The Granite State brine is bursting with bait, with blue back herring among the Great Bay tributaries, and mackerel and pollock just outside of the Piscataqua River. Live bait as well as SP Minnows and DM Minnows are allowing anglers to put a major hurt on those bass by Odiorne Park as well as Little Bay. Farther north in Maine, there’s a toothy presence causing a stir in the Belgrade Lakes, and a live mackerel at the mouth of the Mousam River is like money!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Tim from Suds ‘N Soda in Greenland told me of a sweetwater alternative with punch that rivals most of what we have in the saltwater. He took his Daddy Mac Whisperer baits up to the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine where the pike could not get enough of that white soft plastic. He’s rigging it with a Lunker City Texposer hook, steel leader and retrieving with plenty of twitches for toothies over the 10-pound mark! The salt is not half bad either with favorable flounder fishing from Pepperell Cove as well as the harbors of Hampton and Rye. The striper/river herring massacre at the mouths of the Great Bay tributaries has lessened from non-stop to starts and stops but the overall fishery has improved throughout the watershed as there is simply more stripers around. A live blueback herring still is as close to a shore thing throughout the bay as is the Daddy Mack DM Minnow. Good catches are coming out of Pierce Island, Little Bay and the Piscataqua River.
Chad from Dover Marine said that striped bass have been snacking on live-lined blueback herring from Odiorne Point. The mouths of the tributaries have plenty of herring but few bass in tow so anglers are loading up on them and taking them into the Piscataqua River. The shop is having a hard time keeping blue mackerel SP Minnows in stock as they are hammering multiple sizes of stripers in the Piscatagua River with them. Mackerel as well as small pollock are no problem to jig up by the 2KR Buoy and just beyond the jetty leading to Hampton Harbor. Try tossing a few of those live mackerel among the white water of the jetties or maybe troll some by Wallis Sand Beach. Flounder are being found in Wentworth Harbor. Limiting out on haddock off Jeffrey’s Ledge is a cinch but the 3 fish bag limit is dissuading many anglers from trying since cod are such a tough catch.
Maine Fishing Report
Dillon from Dags in Auburn told me that while smallmouth bass are off their beds, their largemouth cousins are in full protective mode. Solid largemouth fishing can be had at Tripp Lake and Trickey Lake. You want to irk those bedded largemouth into striking out. A tube will do the trick as will a soft plastic lizard and a jig with a crawdad trailer is money for those protective bass. What many are doing is heading up north to higher elevations in search of stellar salmon fishing. Some are tallying 56 salmon days at Aziscohos Lake as well as Kennebago Lake. Trolling streamers and spoons is a proven method as is sewn on smelt.
Brandy of Webhannet Bait and Tackle told me that swimming plugs like the Mambo Minnow and Crystal Minnow as well as sandworms are the tools for most of the catching at the mouth of the Mousam River where 30-inch-plus fish are not a problem with the sporadic 40-inch fish really making things interesting. Those fishing after dark seem to be catching larger linesiders. Boaters are jigging up mackerel by Boone Island and just off the mouth of the Kennebec River. A live mackerel drifted through the mouth of the Mousam is striper slam dunk. Higgins Beach can also be rewarding when using livies. There’s even been some inshore cod catches just off Wells Beach! Kenny from Saco Bay said that while the rivers are good the beaches have become better. Cast out a sandworm and spike the rod and get ready for the fun. Good results have been coming from Baywiew Beach, Old Orchard, Camp Ellis and Higgins Beach. First light, chum and Richmond, Monument or Wood Islands is the key ingredients for mackerel. The northern side of Jeffreys Ledge has been best for haddock and cod with shrimp far out-catching the other baits.
Best Bets for the Weekend
For something sweet from Maine, consider pike in the Belgrade Lakes or salmon on a streamer from Kennebago Lake. The Great Bay tributaries have no shortage of river herring but you’ll fare better taking a few and fishing the current/structure of the Piscataqua River. For inshore groundfishing the blackback bite in the harbors of Rye and Hampton is hot as is the haddock on Jeffreys with the only downer being the 3-fish limit!