June 10th, 2008
Maine’s striped bass season is officially underway, in the Portland area anyway. As reported everywhere there is a huge amount of bait around, inshore and offshore. Makes you wonder… just last year was the first year that they banned the huge midwater trawlers from the Gulfs inshore waters and as a result the bait has rebounded expotentionally already- coincidence ? I think not !! For the first time in many years we are seeing large numbers of pogies (bunker) here as well.
The striped bass are here, fish are in the rivers (scarborough marsh, Ferry beach, spurwink, all the normal ealry season haunts). Stripers are also on the flats at the right tide, from here on out we will see new fish show up every week and things are looking good with the amount of bait around. June and ealry July should be gangbusters as these fish show up with serious “eating” on thier minds. Slow retrieves with baitfish patterns in the deceiver type patterns will work for flies, and plastics like sluggos on light spinning tackle. As the water warms topwater lures and flies will get hot.
I have a few great tidesavailable for late June/early July so contact me before they are gone. captjohn@mainesaltwaterfishing.com , I’m also taking a day to pick up my new boat the end of the week !!
Bluefin tuna have made thier early show but as usual it’s a ‘passing through” thing for June, they seem to appear every year in June for a brief time as they head north where I believe they will settle into a southerly feeding pattern and will finally make thier way back here for mid-late July and remain through Oct. for your best fly fishing and spin opportunites. There are not quite enough to target right now but if get lucky you might get a shot. The fish are on the move so may be in one place today and gone tommorrow.
Good luck out there…
Capt. John Ford
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May 28th, 2008
Hi All-
Striped bass are starting to make thier way into Maine and Casco Bay off Portland. Lots of bait is being reported everywhere and I’m looking forward to a banner month of June. June stripers will be hungry and aggressive. I still have a handeful of good tides to fill, don’t miss this part of the fishing season !!
Bluefin tuna are being reported offshore just south of us. They are spotty at best and will remain offshore for about another month before we get the chance to target them in July. I have been working on some super fly patterns that should prove killer for this season. Maine has had an incredible top water bite the past few years and i’m looking forward to thier return.
On a side note: As the tuna “craze” has really taken affect here over the past two seasons, it seems as though just about anyone who owns a boat has added tuna charters to thier services. After speaking with several veteran Maine guides we have noticed there are guides who have never even landed a bluefin toteing themselves as tuna guides ?? I’m fairly booked solid for tuna season with a handeful of dates to fill, but I have a pretty good network of GOOD tuna guides i work with so please inquire and if i can’t get you on the water I usually know a guide who can.
Tight lines to all,
-Capt. John Ford
www.mainesaltwaterfishing.com
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May 4th, 2008
Welcome to my fishing blog… In this blog I will try and cover all aspects of Maine’s Saltwater Fishing for Striped bass (stripers) and Bluefin tuna. I focus on Fly fishing for these species so info may lean that way. Just off Portland, ME we have a wonderful fishery for these species, I will try to post fishing reports here on an up-to-date basis as well as on my web site www.mainesaltwaterfishing.com Please feel free to read, post and ask questions about Maine’s fishing, guide services and issues surrounding saltwater fishing in general.
I look forward to hearing from all and hope the blog provides a valuable resource for the fly fishing community, -Captain John Ford
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