Maine Tidal Carp Fishing, Merrymetting Bay

Tricks to the Maine Carp fishing


Tailers or Mudders - Tailing carp are just like what you see in those great saltwater photos and videos of tailing redfish and bonefish. The carp, basically has his head down and tail up while feeding and looking for food (the tail may or may not be exposed above water). Since the fish is in a downward looking position and is feeding, this is your best opportunity to catch a carp on a fly. A tailing fish is so focused on the bottom, it enables you to throw the fly right at them without them spooking (this does not mean that your fly can make a noisy or splashy entry). Cast your fly in front of the fish and let your fly sink to the bottom; once there, give it a couple of slight strips to get the fishes attention. After pausing and watching your fly line, strip your fly. If your fly line starts to tighten give it a STRIP SET. It is very important to watch your fly line while fishing for carp, (as more often than not you will never feel a carp take your fly!!!). They like to take the fly between strips or when it is paused. Why the STRIP SET you ask? If you were to set the fly by lifting the rod…. ripping line off the water and the fish is not hooked, you just scared every fish within a country mile. So if you strip set and miss the fish, it gives you the opportunity to retrieve the fly and present again. In deeper water where you cannot see fish tailing, you might see a puff of mud rise from the bottom. This is a little more of a guessing game as to exactly where the fish is, but it does give us an idea of where to cast.


Hunters - Give you the next best opportunity to catch Maine carp on the fly. These are carp that are moving slowly along the shoreline and from time to time stop to pick something off the bottom. A carp that is milling about in shallow water is very spooky, so this is NOT a time to throw your fly at the fish. You must anticipate where the fish will be and have the fly waiting!!!!. I try to my anglers lead them by about 5 feet but will vary this depending on conditions. Once the fish is within a foot of your fly, give it a couple of quick strips trying to imitate a crawdad or baitfish that has been spooked out of his hiding place and trying to flee. Then let the fly settle back to the bottom like it is trying to hide again. If the carp turns towards the fly do nothing until you see him tail on it, then STRIP SET. If the carp does not turn towards the fly give a couple more strips and if still no luck retrieve and re-present the fly the same way. I will usually give a carp a couple good presentations before I give up and move onto the next fish. The best way to sum up this technique is to try to get the carp to feed or turn on the fly with his eyes and not his nose or sense of smell.


Cruisers - These guys are tough to catch as they are moving quick and deliberate. They seem as if they are late for a meeting and have some place to be. I think they are either heading for a place to rest or heading to another feeding ground. I tell my clients if they can get one of these carp to stop and eat, then they’ve made the perfect presentation. Here again you need to lead the fish in order not to spook them. I will try both a couple of strips and pause technique and if that does seem to make them stop and take notice, then I will try a steady quick strip retrieve. If the fish stops and turns for the fly, I stop the retrieve and let the fly settle like it is trying to hide and watch for the carp to tail on it. STRIP SET!


Laid Up - Well, I can’t describe this behavior any better than that. These guys will just not eat……they’re suspended and motionless. I think they’re just resting, napping and or sunning themselves to recharge their batteries. I usually find this behavior in the heat of the day and high tide hours. So this is a good time to Head home have a beer or take a nap yourself or better some evening striper fishing on the next falling tide.

Maine Carp Fishing

Water temp have them moving now!!!Give a call to check some really cool flats fishing
207-671-4330






Some Tricks to getting the eat.....


I have been getting emails from anglers who have been having a hard time, with carp on the fly, remember these are not easy fish!! and many anglers have to learn a ton about flats fishing quickly to have success with carp, the carp we are fishing for differ becouse they are in a tidal ravine and act to the tide like a Redfish, Permit or Bonefish, here are a few things to think about without getting into skiff angles or fly patterns...... You must see the fish to be successful!!! The take is very quick and soft so you will not feel it until its too late. Watch for the fish to tail and strip set the hook. Cast 3-4 feet in front of crusing fish, make sure your fly is on the bottom and visable to you before they get to it. Short jerky strips are effective to help them to see the fly. Rembember carp hunt mostly by scent so it can be very difficult for them to find your fly if it is sitting still. Be ready to let the fish run, most fish are lost on the first burst after the hook set. It is tough to get a good strip set and let go fast enough to not break them off. If you can hold on beyond the first run, landing a carp is almost guaranteed.


Most days this is the first fly out of my box." This is Hogan's general carp attractor. Heavily weighted and designed to ride hook point cantilevered up tailing, rooting, or cruising carp have a hard time resisting this fly.

Maine Carp Fly Fishing

Here it is, our new skinny water skiff at CFA, adding to our 17 Action Craft with a 115, the IPB is half the weight allowing us to pole earlier with the tide and stay longer,Power will be a 40 4 stroke Suzuki tiler, Can't wait for it to get here! and go chase some tailing carp.

Maine Carp Fishing

Without giving up to much info on this fishery, Maine carp fishing is not for everyone and many striper angler struggle with it, and many trout anglers I guide miss the eat, it's a redfish, bonefish angler who gets it and I'm not talking about those easy 5lb Bahamas feel good bones either, Very very good casting and someone poling you into the right angles are key. Flies are dictated by the water depth, bottom and food on the flats, long leader and the right fly line are a must, then there's the right tide and weather, There are only a very few poling the carp flats here in Maine, and very few have the boats to do it right. Give Me a call if your looking to give it a try, Capt Eric Wallace 207-671-4330


Local Carp

Carp are a well-established species in Merrymeeting Bay and the Kennebec main stream They exist in large schools and may be the most abundant large fish species in the river. Often they can be seen in the shallows of the extensive rice flats of the bay as they feed and spawn during spring, summer and fall months. Despite five to seven feet of tidal fluctuations, Merrymeeting Bay and the many large coves of the main river seem to be ideal carp habitat. Merrymeeting Bay carp routinely reach weights of 10 pounds and get as heavy as 15 pounds.

Maine Fly Fish for Carp

For Maine Carp Fishing in 2010, I added a few new Scott carp rods, along with a bunch of the new Scott S4S an outstanding new salt tool!
Scott rods has listened, They designed their new A3 rod around the wants and needs of warmwater anglers and with the input from carp heads like us!
They come in a 6 and 8 weight version that are incredibly powerful rods that can slow down even the hardest running carp, while still being lightweight and easy to cast all day. These are not just short clubs that you have to overline to cast, they are premium U.S. made rods that will become your favorite after the first day of fishing.
As an introductory special, we are offering a dozen of our best carp flies, plus an Uncommon Carp hat when you order one of the new A3 rods.


Carp on the Fly
Fly patterns will vary depending on the fish and how
they are swimming. Suspended/ Stationary fish are the easier targets over the mudding and cruising fish, even though the mudding fish will eat,getting a fly in the mud that they see or feel is a challange

Why Carp on the Fly:
Fly fishing for carp is similar to fishing the flats for redfish or bone fish. Not to mention difficult. Poling through the mudd flats and sight fishing for 10 to 30lb fish is by all means an adrenaline rush. It takes great patients setting up the shot and perfect presentation by both the angler and guide. Ultimately resulting in a hook up on the strip set.

Boats are key and not too many anglers/guides have keyed into the fishery or the needs to be successful, we got our first carp back in the summer of 2002 and have been dialing it over the years.


History on Carp in Maine
In Maine, carp (Cyprinus carpio) spawn in spring and early summer with water temperatures between 63 F and 78 F. As the waters warm in the spring, large numbers of carp concentrate in shallow weedy areas, where amid much commotion spawning takes place. Often 1-3 females along with 3-15 males thrash and splash wildly among the vegetation. Eggs, of this highly prolific species, are randomly broadcast and adhere onto submerged vegetation. The number of eggs varies based on the size of the female. A typical one-pound carp may yield 100,000 eggs while a 15-pound fish can be expected to produce over 2 million eggs. It is understandable how this species could over populate a pond in just a short time. There is no parental care and the eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days depending on water temperature.
Young carp remain in the shallow weedy areas where they grow quickly. During the first few weeks of hatching, young carp are heavily preyed upon by a variety of fish and fish-eating birds. By the end of the first growing season, carp may reach a size of one pound and up to three pounds within the third year. It is not uncommon for carp to grow up to 30 or 40 pounds in the southern part of its range but in Maine it would be more typical for carp to reach 10-15 pounds.

Carp feed primarily by sucking in a mouthful of bottom sediment; then expelling nonfood items while at the same time retaining forage. The latter may include fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and plant material such as algae, seeds, and wild rice. Carp have even been spotted feeding directly at the surface gulping algae and insects.

CARP MANAGEMENT HISTORY
Carp were first introduced into the Unites States in 1877 from Europe where they were raised in small ponds and harvested for food. Many immigrants were familiar with the cultivation of carp and were eager to bring them to the “New World”. The United States Fish Commission initiated a program to cultivate carp in the U.S. Private citizens made application to the Commission for these fish where carp were then distributed to those applicants throughout the Eastern States.
Carp were first introduced in to Maine in 1879. Several dozen stockings into privately owned ponds occurred between 1879 and 1896. Historical records indicate that between the years of 1886 and 1887, 1,250 carp were distributed to 61 applicants in 15 of Maine’s 16 counties. The populations of carp in the tidal waters of the Scarborough River and the Kennebec River are probably a result of escapes from these small private ponds. Little information is available on introductions of carp into the State’s great ponds. It is known that Green Lake in Hancock County was stocked, and is believed that Halfmoon Pond in Waldo County was also stocked. These stockings failed to establish self-sustaining populations.
Thankfully, most carp introductions in Maine were unsuccessful. The reasons for these failures are speculative. The U.S. Fish Commission evaluated the stocking program and reported that in many instances only small percentage of fish actually reached the ponds alive. Only a couple of dozen carp were allocated to each individual, and even though carp are a very hardy species, transportation methods of the time took their toll. The fish were transported in milk cans and few fish survived the long train rides and bumpy travels by horse and buggy to the stocking sites.

The spread of carp throughout the drainages where they now occur has been restricted by impassable dams. Carp have the ability to leap, reportedly jumping as high as 5 to 6 feet and they also use fishways to gain access to upstream waters. The recent removal of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Augusta has now opened approximately 17 addition miles of river. Within just one summer season carp have moved to the next upstream barrier at Waterville. Fortunately, most of the many feeder streams to that section of the Kennebec River have natural barriers or are not associated with lakes or ponds. The exception is Sevenmile Stream, the outlet of Webber Pond in Vassalboro. Webber Pond is currently managed for brown trout (Salmon trutta) and bass (Micropterus spp) and has some ideal habitat for carp should they migrate into the pond. To prevent this migration the Maine Department of Fish and Wildlife obtained a grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund to construct a barrier dam on Sevenmile Stream.

The Federal re-licensing process of dams on the Kennebec River will be occurring within the next few years and it will be very important for the Department to be involved during that process to ensure that carp are not allowed to gain further access upstream.
Carp may be one of the most highly sought-after sportfish by the European angler. Furthermore, the popularity of the species is growing in the southern United States. Unfortunately, carp are considered detrimental to Maine’s native fish species, as well as popular non-native sport fish species, such as bass, primarily by degrading water quality. The preferred habitat of carp is shallow, weedy, warm water areas where they scavenge bottom sediments for food, thereby uprooting vegetation and increasing water turbidity. Many of our warmwater species depend on aquatic vegetation for spawning and nursery habitat; the young of those species utilize this vegetation for feeding and protection from predation. Additionally, the increased turbidity can interfere with sight predators, such as the chain pickerel (Esox niger).

CARP OPPORTUNITY
Carp are currently restricted to flowing waters primarily within the tidal water of the Kennebec River drainage, Regions A and B (Figure 1). The most popular fishing area is the ‘flats’ of Merrymeeting Bay. The Department has no fishing regulations to protect carp, but the Maine Department of Marine Resources has special terminal tackle regulations on the Kennebec River to protect marine sport fish species.


How to Catch Carp On A Fly

By Capt. Mark Boname





You can ask anyone that knows me that if you want to get me excited, just start talking about fly fishing for Carp. Fishing for them is the cheapest and closest thing you can do in lieu of spending thousands of dollars on a saltwater flats destination trip. And if a saltwater trip is in your future, go chase some carp for practice.



This last year, I've noticed and increasing amount of fly fishing forums with questions about fly fishing for Carp. While some of the threads have been informative, many have misconceptions and lack techniques that will help you. In this article I will attempt to take some of the mystery out of catching Carp on a fly.

Just to give you a little background on myself. I have a BS in Fisheries Biology from the University of Wyoming and have been fly fishing for carp for almost 20 years. Of course like most, it all started by accident while trying to catch trout in one of my favorite ponds. I would ignore the huge shadows that would cruise by while trying to catch what I thought was a prized game fish - trout. Either from boredom or need of a new challenge I finally gave in and started casting to, what I thought at the time a "trash fish". I don't know who was more stunned....me or the carp when I hooked the first one....as I watched my fly line disappear into backing. Since that first fight, the terms "trash fish" have long left my fly fishing vocabulary.

The most important thing you need to know about fly fishing for Carp or any fish for that matter, is to know and understand what you are chasing. There are two types of Carp that folks are chasing with a fly rod. One is a grass carp (white amur) and the other is the common carp (or subspecies mirror carp). It is important to know which carp inhabits the water you plan on fishing, as the grass carp is a herbivore (eats plankton - vegetation matter only) and the common carp is a an omnivore (will eat both plants and animals). Knowing will help you move forward with the tactics you will use.

Grass Carp

Grass Carp are introduced in lakes and ponds for the purpose of vegetation control. To keep grass carp from natural reproduction and spreading, the grass carp eggs are manipulated in a lab with heat, cold and pressure to create a triploid (a sterile fish). This makes them a very expensive fish to buy and stock; therefore most pond and lake owners are very leery about letting folks fish for them. Since the grass carp is a vegetarian, it is very hard to match the hatch, making it the most challenging carp to catch on a fly. Try tying woolly buggers that match the color of the vegetation in the waters you plan to fish.Cast your fly in front of the fish and let it float or sink slowly. If you have the luck and the patience to fish for these guys, your reward will come after you hook up. The grass carp grow very large, is the hardest fighting carp and will give you the best fight you've had in a long time, so make sure you have a smooth reel and a lot of backing. These guys will even jump during the fight unlike their cousins the common carp.

Common / Mirror Carp



Since this is the carp that most folks including myself fish for, this is where I will spend a lot time explaining the conditions and techniques I use. Please understand that I fish in clear water lakes and everything is done by sight fishing in shallow water of one to three feet.I do not fish for them while they are spawning (end of May in my area) as it is futile. You will know when they are spawning by all the splashing and hell raising going on along the shoreline or back in the weeds and grass.



As water temperature increases so does a carp's metabolism, so the heat of summer is when they are on the feed. This is great timing, since it’s time to leave trout alone due to warm water temps. Depending on conditions (usually wind), I generally use five to eight weight rods with floating lines and 0x to 5x leaders with fluorocarbon tippet; but, for grins and giggles I’ve been known to push the limit and use a 2 wt rod from time to time. On my home waters, the Carp average 10 to 12 pounds, but can catch them up to 25 pounds.

Unlike grass carp, the common carp is an omnivore and will eat just about anything from vegetation to crayfish. I think they are very opportunistic and I've been known to call them freshwater goats. So your first assignment is to explore the first twenty feet of biomass from shore to identify the main critters in their diet. In the waters that I fish, crawdads and minnows are their favorite food source; however, they will feed on anything in the biomass that exists along the shoreline including vegetation, midges, dragon fly nymphs, damsel fly nymphs, snails, leeches and license plates…..you get the idea. Do not believe everything you read and hear, you can use large flies to catch carp….my favorite fly is my #4 Vanilla Bugger which you find on our specialty fly page. No need to try and pump or kill a carp to see what they have been eating. They have crushers in the back of their mouth so everything in the digestive tract is mush and is usually unidentifiable. I will tell you, that the fly pattern is not as important as the presentation; although, you can find some great "carp fly patterns" on our Carp Fly Page.

There are several kinds of behaviors that I watch for while chasing carp:



◦Tailers or Mudders - Tailing carp are just like what you see in those great saltwater photos and videos of tailing redfish and bonefish. The carp, basically has his head down and tail up while feeding and looking for food (the tail may or may not be exposed above water). Since the fish is in a downward looking position and is feeding, this is your best opportunity to catch a carp on a fly. A tailing fish is so focused on the bottom, it enables you to throw the fly right at them without them spooking (this does not mean that your fly can make a noisy or splashy entry). Cast your fly in front of the fish and let your fly sink to the bottom; once there, give it a couple of slight strips to get the fishes attention. After pausing and watching your fly line, strip your fly. If your fly line starts to tighten give it a STRIP SET. It is very important to watch your fly line while fishing for carp, as more often than not you will never feel a carp take your fly. They like to take the fly between strips or when it is paused. Why the STRIP SET you ask? If you were to set the fly by lifting the rod…. ripping line off the water and the fish is not hooked, you just scared every fish within a country mile. So if you strip set and miss the fish, it gives you the opportunity to retrieve the fly and present again. In deeper water where you cannot see fish tailing, you might see a puff of mud rise from the bottom. This is a little more of a guessing game as to exactly where the fish is, but it does give you an idea of where to cast.


◦Hunters - Give you the next best opportunity to catch carp on the fly. These are carp that are moving slowly along the shoreline and from time to time stop to pick something off the bottom. A carp that is milling about in shallow water is very spooky, so this is NOT a time to throw your fly at the fish. You must anticipate where the fish will be and have the fly waiting. I try to lead them by about 5 feet but will vary this depending on conditions. Once the fish is within a foot of your fly, give it a couple of quick strips trying to imitate a crawdad or baitfish that has been spooked out of his hiding place and trying to flee. Then let the fly settle back to the bottom like it is trying to hide again. If the carp turns towards the fly do nothing until you see him tail on it, then STRIP SET. If the carp does not turn towards the fly give a couple more strips and if still no luck retrieve and re-present the fly the same way. I will usually give a carp a couple good presentations before I give up and move onto the next fish. The best way to sum up this technique is to try to get the carp to feed or turn on the fly with his eyes and not his nose or sense of smell.


◦Cruisers - These guys are tough to catch as they are moving quick and deliberate. They seem as if they are late for a meeting and have some place to be. I think they are either heading for a place to rest or heading to another feeding ground. I tell my clients if they can get one of these carp to stop and eat, then they’ve made the perfect presentation. Here again you need to lead the fish in order not to spook them. I will try both a couple of strips and pause technique and if that does seem to make them stop and take notice, then I will try a steady quick strip retrieve. If the fish stops and turns for the fly, I stop the retrieve and let the fly settle like it is trying to hide and watch for the carp to tail on it. STRIP SET!


◦Snoozers - Well, I can’t describe this behavior any better than that. These guys will just not eat……they’re suspended and motionless. I think they’re just resting, napping and or sunning themselves to recharge their batteries. I usually find this behavior in the heat of the day around lunch time for a couple of hours. So this is a good time to have a beer or take a nap yourself.


◦Gulpers - On windless late summer days in the afternoons, the carp will pod up into tight shoals gulping the surface. Why they do this I do not know, but I think they’re just feeding on plankton and any other debris that has blown onto the waters surface. I do know this is the time to get the dry fly rod out. You can use basically any dry fly, but I like to use a muddler minnow. It can be used as a dry fly or if need be It can be stripped just under the surface. If you are casting to a pod/shoal of carp, let the fly gently land in the middle of them and just let it sit. If the carp are not interested, give some gentle quivers or tiny strips in order to get there attention. This requires a lot of patience, but it can be done.
Knowing that a carp’s sight orientation is pointed downward will help you understand more about dry fly fishing for carp. A carp must be tipped upwards (vertical) in order to see the dry fly on the surface. You can throw dry flies until your arm falls off to carp that are swimming horizontally below the surface believing they will come up for the fly….it’s not going to happen. If you fish rivers, watch for carp that are coming up of the bottom from time to time to the surface. Drop the fly on the surface as they are coming up to ensure that they see it. I‘ve caught them on every dry fly I’ve thrown including royal wulffs, goddard caddis, parachute adams and hoppers.Because it is hard for them to see, carp take dry flies very slowly, so make sure the fly is all the way into the mouth before STRIP SETTING.

Carp can adapt to most environments thus their rapid increase in numbers around the country since the early 1900’s. I’m sure diets and behaviors also vary around the country and you will have to study them to come up with techniques like I have, but that is part of the challenge. Hopefully, I have dispelled some misconceptions and given you some ideas and techniques you can try on your own waters.