The striper scuttlebutt has moved from slot-sized success to 40-pounders in Southern Maine. Fallback herring in the Piscatagua is resulting in productive angling for stripers with many finding harbor pollock an offering the bass can’t resist. Flounder are found among mixed mud/ledge bottom in Wells and Hampton Harbors. And it’s about time that cod have finally been caught on Jeffrey’s Ledge which are capable of putting a real bend in your rod.
New Hampshire
Chad from Dover Marine told me that his shop-buddy, Jamie, popped a nice 38” Piscatagua River striper the other day while drifting a live mackerel throughout the river. Watch your depth finder when working the drop-offs in this river and make sure you have the capability of getting your offering down to 40’ or more in this swift current. Bigger bass have a tendency not to travel far for a meal. Mackerel as well as the sometimes more preferred harbor pollock are there for the jigging outside of the 2KR Can as well as by Gunboat Shoal and the Triangles. Toss a pollock under a float up against Odiornes Point or Foss Ledges. Drifting on an outgoing tide with live bait by the Hampton Jetty is also a good bet. If you’re looking for squid you should have no problem provided that you have one of the shop’s endorsed jigs and you’re fishing one of the many lit piers, docks or bridges which define the Piscatagua River. It’s refreshing to hear of 20-pound cod again! Some steakers of that size are finally being taken from Jeffrey’s Ledge with the sweet spot being 170 to 180 feet of water. Lavijigs are really jamming the cod with oversized pink cod flies hot as teasers for cod as well as haddock. The easily acquired mackerel make for fine bait with the rub being that the dogfish are swarming.
Tim from Suds ‘N Sodasaid that the striper fishing is spotty, while the squid catching is lights-out good! The blueback herring Daddy Mac baby viper has been one of the hotter lures as the fish target fallback bluebacks as they ride the outgoing tide of the Piscatagua River back to the sea. With all the squid present it can’t be much longer before black sea bass follow the forage as they did in unprecedented numbers last year. Flounder can still be found among Pepperell Cove, Rye Harbor and Hampton Harbor. In the gin clear water up here you can often spot and target the flounder among irregular bottom composed of mud patches among ledge/rock.
Southern Maine
Nick from Saco Bay Tackle told me that while schoolies rule in the Saco River there are far bigger fish on the beaches out front. The two beaches which are most effective for the bait brigade are Higgin’s Beach as well as Pine Point. All manner of “meat” is working from sandworms to clams to chunk mackerel. You can jig up your mackerel by Eagle Island as well as Ram and Wood Islands. Those live-lining or trolling on site have reported bite-offs! Those bluefish appear to be fleeting however as they don’t seem to taking up residence and are hardly targetable fish. Lures that the linesiders are finding alluring are white RonZs and Bill Hurley paddletails.
Scott of Webhannet B&T said that the bass bar has been raised as an angler took a fat 44” fish which weighed in at 40-pounds! It’s small wonder that the fish fell for a live mackerel and it was caught on an outgoing tide at Perkins Cove. Chunkers have been partial to Parson’s Beach for bass and they’ve been drifting mackerel at the mouth of the Webhannet River as well as the Mousam with good results. Above all, the magic moments are taking place within that slim window of first light. Scott himself has been doing just fine at the dock by the shop where he’s tossed out sandworm or chunk, stuck his rod in a nearby rod holder and caught plenty of fish up close and convenient! Others are catching well on one of the more consistent striper catchers there are out there – the tube and worm. The key to the tube’s effectiveness is to make sure you have that tube within a few feet of the bottom. Leadcore is usually needed to weigh it down sufficiently and I was taught that it’s best to tick the bottom a bit with the rig and then crank in a color to set the right depth for your course.
Fishing Forecast
With mackerel still available, let them work their magic while drifting throughout the Piscatagua, Mousam and Webhannet Rivers. The beaches are worthy of chunking, dunking and spiking especially among Wells Beach, Pine Point or Higgins. Squid in the Piscatagua River could represent the fastest action available as most any lit pier, dock or bridge straddling the river should have them. Groundfishing has gone from good to steaker-cod super in 170’ of water; just use bait sparingly as there is no shortage of those spiny pests around.