Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Clearwater Lake open to dipnet smelting
Note that Clearwater Lake in Industry, Franklin County, is open to dipnet smelting this spring. This regulation change applies to the lake only, not the tributaries, and results from action taken by the Advisory Council in response to a citizen petition. For that reason, the change is not listed in this year’s fishing lawbook.
The lake was closed to smelting effective 1996 because of littering and vandalism, including rutting up private roads, so smelters will have to be on their good behavior to assure that it isn’t closed again. We suggest that smelters access the smelting sites, off the mouths of brooks, by boat if possible.
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Tags: Western Mountains Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Open Water Fishing Preview
Exciting spring fishing opportunities abound for anglers in the Downeast region. Many lakes and ponds are ice-free with immediate action for trout and salmon. The following lakes and ponds represent waters recommended to anglers by their regional fisheries biologists: Greg Burr, Joe Overlock, and Rick Jordan during April, May and June.
HANCOCK COUNTY
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Tags: Downeast Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Catchable brook trout waters in Maine
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fisheries staff have recently completed a second winter of surveying select lakes and ponds in the central and southern Maine region that are stocked with fall-yearling brook trout. These surveys have shown that ice anglers catch between 5-80 percent of the fall stocked brook trout.
This means a number of stocked trout are around for open water anglers as soon as the ice goes off these waters. Anglers can improve their chances of finding these hold-over trout by using boats, canoes or kayaks in order to fish areas away from access areas.
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Tags: Central Maine Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
Sebago Lake boat access hours
The Department of Conservation recently has established new boat access provisions to accommodate early season salmon and togue anglers. The park gate now is open at 4 a.m. each day until May 22. After May 22, the gate will open at 9 a.m. for the remainder of the season.
- Francis Brautigam, Regional Fisheries Biologist, Gray
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Tags: Southwestern Maine Fishing Report • Categories: Fishing Reports
Posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 by Maine Sportsman
This Month: It’s Spring, But What About All the White Stuff?
When April 1 arrives in the bottom third of the state, it’s really spring, but first, what about all the snow and ice?
Early April can look like more of winter — except on the south and east sides of ridges and in open fields. Then, with a little imagination, places where snow has melted to the shadowed areas look like spring.
Geese lollygag on tidal rivers and woodcock return to abandoned fields, where they perform courting rituals each dusk, making that ever familiar mating call — a buzzing peent. Robins flock on lawns and phoebes show up along open hedges. Dawn sounds from newly arriving birds wake astute observers, and from warm beds, knowledgeable birdwatchers can identify species by the calls.
Folks flock to the few open-water spots around the state, and in places such as the Belgrade Lakes, Songo Locks, Grand Lake Stream and Lake Auburn, ridiculously large crowds of anglers may form. However, ice on ponds and lakes reigns, so it forces folks into limited areas.
Brook fishing can be really excellent in April, beginning sometime in the middle of the month onward. Small waters warm more quickly and spring flooding subsides more rapidly, explaining why fishing is so good in rivulets.
Brook fishing brings out the best in anglers, too. They must sneak to pools and runs as if the hidey hole was a trophy buck, and then, cast and work the lure perfectly. It’s no sport for folks with anything but meticulous personalities.
In Northern Maine, April means more of winter and snowmobiling still rocks for most or all of the month, depending on the year. Fishing doesn’t really start in the top half of the state until May, but folks along streams such as Prestile or Meduxnekeag might debate that point.
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Tags: April 2009 Issue • Categories: Almanac
