Ice fishing in Maine is not what many people think it is. For some it may be a reason to get away for a few hours and drink in an ice shack, but that is the furthest thing from what we offer our clients. For every full day trip, we provide a warm meal that may include warm stews, hamburgers, sausages with peppers and onions, or, coming soon, a wood pellet fired pizza. All of the essential gear is provided, so all you will need to do is show up with appropriate clothing and have fun. There is nothing better than seeing a flag up, indicating a fish has taken the bait, and yelling “flag” and seeing kids, and adults acting like kids, racing over to see what took the bait. Sometimes it is controlled chaos, but memories are being made and people are having fun.
Over the past few years there has been an increase in people who are interested in trying ice fishing. We have plenty of options for them to choose from. Whether it is trout, salmon, bass, pike or pickerel there are plenty of bodies of water around the Sebago region that we can select. One of our favorite ponds has largemouth bass along with yellow perch. This is a great spot not far from the road that we usually bring families and new anglers. There is usually steady action here, which is important. When introducing kids to ice fishing it’s best to keep it short and enjoyable, so bring them to a spot that you have confidence in and have a higher rate of success. Nothing is more disheartening when people are cold and no one catches anything. We have heaters in insulated ice shacks so staying warm should be easier and we also provide warm coffee, tea or hot cocoa. If the action is steady no one has trouble staying warm as there is a lot of running from one flag to another. Those are the days to remember.
For those anglers looking for more of a challenge, Sebago Lake offers just that, with jigging in depths ranging from 40 feet to 180 feet. We use electronics in these trips, but the client controls the jig rod and, just like fly fishing, there is only so much a guide can do for you. We cannot set the hook for you in both instances so anyone looking for these trips need to be flexible and focused. It is very satisfying to watch everything happen on the screen and to connect with a fish that you had been angling for. I also find the fish that chase for over 100 feet and finally commit to be a blast as well. To see how a fish reacts to what you are doing with the jigs is pretty cool. Check out an episode that fellow guide Dan Hillier and I did with On the Water Angling Adventures www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph7lWNUHOrg&t=2s to get an idea of what these trips would look like.
If you have always wanted to try ice fishing out give us a call and let us guide you on your first ice fishing adventure. No better way than to have someone take care of the logistics and all you need to do is show up and have fun. Give us a call at 207-730-3384 or visit our website at www.petersonguideme.com and put in your request today!