Taking care of fishing tackle

We all have our favorite fishing gear when we go fishing in Aroostook County. A lot of it depends on what you're catching.

Maine Game Wardens have some great advice if you use plastic lures for fishing tackle. The first and obvious thing is to dispose of them the right way. This is to prevent pollution and especially to not have the lures in the water where fish can be harmed.

Recycling lures

Throwing your old lures in a recycling canister is one of the best ways to dispose of it. You'll find many boat launches have these available - and some clubs and stores offer to recycle.

You don’t want to lose a lure because you didn’t secure it. A good practice is to make sure your hook stays on. It preserves the fishery and saves you time and money. Wardens recommend using an O-ring or a zip-tie - or a “Mustad Ultra point Impact soft plastic hooks or Owner Twistlock hooks.”

Fishing in Aroostook County

Now that you have some frame of reference of your lures, where do you go to catch some fish in Aroostook County?

There’s a great site called Maine Rec and they have some good suggestions where to go.

The Aroostook River is one good spot for trout. It’s accessible from a lot of places including some of the roads alongside the river.

The Prestile Stream is a nice spot for dry flies. There are deep pools and can be good in hot weather in the early and late parts of the day. Maine Rec suggests using the Egypt Road above Westfield to get access.

In Houlton and surrounding areas, the Meduxnekeag River is a good place for big brown trout.