For Reservations Call The Maine Saltwater Fishing Hotline 207-691-0745

For Reservations Call The Maine Saltwater Fishing Hotline 207-691-0745

Maine Saltwater Fishing Reports Blog

Welcome to the Fish Blog & saltwater fishing reports page of TIDE CHASER GUIDE SERVICE & Capt. George Harris. We're looking forward to providing you with the most up to date inshore saltwater fishing reports on the Maine coast as the Maine Striper Fishing season goes forward into 2019!!! You wont find any generic"cut & paste" reports or info here...Just pure fishing!!!

TIDE CHASER provides friendly, professional guided fly & light tackle fishing trips.
We operate our fishing TRIPS in the Mid-Coast region of Maine, from Casco Bay to Penobscot Bay. This area features an astonishing 1000 miles of jagged, pristine coastline. We focus our efforts on the broad reach of the lower Kennebec river estuary & the outer boundaries of Casco Bay...with its countless thousands of acres of untouched saltwater flats, gnarly tides that rip over rocky structure and an intricate maze of backcountry channels, It's a fly & light tackle fishermans nirvana. On any given day we can be found fishing sandy beaches, ocean front ledges, coastal tide marshes or shallow hard bottom flats. Wherever the fish are!!! Whether it's on the fly...pitching plugs or live lining frisky live baits we've got you covered check out our website for all of our trip offerings...and stay tuned for some new trips options for 2019

Welcome to Maine's #1 Striper Fishing Blog with Capt. George Harris Call 207-691-0745

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Tide Chaser Guide Service Midcoast Maine's premier fly & light tackle guide service, fishing for Striped Bass, Mackerel & Bluefish , i~ USCG 100 Ton Master ~ Registered Maine Tidewater Guide ~ For reservations call 207-691-0745 ~

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Maine Shallow Water Striper Fishing With Capt. George Harris: What's Your Favorite Shallow Water Fish?

(A very happy fly angler with a beautiful shallow water Striped Bass)

What's your favorite shallow water fish to catch? I have many...Stripers of course but also speckled trout on the grass flats...gotta love throwin to a sand pothole and drawing a nice topwater strike, Snook cruising the first trough on the beach...need I say more!!!, Bones are okay but in my opinion just abit overrated except for the pure sight casting aspect...I haven't caught a big one yet so my opinion may change...Big Cudas are exciting and are not as dumb as many think. A 5wt flyrod and some small streamers make Ladyfish a blast...they're always willing to bite and make impressive and numerous leaps...what's not to like about that??? Redfish are another great shallow water species. Bluefish provide me with plenty of excitement anywhere...but when they're pushing and slashing through baitfish up on the shallow flats, now that's FUN!!!

These are some of my favorites...please tell me about yours.

Friend, Eric Peterson says ..."GT's wading on the flats, sight fishing hands down. Tarpon a close second, but nothing like the savage strike and speed. In shallow water they only have one place to run ....AWAY!"

Please post your comments...by signing on as a blog follower...And dont forget to place your favorite fish vote on my sidebar poll!!!

Tight Lines, Capt. George Harris

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing With Super Fly Charters



Let's go back in time for a recap of a guided Maine Striper fishing trip. (just to bring the excitement level up for the coming season!!!)

In the early morning darkness(O'Dark Thirty), I stand at the dock. The boat rigged & ready to go, fully loaded with all the gear, flies and other essentials. A shiny black SUV suddendly speeds into the empty parking lot and screeches to a stop, it's headlights temporarily blind me. Two sleepy Gore-Tex & fleece clad anglers stumble out with steaming cups of coffee in hand. After a short greeting, handshakes and obligatory safety discussion, we untie the 21' Parker and idle slowly away from the dock heading southeast into a dense but patchy fog, the sleep deprived anglers still grumbling to each other about the early hours that I keep . After idling roughly one hundred yards, I kill the engine and grab the pushpole, both anglers stare at me with that "what the heck are you up to" look. Without a word I simply point ahead at the scene unfolding on the glassy calm water....swirls, splashes, boils, wakes..."nervous water" all around us. Both anglers, now instantly awake grab the pair of 8 wt rods that I have stowed neatly in their under gunnel rod-tubes, frantically stripping line from their large arbor reels and both shouting where do we cast!!! I smile while casually replying...Anywhere!!! Long graceful loops of fly-line shoot outward towards the melee. The angler in the bow strips his fly twice and hangs a solid fish as the angler in the stern shouts I'M ON TOO!!! I quickly lip grab the first fish that comes to the boat and pop the clouser from its lip the second angler does the same with his fish, a quick photo and the fish are gently released into the fast ebbing tide. As we drift and pole along in 3 feet of water on the edge of this expansive flat we hook fish on almost every cast, the fish are so blitzed up feeding on juvie herring that they are oblivious to our presence.
In the distance I hear a familiar booming laugh, I look up & smile as I see fellow guide, Capt. Don Kleiner emerging from the fog, drifting along the same edge in his rugged red 20' Lund Alsakan...his angler on the bow struggling against a deep bend in his fly rod as he quickly brings the healthy sea bright Striper to the Boat for a quick photo & release.
And so it would go for the remainder of our half day trip...nearly every flat held numbers of feeding Stripers, never once did we repeat the same drift, I'm not one to leave fish to find fish...but on this morning, we were blessed....

stay tuned for fresh new reports!!!

A reminder as we move through February....Reservations have been coming in steadily. If you have an idea of when you'd like fish with me or if you would like to know which tides might be the best...please give us a call.

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com
Let's go back in time for a recap of a guided Maine Striper fishing trip. (just to bring the excitement level up for the coming season!!!)

In the early morning darkness(O'Dark Thirty), I stand at the dock. The boat rigged & ready to go, fully loaded with all the gear, flies and other essentials. A shiny black SUV suddendly speeds into the empty parking lot and screeches to a stop, it's headlights temporarily blind me. Two sleepy Gore-Tex & fleece clad anglers stumble out with steaming cups of coffee in hand. After a short greeting, handshakes and obligatory safety discussion, we untie the 21' Parker and idle slowly away from the dock heading southeast into a dense but patchy fog, the sleep deprived anglers still grumbling to each other about the early hours that I keep . After idling roughly one hundred yards, I kill the engine and grab the pushpole, both anglers stare at me with that "what the heck are you up to" look. Without a word I simply point ahead at the scene unfolding on the glassy calm water....swirls, splashes, boils, wakes..."nervous water" all around us. Both anglers, now instantly awake grab the pair of 8 wt rods that I have stowed neatly in their under gunnel rod-tubes, frantically stripping line from their large arbor reels and both shouting where do we cast!!! I smile while casually replying...Anywhere!!! Long graceful loops of fly-line shoot outward towards the melee. The angler in the bow strips his fly twice and hangs a solid fish as the angler in the stern shouts I'M ON TOO!!! I quickly lip grab the first fish that comes to the boat and pop the clouser from its lip the second angler does the same with his fish, a quick photo and the fish are gently released into the fast ebbing tide. As we drift and pole along in 3 feet of water on the edge of this expansive flat we hook fish on almost every cast, the fish are so blitzed up feeding on juvie herring that they are oblivious to our presence.
In the distance I hear a familiar booming laugh, I look up & smile as I see a fellow guide emerging from the fog, drifting along the same edge in his rugged red 20' Lund Alsakan...his angler on the bow struggling against a deep bend in his fly rod as he quickly brings the healthy sea bright Striper to the Boat for a quick photo & release.
And so it would go for the remainder of our half day trip...nearly every flat held numbers of feeding Stripers, never once did we repeat the same drift, I'm not one to leave fish to find fish...but on this morning, we were blessed....

stay tuned for fresh new reports!!!

A reminder as we move through February....Reservations have been coming in steadily. If you have an idea when you'd like fish with me or if you would like to know which tides might be the best...please give us a call

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Friday, February 20, 2009

Maine Striper Fishing With Super Fly Charters

Check our short pictorial trailer



As a way to constantly raise the bar for myself, I am always looking for ways to improve the services that I provide for my guests...Therefore starting in 2009 I will be including a music video pictorial of your guided trip at no additional cost...providing you with a lasting memories of your Maine saltwater fishing experience.

stay tuned for fresh new reports!!!

A reminder as we move through February....Reservations have been coming in steadily. If you have an idea when you'd like fish with me or if you would like to know which tides might be the best...please give us a call

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing With Super Fly Charters: Budget Gear: Make a Leaf Bucket Stripping Basket

We've all seen the fancy stripping barrels/buckets...I've owned them and used them...Take the line tamer for example..they work OK for a stripping bucket but better for a garbage can, which is exactly what I use mine for now....one big big problem is that they're very expensive $100.00-$150.00...yeah right...for a stripping bucket/glorified garbage can...I don't think so!!! Check out this alternative thats way more affordable...more portable too.

Leaf Bucket Stripping Basket
by George Anderson

photos by George Anderson


Make an inexpensive but effective stripping basket for your skiff in a few short steps.


ANYTHING THAT MAKES saltwater fly fishing easier gets my attention, and when Keith Tennant, a tarpon guide from Venice Florida, showed me this deal three years ago, I could see the tremendous potential, and refined Keith's original idea a bit to come up with the “Ultimate Stripping Basket” for your boat.

Using a stripping basket might not appeal to everyone, and it certainly didn't to me in the beginning. Every one I saw, I hated, as it was such a pain to use. There are some commercial stripping baskets like the “Line Tamer” on the market, and I've tried this one but it has three faults — it is too high, too narrow, and it cannot be collapsed for storage.

Keith showed me his “Leaf bucket” and I asked him where he bought it, and his answer surprised me — Target! For twelve bucks!

This is designed to be used as a leaf collector for gardeners — a container to stuff leaves, plants or other trash into. The top of the leaf bucket is covered but has a slit in it, so that the leaves won't blow out, and straps or handles that allow you to haul it around. The tricky part about these leaf buckets, and what makes them so desirable for a boating angler, is that they are collapsible, using fiberglass wands to make them spring to life, much like one of the new small backpacking tents.

Look for your leaf bucket at Target or K-Mart. Both of these stores carry them. (Editor's note: Shortly after this article was written, Target and K-Mart stopped carrying collapsible leaf buckets. However you can still purchase them at garden supply stores or online at Web sites like Fiskars 9405 Kangaroo 30-Gallon Gardening Container.) The first thing you want to do is to get a sharp pocketknife or a single edge razor blade and CAREFULLY remove the top. This is just a matter of cutting all the stitching. Then cut off and remove all the handles, straps and other junk to make it totally clean of anything that might hang up your line and cost you a 100 lb. tarpon!

The one big problem I could see that needed to be addressed was getting some weight in the base, so it didn't just blow off the deck of your skiff with the slightest breeze! Keith solved this by putting a plastic tube in the base filled with lead “egg” sinkers. Now, this did the job but as I found out, fishing with Keith that day, your running line could get jammed under the tube with the lead weights and this cost me a good shot at a nice tarpon when the last 20 feet of my line wouldn't shoot on a long cast!

I got thinking of how to solve the problem of putting some weight in the base, yet keeping the inside totally slick and clean, with nothing to hang up on, and then it hit me — plywood. I went down to Home Depot and picked up a half sheet of 3/4 inch pressure-treated plywood. Get AC plywood that is good and smooth on the one side you will have facing up that the line will lay on. This pressure treated plywood is much heaver than normal plywood, and is perfect for a saltwater application like this, and adds just the right amount of weight. I've fished many times now with the bucket on my casting deck in twenty to thirty mile an hour winds and it stays put.

Place the base of the leaf bucket down on the plywood; draw a circle around the base to give you the outside dimension. Then cut your plywood about an eight of an inch inside this line, all the way around, using a saber saw. After you make the cut, take some 80 or 100 grit sandpaper and smooth of the edges- actually round them a little in the process. This will take perhaps 15 minutes. Then all you have to do is to work the plywood down into the bucket, and you're done! This should be a tight fit, so that it won't come out. You'll never need to get it out! If you screw up, you'll still have enough plywood left over (with a half a 4 x 8 foot sheet) to make one more base.

The leaf bucket is just the perfect height for a stripping basket, coming to just below your knees. You can strip naturally, and when positioned correctly, your strips go right into the wide mouth bucket, no problem. I've found that if I can get my first strip or two started in the bucket, then the rest of my strips go right in without me having to look where I'm stripping. This is important since you need to be getting all your strips in the bucket especially when the wind is blowing like hell, or you are excited by that one hundred pound tarpon that is bearing down on you!

I've found that I use the bucket in a variety of ways and positions in the skiff. Obviously you want to use it up on the front casting deck and since I'm right handed, I normally position this to the left and a little behind my left foot. When the wind is blowing harder though, I often place it right between my two feet. It is important for you to move the bucket around in the direction you are casting. For example, if I'm in the bow, but casting off 90 degrees to the right, I'll pick the bucket up and position it on the right side, between my legs and slightly in front of me.

Here on the West Coast of Florida, where we are often using a bow mounted trolling motor, one angler can be up front, fishing and controlling the motor and another angler can fish very effectively out of the back of the boat at the same time. So I bring along TWO buckets! Fortunately these collapse and take up very little space in the bow compartment of my 17-foot Maverick Mirage flats skiff.

I've found that a great way to utilize the bucket when moving from one fishing spot to another is to just hook my fly in the stripping guide of my rod, then stow the rod in the boat rod rack, leaving all the stripped out line inside the bucket. I then collapse the bucket and stick it up in the bow compartment, line and all. The line will come out under the lid of my bow compartment, but this has never damaged the line in any way.

Another great way to use the bucket is when you are casting from the poling platform. Any of you that have tried this know what a problem you have with dealing with your shooting line back there. It wraps up around the prop, gets blown back and hooked around the steering wheel, or gets tangled around all the control cables to your motor. This can be a nightmare, especially when big fish are coming and you miss your first cast and have to restrip and make another cast in the wind.

With the bucket, I simply get my feet planted wide on the poling platform and stick the bucket between my feet. I try to position it slightly forward, as far as I can go without having it fall off the platform. This works perfectly. If you are fishing on your own and want to stake out, there is no better way to spot and fish to fish than by anchoring up or staking out from the bow to keep the boat pointed into the wind to reduce wave slap, and then get up and fish from the poling platform. Now you can see those fish approaching your stern a long way away, and make some seriously long launches from up there.

In late April this year I caught a 120 lb. tarpon while fishing off the poling platform while being guided by Boca Grande guide Austin Lowder. My other buddy Gerry was up front, casting from the bow. Needless to say, you don't want to try this if you are bouncing around in big waves or if your balance isn't good. Otherwise you could be taking an early bath!

George Anderson is a well-known fly fishing author and teacher. He owns The Yellowstone Angler fly shop in Livingston, Montana.

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Maine Striper Fishing Blog Report: Bear's Den 11th Annual Fly Fishing Expo

On Saturday, February 28 the Bear’s Den is having their 11th annual free fly fishing show. Once again it will be at the Holiday Inn in Taunton MA. Scott has Andy Mill, Olympic skier and 5 time Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament winner as the headliner. In addition there will be seminars, a bucket raffle, 60 booths of tyers and industry reps, and a place to cast that new rod you’ve been thinking about purchasing. A number of show-only specials will be announced at the event.

Bear's Den 11th Annual Fly Fishing Expo.
Saturday February 28th, 2009



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Holiday Inn Taunton (same as 2008)

11am - 7pm
Andy Mill Headlines!



(Doug Kilpatrick and Andy Mill hold a tarpon landed on fly tackle in eight minutes.)(Photo Bears Den)

5-time Gold Cup Tarpon Tourney Winner
2-time Olympian
Star of DVDs Chasing Silver & Andy’s Return


••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE SHOW
at 700 Myles Standish Blvd

For more info on the show click on www.bearsden.com

A reminder as we move through February....Reservations have been coming in steadily. If you have an idea when you'd like fish with me or if you would like to know which tides might be the best...please give us a call

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Maine fishing reports: Chevrolet Sebago Lake Derby


The Sebago Lake Rotary Club’s Maine Chevrolet Sebago Derby will be held on February 21st and 22nd 2009 and will once again be in cooperation with Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The tournament is intended to be a fish management tool targeting both invasive species along with illegally introduced species that are also considered invasive. Click here for entry fees. See our Sebago Derby map for weigh station locations.
Win This Boat!!!


Final rules are still to be published, but expect to see Togue (Lake Trout) and Pike to be the targeted species. The total prize pool for both derbies is currently over $60,000.00 including a new Chevy Silverado Truck. Watch for updates on the prize pool as we move closer to the tournament.

click here to register online

Maine Flats Fishing Striper Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com