The Latin phrase Carpe Diem sums up the current news! For the stripers are here and it’s time to “seize the day”! While you’d expect it to be a schoolie-fest, a report of far bigger just came in from a “surfer dude” source of all things.
New Hampshire
According to Jason from Suds ‘N Soda not only are the stripers in New Hampshire but the possibility of hooking something significant is also there! It begins and ends with the herring and wherever you find such a run you’re likely to find striped bass right now and possibly even a keeper or two. Best bets are the Cocheco River in Dover, the Exeter River in Exeter and the Lamprey River in Newmarket. In New Hampshire, provided that you have a fishing license, you are allowed to snag, dip-net and even use a Sabiki rig in order to catch river herring! And you can’t beat the real deal. Time your outing so that as the tide rises you’ll be there as upstream rip-rap or other impediments thwart the movement of herring as they migrate and make for easy pickings for the stripers. In addition to live bait Jason recommends blueback herring Daddy Mac Vipers to dupe those bass keying in on the herring. I’ve also done quite well at this time of the year with bronze Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencils and Mag Minnows. The shop is doling out a lot of seaworms for those finding flounder in the harbors of Seabrook, Rye and Hampton.
Chad of Dover Marine confirmed the arrival of striped bass throughout the Piscatagua River watershed. He’s heard of schoolies falling for Stillwater Smackit’s top water lures in Little Bay. Mackerel can be found by the 2KR Can outside of the mouth of the river. Some of the stocked trout in the Isinglass, Cocheco and Lamprey Rivers are corkers according to Chad! Largemouth bass are post-spawn hungry and primed to take a top water such as a Pop R or Zara Spook from Bellamy Reservoir.
AJ from AJs said that Winnipesauke is testing the mettle of the guys who found the going easy a few weeks back. Salmon are really spread out making for the catching slower. He suggests trolling 20’ to 30’ down and employing smelt (frozen now), shiners, spoons and streamers. The best colors are white, blue/green and pink and purple. Meredith Bay and Witches Rockpile are good places to start. Smallies and white perch are in close! Pepper the shoreline with spinners and you could catch a real mixed bag.
Southern Maine
Scotty from Dag’s said that the salmon are on a tear on the Rangeley Lakes. He personally caught 20 on flies from the shore of the Magalloway River. Scotty had success on streamers, nymphs and stone flies. Anglers tossing dark-colored jitterbugs in the Androscoggin River come dark are finding willing smallmouth bass. There’s monstrous pike in there so make sure you have a strong heart! The salmon word from Sebago is that the landlockeds are on a tear whacking smelt within the first few feet of the surface during early morning. Lakers are suspending under bait in 20 to 30 feet of water.
“They’re here!” so said Kenny from Saco Bay on Thursday. Schoolies have taken the Saco River, the Spurwink River and Scarborough Marsh by storm. Speaking of storm, Storm shads are one of the winning baits for these fish. Shad remain plentiful with the most action taking place upstream at the dam. Expect the mackerel to show up any day now with bigger bass in tow. The Camp Ellis Jetty as well as Higgins Beach should be one of the first places to intercept better fish when they flash. Sandworms, mackerel chunk and clams will be the easiest way to score the bigger fish. For artificial enthusiasts try SP Minnows, Slug-Gos and Gag’s Whip-its.
Brandy from Webhannet B&T heard from an experienced surfer who saw a big school of bass up to 30” cruising off Ogunquit Beach! The Webhannet, Little, Mousam, Ogunquit and Saco Rivers all have striped bass now! The last two also have the added bonus of shad! Most of the bass are falling for seaworms, clams as well as soft plastics with jigheads but some of the fish are crashing topwater plugs! For a unique and special fishery consider the sea run brown trout in the Mousam and Ogunquit Rivers. A fly fisherman took 2 brown trout and 2 brook trout in the tidal portion of the Ogunquit River while aboard his kayak!
If you still have the sweetwater bug than consider targeting smallmouth bass and white perch among the shoals of Winnipesauke. Another solid freshwater option is the salmon fisheries in the Rangeley Lakes or Lake Sebago. A sewn on smelt trolled within the first few feet of the surface at first light is hard to beat. The big news of course is the arrival of striped bass! Target the herring runs in the tributaries of Great Bay with a live herring or finnish-style swimmer. Maine is enjoying its own striper shindig and there not all small schoolies as a surfer off Ogunquit found out!
Fish to 30 inches have been caught not just seen in southern Maine. The Diehards are out catching a lot of nice healthy fish. Dawia SP minnow and Custom buck tail from Dana at THE TACKLE SHOP in Portland have been the go to with the bucktails prevailing.
Thanks KFNE! You can always count on the almighty bucktail and in looks like The Tackle Shop makes a good one. Maybe I’ll contact them this week to add to the report!
Any in the kennebec