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.

One happy angler!

This reach of the Kennebec River is spectacularly gorgeous! Both shorelines are framed by luscious green riparian vegetation for as far as the eye can see upstream and downstream. Routes 104 and 100/201 run parallel to the river but are invisible and cannot be heard. This peace and quiet allows one the pleasure of listening to the myriad of birds serenading in the surrounding woods. The last time I fished this stretch of river for smallmouth bass was in 2017 when I explored upstream and downstream (click here and here) from the launch. The fishing action was great but the size of the bass was less desirable. My goal today is to determine if the fish have gotten any bigger since then.

Another happy angler!

I arrive at the boat launch on the Kennebec River at 7:30 am with my 14-year-old grandson Geovani. The sports field are already full of people attending a junior baseball tournament. Fortunately, and to my surprise, we are the only ones fishing, and that will remain so for the rest of the morning. I am amazed that we have the entire river to ourselves even though it is a July weekend, and we are less than 15 minutes driving from downtown Augusta… I always seek solitude and often experience it on my open-water fishing adventures throughout Maine. The river is surprisingly “full” – but not flooded – for this time of the year, reflecting all the rain that the region received in the spring and early summer. These hydraulic conditions are totally to my liking, as is the water temperature (73°F) and the weather (overcast, mid-70’s, and light to no wind). A couple of additional points to keep in mind: this stretch of river is perfect for kayaking and canoeing. It is also surprisingly deep (around 15 ft or so today). And, under more normal low-flow conditions in the summer, one can fish on foot from the exposed shoreline for 1+ mile both upstream and downstream of the boat launch.

Whaaat? A catfish caught on a Senko worm? Go figure!

G and I get really excited as we prepare the boat and observe multiple rises in the center of the Kennebec River. That is a great sign showing that the bass are actively feeding and chasing bait to the surface! We both use a 4-inch pink Senko worm rigged “wacky-style”. We toss out the worm, let it sink for a couple of seconds, and then slowly retrieve line while constantly twitching the rod tip. The sideways action imparted to the plastic lure is irresistible to the fish below. In fact, G catches his first bass on his first cast! That totally sets the tone for the rest of the morning. We slowly drift downriver catching several more bass and soon reach a section along the shoreline where the current is diverted outward by a little spit of land, thereby creating a classic back-eddy several hundred feet long and about 50 feet wide where the water slowly moves upstream along the shoreline. I immediately recognize the bass-holding habitat and maneuver the boat close to shore. We spend the next two hours pounding that small area and catching about 20 smallmouth bass. And we each also land a hard-fighting catfish on the Senko worm. It is so much fun.

The smallmouth bass in this section of the Kennebec River do not get much bigger than this one.

The bite slows down noticeably. It looks like we finally spooked the fish and therefore decide to try our luck on the opposite shoreline. We catch five more bass on the way there, including one that spits out several inch-long silvery baby herrings… That is what we saw them chase to the surface at the boat launch! We find another promising location with a similar setup as the one we just left: a spit of land jutting out into the river, water diverted away from shore, a pool with back current. G jumps out the boat to fish from shore and I stay on the water. We land another dozen or so bass over the next hour.

What a gorgeous setting… And we have the river all to ourselves this morning!

Wow, what a morning! We caught close to four dozen bronzebacks plus two catfish in four hours on non-stop action. We also hooked but missed another 15 to 20 fish. Most of the bass measured 12 to 14 inches, with a handful reaching 15 to 16 inches. What the fish lacked in size they more than made up in quantity and fighting spirit. This is definitely a place to bring young anglers to experience the joy of non-stop action. Oh, and the fish have not grown any bigger over the last 6 years…

The results: I landed 21 smallmouth bass (largest = 15 inches) and G landed 26 smallmouth bass (largest = 16 inches) in 4 hours of fun river fishing. We also each caught a catfish.

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.

                                                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ><« ({(« º >

Copyright protected by Digiprove