The winds of change will be blowing this weekend, but with inshore water temperatures still over 60 degrees, striped bass should reassemble into their previous haunts. As always rivers with herring runs will be hotbeds for a striped bass bite until well into October. Offshore haddock, cod and cusk had been cooperating on Jeffrey’s Ledge with Pigeon Hill the pick for pelagics.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
From Captain Bob Weathersby of Seacoast NH Sportfishing comes word that there are plenty of bass – slot and over – all along the Granite State coast; live mackerel fished tight to rocky fingers are working best. The lower Piscataqua is also producing, again with live mackerel tight to the rocks near the Navy Yard the ticket. The coast will undoubtedly be blown out this weekend but Rye Harbor should be relatively sheltered and a solid option with peanut bunker holding fish close to the docks. As for groundfish the song remains the same: there are plenty of haddock on Jeffreys Ledge and the Mudhole. However, blue sharks can make landing them a chore: necessitating a move. Cusk and decent pollock are mixed in with cod nearby over hard bottom. School tuna are inconsistent with the best bet right now Pigeon Hill. The captain recommends fishing a live unweighted mackerel along with a dead-sticked unweighted RonZ stick bait way back. The method is to drift from the high ground out to the edge, then repeat. Giant fishing at northern Jeffreys was very good before closure. Central Jeffreys has fish, but hordes of large blue sharks has been making the fishing tough. Boone Island Ledge off York Maine is now yielding giants (release fishing). “Stickbait” mackerel fished close to the bottom just outside the lobster trap line has been effective just be prepared to navigate the pots after hookup!
In summation as for stripers, fishing this weekend will be a loss due to the NE wind. Post-blow things should return to solid striper fishing.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters said that the bite is still going strong up in coastal Maine and maybe even a tick better with the size up a notch! Rivers such as the Presumpscot on an outgoing tide have been a best bet for early mornings with olive 7” Albie Snax XLs working great and bone Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencils coming in second. Beaches such as Pine Point and rockpiles/reefs such as Trundy’s Reef as well Two Lights State Park are holding plenty of fish. Throwing pencils and Docs will help find the fish, or trolling a tube and worm to find the school has been beneficial as well. The fly fishing has been going well in the shallows and off the ledges too: work the edges of the ledges and you will be successful.
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
While the weekend is looking like a wash once the seas settle hopefully the bass will be back where they were pre-storm. That would put the Lower Piscataqua River area a solid recommendation as is the case with most rivers/estuaries in northern New England. Farther north in Maine, herring fry in the Presumpscot River have been holding fish with soft plastics and spooks getting it done. Offshore the ground fishing on Jeffrey’s Ledge as well as the Mudhole have been great with tuna on a tear as close as Boone Island.