This time of the year there is no shortage of great fishing opportunities as long as you take the time and get on the water. The summer here in Maine goes by fast, so enjoy it while you can and take what nature provides you. Bass fishing has been very good and consistent and pickerel fishing has been spot on. Bass fishing has been great as long as you fish around structure that hold bass. Large rocks, fallen logs or transition zones are very important to finding good bass habitat. Transition zones are where the depth of the water changes rapidly creating a clear line differentiating the two. Those that fish for bass with me will hear me say you need to “find structure!” Smallmouth bass need cleaner water than one would think and flourish in our northern waters, while largemouth bass enjoy more stagnant water and you can find them in more weedy areas. Personally I find smallmouth bass to fight much harder than largemouths, but at this time of the year I would not turn away either.
Quality Androscoggin bass
The Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a hot spot for bass throughout the summer and the occasional pike will show up as well. This month is not the best month to search for pike, but it can be done. Just don’t get your hopes up too high as you may only get one or two chances until the water cools down and they become more active. Early and late seasons are the best time to fish for these toothy predators with the spring time being a prime time as pike spawn in the springtime. We explored a different section of this river early in the month and we geared up specifically for pike. We had wire leaders and larger lures and jigs that would entice one of these alpha predators to come out of hiding looking for a large meal. While doing this the opportunities to hook into the smallmouth bass that are within the same stretch of water is diminished. Chi and I worked our way up into the current and large rocks below the dam in Lisbon, where many anglers are successful in pulling out trophy sized pike in the spring time. We fished many different patterns and depths without any strikes throughout the morning. We were also aware that many pike will follow lures or flies right up to the side of canoes and boats, so we were always watching right up to the end. Without any luck for a few hours we switched back to our normal bass lures and as we moved down river we began catching some very quality fish. We worked our jigs and Mepps Aglias throughout the currents and along the river bank with tremendous success. As we worked our way down the river we came along a weedy bank that dropped off very quickly. This bank just screamed big fish. Quickly Chi hooked into a very nice bass with his chartreuse jig. We continued to drift along and as Chi retrieved his jig it drifted up next to the canoe. Out of nowhere a huge pike came up and grabbed the jig and in one motion was gone. The force of the take sounded like a cannon ball hitting the water only feet from me and the line was cut so fast that Chi did not have a chance to attempt to set the hook. The amount of water that pike displaced was impressive. We both just looked at each other with utter disbelief. That will keep us going back time and time again. This is what we call a “long line release.”
Deep banks on the Androscoggin River
Beaver house on the Andro
Dundee Pond has been a consistent producer for us this summer. This pond is part of the Presumpscot River watershed and is below North Gorham Pond. There are camps on the upper section, but the majority of the pond is owned by the power company and there is no development much to the delight of many that recreate in the southern part of the state. The upper section is littered with smallmouth bass throughout the rocky thoroughfare leading into the big part of the pond. Fishing is good up near the dam, but the real action begins where the current pushes along the shore and has created a steep drop off where good size bass hold. This is a prime example of a transition zone and we have lost some very nice bass from this section. Of course we would love pictures, but the experience of hooking into these fish is what we seek out daily. This upper section is also littered with history from the old log drives. Old logs have created massive cribworks and you need to be careful or you will loose numerous flies and lures as they will not give way like rocks will.
Dundee bass
Quality bass structure
Owl Pond is special to us as it takes effort to get there. The pond only holds pickerel and yellow perch, so the fishing pressure is low. There is an ATV trail that leads up to it, but it mainly gets used during the winter by snowmobiles. We love fishing this pond through the ice as well because you are always chasing flags. The property is owned by Hancock Lumber and rocks block any vehicle traffic from getting to the pond, most likely keeping trash and abuse to a minimum. If this was a trout pond I am sure that this pond would be used heavily. We began using a canoe wheel, but unfortunately we are very hard on equipment and it only lasted two trips. At least we had just arrived at the pond when the tire blew instead of when we were starting out. On the overcast days the Mepps Aglia worked wonders as the pickerel were more willing to move up to intercept it. On a clear bright day you will have to get down a little deeper and focus on weedy structures. Also you will need to be aware of any nicks to your lines as these pickerel in this pond are not small. You will also need to have a strong line on your reel as many times the line will pick up vegetation and create more weight. Having a good drag on your reel and ensuring it is set correctly is also very important. We were drifting over a weed bed and a pike sized pickerel come out and grabbed my jig. After hesitating a second the huge fish took off and I quickly realized I had my drag set too tight. Very quickly the fish broke off and he was gone. Glad it was me and not a client.
Largest pickerel landed
You could be sitting at home not fishing
Fall fishing is right around the corner, but the summer does not look like it wants to let go. We have a week of 80 degree days forecasted so these summer time opportunities are not going away just yet. Put on your sunblock and shorts while the weather holds up and get out on the water. Every time someone complains about how warm it is I just want to post a picture of us ice-fishing to remind them of what is around the corner. I know what is around the corner for us as we will be on the water no matter what time of the year. It’s just what we do.
Now broken down transportation
Nice bass on Dundee