As good as the striper fishing has been, there are offshore signposts that it’s about to get better – by a lot! Meanwhile, herring runs continue to be hot, especially where dams thwart upstream escape routes of alewives and blueback herring. Beaches are becoming more consistent with bait fishing as the best bet.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Ki from Dover Marine told me that the shop is now moving a lot of squid jigs, which is a surefire sign that piers, docks, and bridges should be sporting fresh ink. Anywhere anglers can gain access to a light source at night throughout the Seabrook area, Hampton area, or all along the Piscatqua River may be prime for squid right now. Considering that the Bay State is having a banner year already, northern New England looks poised to have a stellar squid year also. Striped bass fishing in the Piscataqua River remains productive, with fall back herring from the Great Bay tributaries contributing to the success. Most fish are hovering between 30” and 37” with the occasional tackle-tester in the mix. The Rye Rocks have been fishing well, as have Odione Point and Wallis Sands Beach. A few flounder have been found in Rye and Wentworth Harbors.
Captain Andy of Adventure and Catch Charters told me that offshore spotter planes are reporting schools of big bass moving from the offshore ledge. When those big breeders get to the coast, things should be explosive. What’s also interesting is the volume of mackerel and pollock near offshore ledges, such as at The Notch and The Prong. Numbers are so thick that anglers are having a hard time dropping a line to the bottom for haddock. When found, the haddock tend to be congregating in about 195’ of water. Closer in, macks and stripers can be found about 1 mile north of the 2KR Can. Stripers can also be found at night chasing herring and squid by the Cape Ann Marina.
Southern and Coastal Maine Fishing Report
Ben from Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard told me that fishing up tight to dams, which hold river herring, seems to have improved again. The Skelton Dam in the Saco River has been especially chock full of herring and bass. With squid now a factor, look for them possibly at Pepperell Cove in Kittery. Charter captains are treating their patrons to solid striper fishing at night with eels and soft plastic stick baits, catching quality bass to over 40”. Days have been slower, but a live mackerel fished among Higgin’s Beach, Moody Beach, and Nubble has been working for some. Sand eels are increasingly becoming a factor off Ogunquit Beach. Other baits that have been paying off are SP Minnows, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows, and GT Paddletails. The tube-and-worm has been a go-to from the Webhannet River out through Wells Harbor.
According to Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters, the Casco Bay region is loaded with bait, including alewives, brig herring, mackerel, and sand eels. Rivers are fishing well, with the beach bite a close second. Soft plastics in the 6-9” range have been reliable, as have Lefty Deceivers, Clousers, and Nessi Glide Baits. Albie Snax XLs are killing it on flats and sandbars.
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
To find the stripers, you have to follow the bait! Some of that bait is river herring, which can still be found throughout the Piscatqua River as well as at the Skelton Dam in the Saco River. Increasingly, sand eels and squid are becoming a factor with stripers feeding on the former off sandy beaches, with the latter mattering off lit docks, piers, and bridges. Offshore areas are loaded with pollock and mackerel, as well as a certain seven-striped favorite, which is due to make headway towards the shoreline very soon.