Spring 2019 April Report

Saco Bay Tackle Fishing Report 04/15/2019

Lakes and ponds are quickly opening up as eager anglers make their way out for the first outings of the year. Success can be had for all species of trout and salmon trolling with flies or DB Smelts and Mooselook Wobblers around points, humps and channels. Northern pike are also very active this time of year as they are spawning in shallow weedbeds. Topwaters, large spinnerbaits, swimbaits and soft plastics can all be used to catch these. Right now is an excellent time to target largemouth and smallmouth bass as they are in the pre-spawn and are fat with eggs. Bass can be found around points and structure outside of shallow, protected spawning areas and the places holding the warmest water on the lake. Immediately following the ice out, when the water is in the 40s, fish in 15-25 ft of water and as the water warms in to the 50s, move up shallower to 3-10 ft still fishing cover and structure near where the bass spawn. For the ice out phase, fish slow using silver buddys, jerkbaits, jigs and ned rigs near the bottom. Once the fish are shallower, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and squarebill crankbaits will all produce. Once you find fish this time of year there will often be a school so don’t be afraid to stay in that area all day.

            While the saltwater fishing is not here in Maine quite yet, some dedicated anglers fish for holdover stripers in the surf and mouth of the rivers using cut bait on the bottom. The striper migration usually arrives to the Saco river and the surrounding area around Mother’s Day, following the shad that arrive a couple weeks before.