Maine Saltwater Fishing report 7/28/08

Guy Jasmin of Bowdoin Billiards & his son with a nice double hookup caught 7/27/08

This week we have caught some nice stripers using livebaiting techniques...drifting baits deep over ledges has been productive...

the Codfishing has been good offshore with numerous keeper fish being caught.

Our Kids fishing trips have been outstanding...The kids have been going out of their minds over this trip...many youngsters have convinced their parents to book the next trip with me before we return to the dock.

We have also teamed up with other top midcoast guide service's to offer "learn to flyfish on saltwater" trips....these trips offer a well instructed mini course on the grass before we take the lesson to the water...where you can actually catch fish on your first time out!!!

For more info or to make reservations call today!!!

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine fishing report 7/23/08

Nicholas Naylor-Leyland with an Ocean Pout that slammed a pink Smith Nagamasa jig in 90 feet of water. Wiliamson "Benthos" & "Abyss" deep Jigs have been slaying fish too

(left)Young Forrest Langhorne struggles to heft his Striper, Over the last few years I have had the pleasure of guiding three Generations of the Langhorne clan.

(right)Nicholas Naylor-Leyland with one of many Keeper codfish caught over the past week using deadly "Butterfly" jigging techniques












This past week we have run the entire gamut of Maine saltwater sportfishing charters. From inshore Stripers to chasing big pelagic fish & groundfish offshore...We've done it all!!!

Starting with the Striper bite...we have had excellent results drifting with live bait, Mackeral/Herring, landing numerous fish over 30 inches. I have found that by targeting fish over deep water ledges, we can catch fish all day long, not huge numbers but steady fishing on bigger fish!!!...low light conditions have not been as important as they would be when fishing skinny water...tidal flow is everything. Fly fishing has produced some nice fish...remember to have lots of patience when targeting these fish in "thin water" you wont get lots of chances to fool that big striper into eating your fly....make every cast count!!!

The "nearshore" Bluefin Tuna fishing has slowed over the past few days....we have seen the water temperature drop several degrees from temps in the 64-66 degree range to 58-60 degree range. Several giants have been landed locally....With the massive amounts of baitfish that have been holding off the ledges...I expect the influx of "Football" Bluefin tuna to arrive any day now.

Groundfishing for Cod has been excellent...we have done numerous trips over the past week...all of them very succesful. Butterfly jigging technique have accounted for almost all of our fish. I recently guided Doug S. & his good friend Mike, Capt. of the Bermuda based "Mojo", a 35'Cabo tournament billfish boat. Capt. Mike was consistently raising codfish 20+ feet off the bottom before they slammed the jig using the high speed "Butterfly" jigging technique

The family/kids trip remains very popular. This trip is a great way for a family to spend quality time on the water and is perfect for introducing youngster's to the saltwater sportfishing world.

Please contact us for more info regarding any of our trips.!!!

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper, Tuna, Cod fishing report 7/18/08

Tory Lentine with his first Codfish caught while "butterfly" jigging(*note the well worn Smith Nagamasa jig hanging from the lip of his cod...this lure has been a slayer)

Oliver Lowe with his personal best Striper



The Striper fishing has been pretty good for this past week...fishing with live Mackeral/Herring has produced good numbers of keeper sized fish. Fly fishing has been a little bit tougher but early morning starts and also evenings have produced.

On the Tuna front...Large Tuna continue to terrorize the nearshore ledges with several fish over 400 pounds being landed locally...we have seen fish that have been in the 150-200 pound class. Early morning's have the tuna blitzed up on massive baitballs.

*CCA Speaks out on the plight of Bluefin Tuna

HOUSTON, TX- The Coastal Conservation Association Board of Directors is calling for Atlantic harvest levels of bluefin tuna to be reduced to levels supported by science and is urging the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to require all member nations to adopt such quotas by emergency action. If ICCAT refuses to do so, CCA believes that the only alternative is a complete closure of the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery and an international curtailment of trade. The call to action was outlined in a letter from CCA National Chairman Walter W. Fondren III to Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. "Many marine scientists believe bluefin are on the verge of a stock collapse, and there are indications here in the US that the stock has already crashed," said Robert G. Hayes, CCA general counsel. "Sometimes all you are left with is the truth, and the painful truth now is that nothing less than emergency action can reverse the years of overfishing that resulted from exceeding quotas that in themselves were set too high." Tuna range throughout the Atlantic from the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Mexico. As one of the most valuable fish in the sea, bluefin tuna are targeted throughout their range by the fishing fleets of many nations while fishery managers on either side of the Atlantic have been unable or unwilling to agree on an effective recovery plan. Catches from the eastern stock of bluefin, spawned in the Mediterranean, have exceeded scientific advice by almost 400 percent for at least the last five years. Rebuilding plans for the western stock, spawned in the Gulf of Mexico, have also been a complete failure, with the U.S. unable to catch its quota for the past three years. "The focus has been on the business side of this fishery for far too long and greed has been the driving force in its management," said Charles Witek, vice chairman of CCA's National Government Relations Committee. "CCA has long known that focusing on anything other than the health of the resource is the first step to ensuring its demise. Bluefin are another tragic example of what happens when you put business and fishermen first." The moratorium would have to be adopted by the member nations of ICCAT, a United Nations chartered fishery organization responsible for the conservation of such recreationally and commercially important species as tuna, swordfish and marlin in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. The organization was established by treaty in 1969 and is the only organization that can undertake the range of work required for the study and management of tunas and other key migratory species in the Atlantic. "As is so often the case, the American fisherman is not responsible for driving bluefin tuna to the brink of collapse, but they are going to have to be a part of the solution to salvage what is left," said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA's Gulf fisheries consultant.

Cod fishing on the nearshore ledges has been truly outstanding...we've done several trips this week...double & triple hook-ups are commonplace, we've landed several fish over 30 inches...All caught while using butterfly jigging techniques. Pollack, wolfish, and other groundfish have all come over the rail during these trips.

This morning we were fortunate enough to witness a massive 400-500# ocean sunfish (mola mola)basking itself on the surface as whales rolled all around us.

Our kids trip remains very popular...

Ask for details & availability on all of our trips.

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing report 7/13/08

John & Bill Coppola with a nice pair of Maine Striped Bass caught 7/13/08


Wow...the Tuna are starting to light up...The striper fishing is starting to light back up....It's fun to be a fishing guide again. After pulling the plug on a tuna trip early this morning due to high winds, we decided to do a little striper fishing before bagging it for the morning...around mid morning we decided to go back out on the river despite the rough/windy conditions...we had a livewell full of bait(herring/mackeral). On the first spot we drop our baits to the ledge below...BAM!!! Double Hook-up on a pair of slot sized fish. Next drop went a little deeper...BAM...BAM...another double...two rods are bent to the grip with nice fish...the heavy current aiding these fish....After a good battle the first fish comes to my hand while the the second fish is still screaming line out. After a quick photo the first fish is released, a 33" Striper. Soon after the second bass rolls up to the boat it's broad tail slapping water as it tries to dive one last time...I'm not having any of that as I thrust my hand into its bucket mouth and lift this fish from the water for another photo. this one tapes out at around 38"...what a beauty...we managed several more nice fish before we were finished. we're starting catch a few nice fish...Stay tuned for more reports.

To book a trip call us today...

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine "Football" Bluefin Tuna report...we're on the board

Closing the distance on Blitzed up Bluefin tuna...getting ready to make the cast!!!

Our trip that was scheduled for this morning bailed out at the last moment...Boy did they make a big mistake!!! My back up crew of Joe & Chris were waiting at the dock for me this morning. We splashed the boat and after quickly filling the livewell with a couple dozen tinker macks(aka "Tuna Crack"), We made our way offshore. After a wide open run on FAC seas we came to a spot that normally holds tuna all season long...we slowed to an idle and we were instantly surrounded by rolling whales & dive bombing Gannets...my heart starts to beat a little faster...enormous balls of nervous baitfish stretch all across the surface...my pulse quickens further...then it happens...the water not 100 feet in front of the boat explodes as dozens of ravenous 150-200+ pound tuna blast through the surface, ripping huge holes in the glassy ocean surface. The three of us freeze like deer caught in the headlights...I take a few deep breaths then try to assess which direction the tuna are headed...straight for us...perfect...We grab a couple of heavy spinning rods, one armed with a small metal jig the other rigged with a Heru Skipjack 60 popper. Both casts are right on the money...the metal goes untouched while the popper is demolished with a brutal slash from the tuna...it's fins creating a high spraying arc of water as it closes in for the kill on the noisy popper. Several minutes later with a nearly empty spool, we begin to gain line & with heavy pressure and a pumping retrieve the Tuna comes to boatside for a release. We had several more hook-ups casting to Tuna Blow-ups before the tuna went down....stay tuned for more info!!!


Also a drop with butterfly jigging gear on one of the offshore ledges quickly resulted in bent rods...The Cod bite turned into a bailfest after the Tuna bite shut down. No big cod but plenty of action.

Will report more Tuna findings tommorow...weather permitting

Capt. George Harris
www.superfly-charters.com
207-691-0745

Maine Striper fishing report 7/10/08

A very happy 9 year old Omar Dahrouch "Mackeral Mayhem" 07/06/08 ~ Tim Raines with his first ever Striped Bass, a healthy "slot sized" Keeper caught 07/08/08










We've been finding some nice Stripers early in the morning and late evenings around sundown...By taking our time and really working an area we've caught some nice fish over 30 inches. Typical run & gun style fishing has not been overly effective...finding schools of fish and working them has been key. The stripers on the flats seem to be feeding heavily on shrimp & crabs...keep that in mind while out fishing...we're not seeing the big blitzes when the Bass are feeding on Herring...finesse fishing is the name of the game.

Bluefin Tuna fishing is starting to pick up locally, especially on the bigger fish. The little 50-100 pound fish should be making their annual appearance any day now. Reports show that several Giant Tuna have been taken by the commercial fleet.

Ravenous alligator sized Bluefish are set to invade the mid-coast region...I've already had several of the "yellow eyed demons" in the boat...it's time to break out the wire leaders!!!

We've also done a few more of the Kids "Mackeral Mayhem" trips...I just cannot believe how much fun we have had on these trips!!!I have received several call from parents telling me that the kids are still bragging about all the fish they caught!!!

Call us today to set up a reservation.

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper fishing report 7/8/08

"Master Angler" Ben Lowe with a couple of fat Stripers caught this Morning off Mid-Coast Maine...a 28" & 31"...not quite the 33" he caught with me last season but pretty close!!!



We experienced some better fishing today, we found some nice sized fish too!!!...Ben Lowe, in his fourth season fishing with me scored some nice fish up to 31"...An Early morning start proved to be very important...our very first cast brought a 31" Striped Bass to boat...Second cast, a 28" Striper, then a pair of fat Slot sized fish followed. While the fishing still remains slow across much of the Maine Coast, we still are managing to find some fish for our clients.

Our Kids fishing trips have been very popular...non stop "Mackeral Mayhem" action has been putting smiles on many young anglers faces, parents too!!!(see sidebar)

Last night's "Evening Blitz" trip with Maine DIF&W regional Biologist Allen Starr was cut a little short as we had to come to the aid of a Lobsterman in mechanical distress...it's not the first time I've had to play Tug Boat Capt...That commercial assistance towing endorsement on my USCG 100 ton master lic comes in handy every once in awhile ....Oh well, We'll get them next time Allen!!!

Also, a few days ago, while roughly 12 miles offshore we ran into a small school(6-8 fish) of Giant Bluefin Tuna. These fish were just cruising the surface, not feeding, just simply basking in the sunshine. while we didn't have the appropriate gear aboard for these big boys, we did manage a couple of casts to them without even a look. Whales were rolling all around us and good numbers of Gannets were searching for bait balls on the surface. It's Just a matter of time before the "football" tuna come screaming up the coast...We'll be there waiting!!!
Reservations comntinue to come in for the 2008 season. Call today to set up a time.

Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper fishing report 7/3/08

Client Mike Walsh with a respectable 5# slot fish caught on topwater 7/2/08





We're definetly seeing some improvements in the Muscongus Bay area Striper fishery.
The fishing has been best near the bottom of the tides fishing along the edges of the mud flats in 1.5-3.5 feet of water. I've been spending a considerable amount of time in these area's...most of it spent poling the skinny after waking fish. We're not seeing huge numbers of fish, but we are seeing some nice slot size fish, some bigger than slot too!!! From what I have been finding the fish have been feeding on tiny grass shrimp, despite the large amount of herring available to them. Crab & shrimp type flies will work...weirdly enough...topwater baits have been producing violent strikes. It's time to bust out my secret shrimp gurgler fly that I originally designed for night time Snookin' in South Florida.
On the spin...rebel jumpin' minnows, zara spooks & chug bugs have been working well.

Reservations continue to come in for the 2008 season...ask for our "Early Bird" & "Evening" Blitz trips. Call today to set up a time!!!

Capt. George Harris
www.superfly-charters.com
207-691-0745