Anyone make it out over the weekend ?

[A Wood]

So there was actually a kayak tourney there that morning but other than them it wasnt super crazy. But with that said I'm usually the first boat there as I live 15 minutes away and am usually off the water before most of the spots are full. If not most people let me skip over them to pull the boat out to get my parking spot......

[A Wood]

Well hope all you guys had a great weekend.... Finally a good one. Wish I could say the same for the fishing. Nothing bigger than a 3lb all weekend. Caught some fish but nothing you could pattern. Deep fish seem to have moved up, caught most fish close to shallow but only for a few early and late hours a day. Even the crappie bite was off. Water was high and there was a crazy bug hatch last night. Was catching crappie and bass in the top 1 ft of the water column. Any deeper and you got nothing. Hate to wish for some cooler temps but I think the fish need it.��

[Reel Northern Bass]

Well hope all you guys had a great weekend.... Finally a good one. Wish I could say the same for the fishing. Nothing bigger than a 3lb all weekend. Caught some fish but nothing you could pattern. Deep fish seem to have moved up, caught most fish close to shallow but only for a few early and late hours a day. Even the crappie bite was off. Water was high and there was a crazy bug hatch last night. Was catching crappie and bass in the top 1 ft of the water column. Any deeper and you got nothing. Hate to wish for some cooler temps but I think the fish need it.��

If it makes you feel any better, that's what we found too. I blew the motor in my Skeeter so I'm back in the Ranger I was using forever, my Dad kept that. Doesn't have much of anything for electronics so just bouncing around old local spots that I know like the back of my hand. One fish like right at 3 lbs for my buddy and that was the highlight between three separate fishing trips over the weekend. It has been brutally tough since I got back from Champlain the first weekend of August.

[bassboat1]

I blew the motor in my Skeeter.

Ughh.. I feel for you man


I fished the Piscataquog above Kelly Street Saturday afternoon with a friend. I got 10, he added 4 more. Most were flipping wood, super tight, with Zoom Super Hogs, but I did get a couple of decent smallmouth on Yamamoto's fluke bait. Big fish was 4#.

I hit the Nashua R from 4:00-7:00 or so Sunday. I couldn't get bit in the lower 1/2. They've treated the grass, water was quite clear and the wind was flat. A minority of the grass in the backwater @ mobile home park has some green coloration. I moved to the upper 1/3 and got them (8-9 maybe - mostly lil' fellers) flipping wood with trash mats. Plenty of current up there. Biggest fish (2.25#) came out of the top of the eddy. FWIW, there's plenty of bait, some of it schools of 3"-4" fish, with fairly deep bodies (not Golden Shiners though).

[TMG]

I agree Adam, we need some cooler weather. It was brutal this week.

Sorry to hear you blew your motor Snover.
Did I read your getting a new to you Nitro ?

[TMG]

Ughh.. I feel for you man


I fished the Piscataquog above Kelly Street Saturday afternoon with a friend. I got 10, he added 4 more. Most were flipping wood, super tight, with Zoom Super Hogs, but I did get a couple of decent smallmouth on Yamamoto's fluke bait. Big fish was 4#.

I hit the Nashua R from 4:00-7:00 or so Sunday. I couldn't get bit in the lower 1/2. They've treated the grass, water was quite clear and the wind was flat. A minority of the grass in the backwater @ mobile home park has some green coloration. I moved to the upper 1/3 and got them (8-9 maybe - mostly lil' fellers) flipping wood with trash mats. Plenty of current up there. Biggest fish (2.25#) came out of the top of the eddy. FWIW, there's plenty of bait, some of it schools of 3"-4" fish, with fairly deep bodies (not Golden Shiners though).

Was that Kelly's Falls ? I've fished there a few times. Never caught numbers but always caught a few decent large mouth.

[TMG]

Just got back from 4 nights at Champlain.
It was hot....
Spent 2 days fishing the great chazy river and Rouses point area .
Wasn't much going on there. We caught some but nothing good. We went to the inland sea and fished around some islands the last two days.. Small mouth were busting on Alewife. We caught some decent fish there but no numbers. The best was probably a little over 4 on a drop shot and a few 3+ pounders every day on a spark shad.
Didn't catch a largemouth until we stopped a lake in Vermont on our way back.
No giants except a 3 foot pike I got on a chatterbait bait. Best was probably around a 3 pound lg. Some thunderstorms were coming through so we loaded up around 5:30.
It was a great couple days off but it was way too hot. Lol

[Reel Northern Bass]

Just got back from 4 nights at Champlain.
It was hot....
Spent 2 days fishing the great chazy river and Rouses point area .
Wasn't much going on there. We caught some but nothing good. We went to the inland sea and fished around some islands the last two days.. Small mouth were busting on Alewife. We caught some decent fish there but no numbers. The best was probably a little over 4 on a drop shot and a few 3+ pounders every day on a spark shad.
Didn't catch a largemouth until we stopped a lake in Vermont on our way back.
No giants except a 3 foot pike I got on a chatterbait bait. Best was probably around a 3 pound lg. Some thunderstorms were coming through so we loaded up around 5:30.
It was a great couple days off but it was way too hot. Lol

That's still a great trip, especially any time you can get up on Champlain. I heard Rouses was firing off hard yesterday, same with the railroad bridge just north of it. Not sure on what but seemed like the smallies were on fire. I'm hoping to get back up there at least a few more times before ice hits in January.

I agree Adam, we need some cooler weather. It was brutal this week.

Sorry to hear you blew your motor Snover.
Did I read your getting a new to you Nitro ?

Maaaaaaybe. Still waiting on the new powerhead from Yamaha to arrive at Reynolds. It should have been here this week but it still hasn't shown up. Once that's done I'm taking it to Thayer's for a trade in, they're taking my Ghost and all of my electronics off and putting it on the new rig. This needs to happen sooner than later before interest rates go up again, I'll be toeing the line hard here on timing...I just need to get my boat to Thayer's so I can sign off on everything. Until that happens, I'm not getting excited. Too many moving pieces to this puzzle that all need to fall into place soon to make this happen.

[bassboat1]

Was that Kelly's Falls ? I've fished there a few times. Never caught numbers but always caught a few decent large mouth.

Yes it was. I've only fished it a handful of times - it fishes fairly "small". My pal lives right on it, and he and his wife have caught 'em up to 6#.

[bassboat1]

Just got back from 4 nights at Champlain.

It was a great couple days off but it was way too hot. Lol

Awesome you made it up & out.

[red tzx 190]

TIM Your not the only one that's talking about the heat ? But one thing we know, you and your pal had some fun away from work !!!!
Good report TIM !!!

[bassboat1]

Hit Highland on Saturday. I saw one Nitro when I first put in, and a guy fishing off a pontoon right as I was leaving - other than that, I had the place to myself. Hardly any rec boat traffic either... I had to check my phone and make sure it wasn't still Friday! Got everything (15-ish) in 10' or less on a Super Hog flipping weed edges and holes. I could not buy a bite on a crankbait.

Dithered Sunday morning away drinking espresso, listening to the rain, and keeping an eye on the forecast. Headed out in a downpour, thinking I was going to Pawtuckaway... but I didn't make it past Massabesic. Had dry roads once I passed the Hooksett tolls. Thinking the clouds might have them shallow, I invested a fair bit of time into a Gunfish and a Sammy - only had a few bumps from smaller fish. No love for a 5XD over hard bottoms either. Got a dozen, and the pattern had no flex: texas rigged Super Hog or Brush Hog around milfoil near deeper water (none off the flats). Got a 4 in front of the park, and a couple of 3s elsewhere, so it wasn't all dinking and dunking.

There were only a couple of boats and kayaks out there. I get it - it's raining... plus GAMEDAY!
Took a ride during one of the more significant showers - I've been fishing this lake for 40 years, and I'd never been behind the Grape/Brown Islands before.
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[A Wood]

Should have made it to Pawtuckaway. Never even started raining till 2:30. My buddy and I and 1 other boat were practically the only people fishing most of the day. Caught a bunch of fish, well my buddy did at least. I must of had the stank hand or something, he out fished me like 5 to 1. Nothing over 3lbs but all healthy looking fish. The pattern was there was no pattern. We found fish but could never catch more than 1 doing the same thing. Senkos on shore to drop shots in 20ft. Only thing that saved me was when the rain started the shallow swim jig bite picked up. Caught 7 in the last hour and a half all on weed edges.

[A Wood]

Well who knew fishing in a hurricane or lack there of could be so much fun. Went to camp this weekend to start closing it down and to fish mostly. Saturday the shallow bite was fantastic during all the wind. Water was really churned up and the chatterbait did all the damage. This am I awoke to the pond 2 inches + lower than the night before and had all I could do to get my boat off my beach. Dont know where the water went but what a sh*t show. On a high note the fishing was excellent again until about 930. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits did all the work.

[Reel Northern Bass]

I went to Gregg Lake and then to Powdermill yesterday and holy hell was it BAD for us. Tried everything everywhere and we only managed three squeaker bass. I'm in one hell of a rut lately and I hate it hahaha. Still fishing out of my Dad's boat, that old Ranger I was using forever. Doesn't have anything on it and I don't have half the stuff I normally would have so I just don't feel right fishing in it. Can't pivot to try weird things like I normally would when times get tough because I just don't have the room for all of it in that boat. Oh well. Hopefully the boat situation gets resolved by the time I get back from vacation next week.

[bassboat1]

Fished the river in Concord from Saturday noon. Decided beforehand to stay out of the backwaters and see if I could get a reaction bite going. Got one on a squarebill my first cast, and another 10-12 keepers with it, in 30-40 minutes out of wood cover with full current. Pattern was throwing it into the nastiest wood cover and alternating burns and rips. Biggest was just over 4#.
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It slowed down over the next hour or so, picking up LMB here and there. Got into some deeper water, with less current but still some wood. A KVD flatside started scoring, but did flip up a 4.06#.
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Headed downriver to some smallmouth water. Got a few smaller ones, and one right at 3# on the flatside
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Got a late start Sunday and broke a rule - headed back to the river, to see what might have changed with the weather. There were definitely more folks out there!

Started in at the same place as Saturday and got 6 in the wood/current - throwing the squarebill into the worst places and ripping it out. Average size was smaller than Saturday for sure. Mixed that, the flatside and the Craw up for maybe 15 on the day (numbers inflated by some dink smallies:).

Since the wind was down, I decided to try to map the boat route through the rocks behind Blue Seal, down to Gavin Falls. I used to know my way through there... apparently not everything lasts forever. Took my time and waypointed all the prop killers I could, QuickDrawed a fair bit of the basin there, caught a few more SMB. Overstayed my welcome and had to make it five miles upriver in the dark, on instrument flight rules . Yeah, I'll be R&Ring the dead spotlight immediately.

Don't let the old tub hold you back Sean!

[bassboat1]

Headed back to the Merrimack Sat afternoon. to do some more mapping down bottom, but I just had to find out if they would still eat a squarebill:) Even though there was a club there (I got the last parking spot), there were chewing if you went in after them. Finished surveying the rocky area behind BlueSeal (anyone wants the waypoints LMK) and ran QuickDraw on the whole lower basin to the dam. I didn't see nearly the amount of bait I expected TBH, and I only caught a couple SM down there. I've read about all of the smallmouth on other river systems making the migration to the slower dam pool, and wondering if that happens here. I'll plan a visit once the temperature drops below 45. It's 62 ish now. BTW, I spoke with a couple of the guys in the club after they took out. Sounded like everyone was gettingthem Winning weight iirc was 11# or 12#. Big fish was over 3.

Went to Gregg on Sunday, arriving around 12:30 - had the place to myself. Temp was 63. Fish fast in the shallow grass, moved a couple pickerel but no bass. Fished a hump - most of the grass has died off already - just a couple patches. Missed one on plastic, then got one speedcranking a Tactical DD on the sides.
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Shifted to shore-connected hard areas and the bite got pretty good. KVD 1.5 Flatside in 3'-10' was the best bait for the day. Only got one small keeper on a squarebill super shallow on wood, and he had a buddy with him every inch of the way. No bites on a 6XD on 14'-19' hard bottom with scattered boulders... usually good for a couple but not this time. What did work on those areas was a Zman Shadz. I'm just getting the hang on this thing, but it was working when shook and slow-reeled near the bottom. I had one close to 3# eat it and throw me on the jump, then I landed two more just under 3#. You guys on the smallmouth lakes up north are probably way ahead on this game, but I've got to make a point of picking it up more.

Cranked up my 4th rig of my career - a crusty Cardinal!
20230924_142638.jpg

Hope everyone had a decent weekend:)

[TMG]

Your pretty good with the crankbait.
I've only ever caught 1 setup and it was mine. Lol
I used to keep a ultralight with me behind my seat when I was in my pelican.
Fishing Mt Williams one time , I went to cast and I hooked the ultralight on the back swing. Casted it right out of the boat. My line snapped and to the bottom it went.
I could see it though so I was able to get it back. The very next day I did the exact same thing but at stumpfield. Gone for ever. Or until you catch it.

[bassboat1]

Fished Gorham pond Saturday with some friends. Double digits for all, but keepers were in short supply. They got all theirs flipping plastic in the pads/pondweed, while I got mine on a Rapala F9 and an Owner Rip'N minnow 70 jerkbait. I did blunder into a #4-5 that was as heavy as the previous 10 totaled. That place has a forage issue.

Went to Franklin Pierce Sunday, hoping for an aggressive fall bite in shallower water. Started at the no-wake markers and did nothing in 2'-14'. Finally got one off a dock on a squarebill. No bait evident in the entire top end. Fished a little hump in the basin that comes out of 14', that's usually good for one or two... nope. Scanning around, there was a ton of bait (perch?) on the deck in 20'-24', so I moved over to the roadbed. Got one speedcranking a Tactical DD, then 5 more on a 6XD - all super fat #2+ except the lone smallmouth. The lake's been dropped 24"-30", so the 6XD will juuust about make bottom on the entire roadbed. Only the one batch of fish though, and I couldn't get the pattern going on some other rocky structures. Tried a Damiki w/ no bites. Temp is 63-66, not much water moving at either end.

[Reel Northern Bass]

We tried out Silver Lake in Harrisville yesterday, I think that makes the 7th time we've tried that lake. 15-20 fish, lost count, had two that barely hit 1.5 lbs and all the rest were rats. First time I went there was in 2020 and I caught a low 3 lb smallmouth, we went out in a gross cold front around Mother's Day in 2021 where we got a few over 2 lbs...and that's the extent of "quality" we've found in that lake. I have definitely crossed that lake off my list, it just doesn't seem to have the quality that I thought it would hold. There's a million yellow perch in there, so it looks like it should have enough forage, but every single fish we've caught has been so skinny and tiny. We caught a few lakers out of there two years ago by accident and they were envelopes, some of the skinniest fish I've ever caught. I don't understand it but someone else can figure it out, I'm not going back any time soon . With a little luck I'll be back in action in my own boat in the next week or two, and I'll put NH waters to bed until March next year hopefully. This state has not treated me well this year outside of two fish, which admittedly were big at 6 lbs 10 oz and 6 lbs 4 oz, but outside of those two fish I think I have one or two over 4 lbs this season here and that's it for big fish. It's definitely the area of the state I've been fishing but I'm salty that my home waters have taken a severe nosedive so it's time to fish elsewhere hahaha.