Pictured above: Big Belgrade Lakes pike are on the prowl!
Although small, smelt are one of the most valuable fish which swim in northern New England. Shops such as AJs in Meredith, New Hampshire and Dag’s in Auburn, Maine go to great lengths to keep live ones in stock because they are stellar salmonid bait. Gamesters however aren’t the only ones which relish them as a snack and for anglers desiring a plate full for dinner, the early word from the Southern Maine smelt camps is that the bite is on.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
When I asked Al from AJs in Meredith if the “Great Thaw of 2020” doomed local ice, he quipped, “It’s great, just bring your boat”! While Winnipesaukee is largely open, anglers are still ice fishing among coves and bays. The upcoming weather forecast is favorable to lock up more so long as the wind does not prove to be too much of a factor. While the Big W is a work in progress, there are recent reports of ice fishing success form lesser Ws – Wicwas, Waukewan and White.
Further South, Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair sadly talked in past tense about local ice fishing when we spoke. Hopefully that hardwater will once again become a reality and if it does Potanipo Pond should be on your list for panfish, especially for bluegills and “calicoes”. Also keep an eye out for Beaver Pond, Canobie Lake and Cobbetts Pond, all of which had light ice fishing pressure so far this year because these spring-fed water bodies remained sketchy. Should they finally “catch”, the trout bite should be good.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for New Hampshire
Southern Maine Fishng Report
Scotty from Dag’s in Auburn said that the shop still has pike bait in stock which dovetails nicely with some major toothy catches coming out of the Androscoggin River and purportedly Messalonskee Lake. The fish were massive and reported to be 27 and 29 pounds! The shop is carrying sea smelt, fresh from Bakers on the Kennebec River. I’d give it a while longer to ensure that the estuarial water locks up again but book now – the catching is good. Scotty tallied 150 there the other day. One place worth considering fishing those smelt is Moosehead Lake. Scotty said that he knows of recent catches of 6-pound brookies there. This place is massive but you could do worse than to fish in the shadows of majestic Mount Kineo. The deep water near the shoreline is a favorite for those desiring lake trout as well as other species. For a more southerly spot for lakers, try Thompson Lake. With little derring-do you should have no problem limiting out there on lakers.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Maine!
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
If we are to believe the weather prognosticators, winter is finally scheduled to arrive in New England. While we await southern water bodies to ice-up again, New Hampshire anglers have Wicwas, Waukewan, White and the coves of Winnipesaukee to choose from. In Maine, odds are that that massive northern taken from Messalonskee was not a lone water wolf! Keep tabs on gather smelt camps which dot the Kennebec River/Merrymeeting Bay Area for safe conditions, early reports are that the fishing is superb. To make it easier, here’s a link to the camps: maine.gov/dmr/recreational-fishing/smeltcamps/index.html