can't catch any less than I'm catching now so let's go with Plan D!! On my first cast, a 28" fish crashed it. Thought I was going annihilate them, but no such luck, after a while I pulled in a 25", but that was it, except for lots of V wakes following the spook..

Anyway, I guess I'll be working the X-Rap, a former favorite of my brother in RI, into the rotation when the fish are abusing me, but it will be with great trepidation in that they no longer make the surface version of this lures and my inventory is quite low...

 

[Skunkoff]

Southern Maine.  Went out in the harbor on Friday morning and it was dead calm.  Not a single bite.  Some surfacing but I believe it was bait (maybe shad or pogies).  Mkst action for me was a giant grey seal slapping the bejeezus out of the water.  Kept a far as I could from the seal.  Scare the fish, bring in the sharks! 

 

...saw no sharks...

[Roccus7]

Want to find big bass feeding in 'day Hood? Look for Diving Eagles!! And why do I feel like a 1962 NY Met??

As I've often said, fishing should be considered a learning experience and boy was I edumacated today...

First, the Honey Hole must have been raided by Winnie the Pooh last night, as there was NOTHING there at 04:30 today. No problem so I thought, the fish will be on the flats just outside so onto Plan B. Well Plan B's "B" stood for BUST, nothing going on there. OK, time to use Plan C and go to the mid-Ebb hot spot, which turned out to be absolutely dead to, "C" standing for CRAP!!

Well Plan D was my last resort and had to work, so I motored on over there and dropped the hook. Things started off like all my other efforts this AM, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, but I was bound and determined to avoid the stench of a skunk. While I was waiting for some action I noticed something never seen before, Eagles diving for their own fish instead of stealing them from Ospreys. Everyone here as noticed that we have many more eagles around here this year. It's not unusual now to see 5 flying around at any given time, but I've never seen eagles diving down to fish on their own until this year. And then the epiphany, these eagles are only diving down when large bass are chasing alewives, and they're trying to get an alewife for a snack.

So there I was, anchored downtide from a big mudflat that had scattered action where 1-3 fish pods were going after alewives with eagles swooping down trying to grab the airborne alewives. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I started catching, because the fish had to pass by me because I had dropped the hook in the channel that drains those flats.

Low and behold soon I was onto a very nice fish, which I proceeded to lose after and extended fight of 6 or 7 minutes. No worries, there will be more, but for a good 20 minutes I was getting short hits, and when a fish connected, I'd turn around and lose it. I dropped at least 4 slot or bigger bas and I was spitting bullets, especially when an "over the slot" fish grabbed my plug boatside, violently shook his head and then sent the plug back at me. With all the fish I was dropping, I started to feel like the 1962 Mets infield.

Well persistence finally paid off and after I got a 24" fish, I had a massive strike and after a long tussle that sent me around the boat 2 times, there was a beautiful 30.5" fish in the boat that was quickly released. Suddenly the 03:15 alarm didn't feel so bad...

[TGIF Harpswell]

Very rare to see eagles do their own dirty work… I only see the. Fish when I dump dead bait overboard, and they instantly swoop when I don’t have my camera, as if they were waiting for me to throw a pogey away.