Bass among sandy stretches of beaches has given some anglers a unique sight-fishing option. However, for catching a cow your odds are still best with a pogy by day and an eel at night!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Jon Tregea of Sea Run Charters has been sight-casting toward shallow-swimming stripers among sandy/muddy patches of shoreline off New Hampshire beaches. A crab pattern dropped in front of a 36” striper groveling for something to eat is proving too much to resist for those bass. “Tregea’s tip” is to search for that light bottom among rocky sections of Granite State Beaches during lower tides. You’ll often see only the shadow of the fish meandering around and placement accuracy so that the fly drops gently right in front of the bass matters a lot. It’s enough to make you wonder who needs bonefish!
Squid are plentiful throughout the Piscataqua River and Jon’s been hearing of them at Pepperell Cove as well. Halfbeaks on Jeffreys Ledge have lured in tuna to 105”!
Zach of Suds N’ Soda said that despite sizzling water temperatures schoolies are still hanging in there in estuaries and harbors. He sampled those schoolies to the tune of a 24 fish outing off the Seabrook side of Hampton Beach. Regarding Seabrook, on Tuesday I shoved off on a groundfishing adventure aboard Eastman’s Annie B out of Seabrook. Also aboard this “Sixpack” trip was the senior editor from On The Water along with several scientists from the New England Aquarium and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. The point was to research safe-handling techniques for sub-legal haddock and cod. It was assuaging to see how dedicated these scientists were to identifying methods to reduce mortality. Fewer dead discards can mean safeguarding recreational fishing opportunities! After six hours of fast-and-furious action, I was left with two standout conclusions. First, my goodness there are a lot of cod and haddock out there! And lastly, there are folks out there who definitely have the backs of the recreational angler!
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Tanner from Saco Bay Tackle said that the pogy schools continue to be the end all for finding solid stripers. Some of the better pogy schools have been found by the mouth of the Saco River, by the Pine Point boat ramp, and near Biddeford Pool, especially by Wood Island. The drill remains the same, find rocky structure near the pogy schools and try switching between live and dead pogies to see what the fish are in the mood for. Foggy conditions however can change things a lot. Sometimes those stealthy bass will leave the sanctuary of their staging/ambush spots among structure to search for unsuspecting pogies in the fog. The cover provided by the fog makes the bass less weary. For squid target the lit docks of Falmouth at night. The shop is moving a lot of eels for the night crew which has been doing quite well off area beaches thanks to eels.
Apparently bluefish aren’t extinct, according to Brandy from Webhannet Boatyard who told me that a few customers have been catching blues from 20” to 24”! The action is not predictable but you’ll improve your odds if you troll a brightly colored X-Rap or Rapala Magnum in deeper water. Casting eels off area beaches between dusk and dawn has been the most effective method for putting a big bass on the beach. Groundfishing on Jeffreys Ledge continues to be great for catch-and-release cod as well as keeper haddock with The Curl especially good. For shallower action some are catching small rock cod in only 30-40 feet of water. These ravenous, gaudy cod will hit jigs/soft plastics as well as vertical jigs.
Fishing Forecast
Anglers who aren’t catching love to play up the alternate aspects of our sport such as the fresh air thing as well as camaraderie but if what really hooked you is catching then hoping aboard a headboat toward the haddock (and cod) grounds of Jeffreys Ledge is the way to go! Pogy schools from Portsmouth to Portland are where you want to be fishing if you crave a cow of a striper. Throw in some nearby rockpiles where there are pogies and you’ll improve your chances a lot. However, if you prefer your fishing long on finesse than search for cruising stripers during lower tides in close to area beaches. If you have a crab pattern handy than it’s all the better, because for shallow cruising bass crabs are what’s for dinner!
What is a crab pattern? Thanks! Also, the Mass forecast still has the August 9 report up.
in forecast paragraph, “than hoping’ should be “then hopping.”