If you habitually mothball the tackle this time of the year and are ready to do it again, reconsider! With mid-60-degree water temperatures still a reality and anglers still battling blues from the surf, if ever there was a season with legs this is it!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Jason of Suds ‘N Soda said that the most successful anglers are finding stripers nearer the mouth of the Piscataqua River than most anywhere. Odiorne Point was mentioned as a solid option as the north side by Little Bay. Herring fry are a principal forage, as are sand eels, making small, slim-profiled metal wares deadly. Daddy Mac Elites as well as Needle Eels and Deadly Dicks are accounting for a lot of catching. Most of the fish are under 27 inches, but there are keepers in the mix. Three-waying live mackerel may represent your best bet for a bigger bass and you should be able to find macks among humps almost as soon as you clear the mouth of the river. Hampton Harbor, Rye Harbor and Wentworth still hold stripers. There are reports of plenty of bass well into Downeast Maine still making beaches prime for some serious catching when they course the coast during the fall run.
Chad finally evened the score on “Charlie” with 82 inches of plump tuna. While Chad’s obviously not likely to give out coordinates, he did say that there are so many tuna hanging around humps almost as soon as you clear the Isle of Shoals almost no one is making the haul to groundfish! Chad jigged up a sea herring with a Sabiki rig of the bottom and it was just what that tuna wanted! There are a lot of blue sharks around so steering clear of chum and instead sticking live bait in front of marked tuna is a better idea.
About the only bass fishing Chad is hearing off is freshwater bass fishing. This is a shame since there are accounts of plenty of stripers farther north that in time will right off the New Hampshire coast. Largemouth bass are becoming more active now that water temperatures are dipping. Chad recommends drop-spotting, or slop-frogging the pads of Baxter, Bellamy or Willand Pond. Third place would go to a Carolina-rigged plastic worm.
Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors is putting patrons into some interesting freshwater alternatives. Shoaling smelt on Lake Winnipesaukee have lakers prowling just below in 100-foot depths and the bite is getting better! This fishing is custom made for vertical jigging. Walleye are getting more active as well in the Connecticut River with a jig head/Daddy Mac Whisperer working really well.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
The feeling among the regulars in the Wells area is that while the game is on, the run is not – yet! Water temperatures remain in the mid-60s still and there are still bluefish around. In all likelihood, the shrinking segment of those still obsessing over stripers are going to enjoy improved fishing well into October! Brandy from Webhannet said that an impressive number of 40″ stripers have been caught in recent days! Boaters who poke around and chum are finding mackerel and catching bass with them off Parson’s Beach, the mouth of the Mousam as well as Moody Beach. Some look forward to the cooler nights this time of the year to gather, cast bait onto the horizon, spike the rod in the sand and enjoy late summer and into the fall. It could be viewed as the angling alternative to fire pits or tail gate parties with the added bonus of catching bass and the reports are that they catching really well off beaches such as Goose Rock Beach. It’s not all just about bait, however, anglers have been catching well with Salt Shaker jigs/soft plastics as well as Creek Chub swimmers. Offshore has been great with the northern side of Jeffrey’s fishing well for pollock and cod. This has been a deep water bite in 300′ depths. For haddock check out the southern section of Jeffrey’s Ledge.
New Hampshire, Maine & Vermont Fishing Forecast
The closer you can get to the mouth of the Piscataqua River the better are your chances of catching stripers consistently. The tuna fishing remains terrific with live bait being a better option than chumming due to the volume of sharks prowling around. Some are enjoying an enviable combination of catching and chilling off Maine Beaches such as Parson’s, Moody and Goose Rock where mackerel, clams and worms are winners after dark.