Pike caught in Sebago is bad news

loading...

News released this week by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stirred up emotions all across the state, and illustrated – yet again – how difficult a job the state’s wildlife officials face.

In his weekly fishery report, assistant regional biologist Jim Pellerin forwarded the following chilling news item.

“Regional fisheries biologist Francis Brautigam and I were out on Sebago Lake with our electrofishing boat last week. Our intention was simply to collect a few warm water specimens for the Maine Wildlife Park’s fish exhibit.

“We were just about finished with our collections when we saw a large fish swirl, and a few seconds later we were stunned by what we saw in our net. This particular fish was a 29-inch, 5.6-pound northern pike!”

You heard Pellerin right. Pike. In Sebago.

Pike, of course, are recognized as voracious predators who are expected to eat Sebago salmon and smelt, among other species.

Pike are not native to Sebago. They were illegally introduced at some time in the not-too-distant past, Pellerin says.

And “Sebago,” of course, is synonymous with “landlocked salmon.” Consider, the scientific name for landlocks is “Salmo Salar Sebago.”

At the risk of jumping on a soap box and preaching to the choir (since I’m nearly certain that folks who illegally stock fish into our state’s waters can neither read nor write), let me say a few words.

I love pike. In the near future, I’ll be heading to Canada to do some fishing that will include a pike excursion or two. As far as I know, the toothy beasts got into the waters where I’ll be fishing on their own … with no help from human hands.

I don’t love pike (or any other non-native species) when they’re disrupting the ecosystem of a lake where they’ve been dumped by a selfish angler with a pail and no respect for the resources of our state.

I’ve talked to several biologists and wardens about the issue of “bucket-stocking” lately, and to a man, all of them are frustrated. All of them are angry. And all of them realize that they’re virtually helpless, unless somebody steps forward to identify the people who’ve done the illegal introductions.

The gall of those who would dump fish into a particular pond in order to create a personal “fishery” for their preferred species astounds and sickens me.

And unless somebody steps forward with information, nothing’s going to get done.

My rule of thumb: If you want to fish for pike (or bass, or trout) … simply go where the pike (or bass or trout) are. Don’t bring them to you and inflict your wishes upon everybody else who will ever fish a particular lake or pond.

And before you dismiss the emerging Sebago pike problem as an isolated incident, listen to Pellerin’s description of the situation.

“This is yet another disheartening and destructive illegal introduction, which appears to be an epidemic in southern Maine that is gradually spreading to more rural parts of the state and threatening our native fisheries,” he wrote.

“Unfortunately, the people doing these senseless, illegal stockings either don’t realize the ultimate consequences of their actions or, what I fear more, they just don’t care.”

Sebago’s problem, you can see, isn’t isolated, and isn’t rare. The same thing is happening all across the state.

We may never solve the Sebago case. But it’s still not too late to make a difference. If you know a “bucket stocker” in your neighborhood, do us all a favor: Let someone know.

The number is 1-800-ALERT-US.

Do us all a favor.

A sign that fishing season is really starting to heat up: On Thursday I headed to Greenville to ride with Game Warden Sgt. Dan Menard while working on a column for next week. On most days when I make similar trips, I make sure my fly rod and waders are packed and ready for action.

It is, I figure, foolhardy to head to fishing country without giving yourself the option to fish … even if fishing’s not really on your official agenda.

On a busy Thursday, I didn’t follow that rule … by design. I figured that the only thing standing between a timely arrival back home and a skulk-in-at-11 p.m. return was the allure of fish rising to meet a fly, and my ability to resist that temptation. Therefore, I packed light.

After several hours in the woods, I headed home. Around Dover-Foxcroft, where Lowe’s Bridge serves as a beacon for local anglers, I noticed plenty of fishermen and vehicles, and pulled onto the gravel shoulder for a closer look.

Of course, I immediately wished I’d brought my rod and waders. I watched anglers cast flies for 15 minutes, and saw one fisherman catch eight fish in that span of time, including three trout on three consecutive casts.

I spoke with another fisherman after he waded ashore, and he told me the state stocked more fish into that stretch of the Piscataquis River on Tuesday.

Having fished the Piscataquis a few days after an earlier stocking … and having been shut out during that outing … I merely grinned and watched the successful angler do his work.

Stocking, I figure, proves the fish are there. Anglers prove if they can be caught.

For the record, most of the half-dozen or so fishermen seemed to be enjoying some level of success, though not on the same level of the angler I previously mentioned.

I would have picked his brain a bit, just to learn a bit more about the fly-fishing game … but he never came ashore, and made cast after cast to the same productive lie.

His routine quickly became predictable.

False cast … false cast … false cast … lay down 35 feet of line … strip … strip … strip … set the hook.

With fishing as hot as it was that evening, I don’t blame him for staying in the water.

I only wish I’d been able to join him.

Next week, a couple of the most popular topics in Maine’s outdoors scene will be found in this space: Moose and ATVs will take center stage.

First, the ATVs. I spent Thursday riding with Wdn. Menard and meeting with Lynn Wilson, the resource manager for Plum Creek in the Jackman area.

Irresponsible ATV riders have gotten plenty of ink recently, and Wilson and Menard say that with peak ATV season coming up, their operators ought to pay particular attention to where they can – and can’t – ride. I’ll let you know what each had to say.

And, in what has become a June tradition in these parts, Mainers from across the state will gather on Tuesday … cross their fingers … and hope this year’s the year they finally get their moose permit.

The drawing will be held in Old Town, beginning at 6. We’ll have more information for you on Tuesday, and will print the names of all the lucky winners on Wednesday morning.

Heck, if someone I know (like a certain chubby outdoors columnist … or the pal I bribed to list me as his subpermittee, for instance) gets a permit, I might share those tales on Thursday.

All kidding aside, if you’ve been in the lottery for years and finally get lucky on Tuesday … or if you just have an interesting moose lottery tale to tell, feel free to call or e-mail. I’m always looking for stories to share.

Have a great weekend.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.