Shops are reporting a lot of boat traffic. Or maybe more accurately, boats on trailers in traffic as hordes pull the plug on the season in anticipation of nasty weather. Those who are still at the striper game are finding fish but few other fishermen. For some, however, the popping foliage is a signal that freshwater fishing beckons.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Chad from Dover Marine said that “both” species of saltwater bass are still around in good numbers! Stripers you would expect, but black sea bass? Black sea bass are a relatively new phenomenon, in fact Chad said that there’s has been concern in New Hampshire as well as Maine that the crustacean-loving black sea bass are doing a number on juvenile lobster. Some have been targeting rockpiles, humps, mussel beds and other types of structure in the Piscataqua River in 30 – 40 feet of water and are still finding them. Any sort of bait will work; you’d be hard pressed to find a saltwater bait that black sea bass won’t bite.
For the more typical striped bass, eels have been hot for both day and nighttime from the beaches as well as Hampton and Rye Harbors.
Largemouth bass are feeding more aggressively and primed to be caught on Drop-shot rigs and Senko type lures rigged wacky-style. A few favorites of Chad’s are Willand Pond, Pawtuckaway Lake and Bellamy Reservoir. Jason of Suds ‘N Soda said that the calendar combined with the weather is putting the kibosh to angling participation. He did know of a few hearty souls who are still catching at Hampton and Portsmouth Harbors.
Tim Moore from Tim Moore Outdoors suggests targeting schooling crappie over shallow portions of basins. One the water “turns over” in a couple of weeks the fish will feed for longer than their current morning-only mode. Tim’s catching the crappie with a size 4 Salmo Chubby Darter as well as on the Lake Fork Trophy Lure Live Baby Shad. The big news is the northern New England pike bite; the northerns have been mugging Daddy Mac Whisperers and Bigtooth Juice Mini 8 Halos. He recently had a dad and son team out and watched the eight year old reel in a 36” pike! It shouldn’t take much snooping around the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department as well as Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife websites to find where pike roam.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
Kenny from Saco Bay Tackle said that the stripers have out-lasted most fishermen in the Saco area. Eels have been a magnet during both day and night from beaches such as Pine Point, Higgins, Camp Ellis and Old Orchard. Tide seems inconsequential as the “run” is in full swing and the fish are aggressive. Another option to consider are the rivers which have healthy herring runs. In the Bay State right now, stripers are feeding heavily on herring fry which the recent heavy rains have washed downstream. Focal points are spillways, dams and other types of structure which concentrates the herring. Providing stripers can access these locations they will be there with the edge going to a nighttime pursuit. Even rivers/marshes/estuaries which don’t have much of a herring presence should be looked at since most are loaded with bait and the bass seem to know it.