While Great Bay is not living up to its namesake regarding striped bass fishing, the rips of Little Bay and the Piscataqua River are more promising. Better still is the Maine coast where the reports are of 30-inch fish feeding on mackerel and sand eels. If you desire a break from the brine, there’s that multi-species freshwater alternative in the Connecticut River.
New Hampshire
Tim Moore of Suds ‘N Soda had a multi-species outing the other day in the Connecticut River that sounded like an attractive alternative to the highly pressured salt. Among the Hinsdale section of the river he launched his Old Town Predator kayak and found plenty of “prey”. Some nice bass, slab crappie and ‘gills along with the targeted species – walleye – were all easy pickings for his signature Daddy Mac Whisperer series soft plastics. While he didn’t hook any pike he saw a few big ones breach the surface. If ‘eyes are on your list now might be the right time to target them while the salt is slow. Tim’s tip is to focus on downed timber where baitfish congregate. Striped bass fishing while slow is best while targeting rips and drop-off edges in Little Bay and along the Piscataqua River. Squid remains a solid option at night with the best bet nod going to New Castle as well as the 103 Bridge in Kittery.
Jaimie from Dover Marine has been jamming a multitude of groundfish by The Curl on Jeffreys Ledge. Some of the haddock have been huge 30-inch beasts! The key is a sliver of mackerel on a jig but beware there are packs of ornery “dogs” on the loose! Look for the fish to be hold up in 200 to 260 feet of water. There have even been some inshore cod in only 150 feet of water; always employ a tube teaser as the fish focus in on sand eels. For stripers, seek out sections of bubbleweed by bridges, piers and wharves where Chad from Dover claimed spent squid often remain after spawning.
Maine
I was relieved to hear from Ken from Saco Bay that the striper fishing was superb! Thirty-inch-plus fish are no problem for chunk bait soakers even when the sun is up! Sandworms, mackerel and clams are all good from the beaches of the Saco Bay region. Boaters would do well to jig up mackerel (there are some huge ones around) by Wood Island and fish them among kelp beds and rockpiles among the beaches such as Biddeford Pool and Old Orchard. Another option for mackerel is to take it to the next level and pursue tuna and thresher sharks out by Platt’s. Both of which have been caught there lately. Try The Fingers for groundfish with shrimp getting the nod as the best bait.
Brandy from Webhannet told of good news from the Nonantum River where mid-river has been productive for those casting clams for bass into the mid-30-inch range. The mackerel that are here are huge and fun independently of using them for bait. Start searching for macks as soon as you clear the Cliff House. A slug of sand eels are making soft plastic imitators the lures of choice. Try Arkansas Shiner Slug-Gos and RonZs off the Wells and York Beaches especially where they meet up with their respective rivers. Live eels have been effective as bait for bass off Drake’s Island Beach. Offshore groundfishing is consisting of mostly short haddock, some cod and also cusk, the latter of which is tough on the eyes but scrumptious on the pallet.
Fishing Forecast
Squid are as close to a sure and a shore thing as you can get with recent action taking place in New Castle and Kittery bridges and piers. Offshore The Curl has been best for haddock with a mackerel teaser with cusk figuring into the mix as well. If you thirst for a thresher shark consider swimming a live mackerel under a balloon at Platts. For stripers try chunking the beaches of Saco Bay or try an artificial sand eel imitator off Wells or York Beach.