Meet Guide Mark Root

Captain Mark Root of Maple Pond Outdoors has built his guide service around a lifelong love for fishing and a genuine passion for helping others enjoy Maine’s waters. His time volunteering with Project Healing Waters helped inspire him to become a guide, showing him how meaningful a day on the water can be for anglers of all backgrounds. One of his most memorable fishing experiences was fly fishing in Colorado with his daughter, where she tried fly fishing for the first time and connected with beautiful fish. That personal, patient approach is at the heart of every trip he runs.

As a veteran-owned and operated Maine fishing guide, Mark brings years of local fishing experience, professionalism, and steady leadership to Maple Pond Outdoors. He is a licensed 100-Ton U.S. Coast Guard Captain, with a strong focus on safety, preparation, and making guests feel comfortable from start to finish. Mark guides across Maine’s lakes, rivers, and coastal waters, helping anglers target striped bass, trout, landlocked salmon, brook trout, and smallmouth bass. For guests looking for a trusted Southern Maine fishing guide, his mix of local knowledge and clear instruction makes each trip feel personal and well-planned.

What makes Mark stand out is his ability to guide both freshwater and saltwater trips with fly fishing or traditional spin casting options. Maple Pond Outdoors offers drift boat fishing, Casco Bay striped bass trips, custom overnight drift and canoe trips, and backcountry canoe fishing in Baxter State Park. His freshwater trips highlight native brook trout, heritage ponds, scenic rivers, and smallmouth bass water, while his coastal trips focus on the northern run of striped bass. For families, beginners, and seasoned anglers, these are family-friendly fishing charters in Maine built around skill level, comfort, and the kind of day guests want to have.

Guests fish from two main platforms, depending on the trip. For saltwater trips, Mark operates a 2008 21-foot Pro-Line Center Console moored in South Portland, giving guests access to Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine for striped bass fishing, fly casting, and spin fishing along rocky shorelines, ledges, bait schools, and tidal water. For freshwater river trips, he uses a 2025 Hyde Low Profile Drift Boat, designed for quiet movement, shallow water performance, stability, and comfortable casting. Maple Pond Outdoors focuses on inshore coastal and freshwater fishing rather than offshore deep sea fishing in Maine, giving guests a more personal, hands-on experience with a guide who knows the local water well.