September couldn’t be more of a present for New Hampshire and Maine striped bass fanatics if it were gift wrapped. Cooler temperatures create the once-a-year duality of frenzied fish and comfortable fishing conditions. If there is something missing, it is the crowds! Odds are that from now until the last linesider departs for more southern environs sometime next month you’ll have your favorite spot all to yourself!
New Hampshire
Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors has been hearing rumblings of a return of black sea bass to the Granite State coast. These fish largely disappeared from the Piscataqua River in early summer and it was puzzling where they went. Tim suggests you target humps throughout the watershed and jig them up with the Daddy Mac Elite Series. Striped bass are beginning the exodus from the rivers and estuaries and are staging of beaches. Beaches often look non-descript during higher tides. Learn the nuances of a beach by examining ambush points where stripers are likely to lurk during higher tides and spend some time there this fall.
Jason of Suds ‘N Soda said that snapper blues in Great Bay, an annual September event, are one of the most consistent catches. The turn of the tide has been tops. Eels at dark are one of the steadiest methods for the biggest bass at Little Bay, Little Harbor and Newcastle. Chunkers are locating rockpiles among the beaches and spiking and chunking up stripers with mackerel and clams. Regarding mackerel, they are still available among historic locations such as the 2KR Buoy and Hampton Shoals Ledge. With the cod conundrum and haddock closure I thought groundfishing was just about done but according to Jason it is prime time for drag-pulling sea pollock at Jeffreys Ledge.
Southern Maine
Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle said that the fishing is fine but participation is down. The few that are still at it are catching mackerel from docks in the Wells/Webhannet area and are live-lining or fresh-chunking them for bass on site. Some of the hotter locations are Ogunquit, Moody Point and Cape Neddick. In addition to mackerel one of the striper’s favorite prey species in Southern Maine is harbor pollock. There are times when the bass will focus on this forage and ignore all else. Artificials which work under these conditions are bronze Yo-Zuri Mag Minnows as well as similarly colored X-Raps.
Nick from Saco Bay said that anglers have been complaining about seeing but not catching bass in the Pine Point area. He feels that the unseasonably warm temperatures were largely responsible for their lethargy and that should change once water temperatures start plummeting. Some of the better bass fishing has been taking place at night with eels at the Goose Fair Brook inlet by Ocean Park. Outgoing tide has been best. Tide has been less of a consideration when the subject turns to shark and tuna which are on a tear at the backside of Tantas! An 8 ½-foot mako was recently taken there! The best bait had been bluefish but now that they are getting scarce, whiting as well as mackerel make a nice alternative. Trinidad has also been terrific.
Fishing Forecast
At a beachfront not far from you, there are busting bass and few anglers to share them with! Chunk mackerel in the evening off Rye and Hampton Beaches are a good option. Snapper blues swarm Great Bay and make for fast and fun action on light spinning gear or a fly rod, target the Squamscott River area especially. If you don’t mind putting off some winks, eels at night from Goose Fair Brook is one of Southern Maine’s best bets. Lastly if you’re itching for something that could scare you, sharks have been sniffing around Tantas.