It wasn’t all that long ago when squid were about as common as a camel in New Hampshire, now they are pleasing by the pail-full throughout the Piscataqua River. RonZs vertically jigged along the river and among bay rip lines are resulting in catches of striped bass as well as big black sea bass! Flounder can be found in Perkins Cove but if you want to score stripers from the Ogunquit plan on losing a few winks – they’re biting best at night.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
“Squid is the word,” so said Tim Moore from Suds ‘N Soda when we spoke. You’ll light them up at most any lit pier, dock or bridge throughout the Piscataqua River. As for stripers they’re not known as squid hounds for nothing so the odds are good if you live line or dead stick a squid sooner or later a linesider is going to come knocking. Another predator of squid has finally arrived, black sea bass. In fact Tim popped a 4-pounder the other day from the Piscatagua on an oversized RonZ jigged vertically under his kayak. That same vertical jigging style has been responsible for some good striped bass as well throughout Little Bay as well. Pay attention to rip lines where the fish will gather, Tim (a registered guide) says it’s those rips which are his safety net when he takes clients fishing.
Chad from Dover Marine told me that there are plenty of mackerel and harbor pollock around and they aren’t all by the 2KR Can! He suggests you steer clear of this highly pressured spot and target the other navigational nuns that line the shipping lanes. He said something to the effect of, “find the red nuns, you’ll find the green mackerel!” A fail-safe technique is to top off the livewell with macks or pollock and then cast the live bait toward surface feeds. Look for surface activity between the General Sullivan Bridge of the Piscatagua River on out to the mouth. Dover Marine is not immune to squid fever either and they have the squid jigs in stock to prove it. Ground fishing remains hit or miss with many shorts in both the cod and haddock categories. Most of the Jeffrey’s Ledge action is taking place between 180’ and 220’ of water. Be conservative with the bait there’s hungry packs of “dogs” aplenty.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Peter from Saco Bay Tackle told me that there are mackerel throughout the Casco Bay area islands. Anglers should float one under a balloon up tight wherever they spot white water against those islands. For the second year in a row The Kennebec River has improved striped bass fishing. Striped bass used to spawn as well as holdover in the Kennebec and it is hoped that this will one day be a reality so there are a host of regulations concerning the use of live bait. While it was prohibited earlier in the season, you can swim a mackerel through it now and expect a fair degree of success. In Saco Bay diving terns give away sand eels and bass and anglers who pitch Arkansas shiner Slug-Gos and Fin-S-Fish are catching them. Mackerel colored soft plastics and flies are the ticket in the Spurwink River and Scarborough Marsh. Those who have game with the groundfish are focusing on the Northern edge of Jeffrey’s Ledge.
Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle said that the recent deluges were causing many of the rivers such as the Saco and Mousam to flow a muddy, suffocating mess. But bass were still biting on the cleaner incoming tide. Not a day goes by when stripers are not seen falling for sandworms in the Webhanet River. She told me an interesting story of regulars (who should know better) complaining about the slow early morning or late evening bass bite from the Ogunquit River and then along comes a few tourists who drop lines at 2 a.m. and they crush them! There are mixed sizes of fish and because of that plenty of intrigue every time there is a bite. One of the more consistent locations/methods has been Drakes Island Beach where they are casting clams with good results. Should you fish the Webhanet don’t be fooled if you see a surface explosion worthy of a submarine, it’s most likely just a sturgeon which seem to be making a comeback. And regarding comebacks – it’s proving to be a great year for flounder in Perkins Cove!
Fishing Forecast
Squid are nothing short of a sensation throughout the Piscataqua River, especially from the General Sullivan Bridge toward the mouth. You’ll often find bass of both the striped and molted black version with the squid. Elsewhere look for linesiders among rips in Little Bay. Webhannet River is a daily winner as striper after striper can’t seem to pass up sandworms there. Try jigging up some mackerel in Casco Bay and you just may be rewarded with a keeper especially if you drift with it along the Kennebec River.