Striper success or failure in rivers can almost be predicted by rainfall or lack thereof. Brown, surface-slicked water seems nearly devoid of life making beaches and other outer locations better choices for stripers. Some using mackerel at night are doing exceptional in Maine while Winnipesaukee has a red hot salmon bite.

New Hampshire Fishing Report

Captain Andy has been knocking a panoply of groundfish out of the park! Scantum has been sizzling with the “Hot dog” section especially so. In addition to the ho-hum haddock limits the crew has been catching plenty of pollock, cusk, wolffish up to 36” long, silver hake and white hake in the low 30” range! Dogs are bedeviling anglers out there but such is the price to pay for all that action! Tuna have been busting bait by the Mudhole and the Isle of Shoals, Mackerel are no problem to obtain near the UMass Observation Post and Boone Island. For stripers throughout the bays and the Piscatagua River 25/26” fish are common especially by the marinas where they feed on squid at night.

Tim Moore of Tim Moore Outdoors had an epic day on Winnipesaukee recently with multiple hookups of landlocked salmon up to 23 1/2”! The fish are following the feed which is primarily white perch fry and to some degree smelt. The bait is on flats at night and vacates that area at first light. Edges of flats, especially those which feature warmer than usual water temperatures, can be deadly once the sun is up. Salmon will be on the feed often now as they pack on the calories in preparation to the eventual fall spawning run.

Regarding stripers, incoming tide which brings in cooler, oxygenated “green water” is the antidote for all the brownish freshwater which plagues watersheds due to all the rain! Beaches such as Wallis Sands, Rye and Hampton have been fishing well, especially at night with mackerel, eels and big soft plastics all dong the trick.

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Matt from Webhannet Bait and Tackle told me that charter captains who are working the shorelines at night with mackerel are crushing 40” cows! A few of the better spots are Kennebunk Beach, York Beach and Moody Beach. Mackerel should be no problem for you to acquire with plenty available as close as the Wells Harbor jetty! Anglers are also finding plenty of mackerel and striped bass off the Cape Porpoise Pier, by the Cliff House as well as Marginal Way. For pogies, try Saco Bay or in the Portland area. Sea run browns continue to cause a stir and are unexpected and thrilling bycatches for those fishing tinker mackerel for bass! The best spots continue to be river mouths where brown trout are stocked upstream. Offshore fishing is strong with sharks complicating groundfishing; although one angler working a cod jig, turned the tables on a thresher by hooking it, landing it and then later offering shark steaks to friends who described it as scrumptious!

Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters told me that river success ebbs and flows with the rainstorms. After a dirty water period that rivaled big city blight, the rivers cleared up and the bite began again but unfortunately – it rained again! When roiled, rivers and bays are fishing best with live bait such as mackerel and eels. Some of the beaches such as Biddeford Pool, Old Orchard and Higgins are fishing well at night with big soft plastic stick baits doing the job. Lou did say that many are anticipating the New Moon coming up!

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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast

If it’s been awhile since you gave freshwater a shot, than the Winnipesaukee landlocked salmon bite beckons! Great Bay marina at night has a striper-on squid bite under the lights. Sea run brown trout are still a factor at the mouths of many Maine Rivers with tinkers the ticket to catching these salmonoids which are averaging over 20”! Off the Maine coastline, surf fishers tossing eels at night as well as boaters working mackerel off area beaches are catching the biggest bass around!