By Tim Moore
Although the action has slowed a bit, this is the time of year when some of the biggest stripers are caught along the New Hampshire coast. Instead of targeting shallow water we are bringing our kayak fishing clients to deeper water for stripers. Rips created by underwater rocks and ledges are easy to identify and almost always hold fish. Live bait is one of the most obvious and widely used baits along rocks and ledges, but don’t discount soft plastics. Stick baits like the Daddy Mac Wigglers Deluxe, Ron Z, and original Hogy lures with weighted jig heads have been producing some lunker-sized fish over 40” in water from 11’ to 30’ deep. We have seen fish caught with stick baits on weighted jig heads up to 8 ounces in order to get to the bottom in heavy current. Vertical presentations are the key to increasing hook-ups and reducing hang-downs, so increase your weight as needed. As usual, night fishing is your best chance at good numbers and bigger fish.
The black sea bass have arrived along the New Hampshire coast, in the Piscataqua River, and up into Little Bay. Due to overfishing during the past few seasons the majority of fish are under-sized, but there are still some nice fish to be caught. Luckily New Hampshire has adopted a 13” minimum length and ten fish daily limit, so there is hope of catching bigger fish on a more regular basis in the near future.
We recently landed a nice humpback with beautiful coloring that tipped the scales at 4 pounds. Our sig- nature series Whisper lure from Daddy Mac Lures on a 1-ounce jig head is quickly becoming a staple for jigging black sea bass and we have also heard reports that fluke love them too. Another of our go-to jigs is a 1.5-ounce Oozzie Jig with a pink skirt filled with BioEdge smelt potion. Look for 30’ of water with structure (pilings, ledges, and rock piles) and get your jig to the bottom. Just like when jigging for striped bass, vertical presentation is key, so adjust the weight of your jig accordingly.
The freshwater side of things is seeing similar patterns. Northern pike, walleye, and smallmouth bass are all being caught in deeper water now. Jigging deep rock piles of Lake Winnipesaukee is producing some really nice smallmouth bass, while sunken structures such as old trees in the Connecticut River are giving up walleye and northern pike. Walleye and pike are going to be a bit sluggish and slower to bite this time of year, so slow down your presentation. A 1⁄4-ounce lead-head jig tipped with a crawler is deadly for walleye, but bring plenty of jig heads and be prepared to sacrifice several to the submerged wood in the process.
As black sea bass arrive along the NH coast, Tim lands this humpback.
FORECAST BY: Tim Moore, (603) 842-3572. Tim is a professional angler and owner of Tim Moore Outdoors LLC, offering NH kayak and ice fishing charters, and turkey hunting. He is also a member of Clam, Ice Team, Vexilar, Maki Plastic, Release Reels, Oozzie Jig, Jase Custom Fishing Rods, and Daddy Mac Lures Pro Staff. Visit www. TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.
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