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 ~

Monday, January 11, 2010

Maine Saltwater Fishing Reports 2010: Smelt Season a Maine Tradition!!!

The Smelt bite has been outstanding on the Great Salt Bay(GSB) of Maine's Damariscotta River...We've been fishing from one of our portable Shanties using jig rods equipped with spring bobbers and tiny ice jigs...the bait of choice has ranged from bloodworms to small pieces of shrimp.

A far cry from our beloved midcoast Maine Stripers...However...Every December, whole villages of smelt shanties spring up almost overnight...an official, if unnecessary, signal of winter’s arrival. Smelt fishing is a deep and dependable tradition on the state’s coast. As soon as the ice is thick enough, smelters drag their customized shanties onto the tidal rivers and sit inside them, stoking wood stoves and tending to baited lines that hang through holes in the ice.

"Ocean-going smelt enter our tidal waters as early as November and December. Anglers get serious about smelting in January and can fish for them into March. Fishing can be done from a pop-up ice shelter. This means taking an ice auger to get through the ice, as well as a stove to keep the chill off, bait, bucket, rods, hooks and other tackle. Everything has to be hauled out onto the ice because the ice is too unstable to drive a vehicle. The majority of smelt anglers like to rent a shack from a commercial smelt shack operation where most of the items are taken care of by the proprietors. Small mom-and-pop businesses emerge each year with as many as 50 smelt shacks for rent on the ice of tidal rivers. The cost to rent these shacks varies, with the range of price somewhere between $10 and $15 per person. Bait, hooks, lines, and sinkers are provided...we use our own specialzed jig rods. There is a wood stove in the shack to keep the occupants warm.

Cooking Smelt:
This species' meat is white, delicate and sweet flavored. Preparation for cooking often involves simply removing the head and entrails. Frying is an easy method for preparing smelt. Mix one cup of flour, corn meal or breadcrumbs and one teaspoon of your favorite seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake cleaned smelt in this mixture so that they are lightly dusted. Fry the fish in 1/8 inch of vegetable or olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the other. Drain the fish on paper towels and eat while still warm. Fried smelt are finger food, to be enjoyed plain or dipped in tartar or seafood sauces.

Throughout this season we'll be organizing daytime & evening smelting trips...A great weekend getaway for those of you in southern New England or for those of you looking to spend some quality time with the kids in an outdoor environment...Please contact us if you'd like to join one of our groups.

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

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