Maine Charters, Charter Fishing in Maine

Maine has 228 miles of beautiful Atlantic shoreline and a ton of Maine fishing charters to cover all that coast. The state has numerous bays, islands, river mouths, and inlets that are teeming with fish. Offshore are ledges, wrecks, and drop-offs that provide rich habitats for numerous fish species.

Cod is practically synonymous with the northern sections of the Atlantic Ocean, and the species is a favorite with Maine fishermen. Cod here get huge, at which point they’re often referred to as “whale cod.” Large cod are found in deep water, and the largest one recorded in the state weighed 80 pounds, 7 ounces.

Another extremely popular fish in these parts is the striped bass. These fish are numerous near river mouths and sheltered bays in Maine and are often landed just off beaches and islands. Stripers are worthy finned opponents, and they’re also good eating. They strike hard and swim fast, and they can be found in good numbers in Maine waters. The state record striped bass weighed 67 pounds and was landed near the mouth of the Sheepscot River. There’s no shortage of Maine fishing charters that spend most of their time catching stripers.

Bluefish are also abundant in Maine during the fishing season. Many can be found patrolling for a meal inshore and nearshore. These fish are very aggressive in their quest for food, so once you find them, they won’t usually be very finicky about which baits you offer them. Even better, the blues travel in schools, so if you catch one, you’ll have an excellent chance of hooking more in the same location. Maine’s state record bluefish weighed 19.66 pounds and was caught in Boothbay Harbor. Many Maine fishing charters fish for blues.

Maine Deep Sea Fishing Charters and Guides

A wonderful fish that is often overlooked in Maine waters is the Atlantic halibut. Halibut are large flatfish that have delicious flesh. In fact, their meat is prized by both chefs and diners across the globe. These fish are incredibly powerful, and when you’re trying to land a big one, you’ll feel as if you’re trying to pull up the ocean floor. The state record halibut tipped the scales at 215 pounds and was hooked near Bailey Island.

One of the most prized gamefish anywhere is the bluefin tuna, and Maine is no exception. The largest bluefin taken in Maine waters weighed 1,155 pounds and was harpooned at Perkins Cove. An 810-pound bluefin tuna was taken on a handline off the coast of Portland, and largest bluefin taken by rod and reel was an 819-pound fish caught off Bath. Numerous Maine fishing charters will help you land a tuna.

Maine sharks are thrilling to catch, too. Species include thresher shark, the porbeagle shark, the blue shark, and the mako shark. A 470.5-pound blue was caught with a rod and reel off South Portland, and a 101-pund blue shark was landed with a fly rod off Bath. The largest thresher shark was taken with a with a handline off South Portland, weighing in at 628 pounds. The largest porbeagle was a 548-pounder, and the top mako tipped the scales at 724 pounds. Some fishing guides and fishing charters in Maine specialize in shark fishing.