Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont Fishing Report – May 28, 2020

Pictured above: Sydney Faulkingham with a fine schoolie caught aboard Diamond Pass Outfitters!

As May gives way to June, the striper ripple is becoming a Tsunami. Rivers remain your best option but with word of mackerel becoming a factor anglers may have to give the open ocean its due. Haddock continue to please with some finding fish as close as 8-10 miles from shore.
 

New Hampshire Fishing Report

After enquiring about the striper bite from Chad of Dover Marine, the more appropriate question regarding stripers might have been, “where aren’t they biting?”! The Hampton River/Harbor has fish as does Seabrook, the Piscatagua, Kittery as well as the beaches. He emphasized Odione State Park as especially good. As is the case with much of New England at the moment you can count on three separate year classes: 12-15” fish, 22-25” fish and then a few small keepers in the mix. Of course that will change soon enough when the breeders show up and with the first signs of mackerel appearing, bigger bass should be forthcoming. There’s also more flounder talk out there than usual and plenty of haddock on Jeffrey’s Ledge and in closer. Some are suggesting that with less demand for seafood because of the restaurant closures there is less commercial effort which is translating to more inshore life! In Massachusetts there is little debate that this year there has been more flounder, inshore haddock and sea herring than in years past.

According to Jon Tregea of Sea Run Charters as water temps heat up so is the action! There have been consistent blitzes of birds and bass near the mouth of the Piscatagua River in the evenings and the schoolie show has been hot up in the bay. There are larger fish which are being found by those who put the time in. Gray and purple lures/flies have been working well as they imitate small herring although some folks are doing just fine while blind casting crab flies!

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for New Hampshire

Southern Maine Fishng Report

Captain Lou Tirado of Diamond Pass Outfitters is experiencing a big push of bass into southern Maine waters. Schoolies reign with the size fish ranging from micro bass in the 10” range up to 28”. Flies, soft plastics and Jumpin’ Minnows are working well for the Diamond Pass crew. The fish are feeding on river herring in the rivers and small sand eels out front. Mackerel just arrived mid-week and the feeling is that bigger bass will not be far behind. As for the best time to fish, there isn’t any since the earnest schoolies seem to have the feedbag on 24-7.

Scott from Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard said that with river temperatures a full 10-15 degrees warmer than the ocean it only makes sense to target the Mousam, Saco, York and Kennebunk Rivers. Bait fish is primarily on the small side making small white Savage Sand Eels, Slug-Gos and Fin-S-Fish effective. The exception to the small bait/schoolie equation are river herring runs such as what you’ll find in the Saco River. When bigger bass show up, those rivers will be among the first areas to hook a substantial fish. Haddock are in relatively close with some finding them as close as 8-10 miles out. While news of mackerel thus far hasn’t been good, positive reports from other areas could be a signal that their arrival in the Wells Harbor area is imminent.

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Maine!

New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast

With a substantial gap between river temperatures and the open ocean, rivers are your best bet for action. Throw in a river herring run in the mix and more the better! Flounder can be found in the harbors and the mouths of rivers while the haddock haul is impressive and anglers are finding them far closer than Jeffrey’s Ledge.