The Portsmouth fishing season begins as soon as the weather moderates in May or even April, allowing boaters to get offshore to target cod, haddock, pollock and other assorted groundfish. Cod up to 40 pounds are available over deep-water structure from 10 to 30 miles offshore, in spots such as the Mud Hole south of the Isles of Shoals, as well as Jeffrey’s Ledge, some 30 miles east. Standard cod jigs rigged below a dropper hook baited with clam will do the trick. Prime water depth ranges from 150 to 350 feet, with deeper water preferred as the season progresses. Haddock fishing on Jeffrey’s Ledge has been great in the last few years, and these fish are available throughout season.
Inshore, winter flounder are another early-season favorite, and catching them doesn’t require a big boat or long runs. These tasty flatfish can be taken in sheltered, mud-bottomed areas inside the harbor and well upriver into Little and Great Bays. This is tailor-made sport for anglers in small boats or even kayaks and canoes, and the flatties make great eating, as well. Look for the fish to gather in shallow depressions near areas of shellfish beds. They prefer a smooth mud or mud/sand bottom with mild current. Coves along the edges of bays and the main river are good spots to investigate (Bloody Point and the General Sullivan Bridge are perennial spots). If you don’t hook up within 10 minutes, try another location. Once you find a concentration of fish, the drill is to send down a lightly weighted flounder rig baited with a seaworm. Chumming the area with a mix of catfood and corn also seems to draw the fish in and get them feeding.
If you’re willing to burn some fuel, bluefin tuna are available off Portsmouth beginning in July and running through October, although their presence is far from predictable.
Striped bass arrive along the coast in late May and early June, flooding the Piscataqua and making their way deep into the bays and tributaries. Many are schoolies, but larger fish are available. If you prefer to use light tackle, try tossing a Slug-Go or other soft-plastic bait along the river banks or at the mouth of feeder creeks, especially on the ebb tide. The bigger bass can be taken on live mackerel and chunk baits drifted through the channels and into deep holes on the bottom. Live and chunk baits also work well outside the harbor, around the swell-washed ledges and rocks. In summer, these same rocky areas outside the harbor give up big fish at night on live eels.
Of course, many local anglers also make the 6-mile run to the Isles of Shoals, where big stripers and blues can be taken throughout the season. Catch some mackerel or harbor pollock and live-line them around the outer rocks. You can also set up a chum slick of mackerel or herring chunks at anchor and draw the fish in that way.
Slow-trolling tube-and-worm combos or soft-plastic swim shads on wire or leadcore line in and around the harbor mouth is another way to take big fish, especially during the day when the bass are holding deep. The drill is to troll as slowly as possible and try to get the lure within a foot of the bottom.
Bluefish can be taken in the same spots as stripers, but the schools have been somewhat undependable in recent years. Often you’ll see them feeding on the surface below working birds. In this situation, any metal lure or topwater plug will usually draw a strike. Large streamer flies and popper flies will also produce. If the blues go deep, try trolling a deep-diving Bomber or Rapala (purple and mackerel-patterns work well), or vertical jigging with a diamond jig or large KastMaster of Hopkins spoon.
Fall is prime time for inshore fishing in and around Portsmouth, as the local waters fill with baitfish migrating out of the rivers and harbors. September and early October is the time to look for surface-feeding schools or stripers and bluefish under birds just outside the harbor and along the shore.
If you’re willing to burn some fuel, bluefin tuna are available off Portsmouth beginning in July and running through October, although their presence is far from predictable. Before making a trip, try to get a handle on the local bite via online forums or the tackle shops to find out where the best fishing has been taking place. Jeffrey’s Ledge, some 30 miles distant, is a reliable spot, and many local boats do well here by setting up a chum slick and drifting chunks or live baits caught on-site. Live bluefish also make excellent live baits when available. Trolling squid bars and daisy chains can be effective too.
If the tuna fail to show, sharks are another option. Blue sharks, porbeagles, makos and threshers can also be taken offshore throughout the summer and early fall. This fishery usually involves setting up a chum slick and drifting over prime structure until the fish move in behind the boat. Live baits fished below balloons are generally favored, although some of these sharks (especially blues) can be caught on chunk baits and even flies.
On the opposite end of the fishing spectrum is the winter smelt run in Great Bay. These tiny but tasty fish are typically caught through the ice by anglers fishing from smelt shacks. Prime time is December through mid-March. The action can be fast and furious when a school of smelt swims past, but for the most part this fishery is simply a fun way to shake the Northeast winter blues.
License Requirements
No saltwater license is currently required for 2010, although anglers who wish to target striped bass must register with the federal government. To register, go to the National Saltwater Fishing Registry.
Seasons, Size & Catch Limits
For information on state fishing regulations go to the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department.
