Friday Fishing Report

Click here to subscribe to the Friday Fishing Report -- or Fish and Game news, or one of our new e-newsletters!

In the meantime, get your fishing stuff ready -- there's some good fishing ahead! Plan ahead... click here to buy your N.H. fishing license online.

August 16, 2002: Cool Ways to Beating Those Hot Summer Nights: Night Bass Fishing and Poutin'
Plus, a bonus report

By Mark Beauchesne
Let's Go Fishing Coordinator

You don't need to hear it from me that it's too hot. Just ask the fish. Yes, the fish react to the heat wave like we do. They're laying low, staying cool and doing their best to survive.

For most of our favorite game fish, the dog days of summer can become a nightmare. One of the best ways to beat the heat is to go early. And I mean early. Be on the water before sunrise. The surface temps cool over night slightly and the fish are more active during this low light period.

A recent trip to Squam Lake proved this to be true ... well, at least in our case. We started fishing rock piles and ridges adjacent to deep water. Early top-water fishing for smallies with 79 degree surface temps isn't all that appealing. But within the first four casts fish were smashing our poppers. We managed eight fish between the two of us before 9 a.m.

Once the sun was up the top-water bite was over for the most part. I stuck it out for another two fish. My partner switched over to a curl tail grub on a 1/4-ounce jig head. She was swimming the jig back to the boat. Long casts to cover water were the key to jig success.

We changed our fishing tactics by concentrating on deeper water. We still fished the type of structure that gave us top-water success. We just turned and made our presentation out in deep water. Let the jig fall all the way to the bottom. Watch your line closely for anything that looks fishy. Quite often, suspended fish will take your jig on the fall. Swim the jig back to the boat with a lift-and-fall retrieve.

By noon it'll be time for a swim. Take a break and head back out around 7 p.m. Fish until dark or until the bats drive you in.

When Sleep Fails ... Count Bass
Speaking of after dark, when the weather is this steamy you're not sleeping anyways ... so go fishing. Fishing for largemouth bass after dark is a blast. There aren't enough adjectives to describe the intense feeling when you hook a bass in the dark. Could it be that 5-pounder you've been waiting for? Or is it just a spunky 1-pounder?

For you first-time after-dark bass anglers I strongly suggest the following:
1. Know the body of water you're fishing. Select a small pond.
2. Keep your gear to a minimum. Too many rods in a boat when it's dark spells trouble.
3. Let someone know where you are and when you should be expected home.
4. Go slow! Remember: Moose can swim. Safety first at all times.
5. Have extra flashlights in reach.
6. Keep your light use to a minimum. Light will attract bugs.
7. Have fun!

Hookin' Mr. Big
When I'm night-fishing, I don't get on the water until the sun has set. For some reason unknown to me, the bass stop biting for about an hour after the sun goes down. This is when you can find your spot and your casting range while it's still light.

My lure of choice is a black 3/4-ounce broken back jitterbug. A medium-heavy rod with at least 12-pound test line will get the fish (or your lure) out of the weeds.

Cast to shore. If you hear a splash, that's a good thing. A slow, steady retrieve is necessary to bring Mr. Big to your offering. Bass can see better than we can after dark. But they rely heavily on sound and vibration to find food.

When a bass crashes your lure, don't set the hook until you feel weight on the line. Also, keep your retrieve moving if the fish misses. It'll be back.

High Time for Poutin'
How about some good ol' horn poutin'? I'm willing to bet you haven't been poutin' in years. Well now's the time. I can't think of a nicer way to spend a steamy hot summer night. The gear is simple: a bunch of crawlers, lantern, a forked stick, lawn chair and good company. A medium-action rod with 8-pound test will work well.

I've taken a liking to using flounder hooks for horn pout. They're long shank hooks with a small plastic bead that acts as a float. This float just lifts your bait off the bottom slightly. Attach a sinker 15 inches above your hook.

I like to feed the fish big food: two big crawlers on the hook. Cast your line out and let your bait settle to the bottom. Once the line goes slack, you're on the bottom. Set the rod in the forked stick -- your trusty rod holder. I like to take up the slack so the line is almost straight off the rod tip.

Hey Now! Pout On!
Have a seat and enjoy the cool night air. You'll know when a fish is interested in your bait. Your line will either go slack or move off to one side or the other. Gently pick up the rod, check if you can feel the fish. Okay, set the hook. Use extra caution when handling these fish. They have sharp spines on their pectoral and dorsal fins.

I still get out horn poutin' at least once in the summer. Most of New Hampshire's lakes and ponds have good populations of horned pout. They're also known as brown bullheads. But don't call them that to local anglers. They'll look at you like you've got three heads.

To find out if your favorite pond has horn pout, check the Freshwater Fishing Guide available in PDF format at this web site.

Great fishing!!!
Mark

But wait, there's more...
Bonus Report

Seacoast Scene
The coast is still full of action this summer. Doug Grout, Fish and Game's marine fisheries biologist reports that there are still strong catches of stripers, haddock and cod.

"Stripers are still being caught in good numbers, though not as strong as they were in June," he says. Angler surveys bear this out.

Mackerel and cod catches are starting to wind down a bit, Grout says, and while mackerel bait has disappeared, there's still pollack.

Shore anglers can try some of the state park jetties at the mouths of Hampton and Rye harbors, along with the Portsmouth/New Castle bridge. Another good bet is the Scammel Bridge on Route 4.

One tool in monitoring seacoast fisheries is Fish and Game's annual survey of recreational anglers, now running some 20-plus years. Fish and Game surveys 2,000 to 2,500 anglers every year to see what they're catching and where. Another 7,000 to 8,000 folks (some anglers, some not) are surveyed to get an estimate of overall fishing effort.

This kind of information is a big help in understanding the impact on the resource, according to Grout. We know, for instance, that 100,000 to 150,000 people are fishing New Hampshire's saltwater, about half of whom are resident anglers.

Meanwhile, marine fisheries folks are also busy checking the estuaries for juvenile production, finding some interesting stuff. Check this out: Recent seine surveys reveal that "this has been a banner year for flounder production," Grout says. In normal years, a good seine catch yields 40 to 60 young flounder. This year has seen seines with over 100 juvenile flounder ... one with more than 400! In a couple of years, the flounder fishing ought to be impressive!

Meanwhile, Back in Bass Country
Despite the nasty heat wave, bass fishing has been surprisingly productive, according to tournament anglers. Keith Snyder of Litchfield (of Irwin Marine fame) has been pulling up some good-sized bass at recent tournaments in Winnisquam, Winnipesaukee, Massabesic lakes and the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers. That includes some smallies in the 2.5 to 4-pound range.

Last weekend at Winnisquam, Snyder placed 6th with eight fish (large and smallies) weighing more than 20 pounds total (an average of 4.4 pounds for largemouths!).

"Those are some good-looking fish," Snyder says. "They looked wicked healthy."
Snyder likes using his own rig that involves a 4-inch paddletail worm. Another favorite is a 5-inch Sinko, a plastic jerk bait.

Five Hours, 22 Bass
Rob Frye of the New Hampshire Bass Federation has been having a great summer, catching some very decent fish despite the heat.

On Wednesday, Frye was on the water from 3 to 8 p.m., catching 22 bass. Four of those bass were over 5 pounds!

"Technique is key," Frye says. "When it's this hot, you've got to fish in the slop - the weeds and lily pads." Frye likes using a Mepps Timberdoodle, which comes with a Mr. Twister. Don't be shy. Drag it right over the lily pads.

Echoing Beauchesne's advice above, Frye says, "Night-fishing is the way to go. Use Jitterbugs or buzzbaits. And be sure to cast near the docks."

Excellent Conditions
John Cowan (Northeast Bass Association of N.H.) and company did pretty darned good last Sunday at a tournament on Winnisquam. All top 10 winners had big weights despite the heat and heavy boat traffic. The winning team had 23 pounds in eight fish.

"Overall, the fishery is in excellent condition," Cowan says. Today's pulls of 25- to 26-pounds in eight bass is a vast improvement from that of a few years ago, he says. "We are really starting to see some larger fish. Conditions are excellent."

Next week's fishing report: If you want to understand where the fish are hanging out during the dog days of summer, you might want to get in the water yourself, suggests Gabe Gries.

A User-Pay, User-Benefit Program