Salts in northern New England are beginning to sound like circus peddlers with cries of “Peanuts, get your peanuts here!”. Reports of peanut bunker are music to many ears and a foretelling of what could be an interesting fall run!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Captain Bob Weathersby of Seacoast New Hampshire Sportfishing reported that mackerel are pounding peanut bunker in 20 feet of water. At times the mayhem is mixed in with pogies. There are no signs of big bass or blues on the bait yet but with water temperatures reaching 73 degrees could bluefish be far away? Blues have only recently become a factor in Massachusetts, so they could be pushing north now. Bob also reported an interesting account of two gentlemen tag-teaming 79-inch tuna on standup gear on Jeffrey’s Ledge.
Jon Tregea of Sea Run Charters has been shaking things up for charters with a combo shark/groundfish outing. Old Scantum has been the place with smaller blues being coaxed into chum slicks and taking flies while the brutes are being battled with stout spinning rods. The groundfishing has been taking place in 150 feet of water with the quarry a mixture of whiting, cusk and haddock. Squid has been the best bait which is not surprising considering how plentiful they are offshore.
Chad from Dover Marine said that things haven’t changed much with plentiful pogies but not every school has stripers with it. He did hear of an encouraging report of solid stripers in Portsmouth Harbor recently as well as Hampton and Rye. There are also plenty of tuna among humps and bumps almost as soon as you clear the Isle of Shoals. On your way out, you should be able to find plenty of mackerel by the Isle of Shoals.
Zach of Suds ‘N Soda said that with water temperatures this high, the better striped bass fishermen are sticking with the incoming tide and it’s cooler water. He also emphasized drifting mackerel or pogies at the mouths of the Piscatagua River and Hampton Harbor.
Maine Fishing Report
Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle and Boatyard said that the past week has brought bigger bass to over 40-inch to area beaches. A couple of the better ones have been Drakes Island, Moody Beach and Preston Beach. The Camp Ellis jetty has given up some big bass to those chunking mackerel. With water temperatures as high as they are it is overwhelmingly a bait game. The exception was a topwater bite inside the Mousam River where an angler found fish willing to take a Jumpin’ Minnow.
Things have been especially tough for those with a fly-or-bust mentality such as the patrons of All Point Fly Shop and Outfitters who are exclusively fly fishermen. Proprietor Josh Thelin is telling his customers to stick to rocky shorelines where there is most always some stripers snooping around. With cooler temperatures predicted it is hoped that the bass will become friendlier towards flies and other artificials. Once September picks up steam however and fish are more aggressive the fly fisherman will have his day.
New Hampshire And Maine Fishing Forecast
With water temperatures peaking, bait as well as an incoming tide can make all the difference in the world. Pogies remain plentiful in Portsmouth Harbor as well as at the mouth of the Piscatagua River. Should you not find cooperative fish with the bait then seek out nearby structure or rapid depth changes which often hold staging/ambushing fish. The beaches off Southern Maine have been holding bass. Try eels between dusk and dawn from the Camp Ellis Jetty. If you’re determined to stick with artificials than take advantage of Maine’s craggy coastline and give those rocks a once over!