Struggling in Maine!

["hamma"]

Kezar lake is one of my favorites, but for iceout i prefer lovewell off the saco

[Mainebass1984]

1 hour ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

Kezar lake is one of my favorites, but for iceout i prefer lovewell off the saco

 I can not say enough good things about Kezar Lake. There are double digit bass in that place. There are countless great places to fish in the area. Lovewell is either really good for me or terrible. My friend has a 6-2 smallmouth from there and I have seen some ginormous largemouth from there.

[BassB8Caster]

On 4/10/2016 at 6:27 PM, Mainebass1984 said:

 I can not say enough good things about Kezar Lake. There are double digit bass in that place. There are countless great places to fish in the area. Lovewell is either really good for me or terrible. My friend has a 6-2 smallmouth from there and I have seen some ginormous largemouth from there.

Would you guys recommend these two lakes to a kayak fisherman? I love the chance at some pigs, but can be a lot of work in a kayak. I typically fish small 100 to 200 acre ponds. 

["hamma"]

kezar is a bit large for a kayak in my honest opinion, unless its a calm day, if you stick around the ramp area and go south you could probably do ok,.. Lovewell would be better its smaller but like mainebass stated its a finicky fishery, somedays are good others are bust

[Mainebass1984]

5 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

Would you guys recommend these two lakes to a kayak fisherman? I love the chance at some pigs, but can be a lot of work in a kayak. I typically fish small 100 to 200 acre ponds. 

 You could fish them it wouldn't be the easiest though. If you are confined to a kayak lower bay and upper bay would be your best bet. Honestly though there are countless small and medium size bodies of water to fish that hold big bass and get much less pressure then Kezar or Lovewell. The Saco River below Hiram Falls and the Ossipee river also are pretty good places to fish from a kayak. River smallies are fun and you get a lunker largemouth from time to time.

 

[BassB8Caster]

10 hours ago, Mainebass1984 said:

 You could fish them it wouldn't be the easiest though. If you are confined to a kayak lower bay and upper bay would be your best bet. Honestly though there are countless small and medium size bodies of water to fish that hold big bass and get much less pressure then Kezar or Lovewell. The Saco River below Hiram Falls and the Ossipee river also are pretty good places to fish from a kayak. River smallies are fun and you get a lunker largemouth from time to time.

 

That's pretty much my take. A day with no wind wouldn't be bad. I've gone out on the androscoggin river and it's a task as well. That's why I love the small ponds. Little fishing pressure and there are some big ones. 

[Mainebass1984]

13 minutes ago, BassB8Caster said:

That's pretty much my take. A day with no wind wouldn't be bad. I've gone out on the androscoggin river and it's a task as well. That's why I love the small ponds. Little fishing pressure and there are some big ones. 

There some ponds in the area with motor restrictions that would be great for a kayak.

[BassB8Caster]

Heading out to fish sunday. Should be a great day. Things are slowly warming up a bit. Any local guys have any tips for early success? Im fishing out of a kayak in small waters (100-200 acres). Mostly all are shallow ponds with soft bottoms. Water levels right now are a little high. They are slowly coming down. But still high. Will bass venture into these new areas created by the higher water levels? Will they be up top enjoying the warmth of the sun (so topwater vs jigs/cranks deeper)? From what i have learned everyone suggests jigs when water is cold. Then mix in crankbaits, jerkbaits and a chatterbait. Is it worth using a spinner to locate the fish or is it too early/cold? 

[Mainebass1984]

I would recommend fishing the warmest water you can find. Inlets are great places this time of year. I went fishing in today in Maine. Most fish were caught in 4-8 ft. Water temp was 49 for most of the day. Landed 11 largemouth and 5 smallmouth. Lunker was a 5-2 largemouth. All fish were caught on a jig and a Keitech. Heading back out to another lake tomorrow.

[BassB8Caster]

Went out today to the same pond as last time. Only slightly better look. I didn't catch anything, not even any hits. But I did see a good handfuls of bass. Saw one big one (probably 5 to 6 lbs) and others from 1.5 to 3lbs. Also saw a really big perch. I threw nearly everything at these fish and no interest. They were cruising back and forth along a bank of a small island in probably 5 feet of water. They didn't act skittish or afraid of me being there. Tried jigs, spinner, crank bait, chatterbox, blue pit boss. 

To me they seemed active but didn't want anything I was offering. Ideas anyone? Water was clear, sunny, light wind, mid 50s up to 70 by 430.

[Neil McCauley]

"In laboratory studies, smallmouth fed very little at temperatures below 50°F and lay motionless on the bottom at temperatures below 40°F."

If the water temp is below 50 you are absolutely wasting your time. Period.

[A-Jay]

On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 8:57 PM, Neil McCauley said:

"In laboratory studies, smallmouth fed very little at temperatures below 50°F and lay motionless on the bottom at temperatures below 40°F."

If the water temp is below 50 you are absolutely wasting your time. Period.

If this is Sarcasm, then ha ha.

If you actually believe this - Extra Ha Ha.

 I guess the disclaimer is I've never actually fished in a laboratory.  However, the Brown bass round these parts (northern Michigan) are often quite aggressive with water temps in the 40's. (Spring & Fall) In fact, it's one of my favorite times of the whole year to target plus size bass - and plenty of them.

Granted, there's no place for a 8:1 gear ratio reel but it's certainly not wasting time either.

And I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I had quite a good day yesterday with a jerkbait while one third of the lake was still covered up by ice. 

A-Jay

 

[BassB8Caster]

Fwiw these were largemouth. They we definitely cruising around (looking for food in my opinion). 

[upchuck1383]

On 4/16/2016 at 10:10 PM, Mainebass1984 said:

I would recommend fishing the warmest water you can find. Inlets are great places this time of year. I went fishing in today in Maine. Most fish were caught in 4-8 ft. Water temp was 49 for most of the day. Landed 11 largemouth and 5 smallmouth. Lunker was a 5-2 largemouth. All fish were caught on a jig and a Keitech. Heading back out to another lake tomorrow.

How did you fish the Jig? I have a tourney this weekend and have had a real tough go of it so far.

[Mainebass1984]

2 hours ago, upchuck1383 said:

How did you fish the Jig? I have a tourney this weekend and have had a real tough go of it so far.

Casting to cover.  Id fish a soft swim bait as well.

["hamma"]

Its been an amazing progression to watch from the old mister twister sassy shad to todays swimbaits. As most tackle and gear has changed, i think this transition has progressed more than any other. And thats saying alot, Consider the advancement in rods, reels, and tackle in general. These "new" swimbaits and their lifelike action and look, its no wonder that they produce the way they do. Will some outshine others? of course,.. what will be the "best"? its hard to say. The myriad of regions in this country, and their subtle differences will obviously have their own "best" and It appears that Mainebass and Mikeognr have their fingers on the pulse up here in the Northeast,.

And congrats to you both,.. I wish you both continued success with your swimbait endevors,... I for one appreciate your willingness to share with us here. And promise not to "spotsuck"  your prowess in Maine's  big bass lakes by any means possible. Keep in mind though, that I have been fishing up there for over 40 years now, and have most likely been fishing some of the same waters already. With the documented success you have shown via pictures that there truly is the huge bass  in New Englands most northern state that I have been touting for years now. Im sure there will be some "newer" New England anglers searching for those pigs.

All I ask of you "newer" anglers is that you dont trash Maine's productive waters,. and their ramp area's. You know what I mean, think of how many lakes in New Hampshire that have changed from public access to private, due to just what I stated. Anglers transporting invasive weeds  on their trailers and leaving the days trash on shore isn't cool, and im sure,,... neah,.. "positive" it  would be dealt with in Maine. The natural resources up there are treasured greatly, and definatly protected... Please, enjoy the states beauty and keep it that way. Wouldnt you like to fish the waters that harbor those pigs, and continue to do so? Bring your kids, and their kids to lakes like that? It would be a horrible loss if those lakes are restricted to lakefront owners only 

Please don't get me wrong,.Im not stating that all the readers of this thread are litterbugs, or disrespectful,.And are in a huge hurry to go trash the state..Im just trying to protect the resources I have been enjoying respectfully available to not just me but all. I have fished lakes in NH that were awesome bass lakes to only see them closed by lake associations due a few bad apples, and will fight to the end to keep Maines waters open. 

Sorry, for the rant guys,  Congrats again on your impressive success,. Just so you know,. whenever another angler ask's  me about the awesome fishing I've had up there. and what lakes it occurred at?,..I answer MAINE,...lol., Do I offer the best lakes iI fish?  Never!.,...good ones??? maybe.. And seeing those pigs you caught,? ,I will be shopping the swimbiats a bit more now

 I'll get off my soapbox now

[MikeOGNR]

53 minutes ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

Its been an amazing progression to watch from the old mister twister sassy shad to todays swimbaits. As most tackle and gear has changed, i think this transition has progressed more than any other. And thats saying alot, Consider the advancement in rods, reels, and tackle in general. These "new" swimbaits and their lifelike action and look, its no wonder that they produce the way they do. Will some outshine others? of course,.. what will be the "best"? its hard to say. The myriad of regions in this country, and their subtle differences will obviously have their own "best" and It appears that Mainebass and Mikeognr have their fingers on the pulse up here in the Northeast,.

And congrats to you both,.. I wish you both continued success with your swimbait endevors,... I for one appreciate your willingness to share with us here. And promise not to "spotsuck"  your prowess in Maine's  big bass lakes by any means possible. Keep in mind though, that I have been fishing up there for over 40 years now, and have most likely been fishing some of the same waters already. With the documented success you have shown via pictures that there truly is the huge bass  in New Englands most northern state that I have been touting for years now. Im sure there will be some "newer" New England anglers searching for those pigs.

All I ask of you "newer" anglers is that you dont trash Maine's productive waters,. and their ramp area's. You know what I mean, think of how many lakes in New Hampshire that have changed from public access to private, due to just what I stated. Anglers transporting invasive weeds  on their trailers and leaving the days trash on shore isn't cool, and im sure,,... neah,.. "positive" it  would be dealt with in Maine. The natural resources up there are treasured greatly, and definatly protected... Please, enjoy the states beauty and keep it that way. Wouldnt you like to fish the waters that harbor those pigs, and continue to do so? Bring your kids, and their kids to lakes like that? It would be a horrible loss if those lakes are restricted to lakefront owners only 

Please don't get me wrong,.Im not stating that all the readers of this thread are litterbugs, or disrespectful,.And are in a huge hurry to go trash the state..Im just trying to protect the resources I have been enjoying respectfully available to not just me but all. I have fished lakes in NH that were awesome bass lakes to only see them closed by lake associations due a few bad apples, and will fight to the end to keep Maines waters open. 

Sorry, for the rant guys,  Congrats again on your impressive success,. Just so you know,. whenever another angler ask's  me about the awesome fishing I've had up there. and what lakes it occurred at?,..I answer MAINE,...lol., Do I offer the best lakes iI fish?  Never!.,...good ones??? maybe.. And seeing those pigs you caught,? ,I will be shopping the swimbiats a bit more now

 I'll get off my soapbox now

Good post brotha. Big pet peeve as a smoker to be people who throw there butts in the water -___- it's like come on is it that hard to stub it out and throw it in the pack?  I can do it I'm sure you can too. 

[BassB8Caster]

@Keith "Hamma" Hatch nothing wrong with sharing your passions. I agree with you 100%. I grew up in Maine, moved to northern new hampshire where i went to high school and am now back in western maine. I have always been an outdoorsman, whether it be hunting, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling etc. I love the outdoors and will never be a city boy. Growing up this is one of the values i was always taught by my parents, my grandparents, uncles, etc. As a "youngster" people often take for granted what we have. as we get older we value things much more. After getting back into fishing last summer (im 35 now and hadnt fished since i was a kid) i am really realizing what maine is all about as an adult. From nearly any location you have a handful of lakes, rivers etc at your disposal within an hours drive. Being a homeowner, it makes paying taxes a hell of a lot easier knowing what i have at my disposal. Right now i fish out of a kayak. I love hitting up the small ponds that hardly anyone fishes. Being out on a pond by myself with the animals is surreal. I know there are new records out there, its just a matter of time before someone pulls in a biiggg one. Ive personally lost 3 that i know where 6+.

  being an athlete all my life and getting older, i wasnt sure how i would mentally accept reducing and eventually removing playing sports from my life (being a mediocre older softball player isnt good enough for me). But i now found how i will do that, and i have now found my real passion....fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. I go out of my way at times to pick up a bottle, extra fishing line etc. "make it better than i found it", thats a motto every outdoors man should live by. There is nothing like taking a lunch with my and pulling up to a spot on land, an island etc and having lunch while fishing. So peaceful. But its sad when you look over and see trash on the ground.   

["hamma"]

I agree with you both 100%, I refuse to leave trash or my cigarette butts, anywhere.  I have in the past made sure i have a small trashbag in the truck for when i see trash left behind by someone, just so I can remove it before the gates for the ramp are locked. As I stated above, I've lost access to some of the best bass ponds in NH due to "issues",..and that sux.  

 Bassb8caster, your new passion for bass fishing is awesome, this sport is such a very diverse sport, that it has the ability to keep you intrigued, interested, and entertained for the rest of your days. It has for me for over 40 years, and I hope and pray that my health allows me to continue till the day I expire. Some anglers "like" bass fishing, then theres some that are competative, so they get into it for the tourneys, Then there are the anglers that "love" it, live it, and continually seek out new lakes and endeavors just to continue to do it. Thats me to the t, and Im sure I will always be that way. My concern for the waters I fish is what it is, My passion

 Respect the lands we use so we can continue to do so.

[nhpleasantlakebass]

On 4/7/2016 at 2:24 PM, MikeOGNR said:

The Keitechs are BOSSSSSSS they catch sloppy pigs of all kinds. Wish they would carry them at retail stores so I could pick up more as I tend to get the baits torn up a lot. 

They carry them at Dick's sporting goods in Concord 

[BassB8Caster]

19 hours ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

@Bassb8caster, your new passion for bass fishing is awesome, this sport is such a very diverse sport, that it has the ability to keep you intrigued, interested, and entertained for the rest of your days. It has for me for over 40 years, and I hope and pray that my health allows me to continue till the day I expire. Some anglers "like" bass fishing, then theres some that are competative, so they get into it for the tourneys, Then there are the anglers that "love" it, live it, and continually seek out new lakes and endeavors just to continue to do it. Thats me to the t, and Im sure I will always be that way. My concern for the waters I fish is what it is, My passion

 Respect the lands we use so we can continue to do so. 

I agree. This is my first spring fishing for bass. I read stuff on here and other sites daily to learn about how to approach the spring. I also see others from the same state posting their success. I have been out 5 times so far this year.The first two were to the same pond. First time out no luck at all. The second time out i saw fish (roamers that wouldnt bite). the third and fourth times out were on the same pond (a different pond). The first time out I had no luck, it was windy and cold. So up until this point i was pretty down and disapointed, frustrated etc. About two days later i went back to that pond and caught 5 largemouth between 2.5 and 4lbs and a smallmouth pushing 4. That day erased all negativity i had. I remember saying to myself that day " this is so awesome, so much fun". Those are the moments i live for. Nothing beats succeeding from putting something i read online to work. Will we get shut out once in a while? Sure. But that makes us work harder to achieve success the next time. My biggest challenge with a new body of water is not knowing anything about the structure below. I dont have a fishfinder, and my access to any maps is a survey from 1950 showing maybe 10 or so depths of the pond. So i try to take everything i read and put it to work in the field. Sometimes it doesnt work but when it does nothing is better. 

 

["hamma"]

2 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

Sometimes it doesnt work but when it does nothing is better

you have just hit upon one of the greatest fishing "hooks" there is. Im sure so many anglers have become hooked on bass fishing based on that statement alone, that their numbers could fill sebago if it was emptied.

 Get yourself a fishfinder! All you need for a kayak's fishfinder to start is one that shows depth. A cheapo hummingbird or lowrance would fit the bill. My first was a $89.00 hummingbird that i installed on my tiny 8 ft long basshunter pontoon style boat, still on it. works great and helped my fishing 10 fold from install date on. It has no bells or whistles, no side imaging, 360, etc. it does however have a temp gauge which is an important accessory,,now that i think about it, that rig is 30 yrs old. Dang,.. im gettin old!,...lol 

20 years ago or so i spent some time on another sites forums and did a series of posts called "the informative series" they were well received and designed for the beginners in bass fishing. It touched upon the six basic lures, and general tools of the trade, then progressed into patterns, seasonal movements, and tips and tricks. I would post a topic (say spinnerbaits) listing the sizes, colors, blade configurations and techniques, tips, tricks etc;, and others would then chime in with things they did with the same lure, tactics etc. Some of the threads got really long. And many of the beginners and pros alike used this and were quite grateful to have such a tool available to them,... id imagine they are now today able to "chime" in. 

 I wonder how that would be received here? maybe in the lures listings. I think you would benefit from such a thing

 

[MikeOGNR]

3 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

 

http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@6&key=gdtdGnxatL 

Solved your map problem 

[BassB8Caster]

20 hours ago, MikeOGNR said:

http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@6&key=gdtdGnxatL 

Solved your map problem 

Thanks. Ive been on there, many of the small ponds i fish are not on there. I contemplated on getting a decent fish finder but decided against it. 

I think another key thing with bass fishing (and fishing in general) is to try different things. Its easy to read through articles on here where a successful fisherman spells out how to succeed. You go out and try it and can get skunked. Rather than quitting, getting frustrated etc, try something different. Go against the grain once in a while. Last night i had this exact situation arise. I tried several different baits/presentations at a river (its a spot 10 minutes from where work that i will try when i only have an hour or so to fish). Started with a spinner, switched to a jig, then to a lipless crank. Getting ready to leave i decided to tie on a medium diving crank (daiwa dc shad) to get ready for the pond im heading to tomorrow. For the hell of it i decided to throw a few casts. Right away i caught a decent sized perch. Over the next several casts i caught 2 crappie (one of them i caught twice...it was a good sized one). This is fishing in the same exact spots as previously with the other baits. Its like a switch was all of a sudden turned on. I didnt end up catching any bass, but i was satisfied having success (vs going home stumped and fishless). I have caught some nice bass at this same spot in the past. so i know there are fish in there (its a very large river). 

Little things like this just make fishing more and more exciting. You just never know what the next cast is going to do. Put your line in the same water with big fish potential and you just never know.  

[Mainebass1984]

Anyone fishing Maine this weekend ?