New Hampshire, Maine & Vermont Fishing Report – August 25, 2016

Pictured above: Old Town Pro Staffer Joe Tilley with a Piscatagua striper!

From Wentworth Harbor to Webhanet, the better bass are being caught off beaches and the mouths of rivers. Fresh bait rules and with the preponderance of pogies and the reappearance of mackerel that box is checked off. If the mystique of groundfishing beckons, stay away from the top of Jeffrey’s where the “dogs” are doing anything but sleeping.

New Hampshire Fishing Report

Chad from Dover Marine put his Tiagra 80 wide to good use on Wednesday as he tugged in 77 inches of tuna! The fish whacked a whiting in a six-line staggered spread and it was one of 3 fish that streaked up to investigate the potential meal. Charlie has a lot of companions out there, but the closer-to-shore fish are spooky from being harried. Chad suggests you look for tuna closer to Jeffrey’s Ledge than the Isle of Shoals and you’ll stand a better chance of catching.

Headboats are reporting plenty of haddock with a smattering of cod among depth breaks on Jeffreys Ledge. Mackerel can be found at the mouth of Rye Harbor and the Piscataqua with beaches and ocean front areas of the river fishing best. Eels are money at night but tough to get, making the ubiquitous squid a suitable option.

Tim Moore brought along a few fellow Old Town Canoe pro team members for a nighttime outing throughout the Piscataqua and was hoping to top his personal-best bass he took a year ago almost to the day. He may hook a bass on eels big enough to leapfrog over his personal best he caught last year almost to the day. He might have partially accomplished that goal as he did “hook” a pig which just prior to release seemed to mock him with a wave from her massive tail! It was a small consolation but he and his friends did get into a mess of upper twenty-inch fish on soft shads. Regardless, the point was made – there are big fish in the mix.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced diversion from all things salty than consider the lake trout bite at Winnipesaukee. Not only is Tim talking this up but Rick from Suds N Soda is raving too! It’s hard to top wrenching in fish after fish in 100′ of water on light gear.

Rick is also recommending patrons seek out cooler water for a shot at a cow rather than just a schoolie. The ocean side of harbors, bays and rivers run cooler and there’s where the potential is. Throw in a flooding tide at dark, which is exactly the forecast, and you’ve improved your chances. Squid are still numerous with more in the mix closer to the mouth of the Piscataqua than upstream.

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Mack from Webhanet said that while there are a lot of stripers, only a few are catching keepers. What separates the sharpies from the wannabes is often small details. Mack feels that the morning high tides bode well for bass catchers and river mouths are a best bet. Set up with a chunk of fresh pogy or mackerel at the mouth of the Mousam, Webhannet and Little River for a big bass of your own.

After a great week that had many singing the blues last week, they’ve gone missing, which probably explains why the mackerel have reappeared. While it’s hard to top mackerel for stripers, for bigger bass you can’t beat pogy and there is plenty of them around also, with bass often shadowing the schools.

Haddock fishing on Jeffreys remains hot with most fish at least keeper-size. Just stay off the top sections of Jeffreys Ledge where the dogfish are swarming. Chris from Saco Bay said that the best bass fishing is courtesy of bait from the beaches. Some of the beaches where good reports are coming in are Camp Ellis, Pine Point and Old Orchard, the latter of which has been best at night. It’s been a bait game with sand worms and mackerel chunks working best.

For groundfish, Chris recommends the northern end of Jeffreys Ledge. The dogs are on the prowl so use bait sparingly. A good substitute for bait are glow teasers! Give them a shot of your phone flashlight before you send them down and just see if you don’t catch more!

Vermont Fishing Report

Provided by Vermnont Fish Ahd Wildlife

Vermont lake trout action on fire!

Reports from anglers in Vermont are illustrating an incredible lake trout bite in the Green Mountain State right now, including hot action throughout famed Lake Champlain.

Dan Bushey, a versatile, multi-species angler from Vergennes, Vermont, is just one angler who has enjoyed the furious laker bite in recent weeks, and was generous enough to share a few of his top tips for targeting Vermont lake trout – as well as some incredible photos and videos.

“What you want to look for is reefs, humps and even just edges of contours where the bottom drops from 80 to 120 feet or so,” said Bushey. “The best thing to do first is to drive around and identify areas (using electronics). Usually I start right on the drop off, and then I’ll move my way up. Most of the time you’ll catch them right on the edge of the drop off.”

Bushey also noted a few productive tactics to try at different times.

“I’ve noticed they have two different biting modes, and the first tactic seems to work the best in the morning where you bounce a jig real hard right on the bottom – usually between 2 and 3 ounces,” said Bushey. “Then, once the fish shut off to that presentation and you can still see the school on your fishfinder, I stay over them and try to lighten up my tackle. I go with 1 ounce jigs using anything from tube jigs to sonars and even rattle traps.
I’ll also mix in swim baits and jigging spoons.

“I like to drop the bait to the bottom and give it two to four jigs before cranking it up at a steady speed,” added Bushey. “Don’t slow down. If you do, they’ll often veer off and not bite it. Keep it going to trigger the bite. You’ll know when one hits it!”

Bushey said that once an area has seen angling pressure, the fish will often move from the shallow parts of the structure to deeper haunts. For example, they may move from the 80 to 90 foot contour out to 120 or 130. He also said that although fish may suspend, that good, solid bottom contact is almost always a way to get bit, and that anglers can use their trolling motor, main outboard, or drift bags to keep jigs vertical in the water column.

New Hampshire, Maine & Vermont Fishing Forecast

If you’re putting in the effort, you might as well give yourself an edge. If you can get eels, Little Bay and Little Harbor at night are a good option with squid a serviceable alternative. Plentiful pogies and mackerel in Maine are indicators that big bass will be nearby. Toss out a “crunchy” chunk at the mouths of the Mousam, Ogunquit, Webhannet and Saco Rivers and see if you don’t catch far better than a mere keeper. Groundfishing on Jeffreys is great so long as you steer clear of shallows where the dogs are rowdy.