This week week stripers take a back seat to two increasingly more common but still remarkable species – namely halibut and sea run brown trout! While quite the odd couple, this is a better-than-usual year for both of them. More noteworthy nuggets are laker action and of course striped bass!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Captain Andy of Adventure and Catch Charters enjoys topping the “big guys” almost as much as he loves putting patrons into a great groundfish bite! On a recent outing, he couldn’t help but eavesdrop on a conversation between two boats belonging to one of the bigger fleets. The talk was of a dead ledge that they were fishing on. The reality for the Adventureandcatch crew could hardly be more different as they limited out. Every bit as interesting is that the skipper is finding halibut, in fact he’s had a number of them brought aboard his boat, including a 42.5” specimen! He’s finding the most action east of Jeffrey’s Ledge and Stellwagen.
Stripers are swarming throughtout the Piscataqua River system and well into Great Bay. Macks are accounting for the bigger bass but for a consistent catch set your destination for Whaleback Lighthouse.
Tim Moore of Tim Moore Outdoors has been taken to jigging up Winnipesaukee lakers! He’s finding them balling up on smelt in 100’ of water and the bite is on! Half ounce Daddy Mac Elite jigs in ice blue are croaking them. He’s also getting a lot of small salmon which bodes well for the future.
• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for New Hampshire
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Every once in awhile we are the benefactors of a good old inshore success story and right up oun top in recent years has to be the sea run brown trout resurgence. Scott from Webhannet Bait and Tackle estimates that this year they are up to 15-20 reports of them. The most recent was a doubling up of a 24/25” tandem on tinker mackerel at the mouth of the Webhannet River! Brandy from Webhannet told me that most of the anglers who are doing well are using live mackerel for bait. Macks however can be spotty with better reports coming from Kennebunk and Saco Bay. Surf fisherman casting SP Minnows, Slug-Go’s and chunk mackerel are doing pretty good in the rivers with many taking in a few quick casts/hookups before work!
Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters said that the arrival of pogy pods in Casco Bay have called in the cows. Pictures of schoolies are now taking a backseat to shots of big bass! Herring runs still hold river herring and “fall-backs” which are spent from spawning make for easy prey and stripers know it!
• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Maine!
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Right on time for late June are the arrival of drag-pulling striped bass. Rivers remain hot for action with mackerel the preferred bait for action while pogy schools have on average bigger fish. Alternatives to the all-stripers-or-nothing mania are sea run browns, deepwater lakers and deeper water still leviathans such as halibut!
