The arrival of big bait – mackerel and pogies – has brought along striped bass big enough to take advantage of that larger forage. Surging water temperatures have signaled a change as action in rivers begins to wane and the open ocean heats up.

New Hampshire Fishing Report

According to Captain Jon Tregea of Sea Run Charters, much bigger fish have piled into the Piscataqua River watershed, led my multiple landings of 40” striped bass! Pogies have moved into the Granite State and if ever there was a big bass bait, they are it! Blitzes are belying a surprise in that in addition to stripers some enormous mackerel are also keying in on small bait! Mudflats in New Hampshire harbors, embayments and rivers have been featuring worm “hatches” with big bass focusing right in on those spawning worms. The skipper summed it up best, “It’s a great time to be a New Hampshire saltwater angler right now!”
 
Chad from Dover Marine had even bigger bass reports with a friend thumping fish into the upper 40” range with one fish looking like a 50” monster! The rocks of Rye have been fishing best with pogies and mackerel the key. Macks have been no problem to procure with plenty to be had from the 2KR Can out to 2MR Can. In the harbors and bays, the platitudes keep coming with anglers reveling in fantastic fishing for stripers between 20” and 25”! Odione Point got a special nod.

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

Southern Maine Fishng Report

Matt from Saco Bay Tackle Company said that finally the mackerel mob have moved into Maine and can be found near Wood and Eagle Islands. Pogies have also arrived! With all that big fish bait it shouldn’t be long before a few cows sniff them out. Meanwhile warming temperatures have shifted the bite from the rivers and out to the beaches with Camp Ellis and Higgins Beach getting special mention. Tantas Ledge is holding groundfish but if you have an adequate ride you’ll fare far better at Jeffrey’s.

Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle said that there has been a bump in schoolies along with a few keepers the past week. While the harbors and inlets are still good the jetties and surf have more reliable action for bigger bass now. Mackerel chunks off Ogunquit have been working well. Mackerel outside of Wells Harbor remain spotty with chum and a downsizing of the Sabiki rigs helping. Daiwa SP Minnows in bone and mackerel colors have been productive lures as has smaller Savage Sand Eels, Slug-Gos and Shaker Shads. Just in – a 40” fish was taken on a bone SP Minnow out of the Little River!

According to Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters the fishing has been picking up as of late. With the new moon approaching they are seeing an influx of bait from sand eels, river herring, mackerel, and a large amount of pogies up and down the coast. They are also seeing some really good surface feeds, but the fish are also very dialed in on a particular bait, so hooking up is not always automatic. White Albie Snax, Zoom Super Flukes, and Hogy Sand Eels have been the soft plastics of choice for the skipper this week. Jumpin Minnows, Two Lights Tackle Spooks, and Mambo Minnows have been the preferred hard baits. Flies have been very effective also with a teaser tied on a dropper loop just ahead of a plug, smokin’ them! If you’re fishing during the day, it’s best to stick to chunk bait, clams or seaworms.

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

New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast

For steady action, it’s hard to top the harbors of New Hampshire but a pogy or mackerel off the rocky coastline is a better choice for a big bass. The other Granite State option is to target worm spawns in mudflats where a mixture of schoolies and bigger fish are taking advantage of that prey source. Higgins Beach and the jetties of Maine have been good for chunk mackerel while rivers such as the Little River continue to give up a big striper surprise now and then!