2012 Striped Bass Regulations – PDF

FMI: http://lakesidelodging.com/2012mso_open.html

Download Application

Smallmouth bass begin to get active when water temperatures reach 55F.  During the higher water periods of May and June, bass are frequently found close to shoreline structure and river banks.  While later in the summer, they often migrate to deeper water associated with weed beds and rock piles.  

Many anglers feel that the best fishing occurs during the spawn, which usually takes place the first two weeks of June in most Maine waters.  Since I am busy guiding trout and salmon fishermen in May and June, I do almost all of my smallmouth bass fishing from July through September.   Most of my fishing is done from a drift boat on the Penobscot River, and it is common for us to catch more than 50 fish per day all summer long. 

The growing season for smallmouths in Maine is short, so they generally are not very fussy about what they will eat.  Fly fishermen do well with popping bugs and sliders, and spin fishermen are successful with everything from stickbaits and spinners, to a wide variety of soft plastic baits.  A chartreuse Rapala was probably our most productive bait so far in 2011.  Along with their versatility, I also appreciate the fact that Maine smallmouth bass can be caught right through the hot, bright part of a mid-summer day.  And, of course, their fighting and jumping ability, is legendary.

The shorter days and cooling water temperatures in early fall trigger a period of heavy feeding in Maine smallmouth bass, as they  try to build up extra body mass for the coming winter.  We experience some of our best fishing of the season in September and early October.  So don’t trade your fishing rod for your shotgun too soon.

To learn more about late season smallmouth bass fishing opportunities in Maine, please feel free to call or email:

Kevin Tracewski, (Tracewski Fishing Adventures), info@fishguideme.com, (207) 827-3110

A seasoned angler caught a potentially record-breaking striped bass on an evening outing in Long Island Sound. Greg Myerson, 43, of North Branford, Connecticut, was drifting with live eels on August 4, when the big fish hit. Myerson, an accomplished fisherman who won Angler of the Year in the 2010 Striper Cup competition, brought the fish to Jack’s Shoreline Bait and Tackle in Westbrook to be weighed the next morning—nearly 12 hours after the catch—and tipped the scales at 81.88 pounds. Myerson submitted his paperwork and materials to the International Game Fish Association for review and possible certification of the record.

IGFA officials confirmed they received the application for the record, along with additional unsolicited testimony. “It’s going through the same process that every application goes through,” says Jack Vitek, World Record Coordinator for the IGFA. “Certainly it’s a historical record, and because of that we have been receiving a lot of different feedback from concerned anglers. However, being the international authority on record keeping, we assure them that every record that comes in here receives a 110-percent review.” The current All Tackle Striped Bass Record is held by Albert McReynolds for a 78 lb., 8 oz. fish caught off Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 21, 1982.

Online applications for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s 2011 Moose Permit Lottery are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 13. The only applications still being accepted are those filed online at www.mefishwildlife.com.

“We’re encouraging applicants to apply online during the day or at their earliest convenience before the close of business at 5 p.m.,” said Bill Swan, IF&W Director of Licensing. “That way, if any questions arise, applicants can contact us so we can assist them.”

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife can be reached at (207) 287-8000.

This year, 3,205 permits will be allocated in the state’s 28 Wildlife Management Districts (WMDs). This is an increase of 65 permits from 2010, primarily in WMDs 22 and 25.

Season dates are:

• September 26-October 1: WMDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 19
• October 10-15: WMDs 1-14, 17, 18, 19, 27, 28
• Nov. 7-12: WMDs 2, 3, 6, 11
• Oct. 31-Nov. 26: WMDs 15, 16, 22, 23, 25, 26

A “Maine Residents Only Day” is set for October 29, in WMDs 15, 16, 22, 23, 25, 26. Maine hunters need a lottery-drawn permit to hunt these districts on that day.

Mark your calendar! The 2011 Maine Moose Permit Lottery will be held Thursday, June 16 at Cabelas in Scarborough.

Deborah Turcotte
Spokesperson, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
SHS 41 284 State St.
Augusta, ME  04333
W: (207) 287-6008
C: (207) 592-1164

AUGUSTA, Maine – The arrival of spring means deer are on the move along roadways. MaineDOT and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are urging drivers to heed posted warning signs and slow down, particularly in areas where historically a high number of deer-vehicle collisions have occurred.

As snow slowly disappears this spring, areas along the sides of roads are generally one of the first areas to green up with vegetation. Deer, who have been feeding on poor quality food throughout much of the winter, flock to roadsides where they can feast on tender, green plants. As deer disperse from areas where they have wintered, motorists will often see deer feeding along the sides of roads. Often these areas are along the sides of major highways or high speed routes.

Recognizing the need to protect both motorists and deer, MaineDOT and MDIF&W have identified several seasonal areas where there are a high number of deer crashes and have installed unique signs that alert motorists to deer during this peak season.  These signs are generally specific to a 1-mile or less stretch of road with very high collision rates.  It is extremely important that motorists watch for these signs and slow down.

“It’s a scenario we don’t like to see happen – a car hitting a deer, injuring the driver and the animal,” said MDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt. “Unfortunately, it does happen too often. Please, heed the roadside warning signs and be alert for deer that may want to cross in your path. Save your life, and that of the deer.”

These “Caution — High Hit Area” signs feature a silhouette of a deer, and are a bright, reflective orange and yellow.  These signs are foldable signs, and they are only opened and displayed during this time of year, when deer collisions are frequent. As deer disperse away from the roads, these signs will be folded up by MDIF&W personnel so drivers do not become accustomed to them. Next year, they will be unfolded as deer start to move.

These signs were recently installed at a high deer crash area along I-95 in Sherman. That particular stretch of highway is located alongside a deer wintering area, and crosses a traditional travel corridor used heavily by deer.

“As we work to reduce mortality factors on deer and rebuild Maine’s deer population, alerting motorists to these high-hit areas is critical,” said MDIF&W Commissioner Chandler Woodcock. “By slowing down and using extra caution in these limited-but-distinct sites, drivers have an opportunity to save a deer.”

Over the past two years, these orange-and-yellow signs have been installed at the following locations where there has been a history of deer/vehicle crashes during this time of year:  Route 9-Amherst, Route 9-Wesley, Route 193-Cherryfield, Route 191- Jacksonville, Route 1-Edmunds, Route 1 in East Machias, Route 2-Oakfield, Route 212-Smyrna Mills and Route 1-Monticello.

Motorists who see these new signs should be aware that deer are likely in the area, and should drive accordingly.  Remember, these signs are only erected during high risk periods for a specific section of road.

Over the past 10 years, Maine has averaged over 3,000 deer-vehicle crashes each year. Drivers should take care this time of year, and be on the lookout for all wildlife on the sides of the road. Motorists should reduce their speed when it is dark, use high beams where appropriate, and always wear their seatbelt.

It’s time to go Whitewater Rafting in Maine? Here are the BEST Maine Whitewater Rafting Guides, exclusively from Maine Guides Online. Book your Maine Rafting trip early, these outfitters book up early, and you want to make sure you get your weekend of choice and the lodging accommodations your looking for.

Augusta, Maine – Preliminary deer harvest numbers show an increase of 11 percent from the 2009 harvest with an initial tally of 20,063 deer taken by hunters.

“The winter of 2010 ranked as one of the mildest winters in the past 60 years, a stark contrast to the terrible back-to-back winters of 2008 and 2009,” according to MDIF&W Deer Biologist Lee Kantar. “The 2010 winter certainly provided a much-needed break to deer and explains much of the increase in the 2010 harvest.”

Regionally, increases were recorded across the northern tier of the state, including the Moosehead area and portions of western Maine. Many yearling bucks were big and sported multiple points on their racks. Of the entire yearling bucks measured by MDIF&W staff statewide, 67 percent were multi-branched antler bucks, only a year-and-a-half old, and 33 percent were spikes. In addition, yearling buck weights were on average 6.6 pounds heavier in 2010 compared to 2009, which was a substantial increase of 6 percent. Heavier deer going into winter survive better through spring.

Youth hunters and modern firearms participants provided the bulk of the higher harvest, with the youth hunters having a 35 percent increased success rate and the rifle hunters gaining a 15 percent increase in harvesting a deer.

”It is always encouraging to note the participation by our young hunters,” said MDIF&W Commissioner Chandler Woodcock. “I also note that their success rate clearly indicates that they are better shots.”

Overall, hunters enjoyed an increase in buck hunting success but a decrease in the number of adult does taken. Hunters with Any-deer permits in hand may have had additional opportunities to harvest a buck instead of doe and took the opportunity.

The annual deer projections that are calculated by department biologists in the late spring results from an analysis of mortality and reproductive rates, harvest trends, and any deer permit allocations to meet Wildlife Management District (WMDs) goals and objectives. For 2010, the department had projected a harvest of 20,918 for all WMDs. Thus, the statewide harvest was 4 percent less than projected.

In Maine, deer hunting contributes approximately $200 million annually to the economy.

The ice fishing season on most Maine lakes opens January 1, so by the time March rolls around, many of the traditional hotspots have been fished fairly hard.  In order to achieve consistent late-season success, anglers should use the events of the season to your advantage.

For landlocked salmon, this means concentrating your efforts around inlet brooks where smelt (the principal food source for salmon) will be starting to congregate for spawning runs. All lakes with healthy salmon populations also have a thriving population of smelt.  So if your target the mouths of the spawning streams late in the ice fishing season, you will be sure to find salmon.  Anglers should fish their bait a few feet under the ice in fairly shallow (5 to 15 feet) water.

Brook trout also congregate off the mouths of inlet brooks in March. For them, the attraction is food being washed down into the lake with the melting snow. Best success usually comes by fishing worms, crayfish or small minnows within 50 yards of the stream inlet in very shallow water (less than three feet deep).  Most of the large lakes in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, like Webster, Chamberlain, Eagle, Telos and Churchill, provide great opportunities to catch late-season brook trout.

Although less glamorous than their salmonid cousins, my favorite late-season fish is the cusk.  A freshwater relative of the cod, these fish grow large (up to 10 pounds) and are great to eat. And because they receive almost no angling pressure the rest of the year, I don’t feel too badly about bringing a few home for supper.

For the most part, cusk are nocturnal bottom-feeders that generally don’t bite well during daylight. In March, however, they leave their deep-water retreats and congregate in sandy coves and shoals to spawn. At this time, they can be taken fairly consistently during the day on large, dead minnows fished right on the bottom.  In large part, cusk locate their food by smell, so sometimes it’s helpful to crush your bait with your boot before placing it down the hole, so that you rupture its body cavity, and allow the oils and smells to disperse in the water.

Well-known cusk fishing grounds include Sebago, Chesuncook, Pemadumcook and East Grand Lakes. A few lesser-known lakes that also have healthy populations of cusk are Brassua , Spencer, Musquacook and East Musquash.

The fish that probably attracts the most attention from die-hard late-season anglers are togue (lake trout). Because of their size (many over five pounds) and fighting ability, they are considered by many to be the ultimate ice fishing prize.  Big-name lakes such as Moosehead, Sebago, Chamberlain and East Grand have well-deserved reputations as togue producers. But lesser-known waters like Sebec, Millinocket, Ross and Spider also produce braggin’ size togue each year.

Togue are best caught by jigging in relatively deep (25 to 40 feet) water. I like to use a silver Leadfish or a Swedish Pimple, but just about any heavy spoon with a piece of cut bait attached to it will do. To attract togue, some anglers like to stir up the bottom by bouncing their jigs off the rocks and gravel before beginning to fish. Others like to move around a lot, jigging only 10 to 15 minutes at a time in a given hole. Personally, I find that anything that increases your confidence and comfort (and thus extends the amount of time you spend jigging) will ultimately boost your chances of success.  And the great weather that March often provides is an important factor.

To learn more about late season ice fishing opportunities in Maine, please feel free to call or email:

Kevin Tracewski, (Tracewski Fishing Adventures), info@fishguideme.com, (207) 827-3110