For those looking for a break in the striper/saltwater fever, there are attractive freshwater alternatives for everything from hawg largemouth bass to deep water lakers from Winnipesaukee. Striped bass fishing remains stellar in Southern Maine where pogy numbers remain strong and the bass big.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors was manning the fort at Suds ‘N Soda when we spoke and he told me that pogy numbers are thinning out but there is no reason to panic as this just could be a case of “less equaling more”. Odds of finding a school of pogies with bass shadowing the school now are infinitely better with a smaller supply. Tim himself has been treating charters to steady striper action with shad baits. He remarked how it never ceases to surprise him how often an 18” schoolie will inhale a 6” shad, so he sticks with the larger bait. There have also been the rumblings of a few bite-offs which doubtless are the handiwork of bluefish. For a specific spot, Tim recommends the Pierce Island area especially for shore casters. I talked to Tim about one of his specialties which is deep-water jigging for lakers on Winnipesaukee and he said that now was prime time to do it!
Chad from Dover Marine talked up the swell bass fishing, which is occurring locally, but the subject was not striped bass but rather largemouth bass. With Lilly Pads at their peak and few folks fishing local ponds because of their preoccupation with the salt, “slop-frogging” for largemouth bass can be productive and a lot of fun. Local spots where you may have luck are Willand Pond, Pawtuckaway Lake and Bellamy Reservoir. Just make sure you pause that frog over pockets in the pads and do not set the hook on impact but rather wait until you feel the weight of the fish.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for New Hampshire
Southern Maine Fishng Report
Scott Lee of Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard described the striped bass fishing as outstanding when we spoke. Charter captains and every day sharpies are having no problem catching plenty of 40” fish. The drill remains the same, find the “right” pogy school, snag a pogy, transfer it to a circle hook and hold on. The shops top movers in the circle hook department are Gamakatsu and Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp versions in 6/0 and 7/0 sizes.
Water temperatures in some rivers have crested 70 degrees which is beyond a stripers comfort zone, making river mouths and the ocean front better choices, especially for larger fish. According to Scott, promising spots are Drakes Island, the Little River, Gould’s Rock, Moody Beach, Oguinquit and York.
Captain Lou from Diamond Pass Charters has been experiencing good surface action at first light with Hogy Charter Grade poppers being the ticket. The money method, however, remains mackerel and menhaden in both live and chunk versions. There are still fish on the ledges that will readily take metal lips such as the Striper Mainiac plugs. For a best bet for a big one, the skipper suggests bait among the ledges.
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont Fishing Forecast
If you can hit the pause button on all things striper, largemouth bass/slop-frog fishing in many “forgotten” ponds in New Hampshire is at its peak. Pierce Island with a pogy on the line is one of New Hampshire’s best bets for a big bass. Elsewhere in the Granite State, Little Bay is producing mixed sizes of stripers on shad baits. While pogies are waning in New Hampshire, there is no such reality in Maine with plenty of both pogies and tinker mackerel resulting in outstanding fishing for 40-inch fish.