You gotta love late January! The appetizer of sticking to coves along with smaller water bodies has been augmented with larger lakes locking up. Smelt shacks are on for this weekend as well adding a badly needed dash of salt to the ice fishing buffet!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
On Tuesday “Ice in” on Lake Winnipesaukee was declared by Emerson Aviation. That means that all five ports on the big lake are covered with ice! That’s awesome news for those who view ice fishing and Winnipesaukee as one and the same.
Jason of The Tackle Shack in Meredith told me that along with bait and gear recommendations, he’s telling patrons to “use their heads” and give open areas such as the Broads a little longer to thicken up. With all the harbors, islands and bays that the big lake has to offer that’s hardly a bitter pill to swallow. At the moment most are targeting perch in both yellow and white denominations. However, there has been a better-than-usual cusk bite highlighted by a new state record 35”, 12 1/2 pound beast! Usually those cousins of the cod are caught on or close to the bottom with overcast conditions fishing best! As for “where” Jason suggests the Leavitt Park, Meredith Bay and Moultonborough areas. For rainbows stick to beaches in close or try Lake Waukewan where some regulars have been doing well.
Tim Moore of Tim Moore Outdoors told me that he’s been adding tip-up/minnow combinations to complement his jigging methods for charters on Winnipesaukee. The bite has been in 30’ depths near the edge of dropoffs. Sonar is a must if for no reason than to mark depth changes, structure and bait clouds which will attract the gamesters.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Andrew from Sebago Bait and Tackle told me that much of Sebago Lake has good ice and it didn’t take long for anglers to land large lakers up to 16 pounds! He recommends the Station area and Jordan Bay with the best combination a jig/sucker strip worked near the bottom or if you have sonar wherever you mark forage. He’s been seeing gorgeous rainbow trout coming from the Ranges and a variety of nice warm water species from Great Pond. For a shot at a trophy brook trout it’s hard to top the Mount Kineo section of Moosehead Lake. Brookies, even big ones are shallow cruisers. Rather than spread out from shore to deep water, find a point and place your traps in close.
Zach from Saco Bay Tackle Company told me he has word form the Merrymeeting Bay/Kennebec River Smelt Camps that they are planning on opening for business this weekend. I did place a call to Jim’s in Bowdoinham and they told me that they have been our for a week and are booking out quickly, so don’t delay! Meanwhile Little Ossipee Lake has been hot for brown and rainbow trout with small minnows working best.
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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Larger water bodies from Winnipesaukee to Moosehead have mostly locked up with anglers reveling in finally being able to get out there to sample everything from white perch to brook trout! There is a lot to love about the Leavitt Park on the former and the Mount Kineo section of the latter. Sebago togue is one of the top southern Maine targets while closer to the coast smelt camps such as Jim’s in Bowdoinham are in back in business and the bite reportedly has been brisk!
Anybody lake trout fishing winni yet?