Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
State officials are warning striped bass anglers after dozens of fishermen were cited for violations on the Saco River.
Maine Marine Patrol officers issued more than 50 summonses and 20 warnings during the past three weeks, primarily near the Saco River Dam, Commissioner Carl Wilson said.
Violations included fishing within 150 feet of a fishway, fishing in a closed area above the Route 9 bridge and failing to immediately release striped bass when required, according to Wilson.
“This disregard for our striped bass resource in the Saco River cannot continue,” Wilson said.
The violations are undermining efforts to rebuild striped bass populations, which have prompted restrictive harvest regulations, he said.
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Maine striped bass regulations allow anglers to keep one fish per day that measures at least 28 inches but less than 31 inches in total length. All other striped bass must be released immediately. Anglers using bait are also required to use inline circle hooks.
The regulations are part of coastwide measures designed to help rebuild Atlantic striped bass numbers after years of poor recruitment and population concerns. Recreational anglers throughout much of the East Coast are subject to the same one-fish daily limit and narrow slot size.
“We want to be proud of our striped bass fishery and resource,” Wilson said. “Our collective actions need to change to achieve that.”