Got the kayak out on Minnehonk

[woodchip1]

MINNEHONK LAKE Mount Vernon Twp., Kennebec Co. U.S.G.S. Readfield and Belgrade Lakes, ME (7.5')
Landlocked salmon Brown trout Brook trout Splake Rainbow smelt Smallmouth bass Largemouth bass Yellow perch Chain pickerel
Minnows Golden shiner Fallfish (chub) White sucker Hornpout (bullhead) Burbot (cusk) Pumpkinseed sunfish Slimy sculpin American eel I think id go after a big Splake  state  record was just broke and feel it will again soon.

[taxid]

I'm going to whip out the lead core rig and put a dodger or cowbells on it. Probably sew a minnow behind it. And fish for the bass before and after first light and again in the evening until after dark.

I fished another Maine Lake once where a downrigger didn't do squat, but as soon as I started using the lead core I stared catching salmon. No idea why.

I also have some planer boards to run baits out away from the boat. I used to troll a lake in Indiana for rainbows that was really clear. The fish moved away from the boat so planner boards were necessary to catch fish when trolling.

[taxid]

Spent the day with the wife visiting a retired teacher friend of the wife's in Cornville.  It's also our 29th Wedding Anniversary.

Went out after dark on Minnehonk and caught a few fish but a very frustrating night. Bought heavier line and it gave me nothing but twisting and tangling issues. Don't think I'll use Berkley's Vanish Fluorocarbon line again. By the end of the night I had cut off and retied so many times I didn't have enough line to cast more than 10 yds. Finally gave up in disgust. Didn't start out good either. Started to cast and realized I was surrounded by two adult beavers slapping their tails. A third one was much smaller so must have been one of their offspring. No fish hits there so I had to move on down the lake.

A couple of fish from that night casting a jitterbug along the shoreline and shallow areas of the lake. Also caught a couple of smallmouth that weren't much bigger than the  plug!





May hit Flying Pond tomorrow to troll for browns or troll the heck out of Minnehonk with both lead core and the downrigger.

[NBourque]

Enjoying the reports and pics. Keep at it. You never know when the next state record splake will hit your lure...

[taxid]

I will be honest though. The kayak thing is relatively new to me and there are times I wish I would have brought the regular boat. It's probably my age (61) but after about an hour in the kayak my back aches. I built the most comfortable seat I could but still...

Love the scenery out here too. May go to the White Mountains today and Whale watching in Booth Bay Harbor tomorrow. No fishing on those days.

[gamefisher]

25' down is a good number right now in your locale for splake and browns.  Good luck.

[Jim C.]

Nice bass!  You're taking advantage of June's variety.

It may be a little early still, but there is some fine stream fishing in the White Mts.  and the NH/ME border area.

Spent the day with the wife visiting a retired teacher friend of the wife's in Cornville.  It's also our 29th Wedding Anniversary.

Went out after dark on Minnehonk and caught a few fish but a very frustrating night. Bought heavier line and it gave me nothing but twisting and tangling issues. Don't think I'll use Berkley's Vanish Fluorocarbon line again. By the end of the night I had cut off and retied so many times I didn't have enough line to cast more than 10 yds. Finally gave up in disgust. Didn't start out good either. Started to cast and realized I was surrounded by two adult beavers slapping their tails. A third one was much smaller so must have been one of their offspring. No fish hits there so I had to move on down the lake.

A couple of fish from that night casting a jitterbug along the shoreline and shallow areas of the lake. Also caught a couple of smallmouth that weren't much bigger than the  plug!



May hit Flying Pond tomorrow to troll for browns or troll the heck out of Minnehonk with both lead core and the downrigger.

[taxid]

Nice bass!  You're taking advantage of June's variety.

It may be a little early still, but there is some fine stream fishing in the White Mts.  and the NH/ME border area.

What I found interesting about the streams and rivers as we headed back to Maine from NH and the White Mountains was how shallow and loaded with boulders they were, but as we went farther east they got deeper and looked better for holding trout. But there came a point where they became quite stagnant wide and shallow with little cover possibly due to dams?

[Jim C.]

The streambeds in the NH/ME border area are typically boulder filled and have overflow channels that are also boulder filled and dry except after heavy rain.  Those boulder "garden'" steams are tough to wade; tough on the ankles, but worth it.  Heading east, the gradient is less, flows lessen and yes dams are a factor in some waters. 

What I found interesting about the streams and rivers as we headed back to Maine from NH and the White Mountains was how shallow and loaded with boulders they were, but as we went farther east they got deeper and looked better for holding trout. But there came a point where they became quite stagnant wide and shallow with little cover possibly due to dams?

[BigCort]

Might be time to buy live bait and anchor in at the edge of the current behind the cafe try 25 to 30 deep with a small slip sinker set with no drag bait is sold at Casle Inland or Bait Woods bait on Route 41 heading to Farmington not not my type of fishing but it works on mini splake

[taxid]

Might be time to buy live bait and anchor in at the edge of the current behind the cafe try 25 to 30 deep with a small slip sinker set with no drag bait is sold at Casle Inland or Bait Woods bait on Route 41 heading to Farmington not not my type of fishing but it works on mini splake

I did buy some minnows from Castle Island. Sewed one on behind a dodger, dropped down with the down rigger through marked fish down to 62 feet with no takers. That said a mini-dowrigger on a kayak isn't what it's cracked up to be. I didn't stick at it that long as setting the downrigger and trolling in the wind with the kayak wasn't a lot of fun even with the mirage drive. Could have kept at it for hours with the boat and outboard

Still had a good time away from the pressures of being self employed. And I did catch plenty of bass. Love your state and enjoyed myself. Icing on the cake were the too loons on the lake.

Now back home I need to run lines across my biggest pond on the farm, as while I was gone up to three Ospreys have been having a field day.  . A least I got the trout pond staked before I left.

I'm all for reintroducing extirpated species, but ospreys and otters are not conducive for running a successful fish farm. Actually not otters yet but I know it's just a matter of time. Now I know how sheep farmers feel about reintroducing wolves.

[taxid]

Same as last year but now three vs. one.

Truth be known they migrate south in the fall to the Mexican gulf coast and Central America and come north for the summer and northeastern Indiana is one area they nest in.  More and more of them as they reproduce. They were apparently reintroduced along with the otter much to the consternation of those of us that raise fish for living. With the otters anyone with a pond near a river or stream that has otters will find their ponds wiped out in short order.  Friend of mine lost $30,000 worth of large bass on his farm in southern Illinois to otters after they were reintroduced to a nearby reservoir. Was told by the Illinois DNR it's not their problem and don't you dare harm them. He's really frustrated. I have a feeling he will be pushed to breaking the law or go out of business. Trappers in his area aren't interested in live trapping them as there is no money in that.

Once I started farming I have a new respect and understanding of what farmers face while nature lovers are in ignorant glee.

[seamonkey84]

That’s a lot of loss! With otters around doing damage like that, it would be worth the investment to completely fence in the ponds. I wonder what they’d be saying when the otters get into the hatcheries that raise the fish that get stocked by the state. If they make exceptions for controlling the otters for the state hatcheries but not for other farmers, then that sounds like a lawsuit.

[9huskies]

I don't know about otters in Indiana's state hatcheries but one of Maine's hatcheries lost a lot of fish to minks a couple years ago. I don't think they did anything about it because it is basically a closed facility that was reopened while repairs were being done at another hatchery.

[taxid]

That’s a lot of loss! With otters around doing damage like that, it would be worth the investment to completely fence in the ponds. I wonder what they’d be saying when the otters get into the hatcheries that raise the fish that get stocked by the state. If they make exceptions for controlling the otters for the state hatcheries but not for other farmers, then that sounds like a lawsuit.

Fencing would be very labor intensive and expensive at th fish farm with the otters as he has numerous ponds. I'm thinking 15 or 16? There s a farm here I Indiana the reared goldfish. 200 + ponds and two 35 acre lakes for water supply!

If I see an otter I will not hesitate to shoot shovel and shut up. (3 S's) I can get a permit to do so but by the time I get the permit I'd be wiped out.