Striped bass are beginning to transition from resident fish to roamers, which in all probability is the first leg of an eventual fall run. Arguably your best bet to consistently catch are rivers which hold herring runs as the fry move out and are easy prey for striped bass.
New Hampshire Fishing Report
From Captain Andy of Adventure and Catch Charters came news of an impressive big pollock bite in 210 feet of water off the back edge of Jeffrey’s Ledge. Amber-colored teasers/gummies are proving too hard to resist for these hard-fighting “Boston bluefish”. Just be leery of blue sharks, of which there is no shortage.
Short fin squid continue to swarm among lit piers and marinas throughout the Piscataqua River watershed. Some anglers are turning the tables on those squid and live-lining them for willing striped bass, with most fish ranging from the upper 30” to well over 40”. Big bass are now on the move as they heed natural stimuli in preparation for the fall run. Chances are, when found, those stripers will not be fussy. Pogy schools off of White Island have striped bass shadowing the bait with occasional tuna scattering most everything.
Southern and Coastal Maine Fishing Report
While other areas in New England are in a state of striped bass flux, things haven’t changed all that much in the Wells area according to Ben from Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard. While pogy numbers have tapered off, the bait category is still plentiful with ample sand eels and mackerel. Some of the better bets have been Long Sands Beach, Moody Beach, as well as Drakes Island. Squid are so numerous that charter captains are booking squid trips to meet the demand. Head boats from the Seabrook area are reporting stellar pollock fishing from Jeffrey’s Ledge.
According to Captain Lou from Diamond Pass Outfitters, once the winds shifted to the northeast, the pattern changed. Beach bass seem to have at least temporarily moved offshore, almost as if this is the opening salvo of the eventual fall run. Regardless, odds are that the Richmond Island area and north of Portland deserve long looks as occasional feeds pop up. Rivers are beginning to teem with herring fry, making those water bodies with herring runs among the better bass bets. Nights and big soft plastic eel imitators remain the winning cow combination. A few areas to practice this are Cape Elizabeth, Wells Harbor and Scarborough Marsh. With fewer pogies around, tuna have moved offshore towards Tantas Ledge, Jeffrey’s Ledge and Platt’s.
New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast
Pogy schools which seem to have vacated Maine have moved off the New Hampshire coast, with the Isles of Shoals showing both bait and bass. The stellar squid season continues with marinas and piers throughout the Piscataqua River holding squid and stripers pursuing them. Maine herring runs are experiencing the first waves of fry moving out into the sea, and opportunistic striped bass are waiting. For a shot at a really special striper, soft plastic eel imitators and nights remain the winning formula from Cape Elizabeth through just north of Portland.