Big bass in New Hampshire are in search mode since (at least for the time being) pogies are among the missing. Thankfully mackerel remain plentiful with the Piscataqua River the perfect place to put them to good use. As to where those pogies went, a hint may be in the disposition of Maine anglers who hope they never leave.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
According to Captain Bob Weathersby of Seacoast NH Sportfishing, big bass look as if they are lost souls as they can be seen milling around the New Hampshire coast looking for pogy schools which seemed to have vanished. The sweet spot has been 30-50’ of water and thankfully the bass could still be picked off with trolling plugs or mackerel. With the sudden dearth of pogies, stripers seem to be transitioning to a more traditional summer pattern. Those whereabouts are generally coastal points as well as the lower Piscataqua River. The recent rapid rise in water temps along the beaches, owing to the easterly breezes, should help as well. Mackerel have been available on coastal ledges and the Shoals with the best bet for finding them searching early.
Rec-sized tuna have been scarce in recent days. The pelagic pick of the week is just north of The Curl and Pigeon Hill. The latter, when holding mackerel up high, has been strong for brief, violent feeds. Commercial fish continue to be a pick around the 140′ line along the southern edge of NH; whale schools on Scantum, and Southern Jeffreys all are producing fish – just not in quantity right now.
From Andy of Adventureandcatch Charters comes word that anglers looking for groundfish should steer clear of Jeffrey’s Ledge unless they’re happy catching dogfish! The exception is 20-30” pollock which can be found 20-30’ above the bottom and the dogs. For haddock a wiser move might be to head north to Platt’s or South towards Stellwagen where haddock have been hitting more regularly. I have heard of a few haddock at Tanta’s but they are generally running smaller. While pogies have skedaddled mackerel are an easy find from the 2KR Can out to the Isles of Shoals. Good sized sea herring have appeared within a mile of area beaches and with them tuna. A hint of the ferocity which lies just below is the sight of “jumping” bait which is usually an indicator there are predators working the bait. Mixed sizes of tuna have intermittently been found inside of the Isles of Shoals.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Brian from Webhannet Bait and Tackle told me that river/estuary bass have been picky, largely because they are zoning in on small bait such as silversides and sand eels. A better bet for more aggressive bass maybe to catch up some mackerel and fish them by the Bell Buoy in Wells Harbor. Mackerel are an easy find by Wood Island and Boone Island. The tube-and-worm has been working in the Webhannet River as well as in the Mousam River, Saco River and Kennebunk River. Some have reported good ground fishing as close as Bibb Rock and Tanta’s Ledge. In spite of foggy mornings Captain Lou Tirado of Diamond Pass Charters has been enjoying a solid striper bite, especially at first light. The Casco Bay Area ledges are holding a lot of bass as well as pogies and the occasional tuna. Estuaries and marshes are hot at night. All in all the feeling is that it’s leading to an awesome August!
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Pogy schools appear to have pushed northward of New Hampshire much to the delight of Downeast anglers. Mackerel however are still prevalent from the 2KR Can out to the Isles of Shoals. The Lower Piscataqua is a good bet for bass action with mackerel by day and eels at night working well. The tube-and-worm in the Webhannet is a solid bet while the ledges off Casco Bay are holding big bass which are feeding on pogies. Offshore The Curl and Pigeon Cove are among the better bets for a bluefin while more southern spots might work for haddock.