New Hampshire And Maine Fishing Report – August 10, 2017

Pictured above: Connor N. caught this rainbow on Lake Winnipesaukee.

While a surge in fish numbers is a good thing, when the surge is composed of water temperatures combined with big moon tides, it’s hard to stay optimistic! The remedy for these dog days is nightime endeavors with eels on outgoing tides. But if early rising is not for you, you can find relief in southern Maine where the stripers don’t even seem to be stirring until the afternoon!

New Hampshire Fishing Report

When not covering all the bases at Suds ‘N Soda in Greenland, Roland runs a guide service! According to him, it’s been a good striper season so far! He’s been putting patrons on fish up to 18 pounds on live mackerel in the Hampton River and harbor. The macks are hanging in there at Hampton Shoals Ledge usually, with the backup plan consisting of a run out to the Isle of Shoals. Pogies are plentiful as well and, if possible, it’s a good idea to put both in the livewell. If you’re looking for large first on the hook should be a pogy, but if the fish are interested but not taking the bait, a mackerel will not be ignored. A few blues are mugging trolled mackerel and relieving unprepared anglers of their terminal tackle. The problem is that the blues cannot be counted on! Groundfishing on Jeffrey’s Ledge has fallen off the edge – literally! The haddock bite has tanked with pollock filling the void but be prepared to plumb 250’ plus of water to find the fish.

Tim Moore of TimMooreOutdoors is not a fan of the full moon and the strong currents that come with it which has resulted in less than stellar striper fishing throughout the Piscatagua River. Expect that to change once we get a few days removed from the lunar effect. What has not been affected by the stages of the moon is the lock-and-load laker action among deep depressions in Lake Winnipesaukee! Patrons have been wrenching in 8 pounders on Tim’s Signature Series Nervous Minnow! The fun is happening about 100’ down, making it kind of like a sweetwater version of groundfishing except with far lighter, more tactile tackle!

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Adam from Saco Bay Tackle said that warming water temperatures have pushed many of the larger linesiders northward into Casco Bay! That’s not to say the locally it’s fishing like the Dead Sea but rather reality is living up to the Dog Days axiom and some anglers are struggling. Seasoned anglers, however, are slinging serpents at night on outgoing tides in the Saco, Mousam and York Rivers and doing well. The day time anglers who score most often are finding mackerel outside of Wood Island and trolling them tight to islands and finding good fish.

Brandy from Webhannet said that late risers actually have the edge over first light fans as the best fishing seems to kick in between 1-3 in the afternoon! As typical of the heat of the summer, bait, particularly clams and mackerel, are out-fishing lures. The suds off Drakes Island Beach has been good as has the river and beach off Ogunquit. Kayakers are catching thanks to the tube-and-worm. Keeper haddock off Jeffrey’s is getting increasingly tougher to find know that the fish are drifting off to deeper water. The irony is that while anglers try for haddock they are encountering and releasing a lot of cod up to 20 pounds!

New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Forecast

During the offseason, anglers aren’t likely to dream about August striped bass fishing and the reality is living up to the legend. Mackerel remain almost magical in the Hampton Harbor/River area while many anxiously await the return of bigger bass to the post-full moon Piscatagua River. Mackerel remain plentiful off Wood Island and a trolled one in tight to the wash should get mugged. Groundfishing has become a deeper water affair, but be forewarned – the cod you’ll catch and must release as you target haddock are likely to break your heart!