Free Fishing Days This Weekend, Feb. 14-15 (Blue Hill, Union: how much, houses)

[Submariner]

Free Fishing Days This Weekend, Feb. 14-15

Maine.gov: Government: News

On Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15, people can fish for free on Maine’s waterways. This free fishing event is open to any person except those whose license has been revoked or suspended. All fishing regulations apply.

Want to try your hand at ice fishing to see if you’ll like it?

Want to get your kids on the ice to experience the joy of hooking a fish?

[island mermaid]

This is a great event, it gives everyone a chance to try it out for free.

Here's a suggestion for those of you that want to give it a whirl w/o sinking a bunch of money into the sport before you see if you like it.

Try to fish near someone else that's already out on the ice. If you approach an ice fisherman and explain it's your first time out, they'll be happy to help you out by explaining things and giving you free advice! Most people with a gas auger will be happy to drill a couple holes for you. However, ask that person to suggest a good place for a couple holes. Most people don't want you to fish on top of them. Most people will have a 4 wheeler or a sled on the ice to transport the auger over to a place to drill just far enough away from their traps.

Less expensive traps can be purchased at Walmart for less than $10. You will have to buy some line, some leaders and a pkg of hooks and some bait.

Or you could try a cheap *** pole if you didn't want to go to the expense of the above. A luer called a "Swedish pimple" can be hooked onto a regular fishing pole too.

Great weekend activity for the whole family! Get out there and try it! Be sure to report back so we can hear all about your experience's.

[mollysmiles]

awww.... you guys!

Jake went a few weeks ago for the first time and he loved it! His biggest catch, and the biggest of the day was a 22" Salmon.... Katy has been going almost every weekend for the last 5 or so, and hasn't come close to that, and she's not at all happy about it either! Different lake, but she's still ticked off about it to the point where when Jake asks what she caught it's met with "none of you business!".... ayuh... we're not competitive in my house!

[deerislesmile]

For anyone that wants to fish on the free weekend AND do some good... Consider heading down to Hancock County...you might even win an ice auger! :

DEER ISLE — Jimmy​ “Slim​” Dougl​ass of Deer Isle lost his life last winte​r in a snowm​obile​ accid​ent in Brook​svill​e,​ just days befor​e his 27th birth​day.​
But his memor​y lives​ on, both in the heart​s and minds​ of his famil​y and the islan​d commu​nity.​

Follo​wing a long-​stand​ing islan​d tradi​tion,​ a schol​arshi​p has been estab​lishe​d in Dougl​ass’s​ name and will be given​ annua​lly to a stude​nt from Deer Isle-​Stoni​ngton​ High Schoo​l who plans​ to atten​d techn​ical colle​ge.​

To that end, a fund-​raisi​ng Slim’​s Fishi​n’ Derby​ is being​ plann​ed on Satur​day and Sunda​y,​ Feb. 14 and 15, at first​,​ secon​d and third​ Toddy​ Ponds​ in Orlan​d,​ Blue Hill and Surry​.​

“Ever​ybody​ knows​ how much Jim meant​ to us all and hopef​ully this derby​ will help put two peopl​e in colle​ge,​” said his fathe​r,​ Gary Dougl​ass.​ “Jim loved​ ice fishi​ng,​ snowm​obili​ng and winte​r sport​s,​ which​ unfor​tunat​ely took his life.​”

The derby​ is being​ organ​ized by the Deer Isle Fire Depar​tment​ and there​ will be an entry​ fee of $20 for each parti​cipan​t with free entry​ for child​ren under​ age 12.

Ticke​ts are avail​able at Barte​r Lumbe​r Compa​ny in Deer Isle,​ the Eggem​oggin​ Count​ry Store​ in Sarge​ntvil​le and Union​ Trust​ Compa​ny in Blue Hill.​

Pre-​regis​trati​ons and donat​ions can be made by calli​ng 348-​6938 or conta​cting​ any membe​r of the Deer Isle Fire Depar​tment​/​348-​6618

Regis​trati​on will begin​ at 6 a.m. Feb. 14 at the Toddy​ Pond boat launc​h in East Orlan​d and weigh​-​ins will take place​ from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Satur​day and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunda​y at the boat launc​h.​

Prize​s of $100 each will be award​ed for the bigge​st splak​e,​ togue​ and bass caugh​t on the weeke​nd.​

All child​ren who regis​ter and have a fish weigh​ed will recei​ve a prize​ as long as they last.​

Drawi​ngs for $​1,​000 worth​ of door prize​s will be held throu​ghout​ the two-​day event​,​ with an Eskim​o Shark​ ice auger​ as the grand​ prize​.​

It will be free fishi​ng weeke​nd in Maine​ so no fishi​ng licen​se will be requi​red.​

[Northern Maine Land Man]

A few years ago a game warden near here ticketed a fisherman for fishing without a license. The fisherman tried to protest, but the warden would not hear of it. When the judge asked how he pleaded he said, "Not guilty." The judge was about to set a trial date when the man said he could explain it in less than a minute. Turns out he didn't need a license. It was free fishing day, but the warden just wouldn't listen.

[JC3]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

A few years ago a game warden near here ticketed a fisherman for fishing without a license. The fisherman tried to protest, but the warden would not hear of it. When the judge asked how he pleaded he said, "Not guilty." The judge was about to set a trial date when the man said he could explain it in less than a minute. Turns out he didn't need a license. It was free fishing day, but the warden just wouldn't listen.

Rofl!!! Good story! Reminds me of my friend and I few years back fishing on a small pond in NH. Warden comes over and checks our licenses, counts our tip ups in and asks, how is it going? We said, not bad, we got 23 bass. He began to look all over the place for the fish, went over to our cooler, asked to look in..checked under our gear. We sorta let him do his thing. He finally said, well, where are they? We told him...we only do catch and release and don't keep them. He got a sheepish look on his face, got on his snow mobile and left. Not even a good bye.

[island mermaid]

Years ago when my son was young and I was a single mom, I would take him fishing often. We'd just jump in the car and ride all over the state stopping at any river, lake or stream. He would fish, I would usually bring along a book and small lawn chair. We'd chat while he was fishing.

One day we had parked out on the roadside of a small lake. We'd walked a ways into the woods to get down to the water. No houses or camps to be seen. My son had just gotten a new fishing rod. He was about 10 at the time. He was fishing two poles. He really liked the new one and asked me if I wanted to try it. Sure enough, I cast the line a few times and was getting the feel of it.... all of a sudden a warden appeared behind us at the waters edge. He asked to see my fishing license. I explained that I didn't have one, I had just grabbed the pole for a minute. He wasn't having any part of that. He insisted that in order for me to be holding a pole I ought to have a license. ( I knew that) I tried again explaining that I was a single Mom just trying to keep my son busy for an afternoon and I wasn't really fishing. The guy wrote me a ticket. I refused to sign it. (go figure) We went back and forth and it wasn't until he threatened to handcuff me and have my kid hauled off to DHS that I signed the damn ticket. Thank you Officer Decker, until we meet again!