You have to wonder why Maine stripers are such a secret …..
If I didn’t have a daughter living in Maine I wouldn’t have been caught dead striper fishing in that state. It is thus an accident that I have fished there so much. And, when I went, I was surprised to see how good it was. One reason for this is that there are miles of clean underdeveloped coastline fed by many rivers which teem with bait species that draw stripers. The rivers all have runs that swarm with a variety of forage species that draw stripers: Herring or alewives, eels and the resultant elvers which are juvie eels, sea-worms and shellfish in the estuaries, all enhance the suitability as striper waters.
Sweet Water
My first hint of stripers in rivers above tidewater was Atlantic salmon fishing on the Penobscot River. Hundreds of us lined the banks for salmon but were often bugged by school stripers. Commonly, a lineside would take a salmon fly causing the angler to think, momentarily, that he had hooked a salmon. “Freaking striper!” was the baleful complaint, causing the salmon fisherman to kick stones all over the river bank. There is also a widely held belief that Atlantic salmon smolts were being preyed upon by stripers.
The Maine coast is jagged with river mouths, estuaries, islands and rocky coves. Any place where a rip forms is worth a recon trip, but the rivers seem to always hold some stripers—in season of course. Here’s a short list of some of our favorites…
Mousam River, Kennebunkport
Saco River, Biddeford
Old Orchard Beach
Scarborough River Marsh
Spurwink River
Martin Point Bridge
Popham beach
Morse River
Kennebec River
Penobscot River
While there are few salmon left in Maine, the stripers inhabit all the old time salmon rivers with only casual angling pressure. Even if a stream never saw a salmon, the stripers hang out in the freshwater parts of rivers as long as there is water enough to cover their backs. Bass seem to like the cool of rivers and access to bait.
Because of Maine’s robust tidal exchange – over 20 feet – water moving around points and rocky obstructions tends to really haul. Consequently, current is not hard to find and penetration in the water column is a must if you want to hook deep holding bass. Lead-heads and rubber tails allowed to sag in fast water for deep-holding stripers work well even in daytime. As a rabid night fisherman, the only reason I can give for such productive day fishing is the current and depth on Maine’s coastline. My Maine daughter says the striper fishing is so good that it is not necessary to “fish with the owls”. I do know that she catches a lot of fish in the daylight.
Access
There are plenty of state parks located at locations where the fishing is good. There are also some nice rips accessible by boat where you can beach your boat and wade. Such rips should be known in advance by a knowledgeable angler as to its timing. Our Susan has the timing of many rips regarding tide and method down to duck soup. Once you learn them, bass will usually show up in the daytime according to known schedules. My experience has been that locals are touchy about people fishing without permission; on the other hand, when you ask, they will usually let you fish. However, from a boat you go anywhere you want to wade or boat fish.
Seasonal Timing
Father/daughter disputes rise and flare over when stripers arrive and depart in our case. In my opinion, Sue does not start soon enough in spring and quits too early in fall. I contend that along with Mainers not having a clue, she has never nailed down the timing the way a proper Maine guide should. I would start a week after Cape Cod, May first, and make my last cast the last week in November. That said, what do I know? I’m only her father. I do know that late May to early November are safe. Keep in mind that for hundreds of miles to the north there are robust populations of stripers deep into the Maritimes. To be there on time in spring and still there in November anglers should stretch the season beyond traditions which were set prior to global warming.
Fly Fishing
Catching stripers salmon fishing gives a hint to the value of fly fishing. With so many small forage species in these tidewaters any fly pattern presented at striper nose level is going to take fish. Both Sue and I love to cast streamers with floating lines in shallow water and extra fast sink fly lines in the rips; you have to rub their noses.
Striper Size
I can’t be sure if Maine stripers are the same size as those we catch in Southern New England. I lack the experience of my daughter and have caught few real monsters on the Maine coast. She, on the other hand, with the advantage of living there and more exposure to the area, has released tons of fish over 40 inches. Moreover, sport fishing, she breaks off some monsters and doesn’t care. Still, I am inclined to think striper sizes are a shade smaller than those caught on Cape Cod and in Rhode Island where I have the most knowledge. Yet, every once in a while somebody takes a moby striper in Maine which is shown in the newspapers. Monsters can happen.
Distractions
For sportsmen there are a lot of other activities to do in Maine which deflect people away from striper fishing. For instance, they shoot ducks in Merrymeeting Bay early fall and deer later in fall when they could be striper fishing. There is a lot of landlocked salmon and trout fishing that is fly fished in rivers and trolled in the lakes. This is a huge break for local stripers.
Access?
Use your head to gain access. Don’t be seen drinking. Illegal parking will bring down enforcement and could lead to your vehicle being towed. Loud talk in the deep night at launch ramps might wake locals in a crowded coast. Keep a low profile. In the minds of some there is something inherently evil about fishing at night. Remember that you are an outsider and should walk softly.
