Maine Deep Sea Fishing Reports With Super Fly Charters & Capt George Harris

Deep Sea Fishing Trips In Maine: Part I of III...We'll cover Groundfish, Tuna & Sharks In This Three Part Series

(Part I: Bottom Fishing)
Growing up on the Maine coast I have been extremely fortunate in the amount of fishing that I have been able to do...Saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, surf fishing, tidal river fishing...for a huge variety of species...using everything from traditional tarred hand lines to the lightest fly & light tackle to the heaviest of offshore trolling gear...
Many, many years ago there were several party boats operating in & near the town I grew up in...boats like the famed "Shamrock" captained by local legend Bill Gargan, The "Henrietta" captained by John Earl and the "Dolphin" skippered by Ernie Rackliff...As a kid I was able to spend considerable time on all three of these boats...We always came in with a great catch...usually a mixed bag of bottom fish like Cod, Haddock, Flounder, Pollack...on occasion a fattie Halibut came over the rail. Mackerel & Bluefish provide great action too... Back in the day we mostly fished heavy norwegian style jigs and surgical tube teaser rigs with Penn "Long Beach" No. 65 conventional reels filled with thick 50-60# test monofilament line mounted on stout, solid fiberglass rods...workhorse gear that has earned it's salt on charter boats all over the world...gear that many anglers still use to this day

...fast forward 25 years...those rickety old party boats of my childhood are long gone and I now find myself more than a decade into my own career as a busy charter captain...part of that career has been spent on the offshore waters of midcoast Maine fishing for Cod, Haddock, Tuna, Shark & more...fishing many of the same grounds as the captains that guided me in my youth....Over the years advances in the tackle that we use have been huge...the heavy gear has been replaced by lightweight ultra modern equipment ...super thin braided fishing lines, compact high speed spinning & conventional reels and an array of "speed jigs" get the nod nowadays...The species remain the same but are now much more highly regulated due to decades of overfishing by commercial draggers & trawlers...the regulations are paying off and we are able to find consistent action....If you're looking for a way to get youngsters involved in fishing this is a great way to do it...lot's of action will keep their interest level high...
...lets go back to late October of 2010 to revisit one of my offshore Cod fishing adventures
....this will give you a great idea as to what to expect on one of these trips...
October 24th, 2010 trip report. After a long, productive and very fun season, the Striped Bass have all but left Maine waters...But hey...that doesn't have to mean that our saltwater fishing season has to end...Case in point was our groundfishing trip yesterday. Chris Oliver & John Coppola met me at the dock at 6:30 am...the air temp was chilly, in the low 30's, but we were dressed for the conditions....After going through my safety check list, We cast off our lines, left the dock and blasted down the St. George river at a brisk 30knot clip...we soon cleared the mouth of the river and left the Georges islands behind us as we headed across Muscongus Bay on flat ass calm seas, bound for some ledges ESE of Monhegan island. After a 40 minute run from the dock we arrived on the numbers and got set to drop our jigs into the depths below us...Chris was armed with a Shimano Stella 10000, Trevala butterfly jigging combo as well as an Avet lever drag reel on a butterfly jigging rod...attached to his leaders were 10 oz. Williamson vortex jig and teaser rig...John was set up with a Shimano Stradic 8000, Trevala butterfly jigging combo...John was using the standard 8-12 oz diamond jig with teaser rig...My rig was a Daiwa Saltiga 30 conventional reel mounted to a nomad travel rod with a diamond jig teaser rig...All the tackle that we used is not the traditional broomstick gear commonly associated with bottom fishing, rather we use very sensitive & lightweight yet extremely powerful graphite rods that are a joy to use for hours on end...the ultrathin braided superlines loaded on our high speed reels allow us to feel the lightest of bites even in depths of several hundred feet!!!...Our first drop was in about 90 feet of water...As soon as our jigs hit bottom they are hammered immediately and all three of our rods are thumping with the weight of nice fat 8-10 pound keeper sized cod...This action would continue for several hours as we methodically worked the structure below...often our jigs would get nailed on the drop so it was important to keep a watchful eye on the line as the jigs rocketed toward the bottom...if the line stopped moving, it was because a cod had slammed the jig on the fall...when this happened, we quickly engage the drag and set the hook on the fish...most of our strikes came on the jig itself but many hits were on the teaser, we even had some doubles where we caught cod on both the jig and teaser. Along with the dozens of cod that we caught we also caught Pollock, Acadian Redfish and a few other rockfish species...At the end of the day everyone went home with some nice filet's and some sore arms to show for it

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

Stay Tuned To Our Super Fly Charters Blog in 2011 For Saltwater Fishing Reports & Guided Trip Info From The Kennebec, Casco Bay & Southern Maine Regions

Expect more of the same great things from Super Fly Charters in 2011...As usual...We'll be be publishing some of the most dynamic, up to date saltwater fishing reports on the Maine coast...please check out our archives from the last several seasons to see what we're talking about or check out the archived report example at the bottom of this post!!! You'll see tons of fishing reports with current pictures...What you will not find here is a bunch of useless, bore you to tears, "copy and paste", garbage that gets published on some fishing blogs???...If you want honest and accurate local saltwater fishing reports...coming directly from a lifelong Maine fisherman and full time Registered Maine Tidewater Fishing Guide...look no further, please stay tuned to the latest info from our daily charters on the Kennebec river and from regions across the State...Follow our progress online as we tirelessly pursue Striped Bass, Bluefish, Cod, Tuna & Shark...all on fly & light tackle gear!!!
Or Better Yet...Come Join us for a tide or three!!!...We're still quite aways out on the 2011 season, so there is still lots of time to get your dates nailed down...

(Example From The Archives: July 21st, 2010)

Maine's Kennebec river is producing some of the best Striped Bass fishing in the State of Maine right now!!!

Today I had the privilege of guiding, Florida Key's guide & Co-host of Versus TV's saltwater fishing show "Saltwater Experience", Capt. Rich Tudor...He seemed intrigued about our ripping currents and big tides so we set the date....After meeting in Bath we headed off to one of the many ledges that have been so productive for us...A quick explanation of what we were going to do and we went lines in...10 seconds later...we were into our first Striper of the morning...next drift we get slammed again...then again and again...Ok Capt. Rich is clearly impressed by our fishery now. We continue to work the area for another hour or so before blasting off downriver chasing the tide...as we slide into the next rip immediately our rods are torqued way over with the weight of hard running stripers. Next drift another double...then a triple....wow...When I crawled out of bed this morning at 3:00am to get prepped fro the trip, I knew that we were going to have a great trip...As always, It was nice to have the chance to showcase the wonderful Striped Bass fishery that we have here in Maine...I didn't let the opportunity pass...Captain Rich got to see first hand what we see on a daily basis as we slid into drift after drift only to be greeted by powerful tugs sreaming drags and rods bent to the grip...

A little info on Versus show "Saltwater Experience" -Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor have won over 200 tournament titles and 7000 + professional, guided days between them. Join them as they share their knowledge of inshore and offshore saltwater fishing in a fun and educational format. Utilizing the latest HD camera equipment and the most skilled production team in outdoor television, Saltwater Experience highlights the natural beauty of the Florida Keys as well as the indigenous wildlife above and below the water. Don't miss Saltwater Experience on Versus!

Maine' Premier Saltwater Fishing Guide Service
Super Fly Charters
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
Super Fly Charters Facebook Page
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Report: Super Fly Charters

(baitwell full of live sardine chummers)

I have an unhealthy addiction...My Wife has threatened divorce, threatened to kick me out of the house...During the long fishing season, My duties as a husband & home owner are grossly neglected, this affliction contributes to sleep deprivation & I exhibit zombie like symptoms. I have sought medical help from the best doctors...I have gone to support group meetings, have even tried hypnosis and witch doctor remedies, yet my addiction perseveres...I'm addicted to chum...I love chum...That's right I said it...I love chumming...I love live chumming or chunking chum...I love creating a huge baitball beneath my boat with my magic potion...igniting blitz conditions with my chum creations is a beautiful thing...I love making fish bite even when they've already gorged themselves, forcing my will upon them!!!...I love chum...I love making chum...ok the last one was a stretch!!! It's a smelly, messy job but the rewards overcome the torturous job of making it. Many of my friends share this addiction...their families know what we're going through...we'd like to thank you for sticking with us during these tough times.
When it comes to chumming...You can plug your nose but please don't turn your nose up at it...It's a fun, productive way to catch loads of fish...
...Those that know us know that we go to great lengths to catch all of our own bait...we travel miles & miles out of our way to secure a healthy supply...catching our own bait means that our day begins well before sun-up...hours before we meet our clients at the dock...having a good supply of chum is paramount to making bait so it's only natural for us to grind our own chum. We have a big #32 grinder mounted to a cutting board on a gimbal that slips into one of our gunnel mount rod holders...we can process up to 5# a minute...first it's coarse ground like a smelly version of ground chuck then we pack it into quart and gallon sized freezer bags as well as in 5 gal buckets for offshore use...A chest freezer keeps everything freshly frozen and ready for use...Not only do we use ground chum...but we also brine and carefully freeze whole baits such a Herring, Mackerel, Smelt & Menhaden...These popsicles can be used whole or as chunk chum...or even as hook baits...Did I mention that I love chum!!! The ways that we use chum is almost endless...drifting the open ocean with a block of chum over the side can bring in all sorts of critters....the pungent scent trail draws in everything from bait to large pelagic predators...the first arrivals are usually herring & mackeral...we keep a rod rigged with a sabiki handy to catch these baits...by doing this we can continously supplement our chum line with fresh bloody chunks and stunned livies...and it's a fun way to pass the time...When using our frozen block chum...we can control the amount of chum dispersed by using different mesh sizes on our chum bags...we also make a slurry by taking a frozen block of chum and mixing it with menhaden oil & seawater in a 5 gallon bucket...this stinky bloody concoction is then ladled over the side of the boat in small doses.
In the tidal rivers and in the rips...broadcasting handfuls of chopped chunks around the boat stimulates the schools of Striped Bass & Bluefish...sometimes it takes a drift or three before the chum starts to work but it inevitably happens...Drift a hooked chunk or livie through the chumzone and your gonna get bit...like clockwork!!!
On the flats when we have fly or light tackle anglers aboard...we often use live chummers...thats right if we are in an area that we know is holding fish...we slowly start to disperse live herring or spike macks...one at a time at first and when the fish wake up...we pitch a handful of livies out...thats when the magic starts...The stripers key in on the stunned baits...all the angler needs to do is pitch the fly or lure in the general area that the bait was delivered and hold on tight we can often bring big stripers to within a rod length of the boat...Throwing a handful of stunned baits against a sod bank patrolled by hungry stripers is lethal...and all of this can happen in some incredibly shallow water...another shallow water trick is to bridle a hookless livie under a float, either a balloon or a styrofoam ball, and watch for the swirls as the gamefish tries to eat the tethered bait...this is usually a team effort...one angler on the teaser rod, one angler with the hook rod...a a fly angler casting topwater crease fly or an angler throwing a spook type bait near the float is going to be in for a thrill as the lit up Bass switches from the live teaser to the fly or lure...YUP I LOVE CHUM!!!

Maine' Premier Saltwater Fishing Guide Service
Super Fly Charters
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
Super Fly Charters Facebook Page
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Striper Fishing Guided Trips & Reports On The "Social Network" Facebook

Maine Saltwater Fly & light Tackle Fishing Reports With Capt. George Harris & Super Fly Charters On Facebook

Many of you already know this...but for those of you who do not...Over the past couple of seasons we've switched some of the focus of our reel time fishing reports from our site here at blogger to the social networking giant, Facebook...We've done this for a number of reasons....mostly because the majority of my report readers and anglers spend more of their time on Facebook and it's much easier for them to pop in and check out what's happening with us at Super Fly Charters...By checking our reports regularly, if the bite is hot there is less chance that you'll miss it...another reason for the facebook reports is that we get to control who reads them...(The Good)we have some truly great guides in the area that I fish and most of us share valuable info...I treasure those friendships...but unfortunately in this competitive business,(The Bad)we also have a glory hound guide or two that quite simply put, does not know how to mind their OWN business.(dude...let some of the air out of your head)..hahaha...Seriously...I really do not care that other guides read my reports blog and website...everyone is welcome here...But if you're that rare individual that can't mentally handle what I do or what I post on my website...uncheck my website from the favorites list on your ipad and DON'T READ IT...(The Ugly)I have absolutely no patience for that type of thing...And those guy's,(we all know who you are) will NOT be privvy to the info or anything else that I choose to share!!!...During the season we spend incredible amounts of time on the water and it often becomes difficult to maintain this blog....we still do our best to make current reports here but if you really want to stay connected you can follow our daily progress on our Super Fly Charters Facebook page...With the huge advances in the technology of "smart phones", My guests and myself can post incredible pictures and videos of our big catches to our Facebook pages almost as they happen....it's a great way for all of us to share in the excitement with all of our friends and family!!!

To follow us on our Super Fly Charters Facebook Page...Please click the link badge on our sidebar or the link on our SFC website....when you get a second check out the hundreds of fishing photos that we have posted on FB...we have tons of Maine fishing pictures as well as pics from anglers at exotic fishing destinations around the world...we're really looking forward to seeing all of you posting your Super Fly Charters catches on there!!!

Maine' Premier Saltwater Fishing Guide Service
Super Fly Charters
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
Super Fly Charters Facebook Page
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Saltwater Charters & Reports: Striper Fishing On The Kennebec River With Capt. George Harris

Looking for a day of saltwater fishing on the coast of Maine in 2011? We've got you covered!!!

Full And Half Day Fly & Light Tackle Fishing Trips For Striped Bass, Bluefish, Mackeral, Cod, Tuna, Sharks And Much More...All Bait, Tackle & Licenses Provided.

GIVE US A CALL TO RESERVE YOUR DATES!!! 207-691-0745

Maine' Premier Saltwater Fishing Guide Service
Super Fly Charters
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
Super Fly Charters Facebook Page
www.superfly-charters.com

Maine Saltwater Fishing Charters With Capt. George Harris & Super Fly Charters

Maine Striper Fishing Guided Trips

WOW...SNOW...SNOW...SNOW...And lot's of it...Knee deep, light, powdery stuff...the kind of rare snow that's perfect for outdoor activities like skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling...take advantage of it!!!Yup...We survived the latest monster blizzard that terrorized us up here on the coast of Maine and we're now firmly locked in winters icy's grip...but that doesn't mean that we're not busy getting ready for the 2011 season. We have a ton of work to do!!!We have lots of equipment to do annual maintenance on...we need to restock on line, leaders, lures and other misc. tackle...Our fly boxes need to be re stocked with killer patterns....and we need to assemble a list of projects to get the boat ready to splash...
Another part of the off season is making sure that you all get your trips booked with Super Fly Charters...so far, thats been pretty easy!!! I have had a few questions lately from folks that want to know what the most productive methods are for our Striper trips...that's a great question...with many different answers...Without a doubt, the most productive technique day after day is live lining frisky baits...it's a fact that no one can argue...however we also pursue Striped bass with an array of fly & light tackle artificial baits which can also be very productive...Some days, skipping jigs and swimbaits off the bottom in 20-40 feet of cannot be beat, while other days working current washed rocky shoreline structure with flies or soft plastics gets the nod...some days we're crushing fish on the shallow water sand, mud or eelgrass flats...a variety of factors come into play and it all centers on what baits the fish are keyed on...sometimes the fish are gorging on tiny sandeels, silversides or grass shrimp...other times it's a worm hatch when they wont even look at anything but a sand or bloodworm...maybe a herring or squid run that has the fish jacked up..We still have good a good run of Striped Bass but on occasion we are faced with a slow bite...it's on those tough days that it's up to your guide to crack the code...On every trip we always have ALL the equipment aboard including a bait tank full of tasty livies...what does this mean for the angler...NO EXCUSES!!! In the unusual event that we're not catching fish...it just means that the fish are simply not eating during that stage of the tide...they call it "fishing" for a reason...that's where having the right tools aboard comes into play...we can often save the day by coaxing a dead bite into a full blown blitz just by employing a few simple techniques....When an angler books a trip with Super Fly Charters...I really value the short time they are with us...our goal is to provide the best chance for success in that short 4, 6 or 8 hour window.
When I get a call or email asking if we can sight fish for Stripers or catch a Tuna on a topwater plug....my answer is always..."sure that is possible"...The Tuna bite can be epic but not always dependable and Granted, for sight casting on the flats the conditions can typically be good to very good...but it's also a very good possibility that the conditions won't be remotely good enough for sight fishing...I know that most of us saltwater inshore anglers all love to sight fish for Stripers with fly or light tackle...it's a blast for sure, but let's face it...we don't always have the conditions to allow for it here in Maine...wind, turbid water, cloudy conditions, fog for weeks on end can all hamper the sight fishing game...These are the times when the guide needs to switch gears and they need to do it quickly or you the angler suffers...This past summer an elitist comment from a competing guide has stuck in my head and sort of reinforces the way that we approach guiding, After telling a group of guides and anglers after a fly fishing only tournament (that "Team Super Fly" just happened to place 1st in!!!) how successful we've been using live baits over deep ledges...one guide in the group proclaimed, rather arrogantly, that he'd rather watch paint dry than fish livies on light tackle...hmm...a very interesting philosophy I thought to myself...but hey, I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion...to each their own...To me...it's not about fishing with the methods that I prefer...rather putting my anglers on fish...and it could be any species of fish...which I guess, to most anglers is the whole point at the end of the day...I kinda felt sorry for captain crab fly's anglers as I thought to myself...while those guys are watching paint dry and struggling to get a well fed fish to eat a clump of feathers and listening to the guides endless excuses as to why the bite is turned off (wrong sun angle, too much sea weed, water too dirty, water too clear, water too cold, water too warm, too much bait, full moon, new moon, small tides....etc...etc hahaha)...we're hammering away on fish using alternate methods...even during the brightest dog days of summer...We're on the water everyday and have the experience to advise you as to what methods or species that we should pursue...It's one thing if fly fishing is the only method you use and you realize that it presents a different set of challenges...but the average fly angler isn't married to the long rod and will mix it up when necessary...either way it's all about having a fun day on the water....just with an added challenge...hahaha!!!

This winter...We're also planning to make appearances at various sporting shows on the east coast...this season I'm even traveling out of the country to the Canadian city of Montreal to attend a sporting show....Since many of my gusts are from Quebec...it just makes good sense!!!

Reservations have been coming in at a good pace and fortunately for us, that means that we're going to have another super busy season.

What's Hot Right Now: Reports indicate that the Smelts have been biting well...if you'd like to give this fun winter activity a try please get in touch with me...I do a handful of guided trips on the hardwater during the winter months...We have the equipment and the know how to make this a fun experience for you!!! Please inquire for pricing

Also don't forget to stay connected with us to get the most up to date saltwater fishing reports on the Maine coast by joining us on our Super Fly Charters Facebook page....during the season we'll be posting our big catches as they happen...It's easy and free to join...just click the link on our sidebar!!!


Maine Striper Fishing Guide
Capt. George Harris
207-691-0745
Super Fly Charters Facebook Page
www.superfly-charters.com