Mainebass1984

6 fish ?

I fish ponds too of course. I can see how fishing form shore would very challenging that time of year. Usually I don't find any bass near shore in late Oct or Nov.

They do bite all year. You just got to change tactics. Go deeper and very, very, slow. Even when things are iced over you can still catch them through the ice without using live bait.

Earlier this year I was fishing a hollow bodied frog in and around lily pads in 2-5 feet of water. There was a lot of surface activity, sunfish slurping down bugs, dragonflies and other bugs flying around as well as swallows skimming the surface eating bugs. The fishing was great. The frog bite was on and I was catching a lot of fish over 3 lbs and some bigger fish over 5 lbs. I had made a cast and was keeping a keen eye on my frog. As I was watching my frog, way out beyond it, further up the shore, I watched as a swallow that was skimming the surface disappear into a massive explosion. I couldn't believe what I had seen and thought for sure I had just seen an 8 lber eat a bird. A bird. I remained somewhat calm and after a couple minutes I meandered over to where I had seen the swallow get swallowed. I cast my frog just past where the explosion had been. Plop, Plop, wa-bam, a huge surface strike. I set the hook hard, like my life depended upon it. The fish felt big but not huge. After it jumped a couple times and putting up a spirited fight I slip the net underneath it. It weighed in at 4 lbs 12 oz. I figured it couldn't have been the same fish, but it was in the same exact spot. As I released the fish I noticed something float to the surface and start quivering half way between where I had hooked the fish and the boat. I motored over for a better look. It was a swallow, quivering from just being eaten by the bass I had just caught. That bass had just eaten a bird and he still wanted my frog. I had figured it must have been a giant bass that had blown up on that bird and it was a fish that didn't even weigh 5 lbs. That is pretty wild. I guess you never know what will happen on the water.

Jigs catch big fish all across the country. My Pb was caught on a 1/2 oz Jig.

Did you fish the drop off ?

I have been fishing the same brush piles for years. How long they last definitely depends on what you use. I have caught fish the day after putting a brush pile in. If fish are there they will use it.

Sweet ! Well done Bob. That is some amazing fishing. I have heard the bite has been red hot on southern champlain lately. Lots of big fish being caught including a 8.5 last week. There is atleaset 2 tourneys going on tomorrow. One is out of Larabees. If your on fish like that maybe you should enter one.

Yes, Yes you should be fishing. I see it raining and I ask myself why am I not fishing ? Big fish bite in the rain and nobody else is out there.

I fish from my boat until the ice is too thick for me to break through it. This usually occurs around thanksgiving. Some of the biggest bass I catch all year are caught in November. I usually fish VERY slow and deep. Great time of year to fish. The number of fish caught goes way down but the average size is great. I have fished in snow storms and the fishing is good most of the time.

Every think about using more natural cover like tree or bush instead of a bucket and plastic tubing ?

There is a nice launch. Its worth your time. Lots of 3-4s in there. Ive caught quite a few 5s there as well. Its a great place. Smallmouth up to 4 lbs as well.

I am working all weekend. Good luck out there guys.... Once I am done with this current 10 day stretch of working everyday I will have 11 days off. The bass wont know what hit them.

Fishing in the Rain is AMAZING ! One of the best times to fish. I have caught many lunkers in the rain especially a "warm" rain. A light rain seems best. What were you fishing ?

I like to fish southern and western Maine. Central Maine has some amazing bass fishing an is noted for it. The first 7 lber I ever caught was from Unity Pond. I fished Unity Pond a lot while I was attending Unity College. There also are a lot of quality fish at Plymouth Pond.

Its a looooonggggg winter up there from Nov-May.... There will be a few mornings between -40 and -30 degrees. Better dress warm, buy a power auger and some ice fishing gear.

Watch out for the long cold snow filled winters up there in Northern Maine. You could go cabin fever stir crazy up around Caribou and Houlton.

Welcome aboard Brandon ! Glad to see another Mainer on here. I fish much further south then you do around the Fryeburg area. The Northeast forum on here has tons of great info about fishing in northern New England.

Cant go wrong with a Jig !

In my opinion the bite is good for numbers and quality sized fish when the water temperature is 55-65 degrees. Once it drops to around 50 degrees number of fish caught seems to go way down but the average size of fish goes way way up and you have a real good chance at catching the biggest bass of the year.

I caught an Atlantic Salmon while I was trout fishing with me dad when I was 16. It was one heck of a fight on 6 lb test. First thing it did was jump completely out of the water three times and then run up river around a couple bends in the river. Goy it turned around and then it went down river quite awhile. It took me into a deep pool along an undercut bank that was almost over my head. I had to cross through the pool to the other side of the river before landing the fish. It measured 29 1/4 inches long and weighed in at 9 lbs 4 oz . The fish had been marked at a fish ladder. It was one of 32 fish that were passed up over a dam over 100 miles from the ocean. I caught it in a small tributary 20 feet wide. Very, very rare to catch a wild sea run Atlantic Salmon in southern Maine.

Still a bit warm for a fall bite.

That's fishing I suppose. Next personal best can be next cast or 10 years down the road. I have confidence fish of that caliber swim where I fish, in the spots I fish, and will bite the lure I am throwing. Got to have confidence in this sport. Hopefully I wont have to wait 10 years for a new personal best.

I really hope to break my personal best this fall. It is going to be a challenge to do so here in New England.

I like to fish deeper isolated structure in the fall. An isolated sunken tree in 15 ft of water or an isolated rockpile in 25-40 feet. Isolated and deeper seem to do the trick for me especially for bigger fish.