Maine Striper Fishing

Photo. From the new movie by Confluence Films called "Connect" by Jim Klug and Chris Patterson of confluence films-- Join Fly Fishing in Maine and CCA Maine for a advanced fundraising showing on Oct 28 at the Frontier Cafe and Theater in Brunswick Maine, all proceeds will be split between Stripers Forever Myco Research Project and Alewife population project here in Maine. For more info see www.flyfishinginmaine.com



Mid - Late October fishing report <)))<
October has brought a mixed bag of weather and fishing,I have seen the best surface action in years and also some down right great sight fishing in near record heat and a 8 lb bluefish after scraping ice from the poling platform and casting deck, there has been some windy days and some glassy evening sessions. After all its mid October now in the northern range and what fish you find day to day- enjoy- the colors on the island are beautiful and you pretty much have the water to yourself I did 6 guide trips in a row without seeing a single angler at any point during the trip, just how I like it!!! Overall you have to be on there spot they are no longer spread out and are in full on schooled up mode and on the move, the fish we found sight fishing where ultra skittish and swimming very tight head to tail, dark backed and when they decided to eat the group would jump in on it as a team effort- aka mini blitz,  there is plenty of bait and water temps are reasonable  to keep fish around but as we all know our population up here is not that big and when they feel it time to leave our
season becomes day to day and thats where we are at.. enjoy the search!!!
at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Blog Archive

Flats fishing report for Striped Bass: Capt Eric Wallace


From Maine to Cape Cod Bay there are both big flats and small shoreline pockets that offer good skinny water fishing, and big tides that average 8 to 10 feet. The coast from Chatham, Massachusetts to Long Island, New York offers the same type of water but smaller tides, only 2 to 4 feet or so. Only Long Island has tide ranges up to 7 feet.

The bigger the tides the faster fishing conditions will change. In locations with a 2-foot tide a flat might be fishable for the entire day; a flat with a 10-foot tide will be most stable around low tide, sometimes for several hours. Once the strong flow begins be prepared to move with the flow so as not to get trapped by the rising water when wading.

An early incoming tide will be the most productive in many locations. Stripers feel more at ease and as the flats cover there is food like dead sand eels, clams and crabs that are easy targets for stripers. This is especially true where tides are biggest. However, a falling tide in places that trap baitfish along edges and inside basins and drainage gullies can be excellent, too. Small creekmouths attract fish on a falling tide and they move upstream into the creek in search of food as the tide rises. Some small creeks are crystal clear and will remind the trout angler of Western spring creeks. Generally, big-tides mean a short fishing window.

Sand eels are the best baitfish for northern flats because they burrow and remain in the sand on dry flats through low tide. As water returns, some baitfish die and lay on the bottom. A flat where you see dead sand eels at low tide could be a hotspot, so stick around. Crabs are numerous on all flats and both crabs and shrimp are abundant inside creeks and estuaries. I do very well with a sparse, white Deceiver, and an epoxy sand eel fly made with purple Fluorofibre over cream Fluorofibre with some flash. Tie these flies 3 to 5 inches long. The lady crab, or calico, is a very important food source in the shallows; a reddish Del Brown Crab Fly is a good match for these. Any light tan bonefish fly 1 1/2 to 2 inches long will match both the common shore and sand shrimp that live on the flats inside most estuaries. And lightly weighted 3- to 4-inch Clouser Minnows in tan-and-white or olive-and-white are also very popular.

Top times for sight fishing are from mid May through early July. Then you can depend on good sunlight and the lower water temperature brings hungry fish onto the flats and into the creeks to feed. Some of the colder water locations from northern Massachusetts to Maine can have good sight fishing into August. In September and early October big flats might hold fish at times but the light is not as good as in summer. The key to good daytime fishing is cool water and abundant food sources.

In the spring there are places when you can sight cast and catch large numbers of smaller stripers, but the real fun begins when casting to big stripers. You will earn each fish, and you will remember each one long after the memory of a 20-fish day has faded.













Copyright Coastal Fly Angler Maine Saltwater Fly fishing Guides and Reports With Capt Eric Wallace.