JBM Bassin

Belgrade Lakes and Cobbossee for Numbers- Smaller Ponds in the Sebago Watershed for Size. Some of those Rocky Ponds just North of Sebago have 7+ in them, but they can be very elusive. Belgrade fish recently have been topping out between 5-6 pounds, and are generally much easier to catch.

Thompson is definitely not for the faint of heart Mid-Summer... Definitely the kind of lake where good electronics are necessary to find the ledges and underwater shoals. Best bet in the summertime is to target areas between 10-20 feet with rocks, and downsizing too. Have pulled some decent smallies out of there fishing deep, but even then it's far from a guarantee. Your best bet for a Thompson bigmouth is down near the marina, there are some absolute hogs in the Heath River and under the marina docks, but even those fish are pretty finicky. However, if you do find fish... Thompson is a VERY rewarding lake. The state record smallmouth did come out of there after all, and it didn't get that big by being dumb.

Best bass fishing in Maine is probably anything in the South-Central part of the state, especially the Greater Augusta Area. Not gonna list all my favorite spots, but virtually any lake in that area is gonna hold sizeable specimens for both species, and you can get some absolutely ridiculous numbers during the summertime. Popular choices in this area include Messalonskee Lake, China Lake, and the Cobboseecontee Drainage. Another bass hotspot exists in the Sebago and Saco River Watersheds, but I've found those areas to be a lot tougher. Sometimes you can spend a whole 6-8 hour day and only pull up three bass at places such as Thompson Lake, Crescent Lake, and Kezar. However, when it comes to pure size and quality, absolutely nothing beats a Western Maine fish. There's a reason the state record was caught from Moose Pond and not Cobbossee. Fewer bass definitely equals bigger bass in my opinion, especially up North. I think I may know the "puddle" you are talking about... Best LMB pond I've ever fished, period.😉 Will anyone get the location information out of me??? No. And even if I gave the spot away, there's not much public access to begin with. All I can say is that it's in the same drainage as Moose Pond.

Was some of the highest water I've ever seen during that storm along the Androscoggin River... And now trying to get a hardwater bite is virtually impossible up here... Couple scattered big pike but that's about it. Usually i've gotten at least 2 or 3 smallies through the ice by now...

Personally, i don't think Sebago is the greatest spot for bass fishing at all, it's a wide open lake with a sandy bottom that gets choppy VERY quickly. However, i've definitely had some okay luck there if you can hit them just right. The western side of the lake where the Muddy and Northwest Rivers come in is probably you're best shot for a decent bucketmouth, while Jordan Bay, Kettle Cove, and the East Basin are probably best for smallies. But once again nothing is guaranteed on Sebago since it's by no means a bass lake. I would personally recommend a jog over to the Thompson/Pleasant/Crescent lake drainage if you're looking for a more quality fishery. All three lakes can give up some absolute pigs if you know how to navigate the rocky shorelines.

Personally i think it really depends on budget and where you need to be for work, personally for a convienient, affordable option i would honestly recommend Lewiston/Auburn. you have easy access to both belgrade and the sebago lakes region, both of which can give up some absolute pigs. You also have the Andro river right near you as well for smallmouth. If you're only concern is the fishing I'd definitely recommend the Maine Capitol Region, but assuming that you're looking for a good all around spot where you're close to town but still just as close to god status fishing, i would honestly recommend Lewiston. Just avoid the tree streets and there are some honestly good neighborhoods.

Biggest smallmouth in Maine is probably somewhere in the Sebago Lakes region but definitely not the big lake itself, Thompson Lake in Oxford and Crescent Lake in Raymond are two really good spots to start, I've seen 4+ pound smallmouth out of both lakes, the Belgrade lakes system near Augusta can also give up some decent smallies, although most of those lakes are LM dominated fisheries