Striped Bass Fishing Maine

STRIPED BASS: We specialize in striped bass, a great food and game species that migrates northward into Maine waters from the New York and Mid-Atlantic regions each May. Size ranges from a pound or so up to better than 40 pounds, but fish in the 5-to-15 pound class are the most commonly caught in this area, with a sprinkling of 20-plus pounders. Bigger ones are not unusual. Our largest charter-caught bass to date is 46 pounds, although we did catch a 53-pounder while standing in the surf at Reid State Park at the mouth of the Sheepscot River on September 18, 1982.

There is a "slot limit" in Maine for striped bass, whereby an angler can retain one striper between 20 and 26 inches (total length) per day. Alternatively (and this is an "either-or" situation), one bass over 40 inches may be retained per day. These larger fish, though, are females which can produce over five million eggs per season, so we encourage the release of all over-40-inch fish.

Our season for stripers runs from the middle of June through mid-October. Prime months are July, August, and September, although fall action can be spectacular –  some of our most productive days have been in October!

NEXT PAGE: Bluefish, Mackerel, Tuna, Flounder