Whether you are looking to target stripers on the fly, or prefer to throw plugs and plastics, a guided day on the coastal waters of Maine can be enjoyed by anglers of all types. We are passionate about all styles of fishing and have honed the skills required to put you on fish no matter what the approach.
An early start gives anglers the opportunity to witness a spectacular sunrise and find actively feeding fish as they wake and tail over mudflats or aggressively chase topwater flies and plugs.
As the sun gets high we often shift to throwing shrimp and crab patterns over light colored sand in clear water, many people are amazed by how similar this looks and feels to bonefishing in the tropics. For a more traditional approach, or when the fish do not want to move into the shallows, we work deeper structure.
Saltwater fly fishing has an allure not found in many other areas of life. The depth of skill and hours of practice required to be proficient make this a path ventured by the most dedicated anglers. The fly fishing world has taken flats fishing to unimaginable levels and the industry has been dedicated to making products specifically geared toward this exciting style of fishing.
Modern flats specific skiffs, rods and lines allow us the precise control and stealthy presentations required to feed the most finicky fish in difficult conditions.
On the flats we typically use 7wt through 9wt rods with floating or intermediate lines. The classic flies such as clousers and deceivers work well but we lean towards specialized patterns that more closely mimic local crabs, shrimp and sand eels. When targeting fish on deeper structure we normally use sinking fly lines with large streamer patterns.
Stalking striped bass from the bow of a flats skiff with ultralight spin tackle can be a new and exciting experience for many anglers. We use light plastics and hand tied jigs to sight cast to stripers on the flats. After exploring many avenues of fishing, we regularly mix our favorite discoveries across styles. We have applied our experience tying shrimp and crab flies to ultralight spin jigs and worked to mimic the glide and hover of unweighted plastics with our flies.
Topwater plugs are one of the most effective and exciting ways to fish for stripers. These fish love to ambush with explosive eats.
In certain situations a spin rod can create opportunities a fly rod cannot; angles, movement and casting distance all play a part in our ability to feed fish. For deep structure and fast-moving water spin rods are hard to beat, weighted plastics and bucktails or large plugs cast with ease, move lots of water and get down quick.
Tidal Expeditions primarily operates on Casco Bay and the water around Portland Maine. Depending on your location and the conditions, we utilize a variety of boat ramps and meet up spots to access all points of the bay. Island pickups are available including Peaks Island, Great Diamond Island, and Chebeague Island.
We regularly operate charters in a variety of areas around Casco Bay.
We have spent the past 25 years studying key locations from the Kennebec River through Cape Cod while honing the skills and equipment required to effectively sight fish striped bass on the flats. We often trailer the skiff to access the best water and conditions throughout the northeast at different points in the seasonal migration.
Inshore fishing trips are run on the Maverick HPX-S flats skiff. This skiff was built for technical saltwater fishing and is extremely effective for both fly fishing and light tackle spin fishing in shallow water.
With experience owning and operating many different shallow drafting boats, we have been very pleased with what this skiff enables us to do on the water. We regularly have customers tell us they're surprised by how smooth and dry the ride is known for being rugged and versatile.
