Now is the time for some of the most interesting bass fishing of the year. I was on one of my favorite ponds yesterday and the bass were very close to actively defending those depressions in the bottom. I saw many although only a few had fish on them. I am guessing that the next couple of warm sunny days will make all of the difference here in the mid coast.
In a big way this year, clearly all of the conservation efforts have paid off on the Maine coast. I hear that they are in trouble in southern New England but the runs locally are astounding. I suspect that the changes in our river systems really favor their production now. We visited the Damariscotta Mills fish ladder Monday evening with friends and I cannot remember ever seeing more fish in the ladder. The stream was black with fish, in fact the gulls were so full that they were no longer fighting over fish.
Spring is the season of young critters that is for sure and this year I keep running into them, more than other years. Last week it was woodcock chicks and this week a young red squirrel. I backed down into the ramp to launch and when I started loading the rods and other equipment into the boat, there at my feet was a young (maybe three quarters grown) red squirrel.
