Resources

This will be a growing list of lures that are new (for me) for 2024 or ones that are proving to be my “go to” baits.  Here we go….

• Rapala Husky Jerk Bait – Suspending
• Gambler Ninja Spin Spinnerbait

This will be a growing list as I get inspiration (in no particular order):

• Lake Pennesseewassee Park (Norway Lake)
• Gardiner Landing – Kennebec River
• Threemile Pond – Augusta
• Androscoggin River – Turner
• Sebago Lake
• Skelton Dam – Saco River
• Umbagog Lake – Errol NH
• Cobbossocontee Lake – Winthrop
• Crystal Lake – Harrison
• Wilson Pond – Wilton – Smallmouth
• Thompson Lake
• Lake St. George – Liberty
• Moose Pond – Denmark
• Long Lake – Harrison
• Kezar Lake – Lovell
• Highland Lake – Bridgton
• Hancock Pond – Denmark
• Upper Range Pond – Poland
• China Lake – East or West Basin
• Annabessacook – Winthrop
• Androscoggin Lake – Wayne
• Maranacook Lake North Boat Launch
• Maranacook Lake South Boat Launch
• Trickey Pond – Naples
• Little Sebago – Windham
• Great Pond – Belgrade
• Long Pond – Belgrade
• Messalonskee Lake – Sidney
• Lake Auburn – Auburn
• Lower Narrows – Winthrop
• Torsey Pond – Readfield
• Parker Pond – Vienna
• Pleasant Pond – Litchfield
• Woodbury Pond – Litchfield
• Salmon / McGrath Pond – Belgrade
• Echo Lake – Mt. Vernon
• Damariscotta Lake – Jefferson
• Webber Pond – Vassalboro

The only thing worth targeting here near home is striped bass.  We also fish for mackerel to be used as live bait.  Frozen clams work okay also.  When the “macs” die, we chunk them up as cut bait. 

I have some cool rods we use for jigging mackerel called Sabiki Sticks.  They are specialized for fishing Sabiki rigs (hence the name) and are cool because they can suck in the Sabiki rig inside the fishing pole so the numerous hooks don’t get all tangled when it is time to reel ’em up.  I also have some surgical tube lures that I put a live sandworm on the end of so it attracts the stripers when we are trolling.  Other than that I have ton of hooks, plugs, jigs, and every other contraption.

Because it is so close to home (minutes really), we typically fish out of Pine Point in Scarborough.  They have a good launch there with parking, ramps, bathrooms, etc. so it is convenient.  Ever year I get a launch permit from the town so I don’t have to pay by the drink to launch.  Another place that I hit a few times a year is the Marblehead launch in Biddeford on the Saco River.  This is another great launch and the Saco is a good trolling river for the tube and worm rigs.  I am venturing more and more out around the islands by both launches but have not figured it out  yet. The Sheepscot River is on the bucket list but I haven’t actually been out there yet.  I hear it is good.

Well, I’m not limited to fishing ONLY in Maine, I only fish out of state when I am visiting friends in other states.  I once trailered my boat to the Adirondacks to fish at a friend’s camp and I learned a lesson about the stresses in long-distance trailering.  After that, I figured if I ever need a boat out of state, I’ll rent or hire a guide.  Trailering sucks.

I ALWAYS have a fishing rod with me.  I have a nice pack rod I keep in my truck that I can pull out and use if I find myself in an interesting spot.  Mostly, I like to fish from my boat because it is a very large tackle box.  I carry a lot of stuff for fresh and saltwater and it never fails that I need something when I am not in the boat.  Also, I am learning more about my Garmin fishing electronics that not only help me understand my navigation and sonar information.  Plus, I think the technology is really cool and I’m a technology guy.

I hate to admit how reliant I am on a single lure but the results do not lie.  My favorite go-to lure is the Wacky Worm.  I have so much fishing tackle that my friends tease me and call me “Cabilla’s.”  I am one of those guys who will rush out and buy the next magic lure that promises to beat every other lure invented.  I will try them and eventually if they don’t perform, I’m right back the Wacky.  Every year I promise to devote more time to a particular lure until I figure out how to use it.  Lure performance is directly proportional to the amount of time you dedicate to it.

“Rely” is a strong word.  Every time I use my sonar I learn more and am increasingly impressed.  I study many hours of Youtube videos on how to interpret the various screen returns.  Because I fish mostly in freshwater and shallow water for that matter, the sonar returns don’t provide much information.  The transducer is on the stern of the boat so it is showing things that are typically 20 feet or more behind me.  I can be on a steep bank where the water is a foot deep in the bow and 15 feet in the stern.  It’s a continual process of familiarity.  My GPS usage is increasingly important so I like that feature more than the sonar features.