New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Report - June 21, 2018

Now that it’s officially summer, stripers are starting to segue toward a more seasonal pattern—meaning that early and late in the day are best and bays are beginning to hold more bass than rivers.

New Hampshire Fishing Report

As June enters its fourth week, customers of Suds ‘N Soda are taking to marshy areas of harbors to fish eels at dark. Jason mentioned the Hampton Harbor marsh as a specific example. Little Bay no longer has only little fish as mid-30-inch stripers have been caught on Daddy Mack Elite spoons, Striper Swiper poppers, and Storm 360 GT Search Baits. A couple of the better river bass spots are Odione Point as well as Pierce Island. Flounder are beginning to drift towards deeper water outside of Hampton, Rye and Wentworth Harbors.

Not all the big bass that were feeding on herring in the Great Bay tributaries have migrated downstream according to Captain Jon Tregea of Sea Run Charters. While looking to get in a little fly-casting exercise, he was pleasantly surprised to see ominous, dark, large shapes following in his streamers in and this was beyond the mouth of Great Bay! Fish up to 32” have been taken on herring imitators in Hampton Harbor by Great Boars Head. For bait, Jon separates himself from the pack when it comes to bait acquisition. Rather than a 2 KR-or-bust mentality, he’s been making a trip eastward and in some cases northward to find the macks. Nubile Light has been good for plus-size keepers with mackerel as bait or large profiled flies worked low and slow.

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Brandy from Webhannet Bait reported that the striper fishing has improved this past week. No matter where or what time of the year your chances of striper success are improved in the early morning and at dusk and the Wells area is no exception. Bait fishermen are scoring best with chunk mackerel and seaworms from Drakes Island, the Ogunquit Beach and river, as well as Kennebunk. The schoolies of a few weeks ago have been bumped aside by fish up to the mid-30-inch range. The bottom of the tide has been hot off the sandbar inside Wells Harbor. In skinny water opt for sand eel imitators such as slim-profiled soft plastics, Swedish Pimples and Deadly Dicks. Topwater plugs such as Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencils and Cotton Cordell pencil poppers have resulted in explosive strikes of area beaches. Mackerel are a tough find with the job far easier for early risers. Haddock fishing continues to be great with the action much closer than Jeffreys Ledge. Look for bait/structure between 175 and 200 feet of water and you may save time and gas, yet still have a cooler full of haddock.

Peter from Saco Bay Tackle said that the striped bass are migrating out of the rivers and into the bays. Smaller schoolies and the occasional bigger fish can still be found further up river but expect that to end soon however. Using chunks of mackerel, sandworms or live eels are all producing keeper and better stripers off the beach. Camp Ellis, Hills Beach and Pine Point Beach are excellent areas to focus on because of the jetties which give shore anglers the ability to catch and cast live mackerel right from shore! Incoming half tide to high has been best. Early mornings and evenings have been the best times to fish for artificial baits. Pencil poppers and spooks as well as sand eel imitations such as the RonZs and Savage softbaits are all working, especially when surface feeds are apparent. Boaters looking for mackerel should chum for them and then live-line off beaches near structure such as mussel beds and ledges.

Josh Thelin of All Points Fly Shop and Outfitters in Portland said the one word which should bring a smile to most everyone who fishes for stripers – pogies! They are back! No, not yet in the numbers of last year, when Maine was the envy of much of New England but it’s a start. Pogies are difficult to match with any artificial but the shop has that covered with big flies with long flatwings that are just the ticket for a bass focusing in on big bait. Additionally, bass can be more frequently found around river mouths as they migrate onto beaches and bays. Rocky shorelines now hold stripers as well. Latest reports have keeper-sized bass moving into Popham Beach, off the Pemaquid Point Park and the Penobscot River as well.

Fishing Forecast

If you’re looking for upstream action then give Great Bay its due while you can, those fish will soon push outward into the Piscataqua River where they will stay for the duration of the summer/fall. In Maine the onward migration continues with bass now making an appearance as far north as Boothbay Harbor.