N.H. Weekly Fishing Report -- 2009

[Roccus]

cunner make GRERAT striper bait.....

[Brandon-K]

N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT -- May 21, 2009

In today's report, the fish are biting in the Lakes Region! Fisheries biologist Don Miller brings an update from the big lakes, rivers and ponds. Enjoy the long weekend, everyone!

STOCKING TRUCKS ARE ROLLING... 170+ sites were stocked with fish last week! Visit: N.H. Fish Stocking Report - N.H. Fish and Game. Also, all 760 brood stock Atlantic salmon slated for spring release have been stocked into the Merrimack and Pemigewassett rivers.

LAKE SUNAPEE - WILD GOOSE ACCESS SITE: The public comment period regarding the Wild Goose wetland permit application to the N.H. Department of Environmental Services Wetlands Bureau has been extended to June 26, 2009. For information about the proposed Wild Goose Boating Access Site, visit Wild Goose Boating Access Site - N.H. Fish and Game.

FREE FISHING DAY is just a week away - Saturday, June 6. Tell your friends!

Purchase your fishing license online at N.H. Fish and Game Department - Welcome, or from any Fish and Game license agent. Don't forget -- kids under 16 fish free in N.H.!

All NH fishing page: Fishing in New Hampshire - N.H. Fish and Game.

If you know someone who might like to sign up for the Fishing Report, send them to Inside Fish and Game - Join a Mailing List.

Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you're looking for.

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COOL RIVERS - HOT FISHING IN THE LAKES REGION
By Don Miller, Large Lakes Fisheries Biologist, Region 2/New Hampton

LARGE LAKES

We've enjoyed a rather cool spring in the Lakes Region, and this has resulted in cool water temps in our big lakes; the temperature at Winnipesaukee (main lake and the Broads) has been around 50 - 55 degrees F this week.

The recent Winni Derby was a success, with a 4.12-lb. landlocked salmon taking the major prize and an 8.5-lb. laker taking the "togue" category. The lake trout brought in by anglers were gorgeous fish, as fat and healthy as I've ever seen. Lots of two-year-old salmon were reported, and this bodes well for the future salmon fishery in the "Big Lake." Lake trout are still in shallow water, reports from Winnisquam have bass fishermen catching lakers in water 20 feet deep. Generally, look for lakers in water around 40-60 feet deep. Trolled bait (golden shiners) fished slowly along the bottom and edges of drop-offs is the best method. Sutton 44 and 61 spoons are always a top choice, and don't forget the old-standby, Flashking wobbler in gold/fluorescent for lake trout also.

The landlocked salmon fishing has tailed off a bit, but the early morning anglers will still have luck trolling 3-5 colors of lead-core line (20-25 feet deep). Periodically, salmon seem to switch off this time of year, usually concurrent with the major phantom midge hatches on the lakes. At this time of year it is essential to be on the water in the pre-dawn hours, and fish until 9 o'clock or so, in order to find the salmon -- occasionally a mid-late morning/early afternoon second bite occurs, depending on weather conditions.

Rainbow trout fishing has been hot in Winnipesaukee and Squam lakes. We've caught them on a variety of small streamers (size 6), hardware and live shiners. I like to use a sinking-tip fly line, 30 foot leader (6-lb. test), and troll the shorelines out to a depth of 30 - 40 feet. Work the fly rod with intermittent pulls, and troll at various speeds, 1.5-3 mph., in a curve or zigzag pattern.

RIVERS

The Pemigewasset River in Bristol (off the Coolidge Woods Road) offers some incredible trout fishing (rainbows and brookies). This area is also a favored spot for Atlantic salmon broodstock fishing. The water flow in this river is excellent now, and the pools and riffles offer a great variety of habitats for fly, bait or spin fishing. Also try the bigger water below Eastman Falls Dam in Franklin (catch and release area). Colorful streamers work well on these salmon. Don't forget to pick up your brood stock Atlantic salmon permit and tags for this wonderful fishery. Area brooks have been stocked and the dry spell this spring has left water levels low, so don't procrastinate, get out and treat yourself to some tasty squaretails!

PONDS

Brook trout ponds in the area are producing limit catches of rainbows and brookies. Saltmarsh Pond/Gilford, Spectacle Pond/Groton and Perch Pond/Campton are great trout ponds. Hatches of caddis are in full swing on ponds throughout the area. Upper Hall Pond (Sandwich), White Pond (Ossipee), and Sky Pond (New Hampton), are fly-fishing only ponds where the angler can be treated to some fantastic dry-fly action now.

[Brandon-K]

N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT -- May 28, 2009

Today's report comes from Robert Eckert, biological aide for Fish and Game's seacoast office, who says that groundfishing is great right now and the striper fishing has already begun!

FISH STOCKING STILL GOING STRONG: For a list of sites stocked last week, visit: N.H. Fish Stocking Report - N.H. Fish and Game.

FREE FISHING DAY this Saturday, June 6. Tell your friends!

Purchase your fishing license online at N.H. Fish and Game Department - Welcome, or from any Fish and Game license agent. Don't forget -- kids under 16 fish free in N.H.!

Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you're looking for.

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GROUNDFISHING BONANZA
By Robert Eckert, Biological Aide, Region 3/Durham

With spring fishing season well underway here on New Hampshire's coast, many offshore anglers are filling their coolers with haddock and Atlantic cod. The daily fishing trips for groundfish on one of New Hampshire's many charter/head boats started off great a few weeks ago, and have not slowed down. During our head boat monitoring trips for the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS), we have observed daily haddock catches of 10 or more fish per person and some anglers returning with 30!

Currently, trips out to Jeffreys Ledge have produced some giant codfish. Closer to shore, some of these lunker cod are gathering on muddy bottoms near shore (less than 10 miles, as opposed to 30!) -- like the "Mud Hole," which is due south of the Isles of Shoals. The result: Groundfish anglers over Memorial Day weekend returning with Atlantic cod up to 40 pounds. To target these giant cod, seasoned anglers prefer drifting and jigging a standard jig with a soft plastic teaser above. Lately I've seen blue and purple working very well.

For targeting haddock, a two-hook bottom rig with a piece of clam, not too big, will work the best -- but make sure to use enough weight to stay on the bottom, so no lighter than 16 ounces. Current limits for Atlantic cod are ten fish per person with a minimum length of 24". For haddock, there is no bag limit, but a minimum size of 19" is required.

For those anglers looking to save money and not venture 10 - 30 miles out into the open ocean, there is good news: striped bass fishing has begun! Although the season is starting off slow, it will heat up soon -- we've had near-record numbers of river herring being recorded at some Fish and Game-operated fish ladders. We have spoken with anglers that have seen the alewives jumping and the "schoolie" striped bass in frenzy below the dams in Newmarket and at Henry Law Park in Dover. The optimal time for fishing these areas is at the peak of high tide, when the herring are really stacking up. The best method for landing the "schoolies" and giant "cow" stripers is to use live bait. Most anglers are using small spoons, sabiki rigs or "flutter hooks" for catching alewives. If the herring are not biting, try throwing out top-water poppers or chunk bait to catch a hard-fighting "line-sider." Anglers are limited to two striped bass per day, with a minimum length of 28", but only one
of the two fish can be greater than 40".

The NH Fish and Game Department's Marine Fisheries Division is always looking for volunteers to participate in our Striped Bass Volunteer Angler Survey. Participants are provided with logbooks to fill out information about each striper fishing trip they take and record length measurements of all the striped bass they catch. Information collected from the survey is used in the annual coast-wide stock assessment for striped bass that is used for management. In addition, each participant's name is entered into a year-end raffle for a framed limited edition striped bass print donated to the Department by Coastal Conservation Association of New Hampshire. If you would like to participate, please contact Kevin Sullivan at (603) 868-1095 or Kevin.sullivan@wildlife.nh.gov.

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N.H. party boat companies:

* Al Gauron Deep-Sea Fishing, Hampton Harbor, Al Gauron Deep Sea Fishing & Whale Watching - Hampton NH

* Atlantic Queen II, Rye Harbor, Whale Watching Aboard the Atlantic Queen

* Eastman's Fishing Fleet, Seabrook Beach, Eastman's Docks, deep sea fishing & private boat charters, whale watching tours, dock-side restaurant off the New England coast!

* Smith and Gilmore Deep Sea Fishing, Hampton Beach, Smith & Gilmore - deep sea fishing, whale watches, charter fishing in NH, Maine

* Yellow Bird Deep Sea Fishing, Hampton Beach, Massachusetts Deep Sea Fishing Massachusetts Fishing Charters Cod

For more on saltwater fishing in New Hampshire, visit Marine Resources - N.H. Fish and Game

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All NH fishing page: Fishing in New Hampshire - N.H. Fish and Game.

If you know someone who might like to sign up for the Fishing Report, send them to Inside Fish and Game - Join a Mailing List.

[Brandon-K]

N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT - June 4, 2009

In today’s report, fisheries biologist Gabe Gries goes looking for largemouth bass in the Monadnock region, and offers some trout-fishing destinations for early June.

FISH STOCKING: For a list of sites stocked last week, visit: N.H. Fish Stocking Report - N.H. Fish and Game.

FREE FISHING DAY is this Saturday, June 6. Tell your friends!

Purchase your fishing license online at N.H. Fish and Game Department - Welcome, or from any Fish and Game license agent. Don’t forget -- kids under 16 fish free in N.H.!

Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you’re looking for.

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BASS QUEST: SOUTHWEST NH
By Gabe Gries, Fisheries Biologist, Region 4/Keene

I have been doing my best over the past month to reconnect with many angling friends and bass fish as much as possible before the busy upcoming field season. I started out fishing Thorndike Pond (Jaffrey) for smallmouth bass when water temperatures were still in the low 50s. While the bite was expectedly slow, we managed four nice bass on jerkbaits and caught a big yellow perch and pickerel as a bonus. Traveling up north two weeks later to Forest Lake (Whitefield) had me fishing similar water temperatures. A few nice smallmouths were it for the day. Just like the previous trip, all fish came on jerkbaits in 6-8 feet of water off rocky points.

One of my favorite spots, the Connecticut River, was next. Water temperatures were in the mid-50s and the water was up a bit that day (and muddy) as we fished in the Westmoreland section. The bass didn’t appear to be on the drop-offs just off shore, so we tried river mouths for a while and picked up a few bass at each, but nothing impressive in terms of size. We finally found them tight to the bank in scattered locations. Any fallen wood provided at least three good fish. We ended up catching over a dozen smallmouth with the biggest two going 4 lbs. Lures included tubes, jigs and crankbaits.

I still had yet to put a largemouth in the boat so we headed to a small pond in Richmond where even when water temperatures are low, there can be a surprisingly good topwater bite in some shallow coves. Well, we missed the low water temperatures on that trip, having the fish finder reading 63 degrees F, and quickly shifted tactics. We ended up fishing drop-offs with crankbaits and pitchin’ jigs into fallen trees. We managed a 3-lb. largemouth and another smaller one after a couple hours of fishing.

Catching the largemouth bug, I now wanted more, so we headed back to the Connecticut River’s setbacks in Hinsdale. These areas become quite vegetated by early summer, but when we fished them the vegetation was just below the surface, making for a terrific opportunity for some topwater action. Three fishing trips in 65-69 degree water yielded about 25 largemouths. Most fish came on buzzbaits, frogs, and Mann’s Wakebaits. The majority of fish were caught in scattered vegetation in 2-4 feet of water, while we caught some smaller bass tight to the shore by pitchin’ jigs and tubes. All fish were spawned out with the exception of one nice 4-lb. female.

A final mixed bag trip for smallmouth and largemouth to Monomonac Lake (Rindge) rounded out the month. We had a beautiful day in terms of weather, but not in regards to the fishing. Pickerel, perch and black crappie were abundant and couldn’t keep their mouths off the lures, but bass were harder to come by. The shorelines produced only a few small largemouths on tubes throughout the morning. Just before leaving, we decided to try drop-shotting off a sunken rocky reef in the middle of the lake. This tactic produced well, giving us several larger bass including a 3-lb. largemouth and 3-lb. smallmouth.

Don’t forget that at this time of year, walleye and bass can often be found in the lower reaches of larger rivers that flow into the Connecticut River. Some of my favorite spots include the Ashuelot River, Partridge Brook (Westmoreland), Mascoma River, and the Sugar River.

My top picks this week for trout-fishing destinations include: Dublin Lake (Dublin), Nissitissit River (Brookline), Frenches Pond (Henniker), S.B. Piscataquog River (New Boston), Granite Lake (Stoddard), Silver Lake (Harrisville), Stone Pond (Marlborough), and the Ashuelot River (Marlow, Surry).

We hope you enjoy fishing this year in the Monadnock/Upper Valley Region and don’t forget to take a kid fishing anytime you can. We are always happy to talk to you about fish and fishing so please contact us at Region 4 (352-9669; reg4@wildlife.nh.gov) if you have any questions. For a list of popular waterbodies to fish for by species, check out Suggested Fishing Locations for the Monadnock Region/Southwest N.H. at Suggested Fishing Locations: Monadnock Region/Southwest N.H. - N.H. Fish and Game.

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[cold waters]

There’s been a bite off the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen for fish between 120 and 150-pounds, and the fish have been taken on live pogies, Bill Hurley’s Rat Tail and a new star on the tuna circuit, the Sebile Koolie Minnow in pogy and mackerel coloration.
There’s no shortage of good times on Great Bay according to Jason of Suds ‘N Soda, thanks to all the bait around. Alewives in the Exeter, Lamprey and Oyster rivers are at times so thick it seems as if you could walk across them. Oddly, when the bait is thickest, the bass tend to be thin, but when the schools are scarce, the stripers are on a tear. Jim McKenzie took a 44-inch, 36-pound beauty of a bass on a live mackerel over by Pierce Island. On the same outing a 39-incher was taken along with a number of smaller keepers. You should have no problem jigging up all the mackerel you want from the Isle of Shoals out to the 2KR Can. Drifting a live mackerel along the Piscataqua River is an effective way to fool a big bass. For a flounder fix, focus on Rye Harbor, Hampton Harbor and Portsmouth Harbor. For a little challenge and a lot of fun, sign up for Suds ‘N Soda’s season long striped bass tourney. There’s a boatload of prizes topped off by a cool $600.
According to Craig Bergeron, the striped bass fishing is superb in the Saco River, the bay, and Wood Island where his dad recently was into a slug of stripers busting large schools of small sand eels. Captain Cal Robinson fished with his wife Amy last week and did very well on fish to 30 inches while trolling a tube and worm around Twin Island and below the Narrows in the Saco River. Jean and Keith aboard the Primate have been into it big time on Southern Jeffreys Ledge the past week with a mixed bag of cod and haddock and thankfully few dogs. The haddock have been hitting the red/white, purple, and dark-green cod flies tipped with a strip of clam or shrimp. If you head out there, your camera will most likely do double duty as whales have been putting on quite a show as they breach on large schools of herring and sand eels.

[Brandon-K]

N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT -- June 12, 2009

Today's report comes from Kyle Glencross, biological aide for Fish and Game, offering tips for catching trout on late spring evenings and chasing stripers on the coast.

FISH STOCKING STILL GOING STRONG: For a list of sites stocked last week, visit: N.H. Fish Stocking Report - N.H. Fish and Game.

Purchase your fishing license online at N.H. Fish and Game Department - Welcome, or from any Fish and Game license agent. Kids under 16 fish free in N.H.! Don't forget the camera: The Kids Fishing Photo Contest is underway, co-sponsored by Fish and Game and Kidz Rule USA magazine. Info: Kids Fishing Photo Contest - N.H. Fish and Game.

Also -- Signups are on for the fall (Sept. 11-13) Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop. Lots of fishing and other wild workshops to choose from: Registration for Fall "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" Workshop Opens June 8 - N.H. Fish and Game

Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you're looking for.

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THE TROUT AND STRIPERS OF JUNE
By Kyle Glencross, biological aide, NH Fish and Game

You've got to love the month of June in New Hampshire, great fishing all across the state, from trout streams to stripers in the surf! This time of year allows many crazed anglers (such as myself) to sneak away in the evenings and get a couple of hours of fishing in during the week. The longer days and warming temperatures often make the last few hours of daylight the most productive.

June is a great time to try some of New Hampshire's trout ponds. Try getting to your favorite pond a few hours before dark and casting or trolling small streamer fly patterns such as Brown Owls, Black Nosed Dace, 88's, and the infamous Hornberg. As darkness approaches and trout start rising, I normally switch to smaller dry fly patterns, and also a wet fly pattern designed by Ellis Hatch (former Fish and Game Commissioner) called the Hatching Pupa -- it's a killer on tough-to-fool trout!

Anglers should keep their eyes open towards the end of the month for the start of the "hex" hatch. These giant mayflies bring not only some of the best dry fly fishing of the year, but also account for many anglers' largest trout and smallmouth bass of the season. They are mostly limited to cool water lakes and ponds, and often only appear the last twenty minutes before darkness sets in. Stay on the lookout! The smaller trout streams and rivers in southern part of the state are best also just fished in the early morning hours and late evenings because of climbing water temperatures.

I can't talk the start of summer and leave out the striped bass on New Hampshire's seacoast. June is the real start of striper season. If you have never taken advantage of this great resource, you are missing out! The tidal creeks are often some of my favorite spots to hit; remember to fish these creeks on the first two hours of the outgoing tide and the last two hours of the incoming tide. Use soft plastics such as the Slug-Go in the Alewife or Arkansas Shiner. Fly patterns like the Half n Half, Cape and Island Minnow, and Mushmouths are top producers.

Remember to plan your tides right for stripers during the morning and afternoons, switch your gear and beat it to your favorite trout pond for a great end to your day. See you on the water!

P.S. Are you just getting started fishing, or want to check out some new Concord-area locations? My fellow Fish and Gamer, Mark Beauchesne, appears in "Go Fish," a guide for fishing novices, in this morning's Concord Monitor. Check it out at Concord Monitor - Go fish.

[Brandon-K]

N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT -- June 18, 2009

In today's report, fisheries biologist Andy Schafermeyer shares some secrets from a banner bass day, fishing Moore Reservoir in Littleton with pro angler Terry Towle.

Happy Father's Day! Give your dad or grandfather a memorable Father's Day this year - take him fishing! We don't need to tell YOU that fishing is a great way to slow down and celebrate your family. Have a wonderful weekend.

FISH STOCKING: Fish stocking is winding down for the season, with stocking in the southern tier almost complete for the year. Stocking in northern NH is likely to continue for a few more weeks, and aerial stocking took place this week. For a list of sites stocked last week, visit: N.H. Fish Stocking Report - N.H. Fish and Game.

Purchase your fishing license online at N.H. Fish and Game Department - Welcome, or from any Fish and Game license agent. Kids under 16 fish free in N.H.! Don't forget the camera: The Kids Fishing Photo Contest is underway, co-sponsored by Fish and Game and Kidz Rule USA magazine. Info: Kids Fishing Photo Contest - N.H. Fish and Game.

Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you're looking for.

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BASS FISHING LIKE A PRO
By Andrew Schafermeyer, Fisheries Biologist, Region 1/Lancaster

I've often written that the most appealing part of freshwater fishing is that no one has it figured out completely. Success is measured one trip at a time. Effective methods one day may be worthless the next and both angler and fish have the same chance at outsmarting one another.

In an effort to turn the tables as much in my favor as possible, I went fishing with a guy who never seems to be outsmarted and comes as close as I've seen to mastering the sport. Terry Towle of Woodsville has been fishing the bass tournament scene for better than 10 years and is one of the most accomplished and dedicated guys I've met. As a member of the Central Vermont Bassmasters club, he spends most of his summers wrapping up titles all over New England.

We decided to fish Moore Reservoir in Littleton because of its size, varying conditions and history of producing trophy large and smallmouth bass. When I learned that Terry once had a string of 19 consecutive tournament wins on Moore, I deemed him more than qualified a guide. I met him at 9:00 a.m. on a clear, sunny day and we quickly loaded our gear into his 20-foot Triton. After observing water temperatures in the low to mid-sixties, our plan of attack was to assume that we were fishing over post-spawn bass who may be staging on elevated substrate next to deep water. With the help of his depth-finder and a GPS system that looked cooler than my television set, we quickly found a 20-foot bump surrounded by 60-foot depths and decided to give it a try.

Terry selected one of his 12 pre-rigged rods -- this one with a drop-shot setup that consisted of a 3/16-oz. egg sinker, 22" of 8 lb. line leading to a 1/0 octopus hook baited with a 4-inch green Chomper worm. In those depths, the retrieve almost resembled a vertical jigging method, but Terry worked it with the skill and anticipation of a seasoned angler. It was this very method that he used to win the 2007 Ironman Open on Lake Champlain with a six-fish creel of 32 pounds.

I watched Terry catch a few smallmouth this way before he declared, "We can do better" -- and we were off to another spot. The 200-horsepower Mercury made the search process very efficient. Unlike some professional anglers, Terry never showed a sense of impatience or anxiety when catch rates slowed down. He also never showed a competitive side that can keep anglers from having fun. He enjoyed every catch and seemed just as rewarded when I caught a fish.

After fishing another spot of quickly elevated depth, we started fishing large boulders in 15 to 20 feet of water. Things got very exciting as we both started landing fish and I watched Terry throw so many different baits and approaches that I could've gotten dizzy if I wasn't so amazed. He caught fish on 3" dark-colored tube baits, skillfully reading the bottom from the feel of his 8-pound line and seven-foot light-action rod. I saw him accurately pitch jigs and boomerang a 3/8-oz. spinnerbait under overhanging vegetation.

I asked about color preferences and was somewhat surprised to learn that he never over-thinks the matter. "I spend most of the time trying to find the fish and then worry about colors." Once we found fish, Terry had little trouble getting them to bite. Fish were routinely outsmarted by a smoke-colored RattleTrap, 4" Senkos, and spider jigs. Most of his soft plastic baits were watermelon or green pumpkin in color and he was clearly trying to imitate the crayfish that he knows are an important bass forage in Moore Reservoir.

Despite our success, we changed approaches routinely. Applying different methods kept things exciting and fun. At 11:30, we entered a shallow cove where the water temperature had warmed to 67 and we cast around woody material like downed trees and submerged stumps. We also cast over large shallow shelves where Terry threw lipless crankbaits, explaining that they are his favorite "fish locator" as they allow you to cover a lot of water.

One of the most exciting approaches came when Terry decided to trophy hunt by throwing a 5-inch swimbait rigged on a 3/0, weighted worm hook. His quick retrieve kept the bait swimming in a sub-surface action that resembled a buzz-bait and we both got the feeling that this was the bait that would bring the monsters into the boat. After a few short strikes, we watched as an explosive strike cut his line in the fashion that made us both realize he'd lost a big northern pike.

Our day on the lake ended at about 3:00 and we'd landed between 20 and 30 bass. I thanked Terry for an awesome education and made it clear that I wouldn't write specifically about his methods, as most tournament anglers are understandably protective of their secrets. He dismissed any of that attitude and told me to share anything with my readers, which reminded me again of his genuine love for fishing. It was a great day and I look forward to fishing with him again.

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P.S. to anglers fishing Lake Winnipesaukee: watch for tagged largemouth and smallmouth bass; they're tagged as part of a NH Fish and Game Warmwater Fisheries Management Program study. For info or to report a tagged bass: Bass Movement Study - N.H. Fish and Game.

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[Brandon-K]

N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT - June 25, 2009

This week, the rain hasn't kept Fish and Game's resident fishing maniac Mark Beauchesne from getting in some panfishing and bass fishing. The weather forecast looks fantastic for the next few days -- hope you all get a chance to get out and take a buddy fishing!

FISH STOCKING: Fish stocking is wrapping up for the season. For a list of sites stocked last week, visit: N.H. Fish Stocking Report - N.H. Fish and Game.

GOT TEENS? Thanks to generous benefactors, the cost of the NH Natural Leaders Program, an environmental leadership program that includes a two-week residential camp this summer, is now just $500 (including room and board) for New Hampshire resident youth between the ages of 13-17. The summer camp, based out of Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H., runs July 19 - August 1, 2009. Info and application: Natural Leaders -- Now Just $500 for N.H. Resident Teens - N.H. Fish and Game

Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you're looking for.

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I'M FIIIIIISHING IN THE RAAAAAAAIN......
By Mark Beauchesne, Marketing and Promotions Coordinator

That silver lining is there, you just have to endure some rain to find it. Like the rest of you, the long stretch of rain has limited my outings. But, I still got out enough to keep from getting the shakes. The shakes happen when I go more than five days without fishing.

Lucky for me, I invested in a new set of rain gear. The new suit is fabulous. I can't name brands or manufacturers, but I can tell you it's made from Tyvek.

Over the past month I've been fishing from my kayak more than ever. The gear I bring on the kayak is what I would call simple: I have two spinning rods loaded with 4- pound test braid and my 3-weight fly rod. I have a small, flat tackle box for my plastic grubs and jigs. A smaller box is used for my flies. In that box are dry flies, tiny cork poppers, streamers and some beadhead flies.

I've also getting really good at spotting fish. Flat, calm, rainy days provide the best opportunity for "sight fishing" bluegills. I still wear my hat and polarized sunglasses, even on rainy days. This helps cut the glare on the water. In low-light conditions like we've enjoyed over the past two weeks, the bluegills become very comfortable. Instead of hiding in the vegetation, they go on the hunt for insects and newly hatched fish of all kinds.

Sight fishing these schools takes some stealth and accurate casting. What does a school look like? Well, you need to take notice of the water surface. When things are really good and the fish are on the hunt, you will notice what is called a "push," a kind of wake created by a school moving near the surface. The term push is used by saltwater flats anglers. With a push, the fish are moving fairly fast; when you see one, try casting well ahead of the school.

When the fish are "finning" on the surface, you can bet they are feeding on insects. Typically what I look for is a group of fins on the surface. Fishing a fly is recommended here. A small nymph or emerger will be quickly eaten; or small soft plastic grubs on the lightest jighead you can find. I like to "swim" the jig slowly at the surface while occasionally adding a pause along the way.

Bluegills are not the only panfish that will work the surface like this. Black crappies are notorious for feeding this way. I fact, I noticed the crappies exhibiting this behavior before I noticed the bluegills.

Between raindrops, friends and I have been working over the largemouth bass. The spawn is long over, and these fish are into their summer patterns. A soft plastic crayfish imitation fished in the stumps on Hopkinton-Everett Reservoir (AKA Stump Field) has been producing high-quality fish.

Now that the vegetation is up on our ponds, I have been working this crayfish and wacky worms in and along the weed lines. The smallmouth bass are also in full summer pattern, with a few fish still hanging around their redds (nests). Memorable smallmouth fishing happened for me in the middle of the month -- I found the big ones! While others were working the shallow spawning flats, I fished in 10-15 foot depths. The key was finding a concentration of large boulders. These hungry fish were no match for spinner bait. The jig and grub was just as hot. We managed a few fish with the Super Fluke, worked slow, giving the bait time to sink deeper. A light twitch of the rod tip as we retrieved the bait produce the most strikes.

I'll be straight with you -- I have not been trout fishing since May. But, my good friend Angus tells me the he's having the best season ever. Angus tells me there are still plenty of salmon in the upper Connecticut River. The flows have been ideal to keep the salmon around, he tells me. Now, something big happens in the next few weeks that no one should miss: the "hex" hatch is just around the corner and so is the alderfly hatch on the Androscoggin River. The hex happens on ponds and slower moving rivers. This monster mayfly brings up the big ones. The alderfly provides a huge bounty for the fish on the "Andro."

With sunny skies ahead of us and water temps that have stayed pretty cool, the fishing over the next three weeks will be at its peak. You have no choice, go fishing.

Great fishing!!!
Mark

[cold waters]

The rocks of the North Shore have been drawing a crowd of spectators who ogle at nature’s fury as the east winds have been pounding the shoreline. But the audience doesn’t know the half of it; there has been some awesome fishing down there. Joey from The Fisherman’s Outfitter has been taking cows from the crags off Atlantic Avenue in Gloucester, Good Harbor Beach and Milk Island. Chunk mackerel has been working well as have swimmers and poppers. Seaworm soakers have been doing well off the Dogbar Jetty for blackbacks. There has also been rolling surface feeds between Bakers and Misery islands in the Salem area.
Corey from Suds ‘N Soda said that the Salmon Falls tributary has been smokin’ as bass gather for blueback herring. The Lamprey River has seen a few fish but the bite is not as good as it was. Chunkers and eelers continue to pick away at nice fish on the outgoing tide as they drift along the Piscataqua River. Bluefish have shown up, so the mackerel schools will probably be fleeting. And you can still count on cod and other groundfish, you’ll just have to count down farther to the bottom as the fish have moved closer to Tillies Basin and Jeffreys Bank.
Richard from Saco Bay told me that the schools of mackerel are keeping the bass around and local casters quite content. And as you would expect, chunking or live-lining this striper candy is the best method. Current hotpots are Ferry Beach, Hills Beach and Higgins Beach. Troll a live mackerel a bit offshore and you may tussle with something substantially bigger, such as the 82-inch, 350-pound bluefin that was taken aboard the Kelly Ann. The giant fell for one of the Saco Bay Tackle squid bars. The stars are aligning nicely for a fantastic pelagic season given all the bait between Tantas and Jeffreys Ledge. Even the most seasoned mariner is remarking how awesome the whale feeding shows are this season. It’s only a matter of time before the tuna find all that bait!

[cold waters]

Waves of bluefish have made the surf scene very interesting. And boy do they run the gamut in size. Within the last few days I’ve taken 2-pound snappers on tube-tailed Kastmasters off the sandbar in Plum Island to 12-pound hook-crunchers off the crags of Cape Ann. If you want to tangle with a beast or two, toss out something loud and conspicuous, especially in the middle of a wild, churned-up surf. The 2 ½-ounce orange Sebile Splasher, which is ornate and moves more water than any topwater I’ve ever experienced, has been tearing them up in the pounding surf, primarily because it gets noticed when other lures don’t.
Many are finding that they can’t bank on the bass bite as they did a few short weeks ago. When the fish are fickle, you have to troll them up. Russ Eastman of Monahan Marine recommends umbrella rigs. It’s that large profile with all those baits that attracts the fish. My favorite color shads are pearl, blueback and blackback. Once you find the fish, you can focus in on that area with your casting wares. A big swimming plug, tube and worm, or even a Cape Cod Spinner should attract any nearby fish as well. On the South Shore, give a look to Manomet Point, Saquish Rip, High Pines Ledge and Point Allerton. Give Boston a shot by the ILS Pier, Scupeta Rock off Spectacle Island, Faun Bar, Bobs Bass Triangle and Boston Light. Farther north, troll by Tinkers Island, Misery Island and Bakers, as well as off the rocks by Magnolia. The mouths of the Essex and Ipswich rivers are worth a go as well.
When the mackerel are in, stripers won’t give pollock a sniff, but now that they’re for the most part beyond the border of Massachusetts, anglers are putting these inshore gadoids to good effect. Slowly troll a pollock by Minots Ledge, inside the North River, the outer Islands of Boston Harbor, Egg Rock off Nahant and the eastern edge of Gloucester. In the Plum Island area, soft plastic stickbaits such as Slug-Gos and Bill Hurley Rat Tails are doing the trick. Clams on the bottom are the hot bait at the mouth of the Merrimack River. Fisherman doing the night shift should score some nice stripers drifting eels along Cranes Beach and the Merrimack River.
Corey of Suds ‘N Soda in New Hampshire said that the best action from shore and from boat for bass is along the Piscataqua River. Shore guys soaking clams are picking nice fish off, and boaters are drifting chunks and live pollock to good effect. Mackerel are plentiful off the Isle of Shoals, and while these make for fine sport on light tackle, you won’t find much pursuing them other than the occasional small bluefish. Look for school tuna to pounce on the mackerel here soon. For groundfish, its flounder time in Hampton Harbor and cod and haddock are holding on Southern Jeffreys ledge.
Southern Maine has seen a slug of 40-plus-inch fish in numbers many haven’t seen in years according to Craig Bergeron of Saco Bay Tackle Company. When seas simmer down, look for the tube and worm to work its magic by Bluff Island and Stratham Island. Invariably, when the fish are harvested, they’re chock full of sand eels and little lobsters. One particularly gluttonous bass had six lobsters in its belly. Craig recommends “matching the hatch” with Bill Hurley’s Cape Cod Sand Eel and Hogy’s soft-plastic lobster. Some big groundfish have moved in as close as Tantas Ledge; in fact one patron of Saco Bay claims he has been finding haddock as big as 36 inches long! Cod Bombs and Cod Flies, sweetened with a strip of clam, should score some cod and haddock.
Bluefin Tuna
For Cape Cod anglers, the tuna have conveniently moved within 3 miles of Chatham and are being taken on trolled Ilander/ballyhoo combos as well as spreader bars. Anglers taking live bunker with them to the tuna grounds are also hooking up with tuna, even when other methods fall short.
Captain Eric Stewart of the Hook Up in Orleans, MA had a good week trolling east of Chatham. Once again green and brown spreader bars were the top producers. Eric had fish to 64 inches this week on the bars.
There’s been a tremendous amount of bait from Race Point out to the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen Bank. A 330-pound tuna that hit a topwater popper and was landed aboard Captain Dom Petrarca’s boat made waves this week. Soft-plastic Slug-Gos rigged for casting and deep-diving plugs, like the Rapala X-Rap and Sebile Koolie Minnow, are good bets, but keeping tuna lures away from bluefish and stripers has been tough.
Off New Jersey, Dave of the Reel Seat said there were loads of busting bluefin from 30 to 50 miles out, but the fish have been extremely picky and tough to hook.