Lower Narrows Togue

[EmeraldShiner]

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site but not to ice fishing, have been ice fishing Maine every winter since 1980. I am fortunate to live in a year round camp right on lower narrows pond for the last two years. Lower narrows togue fishing requires patience but rewards you with fish in the 23" to 26" range . You must use very small smelts, fish can be anywhere on this lake not necessarily in deep water. Opening week I caught three togue, 23", 24" and 26", these were caught 6' under the ice in 20' of water. Winter of 2007 produced simaler results but was fishing at 12' under the ice. The thing is you don't have to fish only the deep hole although I know this is where the largest Togue in this lake are likely to be caught. There is currently well over 14" of ice, 4-5" of black and 10" of frozen snow/slush. Last week has been extremely slow fishing due to full moon. I will attempt to post some pics of opening week's fish.

[ifishhi]

welcome to the site ES. there's lots of good info here, grab a coffee and take a look around

[Jim_C.]

Real nice post. pictures, and fish!  I only live a few miles from there, but usually fish Maranacook.  That's no slouch either, but maybe I should give Narrows a whirl.  Ever have any success jigging?  Hope you have continued good action

[toguefisha]

Welcome to the site, lots of nice folks on here.  Hope you can make it to some of our get togethers.  Nice Togue, I like that real dark one, very pretty.

[icecruiser]

I live on lower narrows as well.  Find it quite slow, 200 togue stocked every three years doesn't give a very densely populated lake.  Yes they also stock it quite heavily with brookies but most of those get picked off right after stocking and I haven't seen a brook trout come out of it this winter.  I have found that the fishing has deteriorated significantly.  I fish it alot because my kids are young and we can go in and out easily and they can be in playing and I can get them for flags, but if I want to keep the kids entertained with flags we go elsewhere. 

Used to count on at least a keeper togue a day, but haven't found that to be the case the last couple of years.  Seen alot of shorts this year as well.   There still are some nice fish in there but I don't think as many as many other lakes.   I don't keep any fish out of it anymore because I think the numbers are down. 

Jim C for your question about jigging, prior to fishing lower narrows I had always done better jigging than with traps, I have never caught a togue jigging on lower narrows.  I have tried quite a bit with the usual jigs but just don't seem to catch fish there jigging like I do elsewhere.  I have tried multiple depths as well. 

John

[Out4Trout]

Good action shot pulling the togue thru the hole. Funny how the two fish vary in color, I assume they came from the same lake.....
nice fish and hope to see pictures of many more. Welcome to the site.  

[Jim_C.]

Thanks for the reply, John. It seems that, in general, lakes with less dense fish populations don't jig as well.  I used to rarely used traps on Maranacook and just jigged when the togue numbers were way up 4 or 5 years. Lots of action on 14-18" fish back then.  Then they instituted that liberal bag and size limit and haven't stocked togue.  The result is bigger fish, but less of them.  Since that change, I've done better with traps.

Jim C for your question about jigging, prior to fishing lower narrows I had always done better jigging than with traps, I have never caught a togue jigging on lower narrows.  I have tried quite a bit with the usual jigs but just don't seem to catch fish there jigging like I do elsewhere.  I have tried multiple depths as well. 

John

[Marsh]

Welcome to the shanty!  and Nice fish!

[EmeraldShiner]

Icecruiser:  Less dense lake trout population = less fish but much larger size, requires much more patience, one flag all day resulting in 24"to26" Togue is better than 8 to 10 short 14" togue in my opinion, if fast action for warm water species is what you are after while fishing with your kids than lower narrows is not your cup of tea, biologists are managing lower narrows for a larger togue fishery and by the way this pond is a very old and storied large togue pond I think they know exactly what is best for this pond. 8) 8) 8)

[lindenborn]

Nice fish and welcome to the site!!!

Lindy

[icecruiser]

Emerald,

I agree they are managing it for large togue but have been seeing less and less of them every year, this includes open water fishing.  Why have I caught more short togue this year than I have ever before and less keepers?   Why do many of my neighbors choose to fish elsewhere now? 

I fish it usually at least 2-3 days a week year round and have all my logs and they clearly show a pattern and it is not getting better.  That is my point.   I am glad you are still catching nice fish but I am just saying the fishing used to be better and I worry that it will continue to decline.  Now I really worry as the pike seem to be really taking hold.   I have seen several pike taken out all chock full of smelts. 

I think the quality of the fishery is going downhill is it from pike? overharvest? other factors?  I don't know but I will say it isn't what it used to be. 


John

 

[robbfishing]

pike in narrows now!!!! come on

[EmeraldShiner]

Icecruiser: Wow I'm impressed, I certainly do not fish this lake as often as you do, I have to seriously consider your expertise, especially considering the amount of time you have spent fishing this pond, I live in a camp down in boot cove, where are you?  I had the unique experience of catching a 24" togue on August 7, 2007 out of my canoe while slow trolling a flash king at the end of a 25' leader attached to lead core line, this was in less than 25' of water, maybe I'm just lucky, but if you knew the real life experiences I have gone thru in the last three years than catching a few fish does not even come close to making up for that.

[young gun]

well there goesanother pond o the pike guys

[sst4life]

Ice cruiser you practice catch and release ??

[icecruiser]

Yup I practice catch and release typically, have kept some of the brood brookies, the lakers I typically always release.  Have kept some deep hooked bleeders  but 99%+ go back. 

Ice fishing releases are using circle hooks, clipped line if at all questionable.  I troll sewn smelt throughout the year and they tend to be shallow hooked, we go out early and seem to catch most lakers just after sunrise, usually much more shallow than you would suspect all year round.  Though it is not fast fishing at all and just seems to slow a bit every year.  The fish also just don't seem as fat, but I typically don't weigh them or measure them before releasing.. 

My house is across the lake from the causeway, I fish it so much because it is in my backyard and I can do it before work, or after, and still be home for the kids and I love fishing, and if you don't have to travel anywhere it is much easier and quicker.   I just am really concerned about the place.   

I have seen most of the pike come from the shallows over by mechewana and it is just a matter of time as there is nothing keeping them from coming up from annabessacook.  The pike are also confirmed in upper narrows.   

There still are nice fish there I am not disputing that, as I hope to catch one everytime I go out, but decent fish are seeming to happen much less frequently.  I haven't caught what I consider a nice fish this winter.  One of my fishing buddies caught a 25 inch togue that was the skinniest I have ever seen come out of it. 


John

[rude the dude]

There is definitely pike in narrows. Annebesacook is full of them and it flows right in to the narrows.

[bigchev98]

wow awsome fish! i traveled down that way 2 weeks ago to fish with a buddy of mine only got 2 smallys. was going for one of those beauts