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JC3 I think you'd have to go down to Popham Beach for that kind of fishing. There really isn't any "surf fishing" around Penobscot Bay. Or take a boat up to Orrington and put in, but the fishing is spotty in the northern/eastern part of the State. You run into a school, you're lucky. The primary striper fishing is the channel east of Verona and on up the Penobscot to Bangor, especially the cove there between Orrington and Winterport . . . where Perkin's fish market was in the sixties . . . ahhh, can't remember the name. I hear last year was bad thin pickin's for stripers.
Maineah..know of any easy access surf spots for stripers in the belfast area? That would be my closest ride to the coast. North or south of that point but not too far would make the drive worthwhile.
I do not know of many beaches period in that area. Maineac is correct. The surf fishing I know of starts at around Popham Beach, skips Casco Bay and starts again in South Portland around Higgins Beach. Below South Portland to the New Hampshire line there are many surf fishing beaches and lots of bait and tackle shops to set you up. It's all rocky up toward Belfast but there are probably some islands with south west facing sandy beaches I'm unaware of around Port Clyde and down that way. You need a local fisherman to chime in. Maineac is also correct there were not many stripers around last summer and even fewer bluefish. They never really came up the rivers much and you needed a boat to go out and catch them in the bays and inlets. (note to self... buy another boat!)
Oh, and before I forget, next year it looks like you'll be buying either a Federal or State Saltwater fishing license for around $25. The rationale is pretty weak for the license - somehow us sport fishers need to be studied more. I have no idea how they're going to enforce it on the water, given 3,000 miles or so of shoreline.
Oh, and before I forget, next year it looks like you'll be buying either a Federal or State Saltwater fishing license for around $25. The rationale is pretty weak for the license - somehow us sport fishers need to be studied more. I have no idea how they're going to enforce it on the water, given 3,000 miles or so of shoreline.
With a year or two of practice they can do quite well enforcing that amount of coastline. Here in Michigan we have over 3000 miles of freshwater coastline just on the Great Lakes and the Fish and Game department (DNR here) do a decent job covering it. Some of us go out and fish 30 or 40+ miles off shore here as well.
I agree that a saltwater license is nothing more than a money grubbing tactic though.
I just can't see the expansion of either the Marine Patrol or IF&W necessary to cover the enforcement. One thing we got that you don't is thousands of islands. And 12' tides. So it simply becomes a $$ grab. Frankly, unless I have cause to go serious sportfishing, I probably won't pay it, and I'll still catch a few mackerel a year. However, my dozen or so mackerel ain't worth what they're askin'.
I just can't see the expansion of either the Marine Patrol or IF&W necessary to cover the enforcement. One thing we got that you don't is thousands of islands. And 12' tides. So it simply becomes a $$ grab. Frankly, unless I have cause to go serious sportfishing, I probably won't pay it, and I'll still catch a few mackerel a year. However, my dozen or so mackerel ain't worth what they're askin'.
Wardens are telling Maine saltwater fishermen they must go get this free license.
Maine is trying hard to keep the license free or at least in the $5.00-$10.00 range not $25.00.
If it goes to $25.00 alot of people who might normally throw fish back will instead throw them in the back of the truck to legitimize the $25.00 they have to lay out for the bogus license.
They'll keep short fish too. It will do much more to hurt fishing overall than help and you know damn well like our hunting and inland fishing fees we pay it will go into a general fund not for perpetuating the sport.
I just can't see the expansion of either the Marine Patrol or IF&W necessary to cover the enforcement. One thing we got that you don't is thousands of islands. And 12' tides. So it simply becomes a $$ grab. Frankly, unless I have cause to go serious sportfishing, I probably won't pay it, and I'll still catch a few mackerel a year. However, my dozen or so mackerel ain't worth what they're askin'.
Actually the only thing you have that we don't is the tides. Michigan has tons of Islands.
I agree that this is going to be a major PITA for the state, and that there are now going to be those who used to catch and release are now going to catch and keep because they "paid for them". And I can't blame them.
Thanks guys for the info. I have done Popham when I vacationed and it was usually...ya shoulda been here last week..or last night..or 2 days ago. I never did hit it at the right time. But I did eat good at the restaurant there. lol!
Thanks guys for the info. I have done Popham when I vacationed and it was usually...ya shoulda been here last week..or last night..or 2 days ago. I never did hit it at the right time. But I did eat good at the restaurant there. lol!
I tried Popham a few times too. I never had any luck. Your best bet is to find someone with a boat. We caught a ton of stripers when we had our 19 foot center console Pursuit. When you can go to where the fish are you get fish. If you have to wait for them to come up a river or past a beach you may be waiting a long time. Why don't I run a boat now??? Gas is the main reason. It just plain costs too much to fill a boat with gas to justify the use of it. What used to cost us $100.00 for a weekend is now $400.00. I just can't see shelling out $400.00 for a weekend of striper fishing. It's far more expensive if you use a marina to dock your boat. We had a mooring at our camp. I just don't see how people do it anymore. There are far fewer boats on the bay than there were in the 80's and 90's that's for sure.
Maineah, I hear you. My BIL has a 26' boat and with slip fees and price of gas, he hardly got out last year down in Mass. I am an ardent fresh water bass fisherman and the surf and salt is my pleasure fishing. I do nothing but catch and release but sure have no problems with those who fish for the table. Even the cost of gas running a good sized bass boat can put a crimp on what one does. When I fill my 2 tanks and complain to my BIL...he tells me to stop whining and be thankful I don't have his gas bills. Plus filling at a marina on the ocean or a lake is very costly.
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