Weekly Fishing Report: May 6, 2024
Fishing Conditions & Updates for Maine, New Hampshire & Massachusetts
It was another productive week of fresh and saltwater fishing. Reports are of some incredible haddock fishing, fresh stripers in and around Boston Harbor, and flounder are biting better. Freshwater lakes are firing on all cylinders, with lake trout and salmon both biting very well, trout ponds are giving some good numbers, and bass are in the shallows. A couple of 70-degree days really turned things up a notch.
Greg Cutting at Jordan’s Store in Sebago told us that he was very surprised by how few fishermen there have been on Sebago. “The fishing is so good this spring. I can’t believe how few guys are out. There’s not that many people considering how good the fishing has been. My buddy called me the other day and he ran out of smelt and switched to spoons. He couldn’t keep the salmon off his lines. Another guy came in yesterday morning who caught 15 salmon and one lake trout. Some guys that were in a couple weeks ago to get rigged up properly came back on Sunday. They had caught 23 salmon on #001 and #149 DB Smelt. They are blue/silver and blue/pearl color. There has been a ton of bait around. Things are good,” he said.
Captain Tim Tower of the Bunny Clark Deep Sea Fishing in Ogunquit reported great haddock fishing over the weekend. “The fishing was excellent, the catching was very good and landings were good. Most legal fish landed were haddock, by far. Legal landings also included two pollock, eleven redfish, three cusk and seven whiting. Released fish included one dogfish, one good sized cod that wasn't weighed, five small cod, one hundred and twenty-five sub-legal haddock (far fewer than previous trips), over one hundred and fifty sub-legal pollock (the smallest pollock we have seen this season so far) and a sculpin. Drifting was the method. All terminal gear worked well but bait was, by far, the best.”
“Ian could not tell me who was high hook with the most legal fish. Ken Mosher (NY) won the boat pool for the largest fish with a 5.5-pound haddock. He was fishing on the bow and caught a 15-pound cod. Ian didn't see it. When Ken told Ian, Ian asked why Ken didn't show him when he brought it over the rail. Ken said that he couldn't keep it and that he already had the biggest fish. Ken, of course, didn't weigh the fish but, even if it was close to his estimated size, it would be the largest cod seen on the Bunny Clark this season so far. The second largest fish was a 5-pound haddock caught by Paul Larose (CT). Rory MacEachern (ME) caught the third largest fish, a 4.5-pound cusk.”
“Other Angler Highlights: Scott Graham (NH) caught a 4-pound haddock as his best fish. He caught it early in the trip and led the boat pool for a while. His best fish, in my opinion, was a 2-pound Maine state trophy redfish. This is the largest redfish that has been caught on the Bunny Clark this season so far.”
Full-time New Hampshire fishing guide Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors told us that the fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee has been picking up on all fronts. “The salmon are biting very well, but there are a ton of small ones, just under keeper size. Luckily, they grow very fast this time of year. In another month they should all be keepers. The lake trout have been keeping us busy as well. There’s no shortage of them. We are seeing a lot more smallmouth activity in the shallows. Females are scouting out nest sites with several males in tow. It’s been a great season so far. Live smelt will be coming to an end soon, but luckily spoons have really turned on in the past week. Orange has been my hot color,” he said.
Alan Nute at Winnisquam Country Store in Tilton said that he had received very favorable fishing reports over the past week. “I have been hearing about a lot of little salmon, with the occasional good one. The fish are starting to move down a bit deeper. They’re still catching fish down 15-feet, but the bigger ones will almost always be below the smaller fish. The suckers are in the channels, so the rainbows and salmon will be in there feeding on sucker eggs. Hot colors this week have been Governor Aiken and some stuff with some orange. We have smelt and they are living well. I might be able to get one more batch and that will probably be it,” he said.
Dana Berry at Berry’s bait reported a busy week in the shop and on the big lake. “Some guys are still buying smelt, but many are starting to turn to streamers and spoons. I haven’t heard much from everyone who bought hardware, but there is a lot of excitement over DB Smelt lures being back in business and Northeast Trollers being back in stock. Preserved smelt have been selling very well too. I know the bass are starting to move into the shallows and the catch and release artificial lure only season begins May 15,” she said.
Captain Les Eastman at Eastman’s Fleet in Seabrook posted the following report from Sunday on their website: “All boats out and phenomenal again. SCL, MJ both limited on haddock. Sunday so all boats were full, LAM and LMA had half the boat with haddock limits and if anyone had less than 10, they were a real novice or sleeping. AB and LVII were both red fishing and excellent, 30-75 pp with haddock and cusk mixed in, that’s even with a screwy tide in the morning. Fishing just keeps amazing us. We have little room on any trips next two days, but plenty Wednesday and Thursday. Capt Les”
Pete Santini at Fishing Finatics in Everrett reported great flounder fishing and fresh stripers. “Flounders are coming over the rails pretty good at Deer Island Flats, Long Island, off of Peddocks, the pier in Lynn, and off of Swampscott. There’s a lot of stripers in the Mystic and Charles Rivers chasing herring. The white or mackerel colored Al Gag’s or Wildeye shads. Mackerel just showed up outside the harbor. Some big brown trout have been coming out of Jamaica, Horn, and Walden Ponds. They’re hitting spoons, shiners, and Powerbait,” He also wanted to remind folks that his annual Zobo Flounder Derby is coming up on May 11. The ten heaviest flounder win prizes and there is a big fried flounder dinner after at J.J. Grimsby Restaurant later that day. You can call the shop at 617-381-1997 to sign up.
Because of inherent time restrictions of gathering fresh, up-to-date information, editing & producing this report in a timely manner, occasional errors or marginal information may slip by us. We try our hardest to provide accurate information. We urge readers to use this report as a tool to increase their fishing pleasure and not to rely on as their sole resource. First or second-hand information is offered by fishing guides, commercial fishing charters or party boats, bait & tackle dealers, well-known successful anglers, and state & federal fisheries and natural resources enforcement officials. We also welcome and use reports forwarded to us by fishermen that use this report. - Kittery Trading Post Fishing Report Editor