Post by Steve Sutton on Jun 10, 2010 12:00:29 GMT -5
N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT – June 10, 2010
Stocking report 6/1 – 6/4: www.fishnh.com/Fishing/fish_stock_current.htm
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nhfishandgame
Saltwater Angler Registry: www.countmyfish.noaa.gov
><> North Country
Recent heavy storms in northern NH have revitalized trout fishing in many areas. Water temperatures have dropped and flows have increased. These conditions have enabled Fish and Game personnel to not only follow the stocking schedule but actually increase numbers where possible. Surplus fish are finding homes throughout the state. – Dianne Timmins, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Lakes Region
It seems like our long, dry spell has ended with fronts passing through every couple of days with showers and some pretty wild thunderstorms to boot! These rains were very much needed as small brooks and streams had reached low water conditions early in the season. Lake temperature is now in the high 60s (68 degrees on Winni) and bass nesting has pretty much ended. Look for adult bass roaming the shorelines, as the bass fry (jet black in color) swarm the shores looking for places to hide. This is my favorite time to fish for bass with small panfish poppers. I have caught bass during the middle of the day over rocky shoals with my fly rod and poppers. This is great sport as the bass rise up to smash the popper on the surface!
As the school year ends, it is time to take the kids fishing, and what better species to seek than our ubiquitous sunfish! Sunfish nest after the bass, so look along the shorelines for their nest depressions and drop a small fly or tiny panfish popper over their heads and watch the reaction! Sunfish populations can easily overpopulate small ponds and even some larger waterbodies, therefore, they are a great species to target with the younger set. This a great way to introduce kids to the sport of fly-fishing. – Don Miller, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Monadnock/Upper Valley
The smallmouths haven’t gone deep yet. A recent outing to Swanzey Lake in Swanzey and Nubanusit Lake in Hancock/Nelson produced many nice smallmouths. Fish were caught in three to eight feet of water on shaky jig heads and tubes. The fish were mainly along the edges of dropoffs and anyplace there were rocks. The key was definitely rocks; where there were no rocks, there were no fish.
The stocking trucks are still rolling out of the Milford Hatchery. Everything has been stocked at least once this spring and now the hatchery is putting out surplus rainbows. Trout fishing should continue to be good with the much needed rain from last weekend and cooler temperatures this week. – Jason Carrier, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Southeast NH/Merrimack Valley
Last week, NH Fish and Game partnered with staff from the Anheuser Busch Facility in Merrimack, the city of Manchester (Department of Public Works and the Urban Pond Restoration Program), the Manchester Fly Fishing Association, Merrimack River Valley Trout Unlimited, NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Rivers Council, and several other volunteers and local businesses to perform a stream and pond litter pickup in Manchester. The stream is located on the western side of the city and despite being seated in a densely developed urban landscape, has a robust wild brook trout population. It is expected that this will be the first step of many to ensure that this species, so important to our heritage and legacy, is able to remain present in our largest city. Additional restoration activities and potential funding sources will soon be prioritized and identified. In three hours, 27 tires, over 25 full contractor trash bags, 3 bicycles, a car gas tank, a home heating oil tank,
2 shopping carts, 2 computers, a television, and close to a ton of rusted metal items were gathered. In the end, we essentially found everything but the kitchen sink...wait a minute, we also found a sink. As interest for this project continues to grow, it is our hope that those who litter develop an understanding of the value of aquatic systems...even in an urban environment. – Ben Nugent, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Seacoast Area
So I hope I am not the only one that read my fishing report last week, but I took my own advice and went to Rye Harbor on Sunday. The weather was unarguably wet and cold, but the winter flounder fishing was hot! A friend and I fished for about 3 ½ hours Sunday morning and never left the harbor, but we managed to land 21 winter flounder, only one of which was under the minimum size limit of 12 inches. We took home 14 fish between the two of us, with the biggest at 19 inches, a few over 18, the rest between 15 and 17, and they were a nice rewarding dinner for enduring the rain.
Our staff in the field, speaking with anglers all along the coast and at boat ramps, say they’ve seen the striped bass catch picking up, primarily in the Piscataqua River and Great Bay, and the mackerel are still available for bait.
Finally, the “Mudhole” is still providing giant cod again this year, but it’s a long cast from shore -- so use the boat, go with a friend, or get on a charter or headboat before it slows down. – Kevin Sullivan, Marine Biologist
><> Federal Aid: A User-Pay, User-Benefit Program
Researching and managing fisheries and teaching people about aquatic ecosystems are funded by your license dollars and by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program. Your purchases of fishing equipment and motorboat fuels make a difference to New Hampshire's fisheries. Visit www.wildnh.com/SFWR_program/sfwr_program.htm.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Stocking report 6/1 – 6/4: www.fishnh.com/Fishing/fish_stock_current.htm
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nhfishandgame
Saltwater Angler Registry: www.countmyfish.noaa.gov
><> North Country
Recent heavy storms in northern NH have revitalized trout fishing in many areas. Water temperatures have dropped and flows have increased. These conditions have enabled Fish and Game personnel to not only follow the stocking schedule but actually increase numbers where possible. Surplus fish are finding homes throughout the state. – Dianne Timmins, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Lakes Region
It seems like our long, dry spell has ended with fronts passing through every couple of days with showers and some pretty wild thunderstorms to boot! These rains were very much needed as small brooks and streams had reached low water conditions early in the season. Lake temperature is now in the high 60s (68 degrees on Winni) and bass nesting has pretty much ended. Look for adult bass roaming the shorelines, as the bass fry (jet black in color) swarm the shores looking for places to hide. This is my favorite time to fish for bass with small panfish poppers. I have caught bass during the middle of the day over rocky shoals with my fly rod and poppers. This is great sport as the bass rise up to smash the popper on the surface!
As the school year ends, it is time to take the kids fishing, and what better species to seek than our ubiquitous sunfish! Sunfish nest after the bass, so look along the shorelines for their nest depressions and drop a small fly or tiny panfish popper over their heads and watch the reaction! Sunfish populations can easily overpopulate small ponds and even some larger waterbodies, therefore, they are a great species to target with the younger set. This a great way to introduce kids to the sport of fly-fishing. – Don Miller, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Monadnock/Upper Valley
The smallmouths haven’t gone deep yet. A recent outing to Swanzey Lake in Swanzey and Nubanusit Lake in Hancock/Nelson produced many nice smallmouths. Fish were caught in three to eight feet of water on shaky jig heads and tubes. The fish were mainly along the edges of dropoffs and anyplace there were rocks. The key was definitely rocks; where there were no rocks, there were no fish.
The stocking trucks are still rolling out of the Milford Hatchery. Everything has been stocked at least once this spring and now the hatchery is putting out surplus rainbows. Trout fishing should continue to be good with the much needed rain from last weekend and cooler temperatures this week. – Jason Carrier, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Southeast NH/Merrimack Valley
Last week, NH Fish and Game partnered with staff from the Anheuser Busch Facility in Merrimack, the city of Manchester (Department of Public Works and the Urban Pond Restoration Program), the Manchester Fly Fishing Association, Merrimack River Valley Trout Unlimited, NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Rivers Council, and several other volunteers and local businesses to perform a stream and pond litter pickup in Manchester. The stream is located on the western side of the city and despite being seated in a densely developed urban landscape, has a robust wild brook trout population. It is expected that this will be the first step of many to ensure that this species, so important to our heritage and legacy, is able to remain present in our largest city. Additional restoration activities and potential funding sources will soon be prioritized and identified. In three hours, 27 tires, over 25 full contractor trash bags, 3 bicycles, a car gas tank, a home heating oil tank,
2 shopping carts, 2 computers, a television, and close to a ton of rusted metal items were gathered. In the end, we essentially found everything but the kitchen sink...wait a minute, we also found a sink. As interest for this project continues to grow, it is our hope that those who litter develop an understanding of the value of aquatic systems...even in an urban environment. – Ben Nugent, Regional Fisheries Biologist
><> Seacoast Area
So I hope I am not the only one that read my fishing report last week, but I took my own advice and went to Rye Harbor on Sunday. The weather was unarguably wet and cold, but the winter flounder fishing was hot! A friend and I fished for about 3 ½ hours Sunday morning and never left the harbor, but we managed to land 21 winter flounder, only one of which was under the minimum size limit of 12 inches. We took home 14 fish between the two of us, with the biggest at 19 inches, a few over 18, the rest between 15 and 17, and they were a nice rewarding dinner for enduring the rain.
Our staff in the field, speaking with anglers all along the coast and at boat ramps, say they’ve seen the striped bass catch picking up, primarily in the Piscataqua River and Great Bay, and the mackerel are still available for bait.
Finally, the “Mudhole” is still providing giant cod again this year, but it’s a long cast from shore -- so use the boat, go with a friend, or get on a charter or headboat before it slows down. – Kevin Sullivan, Marine Biologist
><> Federal Aid: A User-Pay, User-Benefit Program
Researching and managing fisheries and teaching people about aquatic ecosystems are funded by your license dollars and by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program. Your purchases of fishing equipment and motorboat fuels make a difference to New Hampshire's fisheries. Visit www.wildnh.com/SFWR_program/sfwr_program.htm.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>