Warming water temperatures have made most fishing forays a tougher go than a few weeks ago. For schoolies an early rise is necessary but for larger linesiders a pogy on the line should be part of your plan!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Captain Andy from Adventure & Catch Charters was taking a respite from offshore fishing when we spoke yet was still putting patrons into fish! The charter was using mackerel of questionable vintage yet it still didn’t seem to matter regarding cookie cutter 23” stripers which were hitting at Great Bay Marina. A trip to the “prison” area of the river recently produced a solid bite of slightly better bass. Regarding the skipper’s calling card – groundfish – he’s been finding some very impressive haddock of up to 26” on Old Scantum. There have been a smattering of cusk up to 30” there as well and best of all there have been no dogs!
Pollock are on the small side which is probably an indication of the extraordinarily warm water temperatures – 70 degrees! Once temps take a dip which should happen when this east wind kicks in, bigger pollock should cruise on in.
Tuna have been crashing bait as close as the Boone Island Ledges and regarding another sort of big fish – there have been sturgeon sightings in Wentworth Harbor.
Will from Dover Marine took a trip to Portland Harbor and caught schoolies there right from the shore. Both topwaters and jigs/soft plastics worked. Anglers live-lining pogies by the salt mines in Portsmouth Harbor have been catching some of the bigger bass in the area. For freshwater bass fishing, Will suggests Union Meadows as well as Bellamy Reservoir.
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Southern Maine Fishng Report
An anecdote from Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle was testimony that tenaciousness often pays off. A customer of the shop set out for Moody Beach with a tub of clams and settled in for the long haul. That move proved to be prescient since many exhausting hours into the outing with little more than the skunk to show for his efforts, he hit two 40” fish in a row. This was made all the more sweeter because others nearby had already packed up their stuff and left!
The rivers such as the Saco and Mousam have been good in the evenings with a tube-and-worm accounting for many fish. The Wells Harbor Jetty has also been productive for those fishing sandworms. Other best bets have been Parson’s Beach and the Kennebunk River. Brandy has even heard of good fishing off Cape Neddick, mackerel can be found but expect to look in water as deep as 70”! Macks fished by the Cliff House in Ogunquit have been catching.
Offshore you can expect impressive blue shark action, as well as a hot haddock haul in 250 feet of water, on Jeffrey’s Ledge.
Andrew from Saco Bay Tackle Company said that the appearance of squid in Freeport and Yarmouth has energized local linesiders now that this preferred prey is available. Striper sharpies are targeting the white water sections/rockpiles of Cape Porpoise, Biddeford Pool and Higgins Beach. Pogies have thinned out locally and have pushed northward. Tuna have been found off Tantas Ledge and it is expected to get better with the anticipated east wind which should blow in sea herring.
According to Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters with peaking water temperatures the bite has been best at low light and under the cover of darkness. Eels as well as Gravity Tackle Eels off beaches have been among the better producers. Dawn on the rivers remains good with reliable surface feeds but as soon as the sun pops out the bite ends. However when the feed is on, the fish are not fussy and will hit flies, topwater plugs and soft plastics. Macks are a tough bait grab but often worth the trouble while pogy schools may have waned but are winners when it comes to big bass. When the predicted east wind kicks in, it should energize the fishing!
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Maine!
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Schoolie stripers remain no problem in rivers and even marinas with first light making for a better bite. Pogy schools whether found off Portsmouth or Portland are the key to a cow. Something can be said for perseverance with anglers logging many hours after sunset being rewarded with 40” specimens off Moody Beach, Parson’s Beach and Kennebunkport. Offshore expect to find willing haddock and cusk off Old Scantum. Regarding sharks, the good – blue sharks – can be caught off Jeffrey’s Ledge where thankfully the bad – dogfish – at the moment are nowhere to be found!
This years Maine striper min to max keeper size could be added to the reports.
And, the over the limit size stripers caught is Maine should note that the fish were released unharmed.
I recently saw an undersized Maine striper being kept by 3 fishermen in a boat and I left a message to the Scarborough Harbor Master with no report back. Do the community a service and summarize these comments please. Thank You.
hello i was just out at jefferys on sun the 16th haddock was awesome no dog fish at all few cod one blueshark made a meal of my small haddock but was rough seas waves 6-7 foot swells try again next weekend till then good luck all hello from maine