fishing in the frenchville/fort kent area (Madawaska: houses, live)

[cordoba11]

Soon i pray i will be in northern maine, could i please get some input on some non ice type fishing, i would like to start with that . Maybe after i've been there for a year or so i can try that. Down here in Rhode Island i do allot of fresh water fishing with rooster tails. I have caught trout, [brown,and rainbow] pickerel, pike,bluegill,yellow perch,small & largemouth bass,and even a catfish. I would like to start out simple because fishing at times has almost become a sacred pastime for me, i hate to have to readjust to something completly new. I will miss fishing here and all the knowledge i have gained so far.The St John river system looks like there should be plenty of water to fish, Please let me hear your opinions for this area. Thanks

[bignhfamily]

cordoba11, I have never fished in Northern Maine but I can't imagine you'll have to do to much "readjusting". I grew up fishing in NH and around New England, I have fished in GA, FL, AL, TX, OK, CO, CA, AZ and NM. I just used my same old pole and the same old tackle and for the most part the same techniques. Sometimes I caught fish that I had no idea what it was but who cares...I was catching fish. Come on up and throw your line in the water. You'll do fine.
Oh and if you find any hot spots feel free to DM me locations

[cordoba11]

bignh, i guess now that i think about it, most of the enjoyment of fishing [for me] comes from the fact of WHERE i'm fishing at. At times i think it's kind of like a shaman, he is strongest on his home turf, once i actually got caught up in how many and how big the fish i caught were, that was the wrong approach for me. I have found out that it's as much about my conection with nature as it is about actually catching fish.The fishing itself might be the same but where i'm doing it might not. For most people i think it's never this complicated, i wish i was one of those people. Connecting to nature up north will be a different and new adventure, but if the fung shui i have felt while looking at houses in [the county] is any kind of compass i think the connection will be strong and of high quality.

[Bydand]

There can be some very nice fishing on the fish river chain of lakes in that area. There are even a few smaller ponds in that area that have some Brown Trout in them (shhhh! you didn't hear that from me. One of the best kept secrets in the area.) The lakes in the chain have landlocked salmon, a few lake trout, brook trout, and a bizzilion lake chubs. If you happen to catch the biggest darn "minnow" you have ever seen - it is a Fallfish. I had never heard of them until a couple of years ago.

Pickerel you have to take a run downstate further. There is some Musky coming into the St. John river system further upstream from Fort Kent and that is some real fishing. ANY stream or brook will produce brook trout up here. No need to be super cautious when moving about the shore or in the water like some areas that get heavy fishing pressure and the fish are a bit spooky. Not a lot of fishing pressure, and on top of it all, they are used to Moose walking around, so our little butts moving around don't spook them off the bite much.

I have caught some very nice brookies out of a stream I could jump across (fish +14") so don't overlook the little streams and brooks, they can produce some VERY nice fish. The largest Brook trout I have caught up here at just over 24" was pulled out of Halfway Brook just before it emptied into the Little Madawaska Stream. It was laying in a hole under a log that was about 18" deep, while the rest of that area of brook was running about 10" deep, the stream was about 6' wide at that point.

[bignhfamily]

Originally Posted by cordoba11

bignh, i guess now that i think about it, most of the enjoyment of fishing [for me] comes from the fact of WHERE i'm fishing at. At times i think it's kind of like a shaman, he is strongest on his home turf, once i actually got caught up in how many and how big the fish i caught were, that was the wrong approach for me. I have found out that it's as much about my conection with nature as it is about actually catching fish.The fishing itself might be the same but where i'm doing it might not. For most people i think it's never this complicated, i wish i was one of those people. Connecting to nature up north will be a different and new adventure, but if the fung shui i have felt while looking at houses in [the county] is any kind of compass i think the connection will be strong and of high quality.

I couldn't agree more. I'm no trophy fisherman by any means, but not matter where I've lived I've always been drawn to the water and the natural environment around it. Be it a little NH trout stream, a muddy catfish pond down south or the mighty pacific ocean. Enjoy your new adventure!

[cordoba11]

bydand, i hear that. While driving up 95/295 over and over i would see places right next to the highway that looked both secluded and full of fish, after about the 10th time i took all my gear, the only place i actually fished was in smyrna mills. I remember that a guy there said he was catching something but i didn't [catch] what he called them, probably a local slang term for something that was well known. I din't get anything with my brown/gold spinner rooster tail.It seemed to me that there are thousands of places like that in the county. I only hope i can find some that will introduce nature to me on a first name basis.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The St Francis River and Little Black River run south into the St. John. Both have excellent brook trout fishing. I have not fished the St. John since the muskies got in there.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

The St Francis River and Little Black River run south into the St. John. Both have excellent brook trout fishing. I have not fished the St. John since the muskies got in there.

Still good for the "regular" fish, but overall better because of the wider choices of which type to fish for.

Contrary to popular belief, Northern Pike and Musky do NOT ruin a fishery by eating everything in sight. Some of the best Bass, trout, pan fish, lakes I have ever fished also have a good Pike/Musky fishery.

[cordoba11]

bydand, i can't for the life of me figure how how some can just fish for bass, down here in rhode island allot of people don't like pike or/ it's sister/brother, chain pickerel. I have never caught a bass that fought as hard as the same size pickerel/pike. They don't have to be stocked, and they are as hearty as they come. They also don't spook very easily. I have had bad expiriences with people here in bass boats with gigantic motors fishing in ponds that are not supposed to have any motorized boats at all.But i guess it takes all kinds. One of the things i am looking forward to in northern maine is having so much water to fish i should be able to stay off by myself. I am going to start a fishing journal so i can look back after the fact and see what i caught and where i caught it.I will let you know how it goes.