While this spring has behaved like anything but, the striper migration continues onward. The decision for those in New Hampshire is to target flourishing herring runs or catch the fresh fish coursing the Piscataqua River. In Maine it’s still a river thing as well.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Not unlike the blueback herring trying to swim past the gauntlet of hungry stripers in Great Bay, so do anglers in these parts have a conundrum. But this is a good thing according to Chad from Dover Marine. No longer is striper fishing in the Great Bay/Piscataqua River area confined to the herring runs for the larger fish thanks to the influx of mackerel. Macks can now be found off the usual structure such as the 2KR Can and Hampton Shoal Ledge. Keeper plus stripers can now be caught at both the herring runs as well as with a drifted mackerel throughout the Piscataqua River. Upstream sharpies are catching them on Storm Live Target Herring and Z-Man Mag SwimZ baits. Of course, something can be said about the real thing on the line! In the Piscataqua River, drifting live mackerel is the quickest way to striper success but others are catching on SP Minnnows. Evidentially there has been an invasion of sand eels in Jeffrey’s Ledge resulting in whale shows, fat groundfish and hopes that they are the spark for a great tuna season!
Zach from Suds ‘N Soda said that stripers up to 42″ have been taken upstream amidst the herring runs of Great Bay. The only specifics he knew of was a 32″ fish taken on a river herring in Newmarket at the Lamprey River. An influx of stripers into the Piscataqua River has resulted in more of a spread out phenomenon throughout Little Bay and Great Bay. Customers of the shop are beginning to find mackerel just outside of the river. One of the most consistent fisheries is the flounder fishing in Hampton and Rye Harbors which has really taken off with increasing water temperatures. Pick a sunny day and you’ll fare far better.
Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors is juggling between a killer crappie bite in no name Southern New Hampshire ponds and a burgeoning bass bite in the Piscataqua River. He’s eschewing the smaller stuff and finding better fish by targeting rips and other types of structure in Little Bay with 6″ paddletail shad baits!
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Thomas of Saco Bay said that the top striper he knew of so far remains a 42″ fish! One reason to patronize the Saco River is that fish finders are showing wall-to-wall herring still in the river! Shad still stir throughout the Saco as well and mackerel seem to be increasing in numbers near the Saco Bay Islands. While the beaches are hardly hot, some bass have been caught by bait fishermen. The feeling is that water temperatures need to rise a few more degrees for the beaches to become an option for the lure caster. When asked about flatfish, Thomas said that they were catching quite a few up to 52 pounds! Of course, that quarry is not winter flounder but halibut! It’s nevertheless encouraging that there are quite a few being caught!
Brandy from Webhannet said that the Saco and Mousam Rivers are full of river herring and stripers in the 25″ to 26″ bracket have taken notice! It’s no problem for skilled striped bass fishers to tally up to 50 fish in a few hours work! Hot baits are white or pearl slim-profiled paddletails such as Lunker City Shaker Shads. Boaters and kayak anglers are also scoring with the tube and worm. The jetty off Drake’s Island has also been productive. Mackerel are random and most have to search before they find them but it’s lock-and-load once found! Haddock fishing remains hot on Jeffrey’s and there continues to be a taciturn few who are having no problem finding halibut!
Scotty from Dag’s said that salmon water bodies are transitioning from trolling-only mode to surface fly fishing now that hatches are underway. Additionally rivers, streams and brooks have all been stocked which dovetails perfectly with lower flow rates and clearer water! Togue are tops in Sebago now and where you find the smelt you’ll usually be able to troll up a few of the predators with streamers, DB Smelt and shiners the best baits.
NH, ME & VT Fishing Forecast
If you are a shore striper fisherman than in New Hampshire target dams or other upstream structure which stymies escape routes of river herring. Boaters should pick up a few mackerel outside of the Piscatagua and drift them along in the river. Paddletail soft plastics are good imitator. In Maine mackerel are beginning to move closer to the shore and should soon be within casting distance of the jetties of Camp Ellis, Drake Island and Wells.