Maine Landlocked Salmon Fishing
at Rideout's Lodge - Feature Articles from Recent Salmon
Fishing Seasons
If
you’d like to become knowledgeable about landlocked
salmon fishing techniques, you'll be helped by reading the following
articles by Steve Wilson, a regular Rideout's Lodge guest. Steve's articles
appeared in our annual newsletter, “Rideout’s Report”
over the past seven years. Steve has fished East Grand for nearly 20 years,
and is both an excellent salmon fisherman, and an all-around great guy. Enjoy!
-
Twenty Years of Salmon Fishing at Rideout's Lodge
(2007)
-
Superb Early Spring Fishing (2006)
-
Spring Salmon Are Special (2005)
-
Summer Salmon Magic! (2004)
-
Fall Fishing for Landlocked Salmon (2003)
-
The
Best Darn Three-Season Salmon Lake in Maine! (2002)
-
“The New Millennium Leaps in With a Bang!! Tales
from the 2000 Logbook” (2001)
-
“Summer Salmon Fishing Secrets Revealed” (2000)
1. Twenty Years of Salmon
Fishing at Rideout's Lodge By Veteran Salmon
Angler Steve Wilson (2006)
In 1988 a group of avid anglers from the lower
Kennebec River area of Maine came to Rideout’s Lodge
at East Grand Lake with great expectations to see
first hand what others had been talking about for
years. We had seen the pictures of monster Lake
Trout in the 20# class, salmon that weighed in at 3#
to 6#, and giant small mouth bass. We looked forward
to experiencing world class salmon fishing at a
first class lodge. We certainly were not
disappointed in the least, experiencing world class
fishing on that trip that has pulled us back to
Rideout’s for what will be our 20th year
in 2007. The memories of those trips shared with
close friends and with my wife Joyce and our
grand-children are etched forever into the recesses
of my mind. Many of these experiences were recorded
in my log books while others were printed in earlier
newsletters. Why, I remember the time when……………..
….my partner Dick Raven and I came to Rideout’s
in late September for some top water streamer fly
action with surface feeding landlocked salmon. As
the sun cleared the ridge on the Canadian shore, we
could see big salmon busting the surface for smelts,
accompanied by screaming gulls showing us the way.
Time and again we doubled up on decent fish that
pulled hard and busted out of the water in their
pursuit of smelts to fatten their bellies for the
long winter ahead. The surface action was so furious
it reminded us of a saltwater striped bass blitz.
This is the only lake that we have experienced this
kind of activity. It continues today.
….my son Ben and I fished right after ice out in
Little River Cove in a late spring snow storm.
Fishing with lip hooked smelts, we battled big
salmon one after the other until we could no longer
feel our exposed hands. The quiet snowfall combined
with the sounds of breaking salmon made for an
unforgettable experience. Little River was the
“go-to” place year after year after that unusual
spring morning.
….my friend Jay Bailey’s first fish of the spring
season took a 1/6 ounce junior copper Mooselook
wobbler rigged 10 feet down on a Canon downrigger.
We both thought that he had snagged the bottom, but
were judged wrong when the reel screamed that
unmistakable zzzzzz noise and the fight was on!
Finally, we could see bubbles coming up and then a
monster lake trout appeared from below. It took both
of us to lift the netted lake trout into the boat.
We landed many giant lakers that day in one of our
most memorable days on East Grand.
….my wife Joyce and I experienced a fantastic
Sunday morning of fishing just south of Shipwreck
Point. We were trolling copper wobblers down 30 ft
on downriggers in search of big salmon, and find
them we did, or to be more accurate, when she did!
Her first salmon fought hard with frequent
spray-throwing leaps the order of the day. After
what seemed like an eternity she brought the fish to
the net. It weighed in at 5 1/3 lbs and was her
“career” salmon…at least for a few minutes. Turning
the boat around and heading back down the same
track, another line soon popped out of the rigger.
Instantly the hooked salmon went airborne and bulled
his way south to the tune of her screaming reel.
Joyce is a skilled angler and, after a long and
hard-fought fight, brought the fish to the net where
we recorded its weight at 5 1/2 lbs. Talk about
lightning striking the same place twice!
2. Superb Early Spring
Fishing - The Water Is Cold But the Salmon and Togue
are Hot! By Veteran Salmon Angler
Steve Wilson (2006)
There is something very special about fishing
Maine’s premier salmon and lake trout water right
after ice out that draws us time and time again to
Rideout’s. The smelt run is in full swing drawing
slashing salmon to the surface to gorge themselves
on their favorite food. Along with the salmon come
the giant lake trout who cruise throughout the
water column slurping up smelts like there’s no
tomorrow. The loons have returned and their
melodious cries fill the evening air. The air is
crisp and clear, seemingly bringing the stars down
to tree top level. There is the added bonus of
sharing this pristine northern Maine lake some 22
miles long with only a dozen or so boats. We’ve
enjoyed this early Spring trip in each of the
previous 17 years but I was sure that our 2005
trip to Rideout’s Lodge was in the tank due to
personal scheduling conflicts. I was not a happy
camper. But then a few days later the phone rang.
It was my longtime East Grand fishing buddy Jay
Bailey. “My schedule is now clear...the ice is
gone and we should be just right”. That’s all I
had to hear! Plans were made and before I knew it
we were pulling into the lodge. With great
expectations we launched “Keepah”, fired up the
150, quickly came out of the hole and slid out
onto East Grand.
Our first fish took a 1/6 ounce junior copper
Mooselook wobbler rigged 10 feet down on a Cannon
downrigger. We saw the light spinning rod flip up,
then go limp for a second or two, then bend to the
water by what we both thought was bottom. We were
judged wrong when the reel screamed that
unmistakable zzzzzz noise and the fight was on! Jay
is a good fisherman and played this big fish slowly
but surely closer to the boat. We could see bubbles
coming up and then a monster lake trout appeared
from below. Finally calming down after several runs
from the boat, Jay led the fish into the net. It
took both of us to lift the netted laker into the
boat. It weighed a tad under 10# and was in great
condition.
We reloaded and continued down the shore, turning
into Sucker Brook where another big lake trout came
to the wobbler and then proceeded to tear up the
cove with long powerful runs. Some 20 minutes later
it came to the net and weighed in at 9#. If you’re
counting, that’s 19 lbs for the first two fish of
the 2005 season! We moved over to Norway Point where
we tangled with another big lake trout with the same
results. We netted another just north of Hayes’s
Point, and then back to Norway where we doubled up
on a pair of lakers.
Having only one more day of fishing ahead of us
before pulling the boat, we chose to stock up with
live smelts and fish tight to structure in 5 to 15
feet of water in search of landlocked salmon.
Finding a nice school of actively feeding salmon, we
were able to keep quite busy hooking, playing, and
landing salmon that aggressively took our smelts and
went airborne before coming to the net. This wasn’t
fishing – this was catching! Steve Wilson
(Editors note: The Wilson party reported that they
also caught 2 excellent salmon, nearly 6 pounds, on
this same trip)
3. Spring Salmon Are
Special!
By Veteran Salmon Angler
Steve Wilson (2005)
As I’m writing this article it is the 27th
day of January 2005 and man is it cold! We’re into
our 2nd week of sub-zero temperatures
accompanied by strong winds and there’s no let up in
sight. To top it off I’ve just finished clearing our
driveway of snow for the umpteenth time
in the past 10 days. However there is a bright light
shining at the end of the proverbial tunnel! There’s
only three months to go until its “lines overboard”
at Rideout’s Lodge on East Grand Lake. Fishing in
northern Maine at Rideout’s in the Spring you ask?
You betcha! It simply doesn’t get any better
anywhere else at any other time. This is a world
class salmon fishery right in our backyard. Join me
as I recount some highlights from my most recent
spring trip taken in early May, 2004.
From the beginning this trip was going to be
different from the other sixteen spring trips. My
longtime fishing partner Dick Raven had other
commitments and could not make the trip. I was
pulled out of retirement and therefore could not
ready my boat “Keepah” in time to head north. My
other partners on these Spring trips, Jay Bailey of
Woolwich and Marty Johnsen of Bowdoinham, invited me
to join them onboard Jay’s 20’ Sea Swirl, an offer
that I couldn’t refuse. Also joining us was another
spring fishing companion Dave Falla of Tenants
Harbor and his friend Bob Spear. They would fish out
of Bob’s 17’ boat.
We awoke at O’Dark30 on our first morning in camp.
Shaking out the cobwebs after a night of deep sleep,
we threw a box of donuts in the bag, filled a
thermos with coffee, and quietly closed the porch
door. We made our way to the upper dock where Jay
fired up the 150. Settling in, we idled over to the
lodge to pick up a couple dozen live smelts for
bait. With first light showing in the east, Jay
throttled up for the run to Five Islands, a popular
hangout for early spring salmon and salmon
fishermen. Pulling in behind the islands, Jay cut
power to the big motor and brought the little troll
motor to life. We lip hooked the live smelts,
streamed our lines aft, and began to slowly troll
our way to the north in great expectation of what
was to come…and come it did, only not as expected!
We had boated and released a few respectable salmon
when we chanced to cross wakes with Dave and Bob.
When asked “how are they biting?” Dave, with a grin
bigger than his face, reached into his cooler and
held up a monster sized salmon weighing a little
less than 6 pounds. Reaching back into his cooler he
hoisted yet another big salmon that was close to 4
lbs! Much to our surprise we learned that they had
abandoned the use of live smelts and instead had
chosen to run copper Mooselook wobblers 10 feet
down. We quickly surmised that the increased boat
speed necessary for trolling wobblers and the
flashing motion of these lures combined to make the
presentation irresistible to our finned friends. It
proved to be the key for what would become another
outstanding week of fishing at Rideout’s Lodge on
East Grand Lake, Maine’s premier salmon lake.
Excited about their success, Dave and Bob wanted to
chit-chat longer but we were too busy diving into
our tackle bags in search of you know what. Quickly
re-rigging to wobblers, we turned about and fished
the same area where just a few minutes earlier we
had found no fish. We hadn’t gone far when we were
hooked up to a large landlocked salmon that was
airborne for most of the battle. You know the kind
of salmon I’m talking about! You play him almost to
where you can see him and then he goes on another
run causing you to recite the fisherman’s prayer of
“please stay on at least until I can see you.”
Finally netting the fish and putting it on ice, we
resumed our course and soon were battling a pair of
really nice salmon that were doing their best to
drag us into Canadian waters. And so it went for the
remainder of the week. We fished with confidence and
the salmon rewarded our efforts. The five of us
savored our remaining days at Rideout’s Lodge, and
as we pulled our rigs on the last Saturday, burned
the sights and sounds of our remarkable week into
our memories.
Writer’s Note: If you really want a treat bring
your children or grandchildren to Rideout’s to
experience a wonderful week of boating, swimming,
fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and lodge activities.
Our oldest granddaughter Kiera Wilson first came to
camp in 1998 when she was 5 and has returned each
year since. She brought along her friend Justine
last year and they had a ball! Her sister Pearl will
enjoy her 3rd year in 2005 while Sophie,
the youngest grandchild, will be attending her 2nd
trip. The point of this note is to make my fishing
readers aware of the great family opportunities that
are available at Rideout’s.
Tight lines and I’ll see you on East Grand in 2005.
4. Summer Salmon Magic!
By Veteran Salmon Angler
Steve Wilson (2004)
When we awoke, the summer air was already warming.
The winds from last evening had knocked down and it
was quite still. Seeing the far shore of Davenport
Cove was nearly impossible as the early morning fog
worked hard to lift in the first glow of the rising
sun. Nature was taking its first breath of the day
with the songbirds signaling their presence in the
birches. People in other camps were also stirring,
with the occasional muted sound of the careful
opening and closing of a screen door the only signal
that others were nearby. We did a few camp chores,
made short order of a bowl of cereal with way too
many strawberries on top, packed some juices and
snacks in the cooler, and quietly walked the short
distance to the dock. The fog was slowly losing its
battle with the sun. We could just make out the
outline of Birch Point. There was a certain
expectation in the air that only a fisherman could
understand. I kicked the 130 Honda quietly into
life, slipped the lines from the cleats, and we
eased out onto the lake.
It was just the beginning of another day at
Rideout’s Lodge, our most favorite lodge on our most
favorite lake in Maine. Joyce and I have been coming
here since 1989 and come back year after year. Five
years ago at age 5 we introduced Kiera, one of three
granddaughters, to Rideout’s. She has since become
the president of the Rideout’s fan club. She is also
hooked on fishing in a big way. Her younger sister
Pearl, with our daughter Leslie, would join us later
in the week for their first Rideout’s experience.
If you’ve been following my ramblings in this
newsletter over the years, you know that there are
no bad times to fish for salmon on East Grand.
Chasing salmon with flies or live smelts in the
Spring is great. Returning in the Fall for late
season top water action with lures and flies
is…well, it’s also great. But coming to Rideout’s in
the Summer to canoe, kayak, swim, hike, and yes,
chase salmon, is a blast. With 20 miles of open
water and miles upon miles of fishable shore-line,
excellent fishing for smallmouth bass and salmon
year round is at your finger tips.
Salmon prefer cool water which is generally found
from 25 to 50 feet and more below the surface during
the mid-Summer. Therefore it requires you to place
your lure or bait deeper in the water column to be
successful. There are two principal ways to do this:
use leadcore line or employ downriggers. Leadcore
line sinks at varying depths depending on your boat
speed. It comes on 100 yd. spools which have
different colors every 30 feet to aid in determining
the depth you are fishing. While this can be very
effective, I prefer the use of downriggers. In a
nutshell, clipping a line with the lure attached to
a weighted rigger ball, then lowering it to the
desired depth allows you to play a busting salmon on
light tackle without the line drag found in the
leadcore lines.
With one rigger set at 35 feet and the other at 50,
both lines rigged with 1/6 oz. copper Mooselook
Wobblers, we set our sights on Billy & Nan and began
to fish the Greenland Triangle. Kiera first noticed
the port rigger pop and moved to take the rod out of
the holder. Soon she was reeling hard on a very nice
salmon that was equally determined to not come any
closer to the boat. Many times it leaped clear of
the water causing Kiera to believe it had escaped,
only to resume the battle a few seconds later as it
pulled the slack out of the line. When finally
brought to the net, it measured a little less than
20 inches and weighed a whopping 3 ¼ pounds! We
often talk of salmon of this size as being
“footballs”. Well, this was a football!
We reset the riggers and soon Joyce was into another
beautiful salmon that fought as hard as Kiera’s and
was nearly identical in size. These fish were
brimming with smelts, proof of the local reports of
a massive smelt run earlier in the Spring. I
captured the moment on film and have called it “A
Pair of East Grand Beauties,” referring to both the
salmon and the gals on the other end of the line.
Postscript: Our other granddaughter, 5 year old
Pearl, arrived in camp mid-week and spent a
marvelous 3 days on her inaugural trip. At our last
night in camp before heading back to Bath, we asked
the girls what they liked the best about Rideout’s
and what they liked the least. Pearl, with a sad
tone to her voice, began with what she liked the
least. Joyce and I looked at each other and wondered
what she would say. She then summed it up in one
word…“leaving.” We couldn’t have said it any better.
Tight lines and I’ll see you on East Grand in 2004.
5. Fall Fishing for Landlocked Salmon
By Veteran Salmon Angler Steve Wilson
(2003)
If you fish for salmon in Maine,
you’ll undoubtedly hear that the best time
of year to wet a line is in April/May in southern
Maine and May/June in the north. In the Spring, salmon are coming off a long
Maine winter locked under the ice, in water that is
literally freezing. Smelts, the primary food source
for landlocked salmon, are scattered all winter
long. For a salmon, finding your next meal is a
matter of survival.
Once the air warms and the ice
covering melts, smelts congregate at the mouths
of brooks and streams where they will spawn. Large
schools of smelts attract large schools of salmon to
these same areas. These Maine salmon are hungry, and for a
few weeks eat like a sumo wrestler before the
Emperor’s Cup.
As I write, it has been
three weeks since I towed my fishing boat, “Keepah,”
home from my second home, Rideout’s Lodge at East
Grand Lake. The general fresh-water fishing season
ended on September 30. Along
with many of my friends, I fished the last week in
September, and what a week it was! If I pull back from the keyboard and look out the
window, I can still see salmon rising out of the
chop brought on by a crisp northeast blow,
shaking their heads as they went airborne in a
sparkling spray of water to rid themselves of the
bright fly fixed in the corner of their mouths. But
I’m getting ahead of myself.
My longtime fishing partner, Dick
Raven of Bath, and good friend Dave Antell of
Phippsburg, accompanied me to East Grand for our
annual “season closing week.” Traditionally the
smelts move closer to the surface in the Fall as the
water cools down from frosty nights and shortened
daylight hours. As in Spring, the salmon
also move to the surface to feed, and that places
them in reach of streamer flies trolled on light
tackle. Arriving late in the afternoon of September
22, we launched the boat, set dock lines, and rigged
up our rods. We talked with good friends and veteran
Rideout’s Lodge anglers Dan Raymond
and Craig Toensing from CT, who were into their
second week of Fall fishing, and learned of some
good salmon bites that occurred earlier in the week.
It was with high expectations that I fired up the
130 and ran to Hayse’s Point for an hour of fishing
before dark. As advertised, the salmon were actively
feeding, enabling us to boat two nice ones on
tandem streamer flies trolled at a good clip fairly
close to the boat. We also lost a couple of others
that won the battle between hunter and hunted.
We awoke the next morning to a brisk
wind kicking up a really nice “salmon chop.” We
returned to Hayse’s Point with high expectations.
With Gray Ghost streamers following in our wake at
every turn of the wheel, we determined in short
order that this wasn’t fishin’...it was catchin’!
With rods bent and reels screaming against the
drags, we managed to net 14 salmon in the 16-18 inch
class in furious top-water action on light tackle,
and all in a relative short time. These salmon gave
a good account of themselves by leaping into the air
and stripping line with the best of them.
On another day later in that same
week, Dick and I were joined by first-time salmon
angler and professional saltwater guide, Capt. Robin
Thayer, for another morning of top-water
landlocked salmon fishing. Arriving again at
Hayse’s Point, we watched several terns dipping into
the water for smelts that were running just under
the surface. With Blue Gray Ghosts and a Craig
Toensing special smelt imitation fly carefully tied
on, we quickly got right into the best salmon bite
of the week. We netted a dozen in the 18-20
inch class, most with bellies full of schooling smelts.
Talk about sassy! These
salmon wanted nothing to do with the boat or the
anglers in it, doing all in their power to maintain
maximum distance from both. It was a morning of
salmon fishing I’ll not soon forget. You should
also know that we hooked and lost eight additional
salmon that same morning. It was a morning for the
memory book.
Note:
In my capacity as President of the Coastal
Conservation Association Maine, I invited 18 members
of the CCA Maine’s Executive Committee to Rideout’s
Lodge for a business-and-pleasure retreat during a
portion of the trip described above. Maine salmon fishing
was a first-time experience for many of them.
They were all delighted with the first-class
accommodations, hot meals, and the availability of
some really nice landlocked salmon. Thanks to the
work of owners Bob & Jami, we thoroughly enjoyed
the hospitality of Rideout’s Lodge. In between
netting salmon we managed to accomplish some
quality membership work. While this was my first
sponsored retreat at Rideout’s, rest assured it will
not be my last.
6. The Best Darn Three-Season Salmon Lake in Maine!
Steve Wilson’s Review of the 2001
Season (2002)
East Grand Lake continues to be the
“go to” lake in Maine if you want to catch trophy
landlocked salmon in good numbers during the three
rod & reel fishing seasons of Spring, Summer and
Fall. It also features one of the best salmon fishing lodges in
Maine in Rideout’s, with excellent dining
accommodations and top-quality cabins. Oh, did I
forget to mention that East Grand is also the
premier body of water for smallmouth bass? You bet
it is!
Spring is that time of year when the
thick blanket of Winter ice yields to the warmth of
the sun as daylight lengthens and landlocked salmon
actively seek out baitfish to replenish lost body
weight. It is that special time of year for Maine’s
salmon fishermen when the salmon actively feed on or
near the surface and aggressively strike streamer
flies, bait, or lures trolled in their vicinity.
Just ask Jay Bailey, Dave Falla, and Marty Johnsen
who, on May 12, 2001 trolled lip-hooked smelts in
front of Greenland Cove and netted 21 salmon in four
hours of fishing! Many of these salmon were three
pounds and up. Just two weeks later, Joyce and I
returned to Rideout’s for a weekend of salmon
fishing and, in eight hours, hooked up 33 landlocked
salmon using copper/red Speedy Shiners at 10-30 feet
on downriggers. The highlight of that day was
taking 10-year-old Andrew Martens from NJ onto the
lake after dinner, in search of his first salmon. We
only had an hour to pull it off, but catch one he
did, a really nice 2.5 lb beauty!
We returned in midsummer with our
granddaughter Kiera, age 8, for what we have come
to call “Kids’ Week.” Kiera’s pal,
Nina Silva, and her new friends Kailey Boozam from
RI and Mia from NY practically lived in the water, caught
fish off the docks, and had a ball doing craft items
in camp with Joyce. We all admired the tenacity by
which teenage fishermen Rick Chamness, Scott
Furbish, and Pat Prescott fished the lake and lodge
docks. They diligently maintained a log book
and would proudly knock on our camp door each night
to share their daily successes. Of 66 landed, their best fish:
Rick netted a 20” salmon, Scott a 16”
smallmouth bass, and Pat a fat 14-inch bass. What a
great place for kids!
Joyce and I returned for the Labor
Day weekend, that period that falls between Summer &
Fall in Maine. In three hours of evening downrigger
fishing on the first day in camp, we netted 12
salmon. On the ensuing days we caught and released
salmon up to four pounds in a great weekend of fishing.
For the final trip of the year, Dave
Antell and Wayne Watson joined me for some late Fall
topwater salmon action with flies. With calm water
for the first few days we caught and released
several salmon each day, with Blue Gray Ghost,
Nine-Three, and Kennebago Smelt streamers the hot
flies and Greenland Cove the hot spot. As salmon
dimpled the surface hunting for insects, we just had a
feeling that something was about to break loose.
Then came the “grand finale” for the 2001 season,
and break loose it did! The winds freshened, clouds
thickened, and rain showers passed overhead,
churning the lake into a perfect salmon chop. Up
came the salmon chasing baitfish this time, and the
bite was on! In really fast action we netted 14
very active salmon and lost several more in four hours
of trolling streamers through the chop. We returned
the next morning (our last morning in camp) for two
hours of fishing in similar conditions and netted seven
salmon in two hours, with a fat 3 ½ pound fish the
best of the day. We paused to soak in the sight and
sounds of breaking salmon chasing bait on the
surface before powering up to run in to Rideout's Lodge.
Man, was it hard to leave!! But we’ll be back again
next year...you can count on it!
7. The New
Millennium Leaps in With a Bang!!
Tales from the 2000 Logbook - By
Rideout’s Customer Steve Wilson (2001)
Do you remember the postcard that
begins “Having a wonderful time, wish you were
here?” or the fishermen who greet you upon arrival
at the lake with the old adage of “Boy, you should
have been here yesterday!” Well, “here” and
“yesterday” were Friday and Saturday, September 22
and 23, salmon fishing with light tackle on East
Grand Lake! Allow me share a highlight of that day
with you............
Following a big blow on Friday
morning, we were delighted to see the wind back off
late in the afternoon, as a weather front passed
through the region. We fired up the engine and soon
had streamer flies running in our wake. It was a
perfect afternoon as the sun peeked out now and
then, sparkling off the salmon chop driven by the
northwest breeze. We cut through the chop at 2 to 3
miles per hour and eagerly awaited that first
strike.
It began with gulls wheeling about
off Shipwreck Point picking bait fish from the
surface, and was soon followed by breaking salmon
chasing the bait on top. We trolled through the
melee and quickly hooked up. There is a special
thrill that comes with feeling a big salmon on light
tackle, busting clear of the cooled water and
stripping line for all he’s worth. After releasing
the fish, we came about, realigned the fly, and
reset our lines. This time both rods bent back at
odd angles and our reels grudgingly gave up line.
Double! You know the drill. We passed our rods
over and under each other as we fought these two
great salmon. We put both in the net, quickly
released them, and once again came about for more
action. This wasn’t fishin’, it was catchin’! And
so it went, fish after fish, ‘til the sun dropped
out of sight behind the ridge west of Rideout’s
Lodge.
On Saturday morning, our last day in
camp for the 2000 season, Dick Raven, Dave Antell,
and myself encountered another big fish bite, this
time off Whitehorse. With continued choppy water,
ideal for trolling streamers, 14 big fish were
netted in less than two hours! We had one 23 inch
salmon jump cleanly over our middle line set 3 to 4
feet off the water. What a great way to close out
our fishing season on East Grand Lake, the premier
salmon lake in the northeast.
As we reminisced in camp that last
evening, we talked of the banner year that ushered
in the new millennium and of the high quality of the
East Grand Lake salmon fishery. We remembered the
outstanding Spring fishing that resulted in 229
salmon registered on our logbooks during the week of
May 6. Netting 31 salmon on a raw, windy May 7 was
an unbelievable experience. Then returning to the
lake the next morning and landing 39 salmon, some
over 4 lbs, was only frosting on the cake. These
salmon were taken on light tackle, on top, with lip
hooked smelts on light spinning gear.
Fast forward to June and July. The
salmon remained on the surface right through the
period and were actively taking streamer flies and
wobblers fished just under the surface. Given the
record breaking early ice out date of April 9,
having salmon active on the surface this late in the
season was a big bonus. In mid July my 7 year old
granddaughter Kiera and wife Joyce landed many nice
salmon at Five Islands with light spin gear. We
swam at the beach more than we fished and had a
great week to remember. What a great place for
children to pick up fishing skills.
Joyce and I returned 5 weeks later
for an early Fall weekend of salmon fishing and
guess what? Yup, the salmon were once again
actively feeding on top. We netted 30 fish in
fourteen hours of top water and downrigger fishing,
including a 4 lb-9 oz beauty taken just south of
Shipwreck Point in the exact spot where she had
netted a pair of 5 lb salmon a year earlier. The
highlight of this trip was joining veteran guide
Brydie Lee at his 80th birthday bash, set on a trout
pond carved out of the woods behind Brydie’s home.
It looked like the whole town was there. The sign
posted on the outskirts of Danforth read “Last one
out of town going to Brydie’s party, please turn off
the lights.” Brydie has over 60 years of guiding
experience on East Grand and was honored by
Rideout’s Lodge last year when Camp 1 was named
“Brydon Lee.”
The
availability of big salmon on the surface throughout
the season was most unusual. Being able to fish on
or near the top of the water column allowed for the
use of light tackle and reduced the dependency on
downriggers and lead core line. The salmon were
more accessible to most anglers creating the
foundation for a great salmon season at Rideout’s
Lodge. It only serves to prove the point that there
are no hard and fast rules when seeking out these
magnificent fish. Just tune in to what you see
going on around your boat.
People are important at Rideout’s
Lodge:
Joyce and I have met many new camp friends during
our stays at Rideout’s. These friendships are what
make Rideout’s a very special place to vacation. We
enjoyed Michelle Lavanchy’s 9th birthday party in
the dining room on September 3rd. Her parents,
Julie and Steve, from Scituate, MA were joined by
the Walsh’s and their daughter Erin, from Weymouth,
MA. We dined with Bob and Elaine Dobson from
Gainsville, FL (Go Gators), who were touring the
northeast. Youngsters Kiera Wilson of Bath and Nina
Silva, from Warwick, RI met, are now penpals, and
have plans for meeting in July 2001. Ernie Moore
from Warwick, RI and Ernie Ritter from Bristol, CT
were up fishing in July and did well. Tom Bednarz,
John McKenna and his son Joe from Windsor Locks, CT
enjoyed late Fall fishing. Betty Lou Lyons and her
friend Peggy from Ocean City, MD had a great Fall
trip and netted many fine salmon. My partner, Dick
Raven, and I once again fished with Dan Raymond of
Avon, CT, Craig Toensing from Lakeville, CT and his
son Chris (United Airlines pilot) in late Fall.
This year we were joined by Dave Antell and Sandy
Nash of Phippsburg, ME and John Chester of
Brunswick, ME. We look forward to renewing these
friendships each year as much as for the fishing.
Have a great Winter, keep your gear
in shape, and we’ll meet again at Rideout’s Lodge in
2001.
8. Summer Salmon Fishing Secrets Revealed
Silver Lunkers Hooked in Warm Summer Sun - By
Rideout’s Customer Steve Wilson (2000)
If you fish for Maine’s majestic
landlocked salmon, it is no secret that prime time
falls in April, May, and into early June. During
this period, the salmon congregate in and around the
streams where smelts spawn. As these great hordes
of fodder fish move back into the main body of the
lake, the salmon give chase, foraging as they go.
After spending a long winter under a thick blanket
of ice, salmon become very aggressive feeders as
they take on added weight for their very survival.
These salmon have the appearance of polished chrome
and are very acrobatic on the end of light tackle.
On East Grand Lake, the salmon follow
the spawning smelts from Sucker Brook just south of
Rideout’s Lodge, along the shore south to the
Greenland Cove Area. They also come down through
Dark Cove, one cove east of the lodge, then head
south and east, and merge with those from Sucker
Brook. At the headwaters of East Grand, a large
population of smelts joined by a mass of foraging
salmon, drop back from Monument Brook, move through
Orient, past Caribou Point, on their way to the Five
Islands area. In the cold water, the smelts remain
on or near the surface, as do the salmon. Slow
trolling lip hooked smelts on #6 hooks with light
line on a line release provides plenty of fast
action. Fast trolling streamer flies in the form of
smelt imitations are also most effective during this
time. However, the smelts and salmon gradually move
to the deeper parts of the lake to seek their
comfort zone of water temperatures in the 54-56
degree range as surface temperatures move into the
high 60’s and up.
Secrets revealed--Summer salmon
fishing can be terrific!
As you move into July, the salmons’
comfort zone can be typically found at depths of 40
to 80 feet, obviously unreachable with Spring tackle
and techniques. Salmon are still feeding on smelts
and, by now, have attained greater length and
weight. For the most part, there are only two main
areas of East Grand Lake with water depths that
support the salmons’ comfort zone.
One is south and east of Five Islands
with depths reaching to 90 feet; the other is on a
line east of Shipwreck Point south into Greenland
Cove with depths to 125 feet. Given the fact that
East Grand Lake is 22 miles in length, congregating
salmon in these two areas is much like saltwater
fishing in river channels at low tide. The salmon
have no place to hide. All you now have to do is
present the proper lure at the proper boat speed
within the comfort zone. How do you do that?
Pure and simple, there are three
methods for presenting your lure or bait to salmon
at those depths: (1) leadcore line, (2) drifting
weighted baits, and (3) light tackle on
downriggers. While each of these methods can be
effective, the use of leadcore line puts a heavy
strain on your rod to the point of masking strikes
and inhibiting the enjoyment of playing these great
salmon. As we Mainer’s say, “It’s much like bringing
up an old hip boot.” Drifting bait requires
favorable wind conditions and your ability to cover
water is quite limited. In my book, light tackle
downriggering is the key to summer salmon fishing
success and enjoyment. Downriggering methodology
permits the angler to fish deep in the water column
with very light tackle.
The tools needed to effectively
downrigger salmon are: downrigger with weighted ball
and line release, rod holder, light tackle, and a
fish finder. By clipping your line in the line
release affixed to the cable holding the ball, then
lowering the downrigger ball to the desired depth
with the downrigger, your lure presentation will be
within the comfort zone of the salmon. When the
fish strikes, the line pulls free from the line
release and you play the salmon on your light
tackle. The fish finder serves the dual purpose of
determining the water depth to avoid breaking off
the rigger ball should it come in contact with the
bottom, and providing the depth at which the salmon
are located. Once you have located salmon, a good
technique to follow is to work the boat back and
forth over a school of fish shown on your fish
finder. This may mean that you will remain fishing
in a small area for quite a period of time. That’s
ok. As long as you are picking up fish, stay with
it. Too often people will set a course while
fishing and, even though they catch a salmon, will
continue along their predetermined course. The real
good fishermen will set their rigger balls at least
10 feet apart in depth, and simply spin the boat
over the top of ganged up salmon beneath them.
Another good tip is to run your rigger ball 5 to 10
feet over the top of a school of salmon rather then
through the school. We have found that feeding
salmon willingly move up in the water column to take
the lure. While varying your trolling speed works
well, trolling at the high end is most effective.
Downriggers, balls, rods/reels, and
fish finders are available for rent through the
tackle shop at Rideout’s Lodge. Good lures to use
are 1/6 oz. copper Mooselook wobblers, Sutton
spoons, Flash Kings in red and brass and blue &
silver, many of which are available for purchase at
the lodge tackle shop. Rideout’s also has Lund
fishing boats with OMC outboards available for
rent. These are nice riding boats with good speed
to get you where you need to go. The salmon are not
far from the Lodge in the Summer.
Come to Rideout’s and take advantage
of the terrific Summer salmon fishing. Experience
top notch salmon fishing during a time when the
competition is at its lowest. My wife, Joyce and
grand-daughter Kiera, and I fish at Rideout’s in
July each year. Checking our log books for 1997-99,
we have landed 158 salmon in 17 days of fishing four
to six hours per day. It is rare to see more then
five boats fishing at this time of year. Vary your
fishing by seeking out the giant smallmouth bass
that are plentiful at this time of year. Relax with
a dip in the lake or take an Old Town kayak or canoe
for a test drive. Whatever your pleasure, Summer
fishing at Rideout’s is a must do on your vacation
schedule.
Before we pack up, load the boat, and
head for home on the coast ahead of Hurricane Floyd,
let me add a post script. The process described
above reverses in September when the water cools as
the days shorten. The smelts move up in the water
column, and with them, come the salmon. Fish are
once again on the surface busting into the baitfish,
with loons, gulls, and the eagles picking up table
scraps. It, too, is a great time for surface
fishing light tackle or flies over really nice
salmon. We boated 15 salmon on flies off Shipwreck
Point this morning in a brisk northeast blow. If
your timing is right, Fall fishing at East Grand can
be tops. Come to think about it, fishing at East
Grand Lake can be pretty darn good from ice out to
season end. Oh, did I mention the grilled Atlantic
salmon or black angus steaks for dinner?
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