Did a float trip with my brother in Maine this week. We hit the middle Kennebec, the first time I'd fished the river. We targeted smallmouth bass (Maine has world class SMB fishing - don't overlook this when the better known trout/salmon rivers are warm, which is often the case).
WEATHER: Hazy, 80ish.
WATER: Tannin stained (normal), fairly clear, water temp was 74 degrees F.
HATCHES/FORAGE: Nothing of note. No surface activity to speak of. Saw a few minnows in the shallows, no crayfish.
We floated about 8 miles of river. Fishing was slow. I was FFing and my brother was spin fishing. He got about 3 dozen bass and I got about ten; largest fish was 16 inches. As the afternoon went on, the action picked up. The shoreline eddies near faster water seemed to have more active fish, although most of the SMBs we caught were small. All fish came on sub surface lures and flies. Saw ten bald eagles and several other birds of various and sundry types; saw no other fishermen. We had a good time but the action was not as fast as we expected.
This river is nice looking but didn't have a great variety of structure where we were (just above Augusta). It's about the size of the lower Juniata and similar speed; lots of woody debris.
WEATHER: Hazy, 80ish.
WATER: Tannin stained (normal), fairly clear, water temp was 74 degrees F.
HATCHES/FORAGE: Nothing of note. No surface activity to speak of. Saw a few minnows in the shallows, no crayfish.
We floated about 8 miles of river. Fishing was slow. I was FFing and my brother was spin fishing. He got about 3 dozen bass and I got about ten; largest fish was 16 inches. As the afternoon went on, the action picked up. The shoreline eddies near faster water seemed to have more active fish, although most of the SMBs we caught were small. All fish came on sub surface lures and flies. Saw ten bald eagles and several other birds of various and sundry types; saw no other fishermen. We had a good time but the action was not as fast as we expected.
This river is nice looking but didn't have a great variety of structure where we were (just above Augusta). It's about the size of the lower Juniata and similar speed; lots of woody debris.
