Artificial Lure here with your October 17th Atlantic Ocean fishing report, focused on coastal and offshore waters of Maine. It's a classic, crisp fall morning—temperatures started in the low 60s near the water before sunrise at 7:14am, with the sky overcast but clearing fast. Expect high tide around 6:01am and another just after 6pm, while low tide falls midway late morning and near midnight tonight, according to York Harbor NOAA tide predictions. Winds are mostly out of the northwest at 5-10 knots, with seas 3-5 feet offshore, and visibility excellent. This is prime autumn fishing weather—cool, clear seas and strong tidal swings, perfect for putting fish on the deck, report both Maine Harbors and the Bunny Clark Deep Sea Fishing crew.Boat trips out of Perkins Cove and other harbors have seen **excellent fishing and good landings** this week. According to Bunny Clark, recent legal catches included good numbers of pollock (mostly 3-pound keepers), with a mix of two nice cod per trip thanks to the fall opening, plus cusk, haddock, mackerel, whiting, cunner, and a healthy pile of redfish. The cod bite is a short window, so if you're after keeper cod, now's the time—season regulations allow one per angler in October. Released fish included several sub-legal cod and haddock, a reminder that there’s plenty of life on the bottom. Dogfish have mostly cleared out, but blue sharks are still the occasional surprise.Best **lures** offshore right now are metal jigs—Norwegian and butterfly-style for pollock, cod, and haddock. Cod flies in chartreuse or red and white above your jig are landing bonus fish. If you’re bottom fishing, bring clams or cut mackerel, but most action is hitting well-worked jigs. For those working the inshore rocks and jetty points, try soft plastics or swim shads for schoolie bass at sunrise—they’re chasing peanut bunker and the late season mullet along estuaries and river mouths, especially around the mouth of the Saco and in Wells.From shore, recent striper activity has slowed from summer highs, but the night tides still see surprising slot fish up to the low 30-inch class, with local sharpies reporting a few upper-30s taken on minnow plugs like Mag Darters, paddletails, and the classic bucktail tipped with pork rind. Nighttime and first light remain your best bet. Sand eels and small, glittery swimmers are hypnotic to stripers in the fall. Live baiters are finding some late bluefish and mackerel, especially around Ogunquit and Scarborough, with chunk fresh bunker or mackerel leading to the biggest bites.Bottom bouncers targeting rocky pieces off Cape Elizabeth and near Boon Island have also reported an uptick in tautog and black sea bass action—green crabs and Asian shore crabs on stout rigs are irresistible for these crab-crunchers. While tog are more known further south, the fall run has been reported as “as hot as you’ll get up here,” and it pays to drop a crab-baited rig near submerged structure.**Hot spots this week:**- Jeffrey’s Ledge for pollock, haddock, and that last shot at cod.- The ledges off Cape Neddick and Boon Island for tautog, cusk, and mixed groundfish.- The mouth of the Saco River and the beaches from Wells to Old Orchard at first light for stripers and blues.In sum, it’s transitional season: the last strong shot of cod, prime pollock running, and a mixed bag bruiser’s delight. Bring heavy metal for the offshore bite, crab rigs for hard bottom, and your favorite topwater plug for the dawn patrol bass. The fishing is hot while the weather holds, but don’t sleep on the afternoon high tide for a second chance at filling that cooler.Thanks for tuning in to today’s Maine fishing conditions. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Ver todos los episodios