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Maine Anglers Say No To Stocking Walleye

August 08, 2010 - AUGUSTA -- Wild salmon in the Moosehead region and wild togue in eastern Maine look in great health based on recent studies.

That information puts into perspective the comments made by one regional biologist when an out-of-state fisherman suggested stocking walleye here.

Summer fishing may be slow, but fishing chatter is not.

REGION A: SOUTHERN MAINE

Salmon fishing hasn't slowed much on Sebago Lake, said state biologist Francis Brautigam.

"(In) 50 feet of water is where most of the successful salmon fishing is taking place," Brautigam said.

Many of the lakes that have stocked rainbow and brown trout are best fished near 20 to 30 feet of water, he said.

REGION B: CENTRAL MAINE

Fisheries meetings can be interesting and that was the case in the midcoast when IFW biologist Robert Van-Riper was updating locals on the need for culverts for improved fisheries habitat.

"It's kind of a necessary thing based on the discussions on where Maine's money is coming from: natural resource tourism," Van-Riper said.

"In the public meeting, a man from New Jersey asked why we don't stock walleye or pike. He said they love it in New Jersey. So I had to keep everyone else quiet, because at this point they're going to kill this guy. And I said, 'Quite honestly, you're probably the only one in this room who thought of New Jersey as a fishing destination.' That pretty much diffused the situation."

REGION C: DOWN EAST

Anglers are finding lake trout in the deep water Down East, often by jigging, said IFW biologist Greg Bur.

They've had good luck using live bait or big lures like Swedish pimples, Bur said.

Try West Grand Lake in Grand Lake Stream, Tunk Lake in Sullivan or Jordan Pond on Mount Desert Island.

REGION E: MOOSEHEAD LAKE REGION

The Roach River is one of the major salmon and brook trout spawning tributaries to Moosehead Lake. And biologists' work electrofishing a 500-foot section of the Roach River for salmon reproduction this year produced interesting results compared to the data from the past 30 years.

"In the past, we estimate around 75 to 200 salmon parr in this section. This year we estimated around 528 parr were occupying this same amount of habitat," reported IFW biologist Tim Obrey.

REGION F: EASTERN MAINE

A short togue that came out of East Grand Lake last weekend had biologists "shaking their heads," reported IFW biologist Nels Kramer.

"It had a clipped fin. Our first thought was it was a hatchery fish. But we don't stock East Grand Lake with hatchery togue," Kramer said.

As it turned out, it was a wild togue that was missing a fin, Kramer said.

He added that the fish showed the success of the wild togue fishery.

REGION G: NORTHERN MAINE

Anglers who want to fish for brook trout without paying a fee at the North Maine Woods gate should keep Pelletier chain of lakes in Territory 16, Range 9 in mind, said IFW biologist David Basley.

Anyone in the St. Francis or St. John area can get to the lakes by heading to the St. Francis checkpoint and veering off before it, Basley said.

by Deirdre Fleming, Portland Press Herald, August 8, 2010

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