By Tim Moore:
September is a good month to fish for a number of species. Water temperatures will decrease as we progress through the month, triggering many fish to begin aggressively feeding in preparation for the coming winter. Walleye and northern pike fishing will be good and get better throughout the month. The striped bass fishing, which has remained consistent, will also improve as the fall run begins this month.
In case you didn’t know, New Hampshire has a fishable population of walleye in the Connecticut River. Walleye are fun to catch, excellent to eat and they are relatively abundant in the Connecticut River. In September, we catch them by trolling bottom bouncers with a crawler harness early and late in the day, and then jig them during the middle of the day. Both methods catch fish regularly.
The river is also home to northern pike. The many setbacks and oxbows will hold toothy fish that will be wishing to put the feed bag on – this is the time of year when the bigger fish move into shallow water to feed. We use large spinners such as the Juice Mini 8 from Bigtooth Tackle, and my signature series, Whisperer lure from Daddy Mac Lures. In the fall, we spend a considerable amount of time fishing on the Moore Reservoir (an impoundment on the Connecticut River) due to the larger average size and better chance of catching a forty-inch class fish. However, the entire river south of Littleton holds some big pike.
If you love to striper fish, then now might be the best time to go after them. Cooler waters means the return (almost all at once) of those fish that traveled north earlier in the season. This has been the most consistent season we have had since we began offering guided kayak fishing trips (with fish every trip). When you add to this the number of mid-thirty-inch fish caught this year, you’ve got one heck of a season. Most striped bass anglers would agree that the best is yet to come. We fish lures most of the time, but we’re not opposed to drifting eels early or late in the day, and sometimes at night.
There are a few reasons why you might notice more kayaking anglers on the water in the fall – the weather is cooler, the bugs aren’t as bad, the scenery gets better by the day and the fishing improves. We will be busy this month, but we always have room for more. If you’re interested in booking a trip, email me at info@TimMooreOutdoors.com.
FORECAST BY: Tim Moore is a nationally recognized professional angler and a licensed NH hunting and fishing guide. He is the owner of Tim Moore Outdoors LLC, offering ice fishing charters, fresh and saltwater kayak fishing charters, and freshwater boat charters. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association and the producer of Tim Moore Outdoors TV.