Soggy boot syndrome has been the bane of many who are traipsing through the slop caused by the thaw/rain/freeze pattern that New Englanders can’t seem to shake! However there is some good that comes along with snow/ice melt – the moving water is often a trigger to feeding!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Open water anyone? Ordinarily February and open water are far removed but with many spots in Southern New Hampshire plagued with shot shorelines some are turning to rivers to reacquaint with casting muscles. Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair in Nashua said that some are topping off a bucket of shiners and floating them in quieter stretches of the lower Nashua River for bass and pickerel. The same can be said for coves of the Merrimack River. Others are searching for trout in the Nissitissit and Squannacook Rivers. A river system to soon consider are the Squamscott/Exeter Rivers which hold a unique brackish white perch run.
Jim from The Tackle Shack in Meredith said that while there is plenty of ice on the main body of Winnipesaukee, shorelines in Center Harbor and Leavitt Park are shaky. Meredith Bay looks good but a winter full of thaws/freezes such as this one demands respect so make sure you pack a good deal of caution to go along with your bait and gear. For an alternative to Winnipesaukee, Squam and Winnisquam are both fishing well with lakers, rainbows and smallmouth bass all figuring into the catch. A wild card for white perch is Kanasatka Lake which has some real slabs among less pressured water!
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Congrats to Andrew of Sebago Bait and Tackle for placing third in the Sebago Lake ice fishing derby this week, which is one of New England’s premier winter events! His big togue taped out 32”, 9.8 pounds! Ironically he caught it with the smallest sucker in his bucket after tricking out his other traps with the larger baits. His tip to hopefully put you into a big fish is to drop your baits 40’ down near Frye Island. For an alternative, check out the white perch bite in Little Sebago.
Peter from Saco Bay Tackle Company told me that the shop is already preparing for its saltwater seminar scheduled for April 9th. These events are hotly attended and feature good speakers and lessons learned. This year its going to be held at the Junegrass Country Club. Rainbows and crappie have been the big draw at Stanley Pond as well as Barkers Pond.
Scotty from Dag’s Bait & Sportgoods in Auburn said that ice is still holding up in the Androscoggin River and as anyone who knows a thing or two regarding pike will tell you, ice/snowmelt is often the trigger for better pike fishing! The shop has also been sending patrons looking for a good pike to Cobbossocontee Lake where northerns rule with big bass often a nice consolation prize!
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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
The post-thaw freeze should lock up shorelines on Winnipesaukee but what it shouldn’t give the gamesters lock-jaw! Be cautious upon ingress as some shorelines are shaky with the exception being Meredith Bay. With white perch one of the big draws on this big lake, a smaller and possibly less pressured alternative for this species is nearby Kanasatka Lake. A bump in the pike bite has been observed in the Androscoggin River as well as Cobbossocontee Lake with inlets/tributaries fishing especially well. Now that the derby is past tense, now might be a good time to head out on Sebago where the crowds may be less but the togue no less hungry!