Striped Bass

“Stripers” are a coastal migratory fish who travel from North Carolina up the coast to Maine and back. In Maine, we typically see stripers arrive in mid May, and leave the area around mid October. Striped Bass are more of a sport fish than table fare, and the Captain favors catch and release for many reasons.

I can remember as a kid- stripers were just not around to catch. In my teens, they began to make a rebound, and I have been lucky to enjoy fishing them for some time. Unfortunately, the striper population has been on the decline in recent years. In 2015, state regulations changed, and despite the advocacy of Maine Charter Captains for a stricter limit, the regulations were changed to the following:  a person may take and possess 1 fish per day over 28 inches in length.

I want to sustain this fishery, to provide enjoyment and fun for families for a lifetime. I want my daughter to have the opportunity to catch and release many stripers over her lifetime. For that reason, I do encourage catch and release.  I have implemented my own boat limit : 2 fish maximum harvest per trip between 28- 36 inches. But you can catch and release as many as we are able to get during the charter! I am trying to let the large female stripers live another day. Keep in mind- one striper in that slot limit will easily feed 6 or more people.

Groundfish

Cod, Haddock, Sea Pollock and other various species

This is the fishery for you if you are looking to fill the box with tasty fillets. They can be a lot of fun to catch -while they are not well known for terrific fights, you will get fun steady action more so than not.

This is an all day trip – offshore. Every season the regulations are a little different, the bag limits and seasons change year to year for these fish.

Sharks

Maine has an abundance of sharks mid summer to late fall. Blue Sharks, Shortfin Makos, Porbeagle, and Thresher make up the majority of sharks in our waters. These sharks range from 4 feet to well over 10 feet.

It can be an enjoyable day attracting the fish to the boat and trying to hook up for a fun fight. You never know what species and size shark will show up in your chum slick. Depending on the location we are fishing the day of the trip, sometimes we are able to groundfish while we wait.

Giant Bluefin Tuna

My first experience with Giant Bluefin Tuna was in 1995, and I have been chasing them ever since.   I was intrigued by their stamina and blistering runs. These are an amazing fish that will travel from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and points beyond. Along the way they are hunted by fishermen which makes them one of the smartest and more weary fish in the the ocean.

The fish we catch can range in size from 200 lbs up to 1000 lbs. It is great being a part of someone’s first experience hooking up to a BluefinTuna, they are typically astounded by their strength and stamina.  That being said, we are not given the chance to fight a Bluefin Tuna on every trip, there can be slow days and periods of down time. But when the rod bends it makes it all worth while.