It’s been a while since anglers were buzzing as much about bluefish as bass but that is exactly the case in much of New England right now. Many are reacquainting themselves with steel leaders, metal lures and the dreaded – bite off!
New Hampshire Fishing Report
Joe from Granite State Rod and Reel Repair has been getting out off the Plum Island coast and has been having his way with schoolies off the oceanfront with mackerel. The big news however is bluefish which have appeared all the way into Maine in bigger numbers than most have experienced in many years! The most consistent way to catch the blues is to troll swimming plugs in 30-50’ of water. The plug which has been deadly for blues for generations is the orange/gold Rapala CD18 and Granite State Rod and Reel Repair has them in stock! There has also been a good black bass bite on Senkos and Ned rigs in the Nashua River as well as Potanipo.
Captain Andy of Adventure and Catch Charters is catching mackerel by the Isle of Shoals and then steaming out to the Fingers where he’s finding an incredible mixture of all kinds of groundfish. Silver hake up to 25”, cod a foot longer still, big cusk, pollock, keeper haddock and nearly everything which swims there. The party-crasher among all the groundfish good times is dogfish which are out in force. As for stripers, the skipper tells me that bigger bass are in the Merrimack River while the Piscatagua largely has schoolies by Great Bay Marina. As for mackerel, be prepared to work for them by the Isle of Shoals with plenty of chum. Such is life when the blues come to town!
According to Tim Moore of Tim Moore Outdoors, the Winnipesaukee salmon bite continues to pick up steam around bait balls in 40-50’ of water, especially at the edge of shallow flats. Purple and orange streamers and spoons are most consistent. The deepwater laker jigging action is lock-and-load stuff in 100’ of water.
Southern Maine Fishing Report
According to Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters bluefish fever has hit the Maine coast – big time! From York to Portland, anglers are abuzz for the first time in years thanks to abundant snappers, choppers as well as the occasional gator! Lou himself duped a 10 pounder into whacking a Striper Maniac popper from a rocky outcropping off Casco Bay! Lou’s bud laid into a bunch of blues on the backside of Long Island in Casco Bay. Bass have been blasting juvenile herring on top from Fortunes Rocks to Camp Ellis. After sundown, the beaches wake up with fish up to 41” taking clams and chunk mackerel. Moody Beach has been a standout.
Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle echoed what many are talking about in New England, namely that the blues are back! The fish are hunkering down in 30-40 feet of water and are falling for deep diving plugs. Steel leaders and “metal” are now moving at the shop which is a real indicator that there is now a toothy presence in these parts! As for stripers, the surf after sundown has been best for big fish! Mackerel and clam has been the key off of Kennebunk and Moody Beach. Schoolies can be seen surface-feeding in the Saco River on most mornings. For larger fish, the shop is carrying GT Eels, which are a cow-killing soft plastic stick bait!
• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Maine!
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Trolling a deep-diving plug in 30-50 feet of water from Salisbury through Portsmouth is a Granite State best bet to catch a few bluefish! The same can be said off Saco Bay and Casco Bay! Stripers are hunting for river herring fry in rivers from Fortunes Rocks to Camp Ellis. You could do worse than troll a tube and worm in Wells Harbor but to catch larger, find a few mackerel and spend some time off area beaches.
