New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont Fishing Report – August 4, 2022

Cows and dogs are trending in the right direction! With the Piscataqua River loaded with pogies, you won’t have to go far to find a big bass. While man’s best friend has nothing in common with the “dogs” which bedevil anglers offshore, those pests have actually been behaving!

New Hampshire Fishing Report

Captain Andy from Adventure and Catch Charters took advantage of a half day trip and found willing cusk as close as the Mudhole! One of those ravenous cusk had a pretty good size sharp-toothed silver hake in it’s belly! Regarding teeth, a 20 pound wolffish provided quite the surprise. There were also keeper cod in abundance which is worth filling away for next month when regulators plan on loosening the “keeper” reigns for recreational anglers – stay tuned! What was especially encouraging was what the skipper encountered at Platt’s Ledge, specifically beautiful haddock, pollock and decidedly less dogfish! Squid are swarming throughout the Piscataqua River as are pogies and big bass! For the latter Andy suggests the Fort Constitution area in New Castle. Tuna on Jeffrey’s Ledge remain one of the GOMs best bets with a whiting staged up about 50 feet off the bottom a best bet.

Captain Bob of Seacoast NH Sportfishing has also been having luck with recreational size tuna on Jeffrey’s Ledge by suspending an unweighted mackerel high in the water column. As for striped bass it all depends whether your are fishing where the pogies are if you’re yearning for big bass. Bob also recommended the Piscataqua River for all of the above. The skipper’s trick is to weigh down a nose-hooked pogy outside of the current in 10-15’ of water.

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Brandy from Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard agreed with her New Hampshire counterparts in recommending that for big bass it’s hard to top fishing around the pogy schools in the Piscataqua River. Brandy however suggests the Portsmouth area as best. In the York River stripers up to 50” have been caught on a tube-and-worm! Mackerel can be caught off Moody Beach but anglers will have to work at it. For a better shot at a rack of macks try closer to the Boone Island are. Tuna have taken notice and a few have been prowling around the mackerel shools. Regarding tuna there was a 70” caught just outside of the Little River.

For groundfish, the shops more successful patrons are catching haddock, catch-and-release cod, pollock and cusk on Jeffrey’s Ledge in 165-200’ of water! Dogs purportedly have not been that much of a problem. According to Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Outfitters sizzling temperatures have had the opposite affect on the fishing and dispersed the bait! The island of Casco Bay hold cooler and more oxygenated water and not surprisingly the action for striped bass is better. Early is best and the fish are taking flies, soft plastics and topwater plugs. For fly fishers Lou recommends tarpon toads and crab patterns. Live baiting has been working among ledges with keeping on the move while searching for feeding fish of the most importance.

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New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast

The heart is certainly on and in order to find hot fishing, anglers have to seek cooler oxygenated water. The Piscataqua River certainly fits the bill and with the added bonus of bunker even more so. Offshore, the Mudhole has been proving a quick and easy spot for cusk while Platts is the better choice for haddock and pollock!