Come summer weekends, you’re likely to find Ken Hoehlein on a boat, casting toward likely spots in hopes of hauling in a lunker bass.

The Trenton man is an avid tournament bass fisherman, president of the Bangor Bass Club and loves to share his passion for the sport with others.

Just ask him about bass fishing and you’re likely to learn a lot of things you never even suspected.

But when Hoehlein was enrolled in an adult education class recently, he realized that there was a way to introduce the sport to far more people, in a more efficient way.

“I was taking Spanish, and [in another class] they were teaching fly tying,” Hoehlein recalls. “I asked them, ‘Why is there never any bass fishing [class]?'”

That simple question prompted more discussion and led to a new offering on the upcoming Bangor Adult Education schedule.

Hoehlein will teach a class called “Everything You Wanted to Know About Bass Fishing” over a 10-week span beginning in March.

“Everywhere you look in these adult education classes there’s always fly fishing and fly tying, because bass fishing is still a relatively new endeavor,” Hoehlein said.

He said the class size is limited, but those who enroll will be treated to presentations by Hoehlein and guest speakers. Among those guests will be fisheries biologists, who will explain more about the sport and the species itself.

Hoehlein said he’s had a lot of positive feedback about the class, and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with others.

For more information about the class, call Bangor Adult Education at 941-6310.

Moosehead derby on tap

The weather report looks favorable and organizers are all geared up for this weekend’s first Moosehead Lake togue derby.

The derby, which is being hosted by former NASCAR driver Ricky Craven, runs Saturday and Sunday and features a top cash prize of $1,500 for the largest lake trout.

In addition to other cash prizes, the top door prize – an ice fishing and camping package donated by the Indian Hill Trading Post – is worth $1,200.

Single entries cost $25 while family entries go for $40 and include a couple and any children under 16.

The tournament will help regional fisheries managers in their effort to reduce the number of lake trout in Moosehead and should be a lot of fun as well.

Bob Hamer of the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce says Craven plans to snowmobile around the lake during the derby, meeting anglers and enjoying the weekend.

For more information call 695-2702.

ASC hearing tonight

For several years, many anglers have been waiting for the opportunity to fish for Atlantic salmon on the Penobscot River.

The river – along with all of the state’s other salmon rivers – was closed to fishing in 1999, and the Penobscot was subsequently reopened for a monthlong fall season in 2006.

Many anglers aren’t satisfied with that and want a more traditional season that would fall during the spring.

The Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission has moved forward with a rule-making proposal that would institute a monthlong spring season from May 1-31, with several caveats attached.

The public hearing on the proposal will be held tonight at Holden Elementary School, beginning at 6 p.m.

Fishing during May, when more salmon are in the river and the water temperature is lower, is preferable to September and October fishing for many anglers.

The fall season featured limited participation in 2007. Just a single fish was caught and released in 2006.

If you’ve got an opinion on the season, tonight is your chance to share it.

And if you can’t attend the meeting, you’ve got until Feb. 4 to give send written comments on the proposal.

For more information, go to http://www.maine.gov/asc.

Long Lake salmon impressive

In a lot of cases, Mainers can’t be accused of being original when it comes to naming their lakes.

Especially when it comes to the use of the word “Long.”

According to my handy DeLorme book of fishing depth maps, Hancock County alone has six waters named Long Pond.

Aroostook County has four places named Long Lake.

But mention “salmon,” along with “Long Lake” and many Mainers will know exactly where to head.

The top of Maine and the 6,000-acre lake that sits in St. Agatha and Madawaska.

The lake is famous for its fat salmon, and in this week’s ice fishing report, biologist Frank Frost of the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said the reputation is still well-deserved.

Smelt anglers are having a hard time catching the bait fish in Long Lake this year, Frost reported, even though many are seeing huge schools of smelt swimming past the holes under their fishing shacks.

“One only needs to look at the shape of the salmon to know there are a lot of smelt in the lake,” Frost wrote. “The two-year-old salmon, stocked in June 2007, are the largest they have been in a long time.”

According to Frost, those fish were about 6 or 7 inches long when they were stocked.

Now, just seven months later, they’ve bulked up considerably and average 14 to 16 inches and weigh almost 1.5 pounds apiece.

Those are some true Long Lake footballs, indeed.

jholyoke@bangordailynews.net

990-8214