Moving forward, the cooler nights should continue to be the spark to better striped bass fishing. Coupled with a drop in pogy numbers, many are hoping to bid the dog days of summer a fond farewell.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Chad from Dover Marine said that striper sharpies are beginning to see bass feed with more of a sense of urgency. Mackerel drifted throughout the Piscataqua River as well as fished among Wentworth, Hampton and Rye harbors remain your most valuable option for keeper-sized fish. There is a cow caveat in that with lfewer pogies around, the odds have improved that a hooked pogy will not swim long before it is hammered.
Some squid can be found throughout the river and harbors provided your quest is at night and you’re fishing near a light source. Those catching calamari are experiencing first hand why striped bass are sometimes referred to as “squid hounds” in that hungry bass have been putting on a show as they chase squid.
When macks are spotty closer to the coast some are making the steam out to the Isle of Shoals where there most always is a steady supply of mackerel.
Zach from Suds ‘N Soda told me that there has been solid schoolie surface feeds throughout Great Bay as well as Little Bay. Those looking for bigger are finding the pogies and with them more substantial bass. Should your live-lined or chunk pogy not draw interest seek out nearby rockpiles, reefs or depth changes, all of which will often stage inactive stripers or hold bass looking to ambush. The groundfishing continues to be spectacular on top sections of Jeffreys Ledge. Bites often become a game of “whodunit” as anglers attempt to predict what they have hooked. One fish that hasn’t been that numerous is the annoying dogfish, even for those who have been using bait. Clams and squid will both catch but if you can find fresh squid that might be a better option due to its durability.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Josh Thelin from All Points Fly Fishing and Outfitters in Portland said that his patrons, who are fly-fishers, are having a more challenging season than most years because of the volume of pogies. When forage is that large, it’s tough to emulate with a fly or for that matter any artificial making an ersatz offering far less effective than the real deal. Nevertheless, shop diehards who are sticking to the rocks and fishing the cooler, oxygenated flooding tides are catching the most impressive fish. Naturally, low light fishes superior to when the sun’s up. Rocky outcroppings and the craggy coast off Biddeford, Portland and the islands of Casco Bay are all best bets.
Peter from Saco Bay Tackle is expecting surf fishing to improve now that the east wind has relented and the suds are clearing of mung. Often a sustained east wind this time of the year is a trigger for bigger bass to begin feeding with purpose in close. Some in Massachusetts are now experiencing just that. Chunk bait as well as live eels from dusk to dawn should do the trick. For a tradeoff involving faster action but probably a dip in size of the fish, Peter suggests chunking river mouths and marsh inlets.
If you want to improve your odds of catching a mixture of stripers than do as the pros do, which according to Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard means using mackerel for bait. Pogies are still plentiful but the charter captains are steering clear of those big baitfish and deploying the more manageable mackerel. However, for those looking for large as opposed to volume a chunk pogy just outside of the main school remains your number one option! Hot spots are Ogunquit, Moody Point, the Little River and especially Camp Ellis, the latter of which game up a recent 50-pounder which engulfed a hook full of mussels! Brandy was sure to give a nod to the fantastic groundfishing which is taking place among The Curl and The Cove and other Jeffreys Ledge spots right now. Big pollock and plenty of keeper haddock have been no problem. If you’ve been hemming and hawing about a haddock run, then you better plan a trip soon since the GOM haddock season ends on September 14.
New Hampshire And Maine Fishing Forecast
With plentiful pogies and more mackerel in our midst now, the choice is simple: bigger fish or a brisk bite. The rivers and harbors are better fished with mackerel and quantity is more easily achieved. The beaches, however, is where you’ll find pogies as well as the possibility of that season-defining cow. But then comes along a guy tossing mussels into the horizon and he catches a 50-pound striper off the Camp Ellis jetty. This passion of ours comes with no guarantees!