Now is the time to fish for stripers in Penobscot Bay

Every spring stripers make their annual migration back to spawning grounds in the Northeast, including Maine rivers and estuaries.

Now, as we transition into the peak of summer, the water temperatures are climbing, the baitfish are moving into the shallows and striped bass are following their prey into Penobscot Bay’s productive waters.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to target stripers in these Maine waters, that time is now.

Stripers were late to arrive this year, not showing up until about Father’s Day, according to Tom Curtis of Verona Island Charter Services and Todd Jackson of Penobscot Bay Outfitters.

The season started out slow because of the cold weather in May and June. However, it’s really picking up now that we have warm weather, and the water is warming up, too.

When I fished with Curtis last week, the water was 58 degrees in Bucksport harbor, but as we went farther out in the bay, the temperature was around 60 degrees. “That’s still really cool for this time of year,” Curtis said. Despite this, I landed a 33-inch beauty using circle hooks and live bait.

Both captains prefer to use live fish for bait if it’s available, and pogies and mackerel are plentiful throughout the bay. “Pogies are easy to catch and use when there are kids on board,” Curtis said, but he prefers using mackerel.

“Pogies, also called menhaden, came in three weeks later than last year,” Jackson said, “And in good numbers, too. The mackerel just showed up about two weeks ago.”

When you’re out there, bait is pretty easy to find – just watch for explosions across the surface where stripers and seals are chasing after them.

You can fish for this bait in Penobscot Bay with a freshwater recreational fishing license. The daily possession limit is 25 for pogies and 20 for mackerel.

“They haven’t been hitting bloodworms and sandworms as well as years past,” Jackson said. “I think it’s because of the water temperature. They need water 60 degrees or more to bloom.”

Both Curtis and Jackson are seeing large stripers in the bay right now, most over 30 inches. Curtis recently caught a 38-incher around 26 pounds. “There’s a lot of big fish in the area. We’re catching them in the 30s and 40s,” Jackson said.

Tuna fishermen have reported seeing smaller stripers — known as schoolies — about 20 miles offshore, where there are huge schools of bait, and likely warmer waters. There aren’t many schoolies in the bay area, both captains said.

Tides affect when to fish, too. Fishing an incoming tide is better as it carries in food sources, including baitfish. Penobscot Bay has a significant tidal range (10-12 ft) and strong currents influenced by both the tides and freshwater outflow from the Penobscot River. The influx of fresh water can bring in increased oxygen levels and better clarity which can stimulate feeding behavior.

When fishing with Curtis, we focused on shallower areas, hoping to catch stripers feeding on bait swept in by the current. Stripers can also pinpoint bait easier against rocks in these areas, he said.

Both captains said the fish are scattered right now.

“They could be anywhere from Bucksport all the way up the Orland River, to the Veterans Remembrance Bridge in Bangor,” Curtis said.

Both boat and shore anglers can do well, Curtis said. We talked of other methods — like fishing at night from shore. The bait are attracted to the light, so the stripers follow. Many use lures with success, he said.

The window for prime striper fishing in Penobscot Bay won’t stay open forever. Stripers will stack up in September and migrate. “Last September was crazy here in the bay,” Jackson said. “You’d go into a cove and see 20-30 stripers in there.”

So, it’s only going to get better between now and then. Check the tide charts, load up on fresh bait and make the time to get out there.