Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from the Maine side of the Atlantic.

We’re in a cold, clear winter pattern along the southwest coast this morning. Ogunquit and Perkins Cove are sitting in the low 20s with a biting northwest breeze and teens expected tonight, classic mid‑December chill according to local marine weather from the National Weather Service and USHarbors. Seas outside are running 3 to 5 feet with small‑craft conditions lingering, so pick your windows and keep an eye on that wind.

Tides are generous today. Tide-Forecast’s Kennebunk River table shows low around 1:30 a.m., high just before 8 a.m., second low early afternoon, and another high in the 8:30 p.m. range. Sunrise is about 7:07, sunset around 4:06, so your prime moving water lines up nicely with first light and the late‑afternoon push.

Fishing-wise, we’re deep into the winter game now. Inshore groundfish action has been steady more than spectacular: a mix of cod (check the current regs before you keep one), haddock, redfish, and plenty of cusk for boats working off York, Cape Neddick, and down off Cape Elizabeth. Local reports out of Portland and Kittery shops say most of the better trips this past week were on the deeper rock and ledge in 150–250 feet, with guys picking 20–40 keeper haddock on good days and filling the gaps with cusk and reds. Gulf of Maine cod are still scattered but there have been a few legal fish mixed in over the hard bottom.

As for shrimp, don’t bother rigging the nets – the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission just extended the northern shrimp moratorium through at least 2028, after last winter’s experimental boats saw almost no shrimp at all. That fishery is effectively shut down, so any “shrimp run” talk is wishful thinking.

Best bets right now are bait and jigs tight to bottom. Fresh or salted clams, cut herring, and squid strips on high‑low bait rigs are still putting the most meat in the box. For artificials, run 6–12 ounce Norwegian‑style cod jigs or diamond jigs, tipped with a Gulp strip or a small piece of squid. Add a teaser fly or small soft plastic above the jig in pink, chartreuse, or sand eel colors – that’s been the ticket on haddock and redfish. When the current eases, switch to lighter metal and really work that bounce; when it rips, don’t be afraid to bump up the weight so you’re truly on the bottom.

Fish activity has followed the solunar and tide windows pretty closely. Tide-Forecast’s Kennebunkport solunar outlook and the Farmers’ Almanac fishing calendar both favor the morning high as your best bite, with a secondary push on the evening flood. Expect the middle of the day to be scratchy unless you land right on a piece of hard structure.

Couple of local hot spots to consider:

- Outer York Ledge and the rough bottom east of Boon Island: long ride in winter, but that 180–220 foot band has been producing the most mixed bags of haddock, cusk, and occasional cod.

- The ledges off Cape Elizabeth and down toward Richmond Island: closer to Portland, plenty of rockpiles, and more sheltered lee options when that northwest wind stiffens.

Closer to shore, the surf along Ogunquit Beach and Moody has been quiet but not dead; a few die‑hards soaking clams after dark are still scratching up the odd holdover schoolie striper near river mouths, but it’s more about the walk than the numbers now.

Layer up, check the marine forecast before you commit, and don’t skimp on the safety gear – that Gulf of Maine water is no joke this time of year.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI