FishUSA.com Fishing Tackle

Author Topic: Fishing early season  (Read 3714 times)

Moses2022

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 2
Fishing early season
« on: Apr 17, 2022, 10:02 AM »
Hey everyone. I never have any luck early season. Usually throw the boat in late april and never catch anything. Any tips on where to fish in central maine area during this time of year?  We live in Bangor area.

NBourque

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,083
  • Bruce slayer
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #1 on: Apr 17, 2022, 11:41 AM »
Hey everyone. I never have any luck early season. Usually throw the boat in late april and never catch anything. Any tips on where to fish in central maine area during this time of year?  We live in Bangor area.
You’re not the only one. This time of year sucks imo haha

zwiggles

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,584
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #2 on: Apr 17, 2022, 01:55 PM »
Once the temps get closer to 55 it picks up imo. Ice out is typically lights out, and then it’s feast or famine. Typically when the lake is cold warm water = active fish even if it’s 40 vs 38.

Jim C.

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3,730
  • Up the creek...and loving it!
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #3 on: Apr 17, 2022, 02:35 PM »
No question for me anyway that the second 6 months of a calendar year are better than the first.  There is a whole lot of fish inertia in early spring......a fish at rest tends to stay at rest.  With that said, small water can be real good right out of the box on opening day.  Less water for them to hide in.  A buddy and I teamed up for 50 brookies on opening day.  That was toward the coast where winter isn't as harsh.  As was pointed out, a couple of degrees make a huge difference.  Even though I'm on foot, I've found some very nice fish on bigger lakes lately by watching the wind and chasing pockets of warm water in my waders.

Moses2022

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 2
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #4 on: Apr 17, 2022, 05:48 PM »
I usually stay out of moving water early in the season. We like to fish small mouth on the Penobscot up north of Milford during the summer time. Never had any luck when the water is super high. We fish ponds usually but like I said the fish dont bite. Sucks

I appreciate peoples help. I take my teenagers fishing alot. We are not professionals by any means.

Jim C.

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 3,730
  • Up the creek...and loving it!
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #5 on: Apr 17, 2022, 06:04 PM »
Good luck!   I meant to add that you should try a small jig suspended under a bobber.  For me, marabou seems to do the best when the water is cold.

I usually stay out of moving water early in the season. We like to fish small mouth on the Penobscot up north of Milford during the summer time. Never had any luck when the water is super high. We fish ponds usually but like I said the fish dont bite. Sucks

I appreciate peoples help. I take my teenagers fishing alot. We are not professionals by any means.

fish wayniac

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,172
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #6 on: Apr 18, 2022, 06:11 AM »
The water needs to warm up a bit like others said . I took my boat out on 4/9 for a 3 hour troll. I landed one short salmon. I got out for 4 hours on 4/16 in a friends boat and got skunked. I don’t fish the Bangor area so I don’t have any advice. 🎣

Smallmouth Squarepants

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 93
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #7 on: Apr 18, 2022, 08:08 AM »
Pushaw can be good if you work the deep water access near the islands and shoals with a jerkbait (and not to be that guy, but it's worth it if you go with a Vision 110/110 Jr. Best coldwater jerkbait period) or a jig. Usually you can find a fat smallmouth or two willing to bite. Pushaw Stream can be good too, work from Hirundo up to the dam (might be hard to put a full size boat in though), cover water, and make sure you throw things that bass AND pike would be willing to hit (Jerkbaits, Spinnnerbaits, smaller glidebaits, keitechs).

Stump Pond in Lincoln is a pretty good bet for Largemouth too early in the season.

lowaccord66

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6,230
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #8 on: Apr 24, 2022, 08:18 AM »
Flat line minnows and troll slow.  Even right after ice out you can catch just fine doing that.  Also mindset is everything early season, if you think the fishing is going to suck then you will fish poorly or give up early.   Also helps if you target the cold water stuff early.  Lakers for example are agressive all year round most days.

I second squarepants suggestion.  I landed 7 pike, 1 bass and a couple perch past two days.  All on a jerkbait aside from 1 pike on a lipless crankbait.

Smallmouth Squarepants

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 93
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #9 on: Apr 25, 2022, 07:41 AM »
Flat line minnows and troll slow.  Even right after ice out you can catch just fine doing that.  Also mindset is everything early season, if you think the fishing is going to suck then you will fish poorly or give up early.   Also helps if you target the cold water stuff early.  Lakers for example are agressive all year round most days.

I second squarepants suggestion.  I landed 7 pike, 1 bass and a couple perch past two days.  All on a jerkbait aside from 1 pike on a lipless crankbait.
You know what's funny, I couldn't buy a jerkbait bite this weekend. Threw on a fully rigged fullsize tube (that was in one of my hardbait boxes for some reason) on a whim and went to town. Granted I was trying to dial in the new Shimano World Minnow and was being obstinate about switching to a vision 110, so more correctly I couldn't buy a jerkbait bite this weekend on the newer bait that I refused to switch from (contrary to my own advise given to others)!

lowaccord66

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6,230
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #10 on: Apr 26, 2022, 05:55 AM »
Luckycraft all the way!

Steve H.

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 609
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #11 on: Apr 26, 2022, 06:13 AM »
Luckycraft all the way!

I'm still using Husky Jerks.  ::)
It is understood that fishing licenses, gas, bait, etc., all cost money, but try not to let a limit of trout be your only gauge for success. – Ben Nugent, (NH F&G) Regional Fisheries Biologist

Smallmouth Squarepants

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 93
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #12 on: Apr 26, 2022, 06:57 AM »
I really wish that the Husky Jerk wasn't as much of a fast floater. I really like the larger size ones for pike and stripers, because it's more about the rip than the pause when I retrieve for those. Largies and Smallies, especially in cold water, I like to have a true suspender that slashes well with just the right amount of body roll. For me, that's the 110. Now that it's starting to warm I'll add in the Jackal Rerange/Squad Minnow, as well as the LC Pointer/Lightning Pointer. I think this is when that new Shimano one will shine as well (although I did catch one on it the week before last, just last week it was not it). Straight up warm water is Smithwick Rogue time, especially if there are pike around.

Have any of you tried the new Daiwa jerkbaits? They had some at the salesman sale at KTP but I already had bought too much to justify buying another couple $14 dollar baits.

lowaccord66

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6,230
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #13 on: Apr 27, 2022, 05:45 PM »
I have been uaing diawa sp minnows since their inception.  I love husky jerks too but as mentioned their suspending qualities vary.  Love a good rattling rouge too!  I just got a bunch of saltwater pointers.  First striper of the season ate one.  Hooks suck.

Smallmouth Squarepants

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 93
Re: Fishing early season
« Reply #14 on: Apr 28, 2022, 08:26 AM »
I bought so many dang SP minnows last (20-21) winter and the one before because of the Dick's clearance thing where you can B5G5. I made my gold Dicks rewards for two years in a row just because of that sale. This year they had less so I didn't. I really want to try out the TD minnow and Double Clutch. Not sure about the HMKL, the tech looks cool but its a little long and looks more like a SP Bullet Minnow than a modern jerkbait body.

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Sponsor
© 2004- MyFishFinder.com
All Rights Reserved.