While your striper chances remain best in rivers, beaches are beginning to become an alternative. And with June predicted to actually act like it, that’s good news for those who prefer their bass fishing with a surf rod, sand spike, bait and a comfortable beach chair!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
A wave of mackerel possibly brought in by the incessant east winds has made for better bass fishing in the Piscatagua River. One of the better spots has been by the Sprague Energy plant. Obviously with more mackerel around the “what on” question becomes moot.
The scuttlebutt from Suds ‘N Soda is that eels are beginning to move as members of the graveyard shift are using them to catch stripers around the General Sullivan Bridge. New Castle has been hot also and some keepers are being caught in Kittery off Route 103. Those same bridges are showing some signs of squid come dark with the conundrum being: “bait or calamari?”. The flounder question is answered by the amount of demand for seaworms that are selling. The blackback bite remains strong in the harbors as well as adjacent beaches. Chunkers are catching now at “Rye on the Rocks” as well as Wallis Sands beach.
Chad from Dover Marine said that two of the better shore spots for bass have been Boars Head and Odiome Point. Mack chunks as well as mackerel SP Minnows have been effective. Great Bay should remain good as fallback river herring will keep bass near the mouths of the tributaries until water temperatures rise beyond their comfort zones. On the heals of a few halibut taken on Jeffrey’s Ledge in recent weeks it might be a good idea to load up on mackerel should you plan on hunting for haddock at New Scantum where reports are it’s best. Often when you hear of one of those giant flatfish taken it’s on fish as opposed to clams or more conventional groundfishing bait.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Talking to the folks from Saco Bay it sounds as if they are beginning to have the best of both worlds there since there are stripers in the rivers as well as the beaches now! Incoming tide has been best and combining that with a night tide is even better. Beaches which have been buzzing are Biddeford Pool, Old Orchard as well as Higgins Beach. Mackerel have moved close in by the Saco Bay Islands. Try to live line a mackerel by the rock pile in Higgins Beach at night. While sand worms and chunk mackerel rule for the bait brigade, lure casters are doing best with soft plastic sand eel imitators but don’t leave home without a few top water lures since the fish have been surface feeding. The Spurwink River has been especially good.
I expected to hear of bigger bass from Dick of Webhannet and that’s exactly the case as more keeper bass migrate into Maine. Dick’s been doing well with his home tied version of a Murdoch Minnow in Wells Harbor while spinning anglers have been nailing keepers on 4″ white shads, especially in the Mousam River. The jetty on Drakes Island has had a lot of action on 25″ to 28″ at the top to the tide on mackerel chunks. There are also a few sea run brown trout falling for sand eel imitators in the Ogunquit River. The ground fishing on Jeffrey’s Ledge remains great with the only downside being all the cod that must be released. Thirty inch pollock have been a welcome addition. Pink and white teasers have been a temptation haddock cannot resist.
NH, ME & VT Fishing Forecast
As spent river herring “fall back” to the sea, the Piscatagua River is supplanting the tributaries of Great Bay as the best bass bet in New Hampshire. For bait you won’t have to search far as mackerel are being taken just outside of the mouth of the river. Surf anglers would be better served chunking or casting SP Minnows among the rocks of neighboring beaches. Flounder remain fixtures among Rye and Hampton Harbors and this should stay that way as long as temperatures remain in their comfort zone. The talk around Webhannet has now shifted from mere schoolies to bigger fish, with the expectation that 20 pounders are sure to follow!
Schoolies to 25″ in Damariscotta River!