Newby transplant from WI

[Spotstealer]

Hello All, Thanks for having me. I'm fairly new to Maine, having moved here from WI. Trout and Salmon fishing ( as well as hook and line smelting) are a new hard water experience for me. I'm looking forward to all the tips and fun conversations!

[csiacd78]

My first piece of advice to you is determine the lakes you want to use and know how to use the law book!

[franklin fisher]

Welcome to Maine. Good luck on the ice.

[Gunflint]

Hello All, Thanks for having me. I'm fairly new to Maine, having moved here from WI. Trout and Salmon fishing ( as well as hook and line smelting) are a new hard water experience for me. I'm looking forward to all the tips and fun conversations!

Be careful in Maine. As a fellow mid-westerner that has tried to take some time and understand these great guys, remember this:

  -  Not every Great Pond that you hear of is truly Great. You might want to check out some of the Grade B, C, and D ponds as well.

  -  They also have lakes, but some are smaller than the Great Ponds.

  -  One more thing, they set up camps that look like small cities to fish for tiny fish near the coast.

Can be confusing to a guy from the mid-west.

[caught_the_fever]

welcome to Maine.  Hope you enjoy the state - good luck on the ice!

[Seamonkey84]

Welcome to Maine, there’s plenty of fishing opportunities around, just depends on where you live and what your after. When we say pay attention to the rule book, don’t skim over the section that is laws and definitions, it can get tricky. Also, if you like panfish, you’ll have a blast here. If you haven’t noticed, crappie and blue gills are invasive (mostly in southern counties still) so take all you want of them.

[The Phish unit]

Welcome. Maine's got a fair variety to fish for. But your on the right site. Once you decide where and what you want to fish for, people here are good about helping out.

[LINGUINI]

welcome   

[Cheesehead]

I've been a transplant from Cheeseland 20 years ago.  Maine is a fabulous state that offers many opportunities for different species of fish.  We love the crappies and yellow perch in the Midwest and they have some big ones out here,,,, and lots of them.  I went out 12/21 and 12/20 between the 2 days caught over 100 crappie 9-13', and took 25 home to clean. No limit on crappies and most locals do not like to fish them,  I tell ya 2lb test and a jig pole is a lot of fun.  If your in the mid coast area and want to hook up for an ice fishing adventure..... I know a couple of places for crappies and jumbo yellow perch. Always looking for a fellow cheesehead to fish with.  You will find our state fish from Wisconsin, the musky, is found up north.  Big ones, they are considered invasive, and no limit or sound, logical management practices in the state for this species.  It is amazing the regional focus on fish management.   Wisconsin makes millions of dollars off this fish and the state of Maine wants them out.  There is a big ice fishing derby in Fort Kent for Musky.  They manage the trout fishery very closely and there is premier brook trout fishing in the state.  Welcome to Maine

[Boglake]

Welcome!  You'll find the fishing transition easier than switching football teams, tough to get cheese heads to convert!

FYI, the musky up north are in a very limited number of waters that you can ice fish, and not easy to get to!  If you're looking for big toothy critters the pike waters in southern Maine are a better bet, in my opinion. 

Good luck!

[Gunflint]

Based on what I have heard on Maine’s threads, if you’re looking for small toothy critters you can target Pickerel, a native mini-pike.

[Coach]

Welcome to Maine

[woodchip]

Find a close neighbor or a friend on Iceshanty who likes to ice fish and go with him a few times that way you will not be treading on un known ice conditions. That said welcome to Maine and good luck .