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Tired of the same old Christmas turkey or ham? Then give this traditional roast goose recipe a try. The overnight brining ensures very flavorful and moist meat.And yes you can use wild Canadian goose in place of the store bought one.......I have done both,but find the goose you get from the store has much better skin for roasting and better overall flavor.....Make sure you follow all the steps......Brining is critical...
Filling the cavity with fruit, not only gives the roasting goose a wonderful flavor and scent; it also makes your kitchen smell divine. Also, carefully pricking the skin is the secret to a beautiful crispy finish.
Serves 8 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 3 hours Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes Ingredients: - 1 1/2 gallon cold water
- 1 cup kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 (10-12 pound) young goose, fully thawed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 apple, peeled and quartered
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 orange, quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
Preparation: - Add the 1 1/2 gallons of cold water to a container, or stockpot large enough to fit the goose and brine mixture. Add the salt, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Unwrap the goose and remove anything in the cavity. Rinse and trim any excess fat from the neck and/or tail end of the goose and place into the brine so that it is completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours.
- Remove the goose from the brine and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle the goose cavity generously with salt and pepper. Put the onion, apple, orange and lemon into the cavity. Place the goose, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan with rack, to keep the bird at least 1 inch off the bottom.
- With a small sharp knife, or large needle, prick the goose skin all-over, especially where you can see and feel fat under the surface. Be carefully NOT to piece the flesh, only the skin and fat. This will allow the fat to drain during the cooking and make for a crisper skin. Salt and pepper the goose to taste, and add 2 cups of water into the bottom of the pan.
- Roast at 350 degrees F. for 2 1/4 to 3 hours, until it reaches an internal tempreture of 170 degrees F. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 25 minutes before carving.
Saco Bay Tackle Fishing Report for January 2012 Most smaller ponds are reported to be safe to walk on and ice fish. It has been recommended by our local game wardens not to drive any vehicles of any kind on the ice. Most of the ponds still only have 2-5 inches of ice . It has been reported that Sabatis Lake is ready to ice fish with walk on traffic only. Shiners are still the best bait for the best results . We have a 24 hour bait tank for your ice fishing convenience at $5.00 a dozen. We will be carring Suckers for the Sabatis Ice Derby that will be held on January 28th first place gets $2500 for the largest pike. A great prize for a great cause. We have information packets in the store if you are interested. Just a reminder that you can fish open water with a catch limit on some ponds and rivers just check your open water regulations book for more information. We have regulation books in the store. Don't forget now is the time to service your reels 3-5 day turn around on most reels. Good luck out there and be safe.
provides some insight into the direction the agency will take. Expect National Marine Fisheries to hold hearings in the coming months. Much like last winter's bluefin tuna hearings, public input is encouraged. Please take the time to share your voice. My observation is cod catch numbers have dwindled in the last four years and the numbers of draggers and offshore gill nets has increased. Herring has nearly disappeared from the stomachs of our cod catches as well. Is there a correlation? Hopefully a plan can be created that will restore cod and herring stocks as well.
Good news on the offshore front came from the many offshore bottom fishermen this summer and fall who spoke of their strong haddock catches. Haddock frequent gravel bottom areas so their concentrations are not as widely distributed as cod. When fishing the right type of bottom, area fishermen found much success this season with healthy specimens in the 21" to 25" slot showing quite consistently. When targeting haddock be sure to "match the hatch" and use the type of bait they prefer. Haddock fishermen this fall frequently spoke of Gulf of Maine shrimp for bait and a surprising number turned to GULP! brand sandworms fished on SeaWolfe bait rig. Our bait tanks are up and running! We will do our best to offer shiners throughout the winter, along with suckers as tournament season nears in February. Give the shop a call to check on bait availability. Shop hours for holiday season will be as follows:
open Christmas Eve 9-2pm Tight Lines! Marco
10/27/2011 Periodic breaks in the weather have found a handful of boats still plying the offshore waters in search of giant bluefin. The extent of the bite is hard to evaluate due to lack of boats, but the few that are still working the regular haunts like Tanta's, the Fingers, Old Scantum and other typical hotspots are sharing reports of busting fish. Many short fish are mixed in with the occasional giants. Most of the GBFT action appears to be moving outside and down onto Stellwagen. Expect boats sailing from Portsmouth down through Green Harbor and out to Chatham to have best shots in the next few weeks. Last year giants were caught as late as November 10 on the nearshore humps outside Kennebunkport and Cape Porpoise. Don't put your 130's away yet! Cod fishing has slowed considerably on the offshore grounds and steady reports of haddock have provided a ray of hope for future seasons. Scarcity of keeper cod appears to be coinciding with an increase in gill net activity down on Jefferey's Ledge? Hopefully we'll all be able to find a balance so all can share in this wonderful fishery.
A few stripers, mostly monster cows, are lingering along the southern beaches. Try pitching a rigged Sluggo to these giants, or live-lining a mackerel or pollock. All have been producing for those hardy enough to brave the cool conditions of the last few days. Parson's Beach and the areas around the Kittery Shipyard have been steady producers recently. Dress for the weather as conditions can be quite challenging. An intersting option to mention is the beginning of the sea run brown trout season on the Kennebunk, Ogunquit, and Mousam rivers. Pull out the light spinning rods and fly rods to sample this unique late fall opportunity. Patterns that will produce fish in the 10-16" size range include pheasant tails, scud patterns, and tiny sand eel imitations. For spinning options try a brass or copper colored Mepps or similar spinner or a DB Smelt.....the same artificial pattern that Sebago fishermen are currently using to catch good numbers of near surface landlocks and deep lying lake trout (togue). Many freshwater options exist in southern Maine until the last day of November. Be sure to check the Maine Inland Fisheries website for detailed info on specific bodies of water.
One last bit of information to report relates to the good work of the Saco River Salmon Club. Each year the SRSC stocks anywhere from a half million to nearly a million salmon fry in the Saco and its tributaries. State fisheries personnel have shared data recently that identified the Saco River as having the most number of returning adults of any river in the state so far for 2011 with the number reaching nearly one hundred. The typical survival rate for the Atlantic Salmon is one in 10,000, and that means one returning adult for each 10,000 eggs laid. The Penobscot River, the usual leading river has a number of dams that are in the process of removal and this has caused a disruption in migration patterns there, but the Saco's numbers surely look promising.
Tight Lines!
Marco Saco Bay Tackle Fishing Report for friday, September 23, 2011
Lots to report from the Saco Bay region.......
Last week saw an increase in tuna action offshore in southern Maine. Highlights included busting BFT from the Isle of Shoals north to Casco Bay. Nick Masi of Biddeford was rewarded for his hard work with a quality 80" giant bluefin tuna, a harvest that couldn't have happened without the support of his friend Paul Provencher who went out to retrieve Nick after he experienced some engine problems. One of the challenges of these season fishing days can be the isolation if problems do occur.
Groundfishing down on Jefferey's Ledge continues to produce. On a Sunday morning trip last week my boat was rewarded with dozens of cusk, ten or so plump haddock, and a monster pollock in the twenty pound class. We boated a few short cod and no keepers which was all that could be consider disappointing on the beautiful late summer day. Bait seems to be the key to catching these late summer/early fall bottom dwellers. We mostly fished frozen shrimp on tandem rigs with 20 oz. cannon ball weights. The round shape works quite well on the gnarly bottom terrain frequently found on our offshore humps, rarely hanging up.
One challenge with last Sunday's trip was fighting off the urge to cast to busting stripers up inside the Saco River. Just upstream from the University of New England we slowly wound our way through a blitz that was three or four hundred yards across. Later in the day the buzz at Chevy's Bait and Tackle was all about the aggressive striper bite. Hot baits for the past week's striper action included soft shad swim baits and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows. Tube and worm fishermen continue to produce fish as well. Most bass are in the 25"-30" slot.
For next week we expect more of the same.......we know fall is busy with travel soccer, high school football, apple picking, and Sunday Patriots, but don't put your rods away yet!!
Tight Lines, Marco @ Saco Bay Tackle We can't keep marco away.:.... Fishing report for Friday, September 16, 2011
River levels and water clarity finally improved this week, though the Saco River continues to pump a bunch of freshwater into the bay. Now is the peak time for shore bound anglers as well as those in boats. Spike mackerel are abundant and are being scattered throughout Saco Bay by schools of bluefish and stripers. Deep divers and vertical jigs such as Shimano Butterflies are producing, as well as live offerings such as eels and live mackerel. Blitzing fish are a tremendous bonus for early fall fishers in Saco Bay.
The tuna fleet was back at it this week with many hookups reported. Fish in the 200-300# range seem to be the norm. Numbers have been hard to figure as fishermen become more tight lipped in the late season about their success rates. It is fair to say that bluefin tuna are still a strong possibility, as one fishermen reported seeing three different boats hooked into large fish simultaneously on the northern end of Jefferey's Ledge this week.
Offshore shark fishing continues to produce. Blue sharks with a mix of makos and possibly a thresher are possibilities this month. Many monster blue sharks in the ten foot plus category have shown this latter part of our Maine summer. These hard fighting sharks can be found surprisingly close to harbors like Portland, Saco, Kennebunkport, Wells, or York. Find 400' depths and set up a chum slick.....the possibilities are amazing; especially for those accustomed to fighting ten pound bluefish or schooly stripers.
Groundfishing is improving daily as water temperature have cooled just a bit. Baitfishing with sandworms and shrimp appears to be the recent formula for success. Try a SeaWolfe Cod or Haddock rig or a jig and teaser combo with a Carlson Jig on the bottom and bait on your dropper loop. Weekend conditions this week promise to invite many locals to hit the offshore grounds, after a couple of tough weekends with very challenging sea conditions. Jefferey's Ledge fished great this week for those hardy enough to withstand some moderate sea conditions.
September is truly a great month to be a southern Maine coastal fisherperson.
Tight Lines,
Sept.3rd 2011 Marco's last report before going back to his Teaching job: Hurricane Irene blasted through Saco Bay leaving a stream of coffee-stained water and choppy seas that are finally subsiding. Local beach fishers are gearing up for what promises to be the best month of the fishing calendar. Despite lots of floating debris on the beachfront, surfcasters continue to produce stripers in the 30-35" slot. Sinking lures like a Gag's Eel have been steady producers, as have Yo-Zuri type swimming lures. Night time adventures are no longer a necessity for surfcasters.....daytime tides are producing as well. Bluefish continue to surprise anglers, but these voracious fish have not shown any steady presence "yet"..... September promises to be a good bluefish month with water temperatures in the mid 60's. Whether targeting blues or stripers, tiny spike mackerel will become a favorite bait in the coming weeks. Bass and blues will be gorging in anticipation of their long southern migration. Haddock fishing has been a pleasant surprise for many offshore anglers. Aaron Stamm of Stamm Charters (who we'll mention again in this report) reported one trip last week where his sports caught over one hundred tasty haddock! Cod fishing is holding up down on Jefferey's Ledge and some larger pollock are being reported on more isolated humps like Boomerang and Trinidad. Groundfishing will only get better as water temperatures continue to cool. The shark scene has been very active. The Downeast Shark Tournament wrapped up last Saturday, just in time for Irene to blow through. Many fishermen had to pull their boats in anticipation of the storm, but enthusiasm and catch rates were high. The winning captain registered an exciting double with a thresher and a mako. All funds from the tournamant were donated to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. Special recognition goes out to Aaron Stam of Stam Charters who took over the tournament this year and did such a nice job coordinating the event. Thanks also go to Canyon Reels for their donation of an 80 wide reel. This beautiful reel was paired with a Saco Bay Custon rod that was donated by our shop to the winning captain. With active weather and choppy seas the interest in bluefin tuna waned this past week. One charter captain explained that the water wasn't coffee colored, it's chocolate milk colored. With predictions of five foot seas for this weekend (Labor day) it may be a few more days before the tuna fleet returns to their favorite locations. September is typically the best tuna month of the fishing season as bluefins move in closest to shore and bait balls help to concentrate these giants. Fishing Report for Saturday, August 20, 2011 Marco at Saco Bay Tackle Writes: Inshore forage has shifted from medium and larger size mackerel down to spike mackerel in the 4-7 inch size range. These tiny baits are just what the striped bass ordered. Cooler night time temperatures are also helping the bite. Expect striped bass to be close to shore and feeding most aggressively on evening tides. Smaller Yo-Zuris and Deadly Dick's are artificials that are producing best. Bluefish are here yet continue to be an inconsistent proposition. Sizes are amazing, with most reports in the 15-18# range. These are mostly suspended fish that are cruising the outer bay haunts such as Richmond Island, Stratten Island, and Biddeford Pool. Try deep divers like Rapala Magnum Divers for a shot at these toothy predators. Offshore is a true highlight for Saco area anglers. Blue Sharks fishing is strong, Bluefin Tuna fishing continues to amaze, and cod and haddock fishing is really holding strong down on Jefferey's Ledge. Smaller jigs like a Carlson 9 oz. , or the OTI Jig with real shrimp on the teaser is a good choice when targeting haddock Tuna fishermen are perhaps the most patient and hard working of all the fishermen we see in our shop. On hint of advice...If you think you are too close to a fellow tuna fisherman, you probably are. There is plenty of water out there, and plenty of Ledges.. Just because there is a fllet of fisherman out on one spot, does not mean all the tuna are ion that ledge. Give guys a break, and some distance when tuna fishing. Stories of 500-700# fish continue to trickle in. These giants typically come to those who are willing to do the work and put in the time on the water. Successful fishermen typically leave the dock by 1:00 or 2:00 AM and spend the late night hours jigging herring or mackerel, all with the hope of setting their baits in time for "first light" and the typical start to the daily tuna bite. Most fishing days end in the evening hours. Many boats hooked up and landed fish this week...the largest reported to our shop was a 108" behemoth that was caught on a 12" live mackerel! The estimate on that fish was over 600#'s! Next weekend is an important time for our shop as we once again show our support for the Downeast Shark Tournament, an important annual event. Capt. Aaron Stamm, a local school teacher and offshore fishing guide, has taken on this important local fundraising event, after years of dedicated direction from Capt. Dave Johnson. Contact Aaron at 207-432-7460 to register for the tournament or stop by our shop to fill out an application. Captain's party is Thursday, August 25 right here at Saco Bay Tackle. Daily weigh-ins will take place at the Camp Ellis parking lot from 4:30-7:30 PM on Friday and 2-6:00PM Saturday. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center. Tight Lines, As of 8/8, preliminary commercial landings for the 2011 fishing year are as follows: General category has landed 86.8 mt out of 435.1 mt; Harpoon category has landed 25.3 mt out of 36.0 mt; Longline North has landed 19.3 mt out of 24.4 mt; Longline South has landed 29.7 mt out of 36.7 mt; and Longline Northeast Distant has landed 1.5 mt out of 25.0 mt. Landing updates will be made as necessary. The current recreational daily bluefin tuna (BFT) retention for limit for HMS Angling (private recreational) vessels one BFT (measuring 27 to less than 59 inches) per vessel per day/trip. The current recreational BFT retention limit for HMS Charter/headboat vessels (while fishing recreationally) is one school BFT (measuring 27 to less than 47 inches) and one large school BFT (measuring 47 to less than 59 inches) per vessel per day/trip. The southern area “trophy” BFT fishery (for BFT measuring 73 inches and greater) is CLOSED and the northern area "trophy" BFT fishery closes at 11:30 p.m. on July 29, 2011. The Angling category North/South line is at 39°18’ N. lat. (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ). The Gulf of Mexico is designated as a spawning ground for BFT and therefore NMFS does not allow recreational caught BFT to be retained while fishing in this area. The recreational yellowfin tuna daily retention limit is 3 yellowfin/person/day/trip. The minimum size for yellowfin and bigeye tuna is 27" curved fork length. There are no recreational limits for bigeye, skipjack or albacore tunas. NMFS is closing the northern area Angling category fishery for large medium and giant (“trophy”) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) on July 29 for the remainder of 2011. Fishing for, retaining, possessing, or landing large medium and giant BFT (measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater) north of 39°18’ N. lat. (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ,) is prohibited effective 11:30 p.m., local time, on July 29, 2011. Limited catch and release is permissible. For further information, see http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm. 08/04/2011 Lots of news to report on the Saco Bay scene. A giant bluefin tuna surge from two weeks ago was replaced by larger footballs in the 75-100# class last week, only to give way to a flurry of giants in the last few days. Cal Robinson and Jim Hinkley called earlier in the day to share a story of a 77” fish they had just landed for the Sturdivant Tournament. Dozens of these behemoths have been caught in the last few days, leading to a flurry of interest in this exciting fishery. Big mackerel and lively herring are both producing on slack tides, especially the evening tides. Inshore, bluefish have made an appearance. Try trolling deep divers like Yo-Zuris and Bomber lures for suspended fish in the twenty to thirty foot depths over 80-100’ of water. Long breaks can be quickly interrupted by multiple hook-up events. Stiped bass continue to hold strong. Popular haunts like Higgin’s Beach, the bathhouse at Biddeford Pool and the marsh flats inside the Saco and Dunstan River are all producing fish in the 28-32” size range. Even at mid-day, these linesides can sometimes be found feeding in surprisingly shallow water. For naturals a live tinker mackerel can’t be beat. For artificials try bumping a Gag’s Eel on the sand bottom. Groundfishing is holding up quite well so far. SeaWolfe jigs with natural shrimp on the teaser hook are producing keeper cod and haddock on the same drop. Try the north end of Jefferies’ Ledge for steady action. Tantas’ ledge has slowed a bit, though very early morning fishers are finding a few market size cod. Tight Lines!! Marco @ Saco Bay Tackle 07/30/2011 well, the Mackerel are still in but not for long... Joe Stevenson and a few other anglers have been catching Bluefish the past week but it has not been too consistent.. river fishing in both the Saco And Spurwink have been steady but not exploding...the real action is on the Beach.. Biddeford Pool, Higgins and Old Orchard.. I heard a couple of customers were told to leave the Old Orchard Beach area in the evening.....Not sure why, maybe a new police officer telling people of the rules and checking Fishing Licenses....you should be all se if you are fishing and no lifeguards are present.....If one of Old Orchards officers tell you to leave tell them Saco Bay Tackle said you can stay, and there is nothing you can do about it.......see if that helps you out at all.....Any way, fresh mackerel and Frozen mackerel working great and even outfished eels on shore says Brian St Onge. Ground fishing was great at Jefferies using just a vertical jig and teaser, but better luck with squid, clam and Shrimp.. Haddock seemed steady, but more so with cod fishing the 220 ledges. Tuna have been seen jumping again, and the small footballs have been out late afternoon still chasing bait. The Carlson jigs, and even re rigged deadly dicks have been a popular choice in the store... tight Lines, Peter 07/24/2011 late report but it has been a busy week... hot weather power outages have made it tought to get on the computer....We have had some great reports from regular customers and new fisherman to the area that the stripers have started biting again.. Schoolies have been in the Saco River the past week and the best bet for a steady catch of Bass would be first thing in the morning, or evening incoming tide. Eels in the Evening, worms and Clams on the OOB shoreline, Goosefair Brook, and Try the Bath House In Biddeford Pool. Charlie has been coming in and using eels and a bunny eel Pattern On Hills Beach on the late night tide tide. An early indication of Bluefish coming to Pine Point and Saco Bay has been customers coming in and grabbing steel leaders..If you are targeting a Bluefish from shore or boat. Try an Orange or green Roberts Lure, and a Gag's orange Popper. Trolling for Blues use to be the Orange Big Mac...Rumors have it , we may see the old Storm Big Mac being reproduced by another label. Till then , the Yo zuri Hydro squirt, or any deep diving silver or Orange diver will be effective as long as teh Blues are around...Ground fish at TANTAS has been slow and full of short cod....maybe a keeper for every twelve you bring up says Mike Bergeron.. Marco did say , no dogs while fishing with shrimp and clams last week off Tantas. The best bet is Jefferies but you have to cover some ground..Sunday and Monday should be flat and hopefully this week will let us get off shore for tuna and shark. Lots of Tournaments coming up.. try to enter all you can ...All of them support great causes.
southern Maine is getting some good tuna, but not a steady pace...lots of boats out there, but only a couple coming in at a time...like I said, put in a few hours and you may get lucky...stripers are only hitting steady in the morning and evening. these warm days are keeping them in deep water and by the surf..Still mackerel out there so grab your sabiki rigs and try getting some live bait. Clams in the morning as well as trolling tube and worm on the shoreline..not too many bluefish out there, but still bait is around. fisherman caught some mackerel at Pine Point, from the jetty and have had some luck at Higgins Beach. Offshore cod and Haddock looks good at Tantas for cod but slow on Haddock.."No dogfish" Claims Butch Boisvert, but slow getting keeper cod at Tantas. Jefferies slowed down a bit but constant jigging with the OTI or Butterfly jigs helped Scott Mcintyre land some beautiful cod around the 245 mark at jefferies. still many whales to show you where the bait and ground fish are. Scented Oozie jigs helped Nick Masi get a few ground fish while tuna fishing near Tantas.. sharks Have been a tackle shops best friend. Some pics on our website will show a few blue sharks and Porebeagles snatching cod jigs and Fluro carbon from fisherman. Trinidad, Boomerang had some small bluesharks. Randy Vanier landed a giant Porbeagle near Trinidad as well as Kurt Christianson released a twelve foot thresher. Near Tantas Ledge...Keep Fishing!!! you will catch what you want eventually!! Tight Lines Peter notes from customers:: Hi again! Hope this new report finds you well. I took my fiance out to Tantas today and had a decent day. Some nice cod to 9lbs, and 1 small woffish. The day ended after a 40 minute fight with a big Porbeagle. We both had decent cod on and were reeling up when my fiance couldnt reel in anymore and needed help. I knew right away she probably had a shark. I grabbed the rod and it broke off right away. I went back to my Trevala 200lb rod and Saltiga LD35 with 80lb braid to find the shark was now on my setup! I fought him for 40 minutes and finally got this nice Porbeagle to the boat for a release. He got 2 of my Norway jigs though lol. This is a fight that is no fun with a rod without lugs lol. He was somewhere around 7-7.5' long Id guess. Huge head and girth. If I had to guess, Id say he was 300lbs + but its my first porbeagle. Thank You,
Luke Martin June 30 2011 WORD IS OUT....TUNA ARE HERE AND THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS SO AREN'T THE DOGFISH, SO PLAN ON SEEING BOTH! YOU SHOULD DO WELL AT THE TRADITIONAL LEDGES AND FINDING BAIT HAS IMPROVED THE PAST WEEK, BUT IT MAY BE SCATTERED AFTER THE MORNING. WE HAVE ALSO HAD SOME IMPREESIVE REPORTS LAST WEEK ON TANTAS LEDGE FOR GROUND FISH, BUT JEFFERIES IS STILL DOING WELL. THE OTI JIGS ARE HELPING FISHERMAN GET SOME GOOD SIZE POLLACK AND COD LAST WEEK ON MATT PERRY'S BOAT. NICK MASI'S MAIDEN VOYAGE PROVED SUCCESSFUL ON BOTH TRIPS..THE BOAT STAYED AFLOAT, AND CAUGHT A FEW BAIT FISH FOR THIS WEEKEND. AS FAR AS TUNA GEAR GOES, CRAIG HAS BEEN CAUGHT UP ON THE REELS AND HAS SEEN ENOUGH SMOKE BLUE TO LAST HIM THE SUMMER. BESIDES THAT, WE SHOULD BE ALL SET FOR THIS WEEKEND. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN GET US SOME UPDATED REPORTS.. FOR STRIPERS.....CHUNK AND LIVE BAIT HAS PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE BEACHES, PINE POINT, AND BIDDEFORD POOL. PAUL BOIS, AND CAL HAVE SAID THE INCOMING TIDE IN THE SACO RIVER IS STARTING TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER. WE ACTUALLY SAW A GREAT DISPLAY OF A WELL DRESSED FISHERMAN DISPLAYING THE OL WALK AND REEL METHOD, WELL HE CAUGHT A 36 INCH STRIPER, RELEASED IT AND CAUGHT ANOTHER TWO MINUTES LATER AT THE BEACH AT CAMP ELLIS . THE MAN WAS SO EXCITED HE WENT INTO THE WATER WITH HIS EXPENSIVE ITALIAN LEATHER SHOES(WADERS) AND RELEASED BOTH!..THAT WAS AN HOUR BEFORE HIGH TIDE . ALL BAIT SEEMS TO BE WORKING WELL. WOOD PLUGS AND BOMBERS ARE THE TICKET IN THE SURF BY KENNEBUNK BEACH ACCORDING TO BEN DAY WHO HAS BEEN WORKING THAT WARE LAST WEEK. KEEP TRYING THE RUBBER BAITS..SLUG GOS AND SHANKA S WITH A JIG HEAD IN THE INLETS AND ON THE BEACH NEAR PARSONS BEACH ..jOHN SHAE TELLS ME AS HE YELLS IT ACROSS THE STORE TO A CUSTOMER I WAS HELPING OUT FRIDAY.. THANKS JOHN. HOPE ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND Peter Mourmouras
Saco Bay Tackle Company June 17 2011 THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT GOOD NEWS ON THE BEACHES, AND RIVERS IN SOUTHERN MAINE. IF YOU ARE ON THE BEACH IN KENNEBUNK, BIDDEFORD, SACO, OR SCARBOROUGH, THERE IS REaLLY NO SECRET. AND HOUR AFTER DEAD LOW EVENING TIDE, AND THAT SHOULD PUT YOU AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR SURFCASTINGCLAMS, MACKEREL, SOME WOOD NEEDLE FISH AND DANNY PLUGS IN THE SURF. tROLLING A SURGICAL TUBE IN THE RIVER SEEMED TO IMPROVE FROM OUTGOING TIDE TO THE INCOMING TIDE IN SACO. Sorry for the weak report...phone keeps ringing!!!!!! and telling people where the stripers are..one other quick note. ..When it comes to the Maine saltwater licence..DON"T WORRY ABOUT IT!!! The state is redoing the application process..if you already paid $5 or $15 dollars, even $50.00 for Charter, you will get that money back. The State took down the online application and is resorting to having you print out an application, or stop in and we can give you one, and send them a dollar... besides that it looks like there are going to be some beautiful days the next few.. variable winds all the way offshore at least till tuesday or weds, so I should get some more details later on...there are a bunch of tuna out there..We just have to find them!!! Butch Boisvert and Mike Bergeron had great luck this morning at Tantas for about an hour. Too bad they had to help out another boat taking on water, and follow him back to Camp Ellis. Quick morning, but they did their good deed and left with four keeper cod five pollackand a few small haddock. Word has it there are a few dogfish out there, but nothing out there this morning.... Tuna have been seen but down deep with the bait. not too many jumping..some talk of dog fish at jefferies, but I am tryiing to stay positive..Father's day looks like its going to be nice with wind coming from the North. I will be out there, so there may be a big sale while I am gone..Stop in on Fathers Day! Thanks again, Peter 06/11/2011 Fishing has stayed consistent unlike our weather. We have seen it in the upper 90's then a flash Thunderstorm.Back down to 60's. Summer was good while it lasted but It has not slowed down the fishing "whether" it is in shore/ off shore/ fresh water...all reports are coming in and not too many disappointed fisherman! We can start off with Stripers in the Rivers, Marsh and Beach. your evening tide seems to be working at Camp Ellis and the incoming tide , still at the Dam. Now that Mackerel have come into the area, We cannot keep the Sabiki rigs in stock..Great News!!! I spoke with the "New" Owner of Ocean Tackle this morning!! Brice told me that we should be seeing our order of sabiki rigs , and the Jumbo vertical jigs and a couple of OTI coming in this week. Hopefully this will get us back on track with OTI. Artificial lures, especially poppers are great in the morning incoming tide at the Marsh and near the inlet at Goosefair Brook in Saco. Lonely Angler Poppers were working great for Teddy By UNE at sunrise. Seaworms have still been working but not many going out the door now that the Mackerel are in the bay..But do not rule out the Blood worms and Sands on the Beach as well as the traditional sandy bottom areas in Kennebunk. I was told by our friends at Yarmouth Boatyard that Stripers are also up in the Royal River hitting on the Whip It eel and white slug-go's. Larry King and his friend brought in a 42 inch Striper. As well as Brian Rocray(Picture attached) with his second 42 in three days. Brian tells me he has been catching a few in that range..Mostly releasing the ones that are not bleeding out. Sorry to Say after a few warnings from land owners, The sweet fishing spot bhind the Mill in Saco is now posted no trespassing ...Too Many empty beer bottles, and trash left... Please try to pick up any crap you may see even if it is not yours.. We have too few prime fishing spots to lose if this keeps up.... The offshore fishing has still been steady with bait leading the way to inshore ledges and at the Northern part of Jefferies. The current slowed down a bit with the change in wind direction from the East and the clear skies until today made it a productive few days.. Quote from the www.bunnyclark.com " The fishing was excellent and the catching was very good overall. Similar to yesterday, most fish caught were sub-legal cod, about two to one subs to legal. Most legal fish landed were Pollock, by far. Legal landings also included half as many cod, two haddock and a mackerel. They released eight dogfish back to the ocean alive. They drift fished and anchored. Jigs and flies caught the most fish. " Bevo Flies are going quick with Red/White and Green being most popular..Butterfly Jigs with a teaser ..no bait was working great last week... Capt Scott Macintyre still loading up on Clams using his cod bombs, catching more haddock than cod..Last week it was the opposite.. 06/06/2011 Congrats to Jeff Derochers caught a 42 inch 25 pound striper early Saturday Morning to win the St Croix Fishing rod. Fishing has been heating up and has been for the past couple of weeks. One quick note to those of you fishing at the Dam and nearby Sandy Bottom. Trash is starting to pile up again.(beer cans, Boxes, etc) If you can carry that stuff down there. It should be easy enough to carry it back. We may lose some of these areas to fish if owners decide that they are tired of seeing trash everywhere. Surfcasters are still enjoying the use of artificial lures..Jointed Bomber 7 inch and wood plugs at the dam in Saco are still a favorite. Rubber shad caught another 40 plus fish at the Dam in Saco. Don't forget Slug-gos or Shankas and Weighted jig head Whip it eels. All of these have proven themselves worth trying. The Marsh in Scarborough and the Sandy bottom was jammed today with fisherman on the outgoing tide. Camp Ellis boat Launch on outgoing tide has a great sandy bottom to rest a seaworm...It makes it easier for the Stripers to find if you lay the seaworm on a sandy bottom rather than rocky seaweed. John Shae spent the day helping me at the shop on Saturday. But before he scared away all my customers, he changed his fishng habits at Parsons beach using clams and a splash of Bio Egde scent...apparently his buddy outfished him the week before doing the same thing. We have been hearing some great stories of people catching their first Striper this week, and news of fisherman waiting a few years for the Stripers to come back the way they did.. Offshore report of surface water temp at Wood Island was 54 degrees and offshore close to 56..Boats filled up the ledges at Tantas and Jefferies. Talk on the radio was light..some commented on the 19 and 20 foot ski boats that made the trip out on the foot or less seas. We fished in depths of 170-350 feet and had a tough time with the current. We managed to land a couple of haddock cod and some big pollock. The numbers were not high, but with three kids on the boat, and the whales everywhere you looked, it was a perfect day to be on the water. Steve Carlton fished his new Torium/ Trevala rod with a rainbow Butterfly Jig and red teaser with no bait. That set up landed him the largest cod of the day at 34 inches.. The rest of us fished with clams and a Lav Jig or cod bomb and did fairly well....Like I said three kids, ripping current, Power pro getting tangled, watching whales...getting tangles... All of that still makes for a perfect day.. 05/26/2011 Its heating up and the Stripers are here for more than just Jim Gaumont to catch. Everyone coming in the store fishing is telling us they are having the best luck they have had in a long time..It is almost like you do not need a report anymore. Crazy stories within a two hour span after high tide guys are catching 10-25 fish ranging in sizes of 15 inches to 39 inches. No 40 incher has been reported for a new St. Croix Rod. If you are in the Biddeford Saco area, the alwives have been in thick since the river slowed down and have been spotted near the Dam in Saco. More than one customer has been in telling us the outgoing tide at Sandy Bottom, and at the launch at Marblehead. Two Most popular lures have been the Sebile Magic Swimmer, and the Crystal Minnow. Blood worms and Sand worms with a 2-3 oz sinker on a fishfinder or just letting the worm flow in the outgoing current has been productive in the Scarborough Marsh. Storm Shad and Calcutta shad are the rubber baits to use at the Dam in Saco. the swift current and rocky bottom makes it hard to soak anything at the bottom. Quick note on the Shad....Running at the Dam in Saco as well. Shad spoons and darts have helped Dan Dallaire land his daily limit...Clousers and Bucktail, white Chartruse can be a great color in the Mousam in certain secret spots.... Reports of Mackerel are offshore. Our Friend Capt. Dave Johnson arrived yesterday from the Cape bringing up his new boat. Along the way, he managed to stop at Old Scantum, and Southern Jefferies where he landed many cod but kepted four keepers on a 9 0z jig. very little current and light winds made it easy to drop light jigs. A few haddock were hitting on the Bevo Teasers and a rubber shrimp teaser. Dave did not have a chance to try his new OOZIE Jigs, but hopefully Sunday he will give us another report. 05/14/2011 Hey Peter,
We went out on May 12th and each of us caught well over 50 fish each. We kept a few for the table and released many many more alive to be caught another day. We saw schools of porpoise and whale. The fish we caught were loaded with herring! The largest fish we caught was around 16#. So there you have it, the fish are there and all you have to do is go find them. Capt. Ron Littlefield www.maineoceanadventures.com
05/11/2011 Well There are a few reports of bait and Birds chasing bait In Scarborough near Seavey's Landing. The Best news is that Mike Giroux landed a Striper in The Saco River while fishing for shad. He was using a 1/4 Gags Shad Dart an 6lb test! Great news for all of us and for those of you calling asking if the Stripers are in yet...Well Nate Murray also came in today and has been catching and releasing all of his schoolies on the outgoing tide in the Saco..Crystal Minnow and a small kast Master. There you Go! Get out there. Use the traditional baits. Sea worms on the Sandy Bottom, Clams in front of Ferry Beach and a few rubber shad and Crystal Minnow in the Marsh and a little warmer weather Mother Nature Almost a guarantee!! Fishermen have been waiting patiently for the water to warm up. We are seeing bait fish in the water with the comerandes working the mouth of the Saco and in Pine Point. In the mean time Sebago Lake has been active with a few fishermen fishing the shore by the locks and a few boats trolling a D B smelt or a Gold / Orange Moosalick Wobbler. A sewn on bait rig is the winner at Lake Auburn. Everything is still on the surface 3-6 feet. Largemouth and small mouth bass have been doing great in your local ponds and lakes. Shane Minnutti has been tight lipped on his secret spots but he has been leaving the store with the Terminator jigs. Black and Blue but don’t tell anyone…senkos and a and the Rapala f-11 or f-13 Perch is a great early season lure for small mouth in the upper parts of the rivers and at Kennebunk Pond. As far as Striped Bass, the water temp has been fluxuating from 44-50 degrees the past couple of weeks and as of now, my nephew Chris Lynch and a few friends are catching a few schoolies in the Cape Cod Canal. The phone should start ringing with a few reports of Stripers getting caught near Ferry Beach Saco, Kennebunk Beach, and by the Dam in the Saco River. It will not hurt to get out to the shore line of your favorite spot and cast a few Jigs, Kastmasters, or a Crystal Minnow to practice your skills and retrieval techniques. Cod and Haddock have been spotty on some reports. Our new friend Chris Bebe went out with a few guys out of Boston Harbor and reported a lot of baitfish, whales and dolphin on the Southern Part of Stelwagon. Quite a few Pollock and Haddock with a few keepers of Cod. Captain Scott McIntyre went out last week on to Jefferies Ledge and also had a great return on some market size cod using clams and his favorite Cod Bombs from Seawolfe. Scott also landed some Pollock on the Cod teaser rigged above his jig. I am hoping for a few pics and other reports so I can send them along to you. Turkey season started out with youth day opening up last Saturday and since then we have been tagging at least ten to fifteen birds a day. Vicky Edgerly came in with her 23 lb Tom , While Everett Parkers is still in the woods.. Hope to see you in the shop soon.. Go to the link below, you will see a membership form and address to send it to. Send that along with the check. I will give Steve Getto (BOD member in charge of membership money) a heads up, as well.
Peter and Craig, I wanted to let you guys know how important it is that we all join the American Bluefin Tuna Ass. With out the consolidated efforts that are put forward by guys like Rich, Steve, Chris and all the other members of ABTA. WE will not be fishing for Bluefin in the near future. I plan to join this week! Here is my challenge to you. Please send this E-mail to all your customers. If we can get 25 new fisherman to join, I will make a $500 dollar donation to ABTA.
What do you think?
Everyone that is fishing for these beautiful fish, whether for profit or for fun needs to join!!!!!
Thanks Kurt
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Kurt Christensen Custom Homes, Inc.
292 Northwest River Road
Sebago, ME 04029
207-787-3167
207-787-3713 FAX
207-329-5671 CELL
04/27/2011 Well, Here goes a small attempt at a fishing report for the end of April in the area…since the Successful Saco Bay Seminar, we have had a few fisherman give us some info…Four Customers from Philly headed out to Jefferies for some cod and haddock and tried the new oozie jigs with a bit of bio edge oil and landed a few good size cod in 220 feet of water….. As far as striped bass and shad coming into the Mousam, or Saco River…keep and eye out for birds working the river as they have been the past week and water temp. The weather has not been appealing with the cold raw rain, but it still has been an even spring Thaw in southern Maine. A few calls to some Cape Cod Tackle Shops (The Hook up) are saying that Stripers have been spotted off Martha’s Vineyard. Early signs have shown we should see bait fish come in soon, or the usual signs of apple and lilac blooming telling us the mackerel and stripers are in our waters!! Try using artificial baits in the marsh and up by the dam. (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, or rubber shad. For Shad a small ultra lite rod and 3/8-1/4 oz shad dart and shad spoon will work well going after shad at the Saco Dam in May and June. Don’t forget if you get a Maine freshwater license, you can check off that you are fishing salt water for your salt water license. Details on DMR’s Website www.maine.gov/saltwater or call 207 633-9505..so far regulations are pretty much the same 20-26 on stripers, Bluefish, no minimum size, 3 fish per day . No bait with treble hook for blue fish. Atlantic Cod 24” 10 fish per day, Haddock min size 18” no bag limits. Anglers are still prohibited from landing wolffish. Smelting has been picking up and dip nets have been flowing out of the shop. A 2 quart limit regardless of method of take. Winter Flounder min size 12” 8 per day (if you can find them) cannot retain October 1 to June 30th. As far as fresh water in the area for bass, small ponds like Swan, and Tricky pond, Ossipee Lake have had some great signs of bass hitting on Stanley and Tormentor jigs.. Black/ Blue. We have a bunch of (original) Silver Buddies in stock. Local streams, Cascade, Deep Brook, Nonesuch have reported all great fishing. Small mouth season and a ¼ oz silver buddy has been a good ol reliable stand by. Jeff Lang from Rumford fished Lake Auburn, and trolled slow with a jointed and straight f-11 perch Rapala . trolling a sewn on smelt by the locks in Sebago. Not too much more to report..Fishing for a cure in Sabattus Lake last weekend had a 20 lb pike turned in winning the grand prize...Todd Boothby's Camp Sunshine Derby at Horne Pond Has a bunch of entries and should be hopping. Our 24 hour bait tank is still working ...Call the store to see how to do it, or email us. Crystal Lake Derby on the 29th is the second annual with quite a bit of action and prizes: http://www.crystallakederby.com/ Last weeks rigging class was a great success with new faces and old friends sharing plenty of stories...Stay tuned for Craig's next class. Hopefully in two more weeks... Saco Bay Tackle January report Well not too much to report this month other than we have been cleaning up after the storm, our 24 hour bait tank is filled for the upcoming Ice fishing Events.... Fish for a cure is Jan 15 The Sabattus Pike Derby First Place $3,000 but it fills up fast! The 7th Annual Horne Pond To Benefit Camp Sunshine January 22nd. more info www.iceforkids.com. Local ponds have been pretty busy, Kennebunk pond slowed down, but other places like Wilson lake, Square Pond, pond near Mousam, and Great East have been You can also check our link for smelt camps. Coming from Augusta and crossing the bridge in Gardiner I saw a few camps with a bit of action happening around them.. No fish, just a lot of other activities! Shane just returned from Riverbend and dropped off a few smelt for me to get me through the day. John Doran had some success at James Eddy before the storm. So I guess you should make the ride to get your fill! After the Storm, a few Razor clams and Hen Clams washed up onto Old Orchard. Just enough for Craig to make his famous clam chowder for the Rigging Classs Monday the 17th... We still have a couple of spots open. If you cannot make this one, keep an eye out for future reports for more classes coming up... SACO BAY TACKLE FISHING REPORT AND OTHER NEWS 12/28/2010 WELL, I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND HAS DUG OUT OF THE STORM. WE STILL HAVE THE HONOR TANK OPEN AND HAS BEEN GOING WELL SO FAR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. INSIDE THE STORE HAS BEEN QUIET WITH A FEW OF OUR CUSTOMERS HEADING SOUTH FOR THE WINTER OR A QUICK VACATION. CAPT BEN GARDINER HAS BEEN RUNNING A BOAT FOR MAIN ATTRACTION CHARTERS AND HAS BEEN SENDING ME SOME GREAT PICS..MAKING ME SICK AS I AM PLOWING ALL AFTERNOON, BUT HAPPY FOR HIM KNOWING HE HAS A SPOT OPEN ALL WINTER FOR ME!!! HEN CLAMS ARE SHOWING UP ON THE BEACH IN OLD ORCHARD. YOU ONLY NEED A FEW OF THEM FOR A FRESH CHOWDER. A FEW PEOPLE WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR SALE AND UPGRADING THEIR OLDER 180 CLASS RODS AND GETTING OUR CUSTOM LONG 80 CLASS CHATHAM SPECIAL THIS MONTH....KIND OF A DIFFERENT SALE OTHER THAN EXTRA BLADES FOR YOUR JIFFY AUGER (WHICH WE STILL HAVE)..SPEAKING OF JIFFY, AND OTHER ICE FISHING NEWS, WE HAVE BEEN STOCK WITH GEAR AND STORIES OF A FEW PONDS AND LAKES WITH ENOUGH ICE TO START THE SEASON BEFORE ALL THE SNOW CAME..STEVE CARLTON SPENT THE WEEKEND AT HIS FAMILY'S AT DAMARISCOTTA LAKE BUT IT WAS HALF OPEN. OTTER POND HAD SOME GREAT ACTION LAST WEEKEND, AS WELL AS KENNEBUNK POND HAVING EARLY ACTION WITH BASS AND BROOKIES CAUGHT AND RELEASED . THE GIT-ZIT 1/4 OZ JIG HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE CRAPPIE IF YOU HAVE YOUR SPOT PICKED OUT YET(LAKE ARROWHEAD)...TRY ROUND POND FOR THE KIDS 16 AND UNDER. A GOOD TIME TO TRY ICE FISHING IS FREE FISHING DAYS. THIS YEAR FREE FRESH WATER FISHING IN MAINE IS FEB. 19 AND 20 AND IN THE SUMMER IT IS JUNE 4TH AND 5TH TO ALL RESIDENTS AND NON RESIDENTS. AS FAR AS SMELTING IT IS DAY TO DAY WITH CAMPS. JAMES EDDY AND RIVERBEND DO NOT HAVE CAMPS OUT YET. JUST SHORE ICE RIGHT NOW. RATES AT JAMES EDDY THIS YEAR IS $14.00 PER PERSON AND $4 FOR BAIT. CRAIG IS STILL WORKING ON REELS A FEW TIMES A WEEK AND WILL BE SENDING OUT A RIGGING CLASS SOME TIME IN JAN. OUR WINTER HOURS WILL BE LIMITED TO THURS-SATURDAY 10-6 AND YOU CAN ALSO CALL OR EMAIL IF YOU WANT TO MEET US IN THE OFF HOURS. SACOBAYTACKLE@MAINE.RR.COM HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR AND FEEL FREE TO CALL OR EMAIL US WITH A REPORT. THANKS AGAIN PETER Saco Bay Tackle Fishing Report November 13th. It's that time of year again...Out comes the ice fishing gear.Traps,augers,sleds,chippers,and so fourth.Won't be long before the tank out front is stocked full of shiners and suckers,we should have bait by the second week of December as long as the weather cooperates..As I'm typing this fishing report it's almost 50 degree's out,the boy's will be hunting in tee shirts this afternoon I bet.Pete and his fishing crew pulled the docks on the river last Thursday,another season gone by..But what a great one in was,I haven't seen such consistently nice weather in a long time. I have had a few reports of fisherman catching some sea run browns down in the Mousam river,most are using fly rods but we have talked to some light spin fisherman...Try using small scud,shrimp,or simram flys,or if you choose to use the spinning rod try small Panther Martin spinners,Mepp's spinners,or small Yozuri Pin's minnow lures.Wont be long before the smelt villages further North get their shacks out on the rivers,feel free to call us anytime or visit our website for the complete list of smelt camp phone numbers. Tight Lines Craig Saco Bay Tackle Fall Classes Bluefin Tuna Prep Class Monday November 22nd. 5-7pm. $50.00 Keep the rigs you build. Come join us Monday as we prep our rods and reels for winter storage,we will go over roller and guide maintenance on rods.Removing mono top shots,splicing dacron/superbraids. We will also go over leader Assembly,proper hook sharpening,and getting ready for next seasons opening day. Many of you don't have much to do during the cold winter months,this class will teach you many different projects to make winter pass by a bit quicker. Call or email us if you would like to sign up or have any more questions. November 6th 2010 Can't believe it's time to take out the ice fishing gear already,seems like I just boxed this stuff up to make room for the Spring trolling lures....Wow how time flies by. I have had a few reports from angler's fishing the Mousam river for sea runs the past couple of weeks,most are catching fish 13" to 20".Fly fisherman are having great luck using small shrimp and scud patterns,but the secret fly is the simram.Local anglers are also catching some mackerel in Portland off the public pier near the ferry terminal,your best bet for catching these guys is small gold hooks tipped with sea worms.Suspend the bait using a small bobber attached to your fishing line. Keith and Randy to the boat out last week to do a photo shoot,the weather was nice but a bit on the cool side.Sharpen your chisels and spool your traps.....Ice is a coming soon. Tight lines Craig Today is probably the last hurah for a few Tuna Boats. It is calm as glass out there this morning with a few jumpers and a report of a pulled hook early this morning. Other than that, the fishing action has definitely slowed down here in Southern Maine the past couple of weeks,and it's no help that the seas and blustery winds pitched in take make it harder for us to venture out.I have not had any reports on striped bass the past 6 days,I would imagine we still have a few bass around but no angler's to catch them.I have had many reports the past few days of mackerel still out in Saco Bay,Pete and Steve Martin headed out a few days ago and managed to catch plenty of large macs with a few tinker's mixed in.They tried drifting a few of the larger ones on fluro carbon leaders for bluefin tuna....No luck.Capt. Jim Bollinger of Rippin Lips charters did manage to land a beauty over 73 inches not far from Pete's secret spot. Sea run browns trout angler's have fished the Mousam river below Roger's pond and had success,try using a small light action spinning rod with spinner's or small Yozuri Pin's Minnow to catch these feisty fighters.Fly angler's are using shrimp,scud and simram flies to catch these beautiful trout.No word yet on the smelt fishing in Portland,I would have to say anytime now...Usually by the end of October they are catching some quite regularly off the Portland public pier.Use small sabiki rigs tipped with sea or blood worms for best results. Tight lines Craig Saco Bay Tackle Fall Classes Ground Fishing Techniques Monday November 1st. 5-7pm. $50.00 Keep The Rigs You Make Come join us and learn some simple but effective techniques on catching cod and haddock The advantages of using micro braids and flurocarbon. Making your own dropper loop teaser and bait rigs. Deadly hand tied cod flies and amazing worm teasers. Lead cod jigs or Vertical jigs. Always Free Cold Beverages and Fresh Food Saco Bay Tackle Report Oct. 16th I was busy last week finishing up on some flurocarbon leaders for Keith Hall...he and a group of locals were all heading South to fish on a head boat for a few days.Yellow fin and mahi mahi were the targeted species,and they did very well.The boated many yellow fin up to 100lbs. and plenty of delicious mahi.John Bergeron of Scarborough stopped by the store last Friday so I could steak up 4 large quarters of yellow fin fresh from the trip.The fresh yellow fin is great on the grill or rolled up in a sushi roll.Our good friend Paul Provencher also stopped by and dropped off a couple bags of tuna steaks...Well the fishing is much better down South than here,nasty weather and driving rain last week made it hard to get out and even try.The inshore report has been very quiet with few guys venturing out,George Andrews was out Thursday and loaded up on mackerel in Saco Bay.He fished just beyond the fixed gear about 3 miles offshore for bluefin tuna,drifting live mac's on flurocarbon leaders for a few hours till it got too rough......No hits or hook ups for George but Garron Mailman of Saco boated a beauty just over 400lbs.We do have on fishery that is starting to heat up,sea run brown trout.The Mousam river in Kennebunk has had plenty of angler's trying their luck.Sandy and Frank from Bevo's Flies have been busy tying some secret weapon flies to catch the wary sea runs,the Simram fly is the hot ticket right now.Originally tied to catch bonefish this fly is a killer on sea runs....I do have some in stock as we speak,and Sandy is standing by in case we run low.I have also been getting a few calls about the smelt fishing in Portland of the public pier,no word yet but we should see some anytime now.If you happen to catch a few please let me know and I can add it to next weeks report...Hunting seems to be the talk now,Tucker Cole and his dad stopped by this morning and tagged a beautiful 20lb. tom turkey.They had been out scouting for deer and came across a flock of turkeys feeding.Shane and Nate,our 2 summer bait boys have been busy chasing ducks here in Southern Maine,they dropped of a bag of blue winged teal feathers for Sandy and Frank to use for fly tying.I have also been tagging a few deer during the expanded and regular archery season. Tight Lines Craig Hi Craig I have been receiving your newsletter for quite a while, I enjoy the offshore reports...Thought I'd join in and report that today at dawn I went to Jeffreys on my 28' Ellis. It was sloppy from the Northeast but we stayed till mid afternoon. We ( four of us) caught 25 nice haddock, about a dozen keeper Cod and a bunch of pollock, some around 30 inches. There were fish from 220 ft all the way to the top at about 170 ft....it was a great day of fishing especially considering that it was blowing with an easterly component! We fish two hook rigs with 16 oz lead and always use shrimp because we love Haddock. Hope this is the kind of report you like to hear.... We fish out of the Kennebunk River on the " Pamela Jean" Captain Bob Mason Craig.....myself, Aaron Staam and another guy shot out to Jeffrey's ledge monday. We got down there in 2-4 foot seas, at about 7:30 am. The wind and seas built VERY quickly just as we were getting near the northern part of the ledge (winds were coming out of the west), and as we moved up on the ledge, we were suddenly sitting in 6-8 foot breaking seas in Aaron's 25 foot Grady. We never even dropped a line, and had to turn the bow into the west wind and head for shore to avoid taking a wave over the side....it was really scary how quickly it changed. We traveled west to within 5 or 6 miles of shore, then turned north and headed back up toward the saco river. The entire return trip took around 2.5 hours because the seas were so bad.
Amazingly, when we got back up to the saco river, the winds and sea started to set down again. By noon, it was actually calm! So we decided to shoot out to Tantas ledge. We fished both the north and south ledges, with both bait and jigs. Fishing was very poor, although there were some considerable sized schools of small pollock out there (8-15 inches) that would be good tuna bait. We also had some porbeagle pup activity around our boat, and were bitten off by these guys a couple times.
We couldn't land a single legal fish in 3 hours, although several very small cod were caught. Not sure if the draggers had been working these ledges or not, but it sure looked like it....can't think of another reason why there there seemed to be NO legal sized fish of any kind on either of the ledges.
Obviously cannot say how jeffries might have been, since we were never able to put down a single line before we had to turn and run west for our friggin lives...just another reminder as to how quickly things can change out there.
dave johnson
October 9th This past weeks weather has been terrible for inshore and offshore anglers.Wind,rain,and rough seas have battered the New England coast making it near impossible to do any type of fishing.I had a few reports from surf anglers saying the beach was covered with all kinds of debris,every time you reel your line back in you had a ball of seaweed said Ben Day.But as I was working on this fishing report I did get a couple of emails from locals saying the seas had calmed quite a bit overnight and the beaches were not bad as dirty...GOOD.The stripers are still here feeding on mackerel in Saco Bay,also had some anglers reporting bigger stripers in the Saco River.Striper nut Dan Donovan from Saco said he watched stripers feeding on small transparent shrimp from his dock.This would be the perfect time to get the flyrod out and try some small shrimp or silverside patterns.Good friend and charter boat captain Keith Hall had a charter booked for this morning and was gonna give me the skinny on the bass later on this afternoon. Like I said earlier this is still mackerel here in Saco Bay,try fishing around Wood or Monument island using small Sabiki rigs.Don't forget the chum,it keeps them around the boat. I really don't have any news on the offshore fishing due to bad weather and rough seas,I have had many tuna angler's in the store the past couple of days gearing up for this weekend.It looks like Friday or Saturday will be fish-able with seas around 2/4 ft. with plenty of fish in the Saco Bay area.Some of the larger boats have been heading South down to Ipswich and others are fishing Georges Bank were there has been large schools of bigger fish to be caught.Keith and I are going to take the month of October and November off from our Monday night classes,we will start up again in December.If you have any subjects or ideas you would like us to cover please call or email me.(207)284-4453 sacobaytackle@maine.rr.com Tight Lines Craig Saco Bay Tackle Weekly Fishing Report October 2nd. There is still plenty of fishing to do here in Southern Maine but the weather has been challenging.Heavy rains and rough seas have kept anglers at bay,but we do see clear skies and calmer waters in the next few days.Surf nut Ben Day called me Friday from Old Orchard beach and said he caught plenty of stripers in the surf using Kastmaster metal lures,all the fish were 18" to 23".He also reported plenty of small spiked mackerel out front of Camp Ellis,and a large school of busting bluefish just out of reach at the mouth of the Saco River...Don't give up now because this is one of the best times to fish these areas.You have the beach and jetties to your self,most fisherman have traded in the rods for shotguns and bows.This week we have many things going on..Bird season opened October 1st. along with regular archery and Fall turkey.Too many sports and not enough time. The offshore action should pick up again this weekend as the seas calm,we still have plenty of tuna fish here in Saco Bay feeding on spiked mackerel and herring.Boats should be able to fish either Saturday or Sunday with only ground swells to deal with.Captain Peter Morse and Jeff Douglas both had promising reports of bluefin action here in Southern Maine...Plenty of medium and giant tuna busting on bait they said. On a side note:This year has been great for gardening,when im not crimping leaders or servicing 130 Internationals I'm in the garden.The past month Jess and I have been busy canning and pickling and making jams.This Fall we made a variety of things to enjoy this Winter and next Spring. There is nothing better than making a pasta dinner on a cold January Sunday using our tomatoes we put up in the fall,or making a huge pot of chowder using the fish that we caught on Jeffrey's ledge.. Saco Bay Tackle Weekly Fishing Report September 25th. Don't put the poles away just yet,we still have plenty of time and good weather to fish a while longer.Captain Cal fished with his wife Amy last week a caught over a dozen fat stripers in the Saco river using a surgical tube tipped with sandworm,he said there was still plenty of fish in the river and out in the bay.Our good friend and avid surf fisherman Ben Day caught a handful of slot sized fish on Old Orchard beach with some silver Kastmasters,he also got into some small snapper blues busting on baitfish close to shore. Keith Hall of Scarborough fished with a client a few days ago and filled a few buckets with spiked,medium,and horse mackerel....all in the same school.He used flats of Tournament Master ground chum and small Sabiki rigs,chum makes all the difference in keeping the bait near the boat. The ground fishing is starting to get better,I had a few customers that fished on Tanta's ledge last week and caught their limit om market sized cod using 16/20oz. lead cod jigs.The rigged em with a teaser bucktail fly ahead of the jig and tipped them with a bit of clam.Jeffery's ledge was also productive with many market sized cod taken on cod jigs and double hook bait rigs. Our good friend Scott Smith ventured offshore last week in search of sharks,he started on the backside of Tanta's ledge in the deeper water and did not do very well.The water temp has dropped quite a bit and I think the sharks have gone further offshore,He ended up on Platt's the end of the day and did very well with the blue sharks.I still have plenty of buckets of chum in the back freezer........We are offering a 2 for 1 sale now till the end of October...Come on in a take advantage of this great deal.. Bluefin tuna action is still very good right now,and you don't have to go very far to find them.Most anglers are using fluroCarbon leaders rigged with Spro heavy duty swivels and Gamakatsu or Owner hooks.Make sure to have some smaller sized live bait hooks to rig some of the small spiked mackerel you catch.Using your standard sized hook either makes your bait look suspicious or kills them. **Tuna Alert Tuna Alert Tuna Alert Tuna Alert** Bluefin Tuna Rigging Class Monday October 4th. 5-7pm. $50.00 KEEP THE RIGS YOU MAKE Call or email us now to sign up Come join us Monday and learn how to make your own leaders,proper crimping techniques,rod and reel setup,and much more...Keith and I will answer all your questions and help you be better prepared and ready the next time you head out in search of bluefin. We will also be sampling some bluefin tuna bacon fresh off the smoker Always plenty of cold beverages and fresh food Tight Lines Craig Saco Bay Tackle Weekly Fishing Report September 17th. The shop was steady this week with plenty of hardcore surf and jetty fishermen buying clams and live eel's....Yes live eel's are the hot bait right now if you want to catch big stripers fishing in the surf...Don't forget the Gamakatsu 5/0 livebait hooks and 30lb. fluro to make leaders.The bass are still in the Saco river,troll a wine red surgical tube tipped with a sandworm.As long as the weather is good you should be able to catch stripers till the end of October. The offshore report is quiet,fishing is still good but between bad weather,wind,and other late summer activities I have a hard time letting you guys and girls know what's going on out there. Ground fishing has been quiet the past couple of weeks if your fishing inside,or at Tanta's ledge.Many legal cod and haddock have been taken off of Jeffrey's ledge but no steakers or whale cod reported.Fishing should pick up though as the water cools and the fish get more active. Hit or miss with the bluefin tuna,still some bait holding em close to shore here in Southern Maine,live lining a mackerel or stitching a dead but look alive herring seems to be doing the trick when the fish are present.We still have the month of October to fish so hang in there,this is a great time to be out Tight Lines Craig Captain Greg Metcalf will be starting a new class on October 5th at The Portland Arts and Technical High School, 196 Allen Avenue in Portland, Maine for those interested in obtaining their United States Coast Captain's License.
The Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels or OUPV class is 56 hours of class room instruction. The course is divided into 4 sections; Navigation General, Chart Plotting, Rules of the Road and Deck General. You will take a quiz at the conclusion of each section and a final exam at the conclusion of the fourth section that will include the entire course. You must achieve a 70% on the Nav General and Deck General sections and 90% on Chart Plotting and Rules of the Road.
We normally meet one night per week between 6:00 and 9:00 PM.
The Masters Upgrade is an additional 24 hours of instruction, which includes Towing Assistance and Sailing Endorsements.
Cost is $789 for OUPV and $989 for Masters. All materials and testing is included in the cost. Testing will be done in the class room at PATHS. You will not have to take any tests with Coast Guard.
For more information contact: Capt. Greg Metcalf, (401) 617-9265 or email: greg@captaingregmetcalf.com
Saco Bay Tackle Weekly Fishing Report Sept.12th. Wow what a difference a week makes,I can finally pull out onto rt. 1 without waiting a half an hour...Last week the store was jam packed with fishermen flocking to local beaches,and rivers trying to get as much fishing as possible before heading back home..The weather was beautiful and temps were hot. Ron Mckee stopped in this morning before heading down to the Vinyard. This weekend Tri State Striper Fest Had a few fisherman up this way with team Stripers Unlimited winning, MASS BASS second, and Plum Island Surf Fest third. Ron said he spotted a few stripers under the pier at Pine point feeding...Many of them to be 25-30 pounders!! Ocean park had some life at day break with birds working the water and using some surface poppers and a silver side fly early morning. The fishing was pretty good! Denise Lebel sent in a picture of her Happy Camper:  Fishing worms on the bottom every afternoon! Surf fishing this past week has been descent with slot sized and bigger bass taking eels,cut bait,and clams fished on the bottom,we have also had some bluefish invading the local beaches.Make sure to bring some steel leaders,some of these fish were close to 15lbs. We still have some small mackerel hanging in the bay and around wood island,use small Sabiki rigs and quarts of chum to keep em close to the boat. The ground fishing is starting to pick up on Jeffrey's and will only get better as the waters cool this Fall.. The offshore report is still promising! Mike Lorelo is hauling in a 78 incher as we speak into Camp Ellis. Plenty of blue sharks swimming fairly close to shore...The backside of Tanta's ledge has had some large blues and many porbeagle sharks. Shane was on the Laura Maraih with Craig Macallum and landed an 8 foot Mako weighing 320lbs!! Bluefin tuna have spread out the past couple of weeks,were not seeing big bunches of fish like we did the past couple of months.I think the bluefish pushed the bait further North and the bluefin followed... Tight lines Craig Saco Bay Tackle Rigging Classes Intro And Intermediate Bluefin Tuna Techniques Monday Sept.13th. 5-7pm $50.00 Come and join us Monday as we demonstrate proper leader set-up,crimping,drag adjustment,sinker and balloon placement. We will also show you what a complete rigging kit consist of,and how to use all the tools needed when fishing for bluefin tuna. Please call or email us if you would like to sign up or have any questions Ice Cold Beverages and Fresh Food Saco Bay Tackle Weekly Fishing Report September 4th. I can't believe we are already in the month of September,wow the summer just flew by this year.This has to be though one of the best in a long time,we had very little rain and plenty of beautiful days.This past week we were all wondering what weather Earl was going to bring us here in Northern New England.....Not much,I woke up early Saturday morning to see it raining cats and dogs around 2:00am...The wind was not as bad as they said it would be,by 6:00am the rain had stopped and the skies were starting to clear,looks like the rest of our holiday weekend weather will be great. The inshore fishing is starting to pick up again,we have had promising reports from surf fishermen the past few days.the stripers are in the rivers now feeding on small silver sides,and the bluefish are pounding the small spiked mackerel along the beaches.Keith Hall from Maine Coast Guide Services hammered the blues this past week with excited clients,our good friend John Hall fished off of Scarborough beach yesterday and landed a couple of blues and a striper with his fly rod.Captain Cal Robinson is still having great success catching slot sized stripers along Biddeford Pool and the Saco river,his wife Amy caught a beauty the other day measuring 42 1/2. The mackerel fishing is not as easy though due to the monster blues that are swimming in Saco Bay...try around the red can off of Wood Island,this spot seams to hold the macs when you can't find the elsewhere.Make sure to bring a small quart or flat of chum,this works so much better and will hold the fish when you do find them. The offshore report has been quiet this week with the wind and heavy seas from hurricanes...The tuna fish have moved around a bit this past week.I have had good reports from Scantum Basin,Seguin,Monhegan Island,and places further North.If you find herring the tuna fish should not be far away.We should have descent weather Mon or Tues for the tuna fleet to head back out.Remember we still have plenty of time,and Sept./October is usually red hot for offshore fishing... Tight Lines Craig Hey Guys,
Thought you'd appreciate this- Caught a 77" tuna last Friday off Boon Island. Dressed at 220 and ultimately paid $13 a pound for market weight of 188lbs.
Live Mack at sixty feet in about a hundred feet of water. Ninety minute fight, just my uncle and I on the boat, memory of a lifetime.
Using a 130 you guys serviced this year and leader made at one of your classes couple months ago, who would of thought? !!!!!
Thanks for all the great advice and hopefully I'll have more good news to report before the season is over.
Fish On!
Jeff Sansone
Eliot, ME
Saco Bay Tackle Weekly Fishing Report August 28th. I can't believe it is the end of August already! Summer has flown by so quickly.Some of the tree's are already showing signs of change,the kids will be heading to school soon.But the next 2 months coming I think are the best for fishing,and the beaches and rivers are much less crowded... The bass fishing is starting to heat up again as the waters cool a bit...I talked to Cal Robinson a few days ago and he said the fishing was excellent in Saco bay,he's catching some fat slot fish using chunks of herring rigged on a small circle hook.The beaches have been producing some bigger fish with angler's using live eel's.The bigger the better said a few guys on eel sizes,use short shank hooks to keep the eel from balling up on your line.We have had some bluefish blitzs off of Old Orchard beach,Pine Point,and Biddeford Pool...Make sure to have plenty of steel leaders and a good pair of pliers to remove the hooks from the fishs mouth. Mackerel fishing has been tough due to the presence of blues,you can try in front of Wood Island or Stratton,and Bluff .Most of the mac's we are catching now are tiny spikes. The shark fishing is red hot now with many anglers catching dozens of fish per outing.Scott Smith came by the shop last week and said he caught soo many blue sharks that he ran out of hooks and leaders....It was like the old days Smith said,the rods were bent all day and all the guys aboard were exhausted.The DownEast shark tournament was this past week and plenty of sharks were caught,my father,butch,and Jack Savasta took first place with a 393lb. 9'7" blue shark.Chris Cantara aboard Mad Dog landed a 6ft. mako,and many other boats landed multiple blue shark. Tuna fishing is still excellent right now with plenty of fish down on Stellwagen Bank all the way up to Prince Edward Island.Most angler's are having the best luck using live or stitched bait....A few northern angler's are catching tuna using squid rigs,Green Machines,and Sluggo bars.As long as the bait stays and we don't have some wicked hurricanes we are looking at a great Fall season here in Northern New England.
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