The boat launch by the dam at Mill Street is unimproved and parking by the road is limited
Panther Pond is a 1,439-acre body of water located in Raymond, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2). This lake can be reached by boat via two public access points: one is located at the dam by the outlet on Mill Street; the second is represented by the public launch on Crescent Lake but requires navigating for about 15-20 minutes through the shallow and meandering Tenney River. I choose the former this morning. Keep in mind that the Mill Street access point will be closed between June 1 and September 2024 due to dam renovation work. Also, that boat launch is unimproved and offers only limited parking space for vehicle with trailers along the shoulder of Mill Street.
This first fish tells me that the State has succeeded in establishing a landlocked salmon fishery in Panther Pond.
Panther Pond is a well-developed lake connected to Sebago Lake via Panther Run. For several decades, the state stocked it each spring with 450 juvenile 7- to 8-inch landlocked Atlantic salmon to try to establish a fishery. That effort failed and resulted in poor/no returns to the angler. I know because I trolled this lake for salmon multiple times in the past and got consistently skunked, except for catching hordes of fat white perch. So, I gave up and instead focused on catching smallmouth bass (click here, here, and here for examples). I pay close attention to the stocking reports and noticed that the state switched its approach starting in 2020 by releasing 450 larger 11- to 12-inch yearling salmon in the fall. I contacted the regional fisheries biologist who confirmed that the previous salmon stocking efforts in this lake had failed and that releasing larger fish that have a higher probability of survival was a last-ditch attempt at rectifying the situation. Based on that intel, I decided to give salmon trolling on Panther Pond another shot. Spring fishing at this location occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone. The lake has a mean and maximum depth of 26 and 68 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
This second salmon was vigorous and well-fed.
I arrive at the launch on Middle Street at 6:15 am and buzz off 15 minutes later. I am the first one on the water. The weather is perrrfect for salmon trolling: overcast with a light east wind and air temps in the mid to high 50’s. The water temperature clocks in at 61°F. My plan of action is to troll in the deepest part of Panther Pond (45-65 ft.) located in the large basin north of Betty’s Neck. I deploy my usual equipment when trolling from my motorboat: a small portable downrigger fished with my spinning rod and a live 3-inch minnow attached to a sliding hook rig (note: I could have used the sown bait technique but opted for the sliding hook rig because of its convenience), and lead core line teamed up with an 8-weight flyfishing rod and a flyfishing reel pulling three spoons attached end-to-end. I use my fish finder to keep track of depth and deploy the live bait on the downrigger 20 ft. below the surface and the spoons on the lead core line 15 ft. down. I hold the fly rod in my hand and gently rip the spoons to provide additional action and flash. I also use 15 ft. of rope to attach a 5-gallon bucket to the back of my boat to serve as a “drift sock”. It is important to slow the trolling speed down to 1 MPH or less when fishing with live bait. I have no idea what to expect of this trip but if the stocked fish are surviving and growing then these waters should have salmon measuring 15 to 20+ inches…
The two winning “lures” for this morning: a small minnow on a sliding hook rig and a DB Smelt smelt imitator.
I spend the first hour circling around the basin but only get a single hit on the spoons. At least it is a sign of life down there… Suddenly, my spinning rod shakes insistently, announcing a customer on the downrigger. I immediately put down the flyrod, pick up the spinning rod, swing it to unclip the line from the downrigger weight, and fight a fish. The creature does not breach the surface, as a salmon typically would do. Darn, did I catch a f*&#@ing white perch like in the past?? No Sir, it is a landlocked salmon. YES! The fish takes several strong runs before it gives up and gets netted. It measures 17 inches and looks well fed. I am full of hope for more action but it takes me another 30 minutes of patience to get a hookup, this time on the lead core line. It is another salmon which gives a splendid fight, including aerial acrobatics and two strong runs next to the boat! This is so much fun. It measures a respectable 18 inches. Woow, two salmon in 1.5 hours of fishing. Unfortunately, I need to head back home by 8:30 am and therefore retrieve first the downrigger and then the lead core line. I like to spend a moment watching the action of the spoons right below the surface next to the boat. Something amazing happens as I am mesmerized by the lures: a 14-inch salmon grabs the straggler spoon! No way. What are the odds of that happening with the spoons three inches below the surface and trailing 10 ft. behind the boat?? Well, I had a successful morning and can confirm that the salmon population in Panther Pond is flourishing.
The results: I landed three landlocked salmon (largest = 18 inches) in 2 hours of productive trolling.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at this location.
Tight Lines, y’all.
~ ~ ~ ~ ><« ({(« º >
