Category Archives: Open Water Fishing

Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (August 1, 2023)

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Matt catches the very first smallmouth bass of the afternoon!

 

My 16-year-old nephew Matt flew in from away to spend some time in Maine learning to fish with his uncle. He is a total novice at the sport and I need to ensure that he catches and stays engaged! He cannot properly cast, nor can he aim with any degree of accuracy. I must therefore find a place where he can cast without the need to be accurate and where the fish are abundant and aggressive. I set my eyes on putting him on smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in front of the Otis hydropower station in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5). I have had good luck at this location in the past. Click here, here, and here for earlier blogs on this spot and for directions on how to reach it. Keep in mind that you will need a canoe or kayak to fish this section of the river.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kennebec River in Sidney, Kennebec County, Maine (July 22, 2023)

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That is about as big as a boat launch gets!!

 

The Kennebec River flowing through Sidney towards Augusta is the target of my angling ambitions this morning (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 13 A1). To reach the public access point, look for the blue boat launch sign on Route 104 in Sidney, drive down Recreation Lane, and drive past the baseball fields all the way to the water. The launch is improved and spacious and offers plenty of parking.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Durham, Androscoggin County, Maine (July 15, 2023)

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The lower reach of the Androscoggin River flowing through south coastal Maine is a favorite destination of mine for catching smallmouth bass (click here, here, and here for examples). The stretch of water between Lewiston/Auburn and Brunswick is packed with bronzebacks! And the most amazing feature is that I usually have this gorgeous water all to myself even though it is located in one of the most densely populated areas of the state.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on remote ponds in Southern Oxford County

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I admit to having a real soft spot for southern Oxford County, which I define here as the area located south of the Androscoggin River between Gilead and Livermore Falls and north of a line running between Oxford, Harrison, and Freyburg (i.e., essentially maps 10 and 11 in the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer between NH and the border with Androscoggin County). I have crisscrossed that entire sector of the state for well over a decade seeking isolated trout ponds and have always been amazed by its inherent beauty and remote character.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Cushman Pond in Sumner, Oxford County, Maine (June 19, 2023)

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It takes less than 15 minutes to walk from the first gate to Cushman Pond. Fortunately, the trail is well maintained and I can use my canoe wheels to bring in all the gear in one go.

 

Cushman Pond covers 15 acres and is found in Sumner, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 B3). To reach the pond, turn onto Bradeen Road from Bonney Road. Drive down Bradeen Road, which is a well-maintained gravel road, for 1.6 miles and turn left into an unnamed gated road (look for a wooden arrow with the number 346 nailed against a tree). Park by the locked gate and walk down the straight and well-maintained forest road to a second locked gate. Pass that gate and continue walking straight for less than 2 minutes, up a steep incline in the road, and look for a wide trail through the woods on the right. Walk down that trail for less than 5 minutes to reach the pond. The walk is about half a mile long and takes less than 15 minutes to complete. Keep in mind that you will also end up at the pond but trespassing by someone’s cabin if you do not turn right into the woods trail after the steep incline.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Little Concord Pond in Woodstock, Oxford County, Maine (June 11, 2023)

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The 3/4-mile foot trail leading to Little Concord Pond starts behind this kiosk.

 

Little Concord Pond covers 30 acres and is located in Woodstock, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11A1). To reach the pond, drive down Shagg Pond Road (note: the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer calls it Redding Road), pass the unimproved boat launch on Shagg Pond, and drive another 0.5 miles until you reach a small parking lot across from the wooden kiosk announcing Little Concord Pond State Park. The pond is another ¾ mile walk from the parking lot down an old closed-off tote road. While the first half of that trail is nice and smooth, the second half is bouldery and steep. As a result, anglers cannot use canoe wheels but must instead carry their craft on their backs. The launch by the pond is not immediately obvious. Fallen trees, floating logs, and aquatic bushes obstruct the area where the trail meets the pond. Instead, a discrete but steep foot trail along the shore to the left crosses over a small rocky knoll before reaching the actual launch which is surrounded by a dozen locked canoes.

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Fishing for brook trout on Abbott Pond in Sumner, Oxford County, Maine (June 10, 2023)

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You have reached your destination!

 

Abbott Pond covers 24 acres and is located in Sumner, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A1). Access to this pond is a challenge but well worth the effort! From Greenwoods Road in Sumner, turn onto Black Mountain Road (note: the Maine Gazetteer shows that Black Mountain Road splits off from Redding Road, but the road sign by Greenwoods Road reads Black Mountain Road… That confused the heck out of me). Black Mountain Road is paved at first but quickly turns into a gravel road and then into an ATV trail which is very rough in places. You will require a 4X4 vehicle or an ATV to make it all the way. Stay on the main stem of Black Mountain Road for 4.7 miles until you hit a “T” in the road, turn right and drive for 0.4 miles until you hit a “Y” in the road (look for the snowmobile club panel), then turn left and drive for another 0.7 miles until you see the yellow-painted metal gate to Abbott Pond on your right. The pond is an easy 5-minute walk down a good trail from that gate. Do NOT drive down Abbott Pond Road off Redding Road because it quickly transforms into a nasty ATV trail which crosses a small bridge that cannot accommodate larger vehicles, as I found out the hard way…

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Split Rock Pond in Bowtown Township, Somerset County, Maine (May 28, 2023)

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Split Rock Pond earned its name for the reason pointed out by Antony.

 

Split Rock Pond covers 6 acres and is found in Bowtown Township in Somerset County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). Five of us are spending four fabulous days during the long Memorial Day weekend fishing Pierce Pond for landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout, as well as some of the smaller water bodies in the surrounding watershed for brook trout. We are comfortably “glamping” in one of the cozy cabins at Cobb’s Pierce Pond Camp located on the shore of the lower basin of Pierce Pond. A critical benefit of staying at Cobb’s is that guests get access to the camp’s locked canoes that are stored by various local ponds, plus detailed directions on the trailheads that connect Pierce Pond to those water bodies. Our target pond for this morning is publicly accessible from land, although I do not know how to reach it via the old logging roads shown on map 30 A2.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Pierce Pond, Somerset County, Maine (May 27, 2023)

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One of my sons, two grandsons, a nephew and I are on our annual extended Memorial Day weekend fishing pilgrimage to Pierce Pond, located in the undeveloped wilds of western Maine in Somerset County, just east of Flagstaff Lake (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). We are staying for four days in one of the cozy cabins at Cobb’s Camps located in Lower Pond across from Lindsey Cove. One of the many aspects I love about staying at Cobb’s – besides the camaraderie among the guests who have been gathering at this place for decades, the good food, the friendly staff, and the authentic atmosphere – is the fact that reaching camp requires a boat. Also, the lack of electronic connections to the outside world allows everyone to unplug, slow down, and focus entirely on the business at hand, which is to catch salmonids!

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on Great Pond in Belgrade, Kennebec County, Maine (May 13, 2023)

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The boat launch is improved and spacious. It also includes an expansive parking area and a permanent out house.

 

Great Pond is a 5,239-acre body of water located in Belgrade, Kennebec County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 20 E4). To reach the public access point, drive north on Route 27 (Augusta Road) towards the town of Belgrade Lakes, turn right on Sahagian Road, drive for less than a quarter mile and then turn left on Boat Way Lane. Blue boat launch signs clearly indicate these two turn-offs. The spacious and well-maintained launch offers a hardtop boat ramp with plenty of parking. It also provides a permanent outdoor bathroom facility.

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