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Author Topic: sebago cusk fishing ?  (Read 6625 times)

Offline hardwatergrampa

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sebago cusk fishing ?
« on: Jan 28, 2018, 07:35 AM »
whats the best bait to use  live or dead  bottom or just off
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Offline hookngal

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 28, 2018, 09:20 AM »
whats the best bait to use  live or dead  bottom or just off

My husband and I fish right on bottom
with dead bait (suckers, shiners, or smelts)
They'll eat anything. 😀  Good luck

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 28, 2018, 09:35 AM »
thank you
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Offline TwoLightsKid

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 28, 2018, 04:49 PM »
They will eat lots of different things for sure.  A chunk of sea smelt or sucker filet is always good. My current favorite is a combo bait, first thread a chunk of sea smelt on the hook for scent, then a live sucker or shiner in the 5-8” range.  Set a foot or two off bottom, this rig seems to deter the smaller fish, may not get quite as many, but most are 20” or better.

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 28, 2018, 09:46 PM »
this sounds like a bunch of bull but tonight on 2 set ups my soninlaw had fish running set the hook and couldn't move the fish towards the hole
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Offline TwoLightsKid

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 29, 2018, 05:40 AM »
If you’re fishing near rocks, which you usually are with cusk, they will quickly bury themselves in the rocks if you give them too much line.  I had this happen to me several times on one of my first trips cusk fishing before I figured out what was going on.  Now I use the rubber band trick so they can’t take more than 5-10 feet of line before the rubber band stops them, usually enough for them to swallow the bait and not bury me in the rocks.

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 29, 2018, 06:07 AM »
If you’re fishing near rocks, which you usually are with cusk, they will quickly bury themselves in the rocks if you give them too much line.  I had this happen to me several times on one of my first trips cusk fishing before I figured out what was going on.  Now I use the rubber band trick so they can’t take more than 5-10 feet of line before the rubber band stops them, usually enough for them to swallow the bait and not bury me in the rocks.
     we were thinking that s what had happen was a fun night


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Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 29, 2018, 10:21 AM »
do u use a mono leader  I was thinking of going with a pre tied snell hook next time
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Offline fishlessman

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 29, 2018, 12:53 PM »
you dont need a reel with cusk, tie the line to a board

Offline TwoLightsKid

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 29, 2018, 12:56 PM »
I use 12 lb fluoro, about 10’.  Probably not really necessary, but it lets me use the same rig for togue and cusk without needing to change hooks and leaders.  Fluoro is really tough and holds up well to rocks, hole edges, and fish teeth.  Costs more up front, but I can go a long time with the same leader. 

Offline fishlessman

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 29, 2018, 01:06 PM »
do u use a mono leader  I was thinking of going with a pre tied snell hook next time

have only fished cusk in nh, they are really dumb fish, you just need to be where they are. a nh cusk trap is just a board to wrap the squidding line around and tie it off, a 1.125 ounce weight to make it nh leagal, the pretied eagle claw hooks with 6 inch mono, a squished bait. maine you will need to routinely check it or bury in snow at a 45 to see if the board moved. these traps are made to get run over and or lost, nh allows you to leave them out overnight. there isnt much need for a fancy trap or setup, cusk are not line shy

Offline zwiggles

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 29, 2018, 01:28 PM »
whats the best bait to use  live or dead  bottom or just off

If it is legal.... baby cusk.

Offline fishlessman

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #12 on: Jan 29, 2018, 01:33 PM »
If it is legal.... baby cusk.
[/quot

i asked, its not.  asked 3 men in green, after 20 minutes they came up with its in the sport fish group so cant be used for bait

Offline zwiggles

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 29, 2018, 02:07 PM »
If it is legal.... baby cusk.
[/quot

i asked, its not.  asked 3 men in green, after 20 minutes they came up with its in the sport fish group so cant be used for bait

Are you talking in NH or in ME?

Offline fishlessman

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 29, 2018, 02:17 PM »
Are you talking in NH or in ME?

maine, i asked because somehow i caught a cusk in a bait trap, played it safe that day and let it go. i asked at a winter show, they never found it in the rule book but found it in a maine book of maine sport fish.  i would not chance it now, the consensus was you cant use a sport fish for bait

Offline Slammah

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #15 on: Jan 29, 2018, 02:20 PM »
The law book specifically lists all of the legal baitfish. (Dead or alive) If the fish is not on the list, it is not legal for use in Maine waters. There are 20 total species including smelt. Cusk are not a legal baitfish.

It really surprises me that the wardens had to go through all of that to then take a guess. Wouldn't you think they would have a general law like that down stone cold?

Offline cjg

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #16 on: Jan 29, 2018, 02:28 PM »
somehow i caught a cusk in a bait trap, played it safe that day and let it go.
You sure it was a cusk and not a Sculpin?

Offline fishlessman

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #17 on: Jan 29, 2018, 02:31 PM »
The law book specifically lists all of the legal baitfish. (Dead or alive) If the fish is not on the list, it is not legal for use in Maine waters. There are 20 total species including smelt. Cusk are not a legal baitfish.

It really surprises me that the wardens had to go through all of that to then take a guess. Wouldn't you think they would have a general law like that down stone cold?

this was maybe 12 or so years ago, i dont believe it was spelled out the same like it is now

Offline fishlessman

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #18 on: Jan 29, 2018, 02:34 PM »
You sure it was a cusk and not a Sculpin?

have not caught to many sculpin before but this was different and all the sculpin ive caught were in the river

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #19 on: Jan 29, 2018, 03:06 PM »
have only fished cusk in nh, they are really dumb fish, you just need to be where they are. a nh cusk trap is just a board to wrap the squidding line around and tie it off, a 1.125 ounce weight to make it nh leagal, the pretied eagle claw hooks with 6 inch mono, a squished bait. maine you will need to routinely check it or bury in snow at a 45 to see if the board moved. these traps are made to get run over and or lost, nh allows you to leave them out overnight. there isnt much need for a fancy trap or setup, cusk are not line shy
have a set of 12 the grandson and I made several years ago I 1/2 sinker with eyelets on each end use 2 fish winnie
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Offline Fish Wayniac

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #20 on: Jan 29, 2018, 08:35 PM »
Not sebago but since on the topic of cusk. How are they biting on Thompshon lake the Heath end? Has anyone been hitting it up? Was going to relocate my shack to Laker and cusk land.

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #21 on: Feb 03, 2018, 07:33 PM »


 
drews first cusk from sebago
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Offline lunkahville

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #22 on: Feb 03, 2018, 09:43 PM »
You on the station end? There were 2 groups setting up as we were leaving today.
Fishing is like playing at Carnegie Hall, when your good your good. But do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall? PRACTICE!

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #23 on: Feb 04, 2018, 10:02 AM »
You on the station end? There were 2 groups setting up as we were leaving today.
no we were further up the road
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Offline lunkahville

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #24 on: Feb 04, 2018, 10:18 AM »
About  1530 I heard an old jiffy 30 fire up in fairly shallow. I thought wth. Then it clicked. Must be some nice cusk that come outta there?
Fishing is like playing at Carnegie Hall, when your good your good. But do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall? PRACTICE!

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #25 on: Feb 04, 2018, 01:56 PM »
there are a couple on here who do real well on Sebago  iam new at cusk fishing  done some here and there
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Offline TwoLightsKid

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #26 on: Feb 04, 2018, 02:49 PM »
Great cusk fishing in many areas on Sebago.  It’s a great habitat for them, and except for a couple of months a year during good ice years, they get zero fishing pressure.  I’m far from an expert, but I’ve usually done well anywhere you have a rocky shoal that comes up to 15’ or shallower near deep water.

Offline porkpiehat

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #27 on: Feb 04, 2018, 05:19 PM »
Did pretty well on south end of sebago saturday. bite turned off around midnight but I stayed until 1:30 am or so. my buddy and I caught 7 total, 3 in the 22-24" range.

They hit everything: live bait, stomped bait, sucker chunks, dead bait and live bait to get smell and movement. I'm letting my leftover bait get stinky and then freezing it for next weekend.

Also try a jingle bell on the leader when using live bait. extra noise brings them to your bait.

Staying off bottom is a trick I haven't heard for bigger cusk. I think that's illegal in NH

Offline 8orach

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #28 on: Feb 07, 2018, 03:55 PM »
Did some cusk fishing on the lake mid January. First night pulled up 15 between two of us, all small sized. Only two that were worth keeping. Second night was a lot slower but pulled up 4, 3 pounders. Also a 24 inch togue that stripped my reel in 20 feet of water. Never heard of fishing for cusk off bottom, left over dead smelts or chunks of sea smelts work best laid on bottom. Always tie my reels off after 3 feet, can't tell you how many times I've lost big cusk to a boulder.

Offline hardwatergrampa

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Re: sebago cusk fishing ?
« Reply #29 on: Feb 07, 2018, 08:21 PM »
What do you mark traps with for visibility
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