sebago cusk fishing ?

[hardwatergrampa]

That's how l have  mine  set  up as well

[WishnIwasFishn]

Reflective tape works really well. The cheapest alternative I’ve found is at Walmart, down back in the fishing/camping section they have hat lights for a buck. They’re cheap looking but have a clip on the back and take LED batteries so they’re bright as a ba$tard and the clips make for an easy hook onto your flag (I usually fold the flag over and just clip it on). When setting traps up for cusk I like to point all the lights facing out away from your trap so you can’t see them when you get back to your shack, flag  goes off and that thing starts waving at ya, can’t miss it. Only issue with your lights facing the shack is it can be tough to see when you get a flag (especially on your furthest traps) unless you see it go off/wave around......otherwise it just looks like all the others as it’s hard to distinguish a light in the air vs a light on a trap in the dark.

[hardwatergrampa]

ill have to check the lights out

[Ohiocatfish]

The sell reflective rectangles at Home Depot for mailboxes number and letters. I buy the blank reflective rectangles and cut them into strips to put directly on the tips of my flags. I can poke my head out of the shack with a maglite and all our traps light up for about 100yrds like a Christmas tree. Also chicken liver on bottom brings a whole lotta stink and works fantastic

[hardwatergrampa]

The sell reflective rectangles at Home Depot for mailboxes number and letters. I buy the blank reflective rectangles and cut them into strips to put directly on the tips of my flags. I can poke my head out of the shack with a maglite and all our traps light up for about 100yrds like a Christmas tree. Also chicken liver on bottom brings a whole lotta stink and works fantastic

   6 hrs today no luck not even with the chicken liver 

[mt4410]

i use the jingle bells on my traps and have made one of the portable battery packs that i found on here with a 10w flood lamp on it that covers a good distance.  i tend to zig zag my taps in a generally straight line so i can see them in the beam all at once. same thing when i drive out on the ice and use the headlights.

[hardwatergrampa]

the bells are ok so long as I have some1 with me who can hear them I use to use them smelting  but they drove every one nuts

[mt4410]

if thats an issue, then get the tip up lights that go on the flag, and put them on the flag with a bit of duct tape so that it van be seen at night.

[hardwatergrampa]

My granddaughter Hailey's first fish from Sebago had a fun time fishing last night.

[MadFisha]

Wowzers great fish.

[Nessmuck]

What do you mark traps with for visibility

In NH ..we mark our holes ,by taking a Pine /Hemlock bow/branch ...and sticking it in the hole....so when you get any snow over night,you'll be able to find your holes in the morning. Dont know about Maine cusk laws ...

[porkpiehat]

I bought a whole mess of landscaping flags about 18" for $6 and put some reflective tape so you can see them at night. I was fishing saturday night  and bam 10" of snow came along and I couldn't see anything. The next morning I could clearly see each of the flags and I watched a couple spend the entire day with a metal detector looking for theirs. (In NH so they could be left overnight). I also put reflective tape on the ends of my cusk traps.

Can you use regular tip-ups in Maine? I thought only cusk traps and jigging were legal (no free spooling devices) but maybe that's just in NH...I'd love to know what the elastic band trick is for regular tip ups it would be a lot more fun to see flags popping after dusk

[hardwatergrampa]

yes you can use tip-ups in maine but can not leave them out all night unless checked every hr. and your weight does not have to be 6 in from hook

[The Phish unit]

I think someone else mentioned it also. Combos can work good at times. Dead bait gives smell and acts as a weight while the live bait struggles and makes vibration. That being said they really eat everything so its more about finding a concentration of them

[413iceman]

What's the rubber band trick with the tip up? I had one tip up completley spooled when I went to check and assumed it went I to the rocks next to where i was fishing.

[GasBlaster]

What's the rubber band trick with the tip up? I had one tip up completley spooled when I went to check and assumed it went I to the rocks next to where i was fishing.

If you use a heavy band it won't break .

[TwoLightsKid]

Nice video showing the concept.  For cusk on Sebago, I usually only allow about 5-6’ of line for the fish to take the bait before it hits the rubber band, and I also use a stronger rubber band so it will act as a shock absorber and not break while still keeping the fish out of the rocks. 

[AmbassadorME]

Got this 31inch nine pounder on Sunday. A couple others got us hung up in the rocks. Big suckers in shallow water near Frye Island.

[porkpiehat]

damn that's a nice fish! Good ice still?

[hardwatergrampa]

Got this 31inch nine pounder on Sunday. A couple others got us hung up in the rocks. Big suckers in shallow water near Frye Island.

nice fish

[TwoLightsKid]

Nice one!   I was out there last night and the ice is still okay.  Snow on Sunday bought us some time, but rain tomorrow will probably wash all of that away.

[TwoLightsKid]

Anyone been out on Sebago in the last day or two?  It was still okay before the storm late last week where I was, but I’m wondering how much ice has been lost since. 

[woodchip]

Anyone out on Sebago after this storm . Will be taking a very dangerous chance  .None of the open holes will show covered with snow. and it will be playing Russian Rolette!!!!!!!!!