Archive for January, 2009
Posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
The ice fishing season at Spring Lake, where we stocked 500 large fall-yearling brook trout and 100 salmon this past fall, is off to a slow start. So far, the cold and windy conditions have kept anglers away, but the hardy few that have fished the lake have had good fishing for brook trout and lake trout. Most of the togue, however, are running thin and fifty percent of the total catch is below the 14-inch minimum length limit. Anglers fishing Clearwater Pond and Porter Lake report catches of brook trout, salmon, and togue. Crowell and Norcross Ponds and Webb Lake continue to reward anglers with excellent action and 12 to 15 inch brook trout.
Tags: Western Mountains Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Anglers in eastern Maine’s Hancock and Washington counties are catching colorful brook trout at several “magnet waters” where stocking and management is designed to create winter fisheries for trout from 7 to 18 inches.
Regional Fisheries Biologist Rick Jordan said, “we chose ponds with good access and adjusted our stocking plans to add 12- to 14-inch fall yearling brook trout to more numerous stockings of 6- to 9-inch fall fingerling trout. In addition, many of these ponds were stocked with retired 16- to 18-inch adult brook trout that had been used as brood stock in our hatcheries.” The management goal in the magnet waters is to attract families to fish together as well as to interest new anglers in fishing by offering good catch rates for a variety of fish sizes. The program is gaining in popularity, and anglers are enjoying the action.
Anglers wishing to fish these waters can go to Craig Pond in Orland, Lower Hadlock Pond in Orland, Keene’s Lake in Calais, Indian Lake in Whiting, Montegail Pond in Twp 19 MD, or Keeley Lake in Marshfield. In addition, Foxhole Pond in Deblois is stocked with trout from 6-18” long and is open to kids only under the age of 16. The pond is located 0.2 mile east of Route 193 opposite the Deblois airstrip.
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Tags: Downeast Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
This is the second winter we have focused on evaluating the effectiveness of stocking large fall yearling brook trout to provide winter fisheries in waters that lack the habitat to provide over summer survival. Although successful anglers have certainly been happy with their catches, the results of last winter’s surveys indicated that approximately 16 percent of the brook trout stocked were harvested during the first winter. Since many of the surviving trout will not survive through the following summer, returns to anglers will have to improve if we to maintain this program.
Biologists from our research unit in Bangor also have been conducting surveys at Biscay Pond where anglers reported nice catches of brook trout, splake, brown trout, smallmouth bass, and white perch. A group of anglers surveyed by the research biologists caught and released two brown trout, one 18 inches and the other 24 inches in length! Anglers report many of the fish they are keeping are full of smelts. Though many anglers were fishing Nequasset Lake this weekend most reported the fishing to be slow for brook trout and rainbow trout.
We have some good fishing for other species, as well as for brook trout. Lake St George and Parker Pond have been very good fishing for salmon and brook trout. We have also received reports of good rainbow trout fishing in Lake George, Canaan. Large pike have been recently caught at North Pond in the Smithfield. Some humpback white perch are beginning to show in Great Pond, Belgrade.
Tags: Central Maine Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Ice conditions in southern Maine have continued to improve since Jan. 1st. Some of the smaller to medium sized ponds are covered in a blanket of ice 8 or more inches thick. Cold temperatures have thickened the ice on lakes that “buttoned up” early, but persistent winds have delayed ice formation on the region’s largest lakes, including Sebago.
Cold weather and windy conditions appears to account for the overall lighter than anticipated early season angler turn out observed and reported on many area lakes and ponds. Although, that said, some bait retailers have reported brisk bait sales.
I recently spoke with one angler who fished for bass with his son opening weekend. The wind was so strong that one of his ice fishing traps was propelled at such a high speed it traveled clear to the other side of the lake and could not be recovered.
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Tags: Southwestern Maine Fishing Report • Categories: General
Posted on Thursday, January 1st, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
This Month: Winter Has Sprung for Sure
By January 1, most of Maine has enough snow cover to make snowmobilers happy, and hopefully, the northern two-thirds of Maine has enough ice — at least in sheltered coves — so ice fishers can get out and begin the ice-fishing season on New Year’s Day when the general season kicks off.
In Northern Maine, snowmobiling has proven such a boon for the winter economy because these northern hamlets often have more visitors in the next three months than during any other time of year. Action rocks, businesses boom and folks have fun, fun, fun.
In fact, so many winter visitors have actually spurred cross-country skiing in the North Country. In short, without sledding bringing all the people, there would be no amenities to attract skiers. And, without all the visitors, area businesses would not have bothered with making ski trails.
However, no one would bother to argue with which came first — the hen or the egg. Folks know what came first — snowmobiling.
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Tags: January 2009 Issue • Categories: Almanac
