FFIM

Some of you may have already seen these, but there is a new crop of 2017 Fisheries Reports on the Department's website. They are a little bit difficult to find--but here is the link.

https://www1.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/fisheries/reports-publications.html

Of particular interest were updates on Upper Dam, Rapid River and Magalloway River.

For those of us who think pressure on the Magalloway has increased a lot, we are correct. Almost 5,000 angler trips in 2016, compared to a little over 2000 in 2007.

Meanwhile, a little bit of possible good news over on the Rapid. Use is about the same as in 2007 (but down quite a lot from the late 1990's). For the first time ever, juvenile smallmouth bass catch rates dropped a bit, and brook trout catch rates were up a bit. The flow modifications that were implemented through the "Save the Rapid" project that MDIFW, FFIM, TU, RLHT and RRG+S helped support may be having the desired effect of limiting smallmouth recruitment. Here's what the report had to say:


The data from this
latest survey suggested that smallmouth bass numbers in the Rapid River may
finally have peaked. This could also be explained by year-class failures that are
possibly the result of the controlled spring flow regimes that are intended to be
detrimental to young bass.

Lots more info in the reports, and surely plenty of fodder for shack nasty season!

Read the report on the Northern lakes and Allagash region. Interesting. At one time I used to spend quite a bit of time up there and spent many time on Allagash and Little round pound. The Rangers then told me that the us of the Allagash had peaked during the 1970's and 1980's, in some cases campsites had been allowed to grow in. There are still the canoe crowds I think from time to time, but I will bet that is on the decline as well. As was noted in the study there seems to be a trend that fisherman are fishing closer to home. I have to think that this is based on demographics and time that people have. I also think it might be a change int he attitudes of many fisherman as well. Smallmouth bass are now a target species with a fly rod, Shad draw some attention, etc.
Interesting reading for sure.
on a side note we have often debated how much pressure on fisheries like the Magalloway ( which saw an increase in pressure) was prevented in the past when the stocking programs on many Maine rivers produced top notch hold over Brown trout fishing. Interesting food for thought.