Today was the opening day of open water fishing season here in Maine. I ventured out early this morning with Brent to see if we could pull a muskie out of the dark, frigid water. As I left the house, 18 degrees showed on the thermometer, and I knew we were in for some cold fishing. Luckily we didn't have to wait long for our first fish which rejuvenated our frozen spirits. The first fish was a 32" beauty which was a wonderful feeling on the fishing rod after a long winter of anticipation. The next one was a very heavy 34" fish which took the entire Rapala deep into its throat. As the sun rose, so did several other fishermen, and it wasn't long before the river looked like a marina. It was hard to find pristine casting spots as the boats plugged up the river. Several of the fellow anglers hooked onto some nice fish as well, with a couple of them pushing over the coveted 40" mark. It was a great start to what I hope will be a fish filled season! To top it off on the way out I found a large muskie that appeared to have been crushed by the ice. It was a hog of a fish that was over 43" long. It's unfortunate that this monster fell victim to the ice before I could hook onto it! Stay tuned for more upcoming action.
As a side note, I did not make it clear but these fish were all released. I would urge all of my fellow anglers to follow suit. Especially in light of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's refusal to manage this fishery. These fish are preparing to spawn and their healthy release is crucial to our future fishery!
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