Stripers seem to sense the impending blast of wind and rain from tropical storm Debby and have begun feeding off beaches with purpose. Should things go awry from the storm, there is an option other than limbo and it’s the deadly combination of eels and estuaries.
Coastal New Hampshire Fishing Report
From Captain Bob Weathersby of Seacoast NH Sportfishing comes news of three modes of bass fishing. With the dearth of pogies, the skipper has been finding 40-inch fish along rocky points that border sandy stretches. Always the opportunists, larger linesiders are more prone to gathering among varied structure where there is more prey diversity.
The lower Piscataqua River, adjacent to the Navy Yard, is producing consistently and is another option, especially for those free-lining mackerel. On Wednesday after topping off the tank and storm-proofing the boat, Bob paddled Wallis Sands Beach in Rye. Good fortune was on at hand as he ran into two schools of 100+ fish that ran the gamut from slot to OMG! The fish were keyed in on small bait of some kind, making a paddletail the ideal striper duper. Should you give this a go, follow the terns and just maybe a certain slim paddle-boarder!
As for groundfish, there has been a steady downturn in haddock size, although there are still 5-plus-pound fish regularly. More cusk are now part of the catch, and the dogfish make it tough in spots, although Bob did recently experience a turning of the tables on those pests as a porbeagle nailed one boat side. The captain likens it to shark justice!
As for tuna, the recreational fish have seemingly headed north a bit. With all the bait in NH waters, they should return. As for giants, the bite is trending from random to regular. Bob’s tuna tip is to try to avoid the crowds. The fish seem crowd shy. The Seacoast NH Sportfishing crew released a 75″ fish at Boone Island over the weekend on standup gear. As was the case there, find the bait and fish it.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
According to Captain Lou Tirado of Diamond Pass Charters, the recent unsettled weather proved little more than an annoyance to his hardcore counterparts as they simply shifted gears and found fish in estuaries and rivers under cover of darkness, plugging. Schools of fish have been congregating on the beach fronts when seas permit. Using side scan and traditional sonar has been most successful. Throwing GT eels and other large plastics has been best. The most productive colors have been the sapphire or midnight calamari.
During the day the bite has been best up on the ledges. Live mackerel and pollock are doing the lions share of work. For those looking to throw plugs, first light and metal lips have been the ticket. Lou recommends working the plug in the wash and let it do its thing.
This weekend looks a little soggy, but for some surf fishers toeing the wash of Old Orchard, Biddeford Pool or Higgins Beach, the roar of the rollers is music that both they and the stripers can hear.
Captain Paul Hood of Touch of Gray Charters has been passing on Jeffreys in favor of Platts and has been doing well on haddock and pollock. He’s also have been working some new bottom half way from Portland to Jeffreys that has been producing some nice haddock plus pollock, whiting, a few dogfish, and schoolie BFT, for which he’s employing appropriate stand up gear.
Fishing Forecast
Linesiders are loving the Lower Picataqua with free-swimming mackerel. When not a bust, beaches have been great, especially sections with ledge and sand intertwined. Should Debby make fishing out front a mess, seek out the respite of an estuary with a big soft plastic or eel. Haddock remain a good option as does tuna with those finding their own space often rewarded.