On The Water
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On the Water

The dramatic high water level this spring was followed by one of our driest summers ever. As if that drastic change wasn’t enough, October’s heavy rains pushed levels back to near record fall levels. Docks were late going in and those that weren’t out by Columbus Day were floating. The good news is there was plenty of water on both ends of the season to make boat ramp activity relatively easy ! Not sure if the high water was a factor but this spring’s bass fishing was amongst the best I’ve experienced on Tripp. Peak period was Memorial Day through early June and leveled off by mid-June.

Several anglers caught brown trout this spring and those that trolled deep caught them sporadically throughout the summer. My best trout of the year (actually…ever !) came on May 29th while fishing near the campground with Pete. We saw fish chasing bait a couple of hundred feet away. We weren’t sure what they were but they were big enough to warrant investigation. As we approached casting distance we both tied on Roostertails and started zeroing in on the disturbed water. My second cast got unconventional attention of two of the feeding fish. Two….very large….brown trout were swimming beneath the intersection of the line and the water trying to figure out if it was something to eat. When they figured it out, they drifted off like an unimpressed cat bored with an old toy. However, 2 seconds later the spinner entered their zone and one struck its new opportunity. Five minutes later I tailed the 24” trout, took a few pictures and released it. Pete continued to try to hook one of the other trout but after 10 minutes we decided to grab lunch and celebrate the memorable catch.

Rick Lundstedt with a 24" Tripp Lake Brown Trout

Got a chance to do some extra kayaking this season. Dell King and I made a few trips on the Little Androscoggin and one on the Androscoggin in Turner. Unfortunately the Little Andy was rendered impassable when the water dropped this summer but we’ll be back next year. The trips ranged from “marathon” to a few hours. Did a little fishing on the 2nd trip….just enough to convince me that the river should be fished enthusiastically on a subsequent outing. Anna and I did a short trip from the Rt 121 bridge, downstream to Hogan / Whitney ponds and back to 121. All the floats offer scenery, wildlife and various bird sightings… all within minutes of our home waters. If anyone is interested in joining us next year…let me know !

The annual striped bass trip to Casco Bay with Mike Shapiro and Richard Smith went way better than last year. We moved the date from mid-August to July 25th and fished an outgoing tide that afternoon. Captain Ben tried finding mackerel and Pollack for bait to start the trip but they were scarce. We used fresh mackerel that Ben had previously caught and they worked very well. We caught about 25 schoolies with Richard having the hot hand. I lucked out and got the largest (about 28”) and Mike caught several.…and picked the restaurant !

As is traditional during summer in New England, we had a few lobster and steamer dinners. The best and freshest were from Ken Grant on Meguire Hill road. He’ll tend his traps the day of your feast. Just give him a call (998-2744) a couple days before you want them. Can’t get much better than that !

Hope to get in a little ice fishing and hopefully a trip south sometime this winter. Hope you all have safe and happy holidays ! Come spring we’ll see you on the water !!

Richard Smith, Mike Shapiro and Rick Lundstedt with Casco Bay Stripers