As waters warm, but lake activity hasn’t reached peak summer levels, bass anglers descend on our local lakes and rivers. Whether they are tournament anglers or recreational anglers, June spells bassing month for all sports alike. This region has plenty of spots, both large and small, to target the fighting bronzeback.

Sebago Lake is the largest lake in the region and has tons of habitat for small and largemouth bass. Several years ago in June, I was working on the lake pump and had just put the dock in. My two daughters, Emily (then 12) and Olivia (then 10) wanted to fish, so I set them up with the traditional bobber and worm outfit on small rods. As I worked to get the pump from the lake running, I was frequently interrupted by their screams when they caught a smallmouth bass. I would set my work aside to go remove the hook from the fish and release it.

This scenario kept repeating itself and I could not believe that they were catching so many fish, all different sizes. Finally, I could see Olivia had a whooper on and it looked like it would break her Snoopy pole. She did a great job playing the fish, which turned out to be a 3-pound smallie. Quite a trophy for a young girl and a fish that earned her the “top fisherwoman” title – one that still stands in the family.

I explained to the girls that they were likely catching bass that came in to spawn or guard their nests in the sand along the shoreline. They didn’t care for the scientific explanation, they just liked catching fish and return to the dock every year at this time. Tournament anglers on Sebago know this, too, and concentrate on the shoreline in front of camps and homes where sand was routinely dumped to create beaches and swimming areas, long before regulations prevented this practice. Camp owners can help facilitate successful nesting by placing rocks in a circle to resemble a fire pit, providing protection for the young fry from predators.

Another top spawning spot on Sebago Lake is the large bay in Raymond by the boat launch on Route 302. Much of the bay has a sandy bottom and anglers can see the tell-tale circular nests as they drift along. As you travel out from shore, the sand becomes mucky as leaves and other debris settle to the bottom, but this spot still sees a large amount of nesting activity. To the left of the launch as you look toward shore is a large rock formation, typically just under the surface. This is always a good spot to target bass in June.

Trickey Pond in Naples is small (311 acres) but a productive body of water for early-season bassers. With crystal clear water and many springs that feed the pond, the habitat is great for cold- and warm-water fish.

Several years ago, smallmouth bass were introduced into the lake and they began to feed heavily on newly stocked yearling lake trout, so the lake trout stocking program was discontinued. However, this was a boost for smallmouth bass and they now thrive in Trickey Pond.

Hopefully, your June bassing adventures are productive. Just be sure to release any bass near their beds to ensure continuing sport and action.

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