Story by Tim Moore
A harbor is a place for marine vessels to find shelter from rough seas. They are usually man-made by the construction of rock jetties, and contain mooring fields, shipping or fishing piers, and boat launches. Harbors often consist of a mud or sand bottoms and are usually fed by rivers or estuaries that attract many different species of fish, such as alewives, mackerel, squid, flounder, and striped bass. But boats and fish aren’t the only thing attracted to harbors: anglers are equally attracted because of the fish-catching potential. Harbors are virtual gold mines when it comes to fishing.
The New Hampshire coast consists of four major harbors and a large estuary. From south to north are Hampton/Seabrook harbor, Rye Harbor, Little Harbor, and Portsmouth Harbor. All are fed by major rivers or estuarine waters. Follow the Piscataqua River and you will come to Great Bay: a large estuary that is one of the most popular striped bass fishing destinations in New Hampshire.
Winter flounder is one of the most common fish found in New Hampshire harbors. The mud or sand bottoms, steady supply of food, and protection from rough seas makes them a great place for flounder, and flounder anglers. Anchoring and chumming, or drifting, are both effective ways to catch winter flounder. They like structure, so the moorings in a harbor are like flounder magnets, giving them a place to get out of the ebbing and flowing tide and wait for food to drift by.
Harbors also attract bait fish. During the spring and summer months, striped bass will follow them into harbors and into rivers and estuaries. They do this in large numbers making harbors great places for dual-species fishing trips. It is not uncommon to be drifting for flounder and have the water suddenly begin to boil from striped bass feeding on bait fish. It’s times like these when it’s advantageous to have a couple of your favorite striper lures on hand. Using a quick link or heavy snap swivel allows you to change tackle quickly if the stripers show up.
The right gear is also important. I have spent years looking for a rod that I could use for stripers and flounder, but always found that while they worked adequately for both species, they often worked better for one fish more so than the other. This year I found a rod that seems to be a perfect match for both species. The new 7’ medium/light Jason Mitchell Pro Series Walleye Rod is, believe it or not, about as perfect as any rod I have ever used. So far I have caught flounder as well as stripers as big as 35” on the same rod. I highly recommend it.
If you head out on one of these exciting dual-species trips, make sure you bring a rod that is light enough for flounder but strong enough for striped bass, a couple of flounder set-ups, and some artificial lures for stripers. It’s a special feeling to come home from a flounder trip with a stringer of tasty flounder and a keeper size striper. Remember, only keep what you need and be mindful of your trash.
Tim Moore is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire, pro staff for Clam/Ice Team, Vexilar, and Maki Plastic, and owner of Seacoast Guide Service. You can contact him at Tim@SeacoastGuideService.com
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