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.
This water level is about 3 ft higher than what it typically would be in July!
I reach the spacious Durham boat launch (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 A1) at 7 am under a warm but overcast and drizzly sky. The air temperature reads 72°F. I am glad to be the first (and ultimately the only) angler on the water this morning. My focus is on the stretch of the Androscoggin River flowing between the boat launch and Wagg Island found about 2.5 miles further downstream. The last time I fished this part of the river was over 5 years ago, so it is high time to return and reconnect with this great stretch of water. I fished upstream from the launch two years ago and greatly enjoyed the experience.
My first bass of the morning is also the largest one. What a treat!
The water level in this part of the Androscoggin River in mid-July can get quite low, particularly the closer one gets to Wagg Island. In fact, in dry years, I have had to jump in the shallow water and physically pull my motorboat back upstream to reach deeper water before starting the engine. For the record, if you plan on making it all the way to Wagg Island, keep in mind that the section of river flowing around the island to the left (looking downstream) is typically shallow, rather swift, and without much fish-holding habitat. It is best to stick to the right side of the island with its slower current and much deeper water.
Where there’s one, there’s more!
Shallow water is not an issue today! The Androscoggin River flows from bank to bank (and then some…) due to the incessant rains of the last 6 to 8 weeks. The water level is about 3 ft higher than normal for this time of the year. The current, while perfectly manageable, is also quite noticeable. Based on the presence of fresh aquatic vegetation in the tree branches along the shoreline, it looks like the water levels were another 2 ft higher not too long ago… The water also looks murky in response to the high throughput. Due to these conditions, I focus all my fishing attention on the flooded shoreline where the current moves slower and the bass can hide in submerged vegetation and among branches or tree trunks.
I never tire of catching river bronzebacks because they fight with such magnificent intensity!
In the past, mature trees lined both shorelines of this section of the Androscoggin River. Around 15 years ago, the Department of Transportation ripped apart about 1.5 miles of this riparian vegetation growing along Route 136 and replaced it with sterile rip-rap, which makes for much less appealing and more exposed habitat. So, after launching my boat, I quickly motor right across the river to the opposite (i.e., left bank looking downstream) shoreline characterized by its dense tree cover. I let the current carry my boat while I toss a 4-inch pink Senco worm fished “wacky style” along the shoreline. I love using this technique when river fishing for bronzebacks because the general lack of obstructions in the water column limits snagging the open hook, while greatly increasing the chances for a hookup. I have been fishing for less than 10 minutes when I reach a tiny embayment along the shoreline under overhanging branches with some slack water further back. I toss the worm in that water and get a bite a few seconds later. I set the hook and instantly realize that I just caught a real beast! The fish takes several strong runs, rips line off my spinning reel, and struggles low and deep. Did I catch a northern pike?? It takes me a few minutes to slowly cajole the brute to the surface and into the waiting net. The fish turns out to be a fat 20-inch river bronzeback weighing four pounds! Wow, what a fantastic fighter! I want more from where that came from. Over the next hour or so, I motor back upstream four more times to fish that one spot and I end up catching three additional bass, one of which is a very respectable 18 incher. By now, this magic spot has been fished out and the bite stops. I continue drifting further downstream for a mile or so while tossing my soft stick bait along the shore but do not get one other bite over the next 45 minutes. How strange is that and what is going on!?
The opposite shoreline by Route 136 consists of rip-rap and much less interesting riparian vegetation, and yet that is where I catch most of my bass this morning. Go figure…
I have nothing to lose at this point, so I motor across the Androscoggin River to fish the rip-rap shoreline stretched along Route 136 using my trusted pink soft stick bait. I am pleasantly surprised to find the bass stacked up in a 5-foot deep vegetated channel running just offshore but parallel to the flooded rip-rap. I catch seven additional smallmouths drifting downstream over the next hour or so (plus several “redos” where I motor back upstream to refish a productive stretch) and miss another half a dozen. This kind of fishing is so much fun, even though the bass are noticeably smaller than those I caught on the opposite side. Regardless, I am very satisfied with the results given the challenging conditions associated with the high river flow and the silty water. I will end by saying that an important fly in the ointment is the incessant noise from the traffic buzzing up and down Route 136. That is noticeable not just when fishing along the rip-rap shoreline, but also on the opposite side of the river. Eliminating the original riparian vegetation allows the sound of the traffic to travel far and wide across the water. While it takes something away from the experience, I still highly recommend paying a visit to this beautiful stretch of the Androscoggin River.
Even though the bass caught along the rip-rap shoreline are on the smaller side, this 16 incher gave its all.
The results: I landed 12 smallmouth bass (largest = 20 inches) in 3 hours of fun river fishing.
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