New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Report – May 25, 2017

Mike Walsh with a nice New Hampshire trout this week.

With the unofficial kick-off of the summer season upon us, it’s only fitting that we get to celebrate with an additional day off! There are plenty of reasons to make this Memorial Day memorable from salmon on streamers to a heavy haul of offshore haddock to stripers up to 42″ pounding plugs in Maine.

New Hampshire Fishing Report

Zach from Suds ‘N Soda was in hot pursuit of stripers hot on herring in Newmarket the other day but the fish weren’t duped into believing that his offering was anything but a phony! Some of the torturous splashes on the real herring however looked big! The Piscatugua is warming up but what anglers who fish it most need is a goodly dose of mackerel and right now they are a hard find! Drifting in the current while employing a three-way rig and a seaworm is an alternative worth considering. I’ve seen what has been referred me to as a “worm and worm” combination, namely a Berkeley Power worm tipped with a sandworm and it is deadly! The Squamscott has been a solid bet for schoolies!

While it’s still only spring, Chad from Dover Marine has already been talking about “fall” as in – fallback herring. Soon all those herring from the five tributaries of Great Bay will begin tumbling back to the sea and they will be greeted by a striped bass welcoming committee! The General Sullivan Bridge over the Piscatagua River funnels those herring into ideal ambush points where bass will be waiting. You may catch by day but you will definitely catch by night! When the bigger bass are feeding during the quiet of the night, it sounds as if cement blocks are being dropped into the water. Chad’s favorite method is to three-way mackerel or pollock to the bottom and wait! The feeling at Dover Marine is that mackerel have so far pulled a no-show because water temperatures are still too cool! What is hot, however, is the flounder fishing in Hampton Harbor as well as Wentworth and Rye. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are in spawning mode right now and close to the shallows. For an accessible bet, Chad recommends nearby Willand Pond.

Al from AJ’s in Meredith said that things are transitioning on Lake Winnipesaukee as water temperatures rise, look for salmon and trout to be suspending under smelt 15 to 25 feet down in 40 to 50 feet of water. For leadcore line users that translates to 4/5 colors. A 15 to 20 foot fluorocarbon leader will help with the keen-eyed landlockeds. Change is in the offing however as soon as there are significant hatches and the salmon/trout begin augmenting their diet with a healthy dose of insects on the surface. Smallies are swarming inshore and with that comes the best bass fishing of the year. The islands are hot as are most rocky shorelines. Tubes, spinnerbaits and top water lures are all doing the trick!

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Thomas of Saco Bay told me of a 42″ striper which whacked a SP Minnow in the Saco River! Obviously there is more than just micros in Maine! It really is a river game at the moment as mixed sizes of bass chase herring and other riparian prey. The Saco River shad run is in full swing as well. Scarborough Marsh has been good for stripers also. Mackerel can be found by the islands such as Wood and Eagle. It won’t be long before bigger bass begin sniffing out those macks. Right now beaches are running cold, literally because of the weather. Haddock remains hot on top of Jeffrey’s Ledge with the only discouraging word born of the frustration of having to release 10 pound plus cod! There have even been a few halibut caught up to 52 pounds. To up your chances for the ultimate groundfish in these parts, swap out your haddock bait for a strip of mackerel!

Scotty from Dag’s heard of a wild flying ant hatch on the Rangely Lakes which brought the salmon right up on top! He put a hurt on mid-size salmon on Aziscohos Lake by trolling orange and pearl DB Smelt spoons. The fish have been between 5 to 10 feet of the surface which makes a weighted fly line the ideal way to present the offering.

NH, ME & VT Fishing Forecast

With ideal water temperatures for salmon and trout in Lake Winnipesaukee, now is the time to maximize trolling efforts before hatches bring the fish up on top. Groundfishing on Jeffrey’s Bank is hard to top if a cooler full of haddock is to your liking. If you’d rather stick to shore than the Saco River may be a best bet for your first big bass of the season! Either way, pay homage to our heroes whose sacrifice we are celebrating this weekend and have one heck of a Memorial Day weekend!