New Hampshire Fishing Forecast
By Tim Moore
August is a hot month with warm water temps. This is typically the month most consider the slowest, but there are still some excel- lent fishing opportunities to take advantage of. The two species we focus on the most in August are striped bass from kayaks and vertical jigging for lake trout in our boat. Both offer great opportunities for non-stop action if you know where and when to look.
Early mornings will still offer great surface action for schoolie stripers. Once the sun hits the water the fish will move deeper in search of cooler water. Surface plugs, flies, and shades will all catch fish. Once the fish go down, vertical jigs and live bait will be your best bet, especially for larger fish. In August, our biggest fish almost always come at night using live eels. Drifting or slow-trolling eels in shallow water after dark is a very effective technique, as the bigger fish will wait until
the sun sets before moving into shallow water in search of food.
On the freshwater side of things, lake trout become extremely predictable as they school up in deep water. We look for fish in 100’ of water over deeper holes. I’m even more excited for this year, because my latest signature series lure from Daddy Mac Lures, the Nervous Minnow, is out and has this fishery written all over it. Vertical jigging in August is a numbers game. Our clients can expect to count between 10 and 50 fish in a four-hour trip. The key to this fishery is to get there early. The fish rarely bite in the dark, but as soon as there is some light in the sky expect things to pick up in an instant.
Tim Moore is a full time licensed New Hampshire fishing guide and the owner of Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. For more information visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com.