07-17-2004, 06:53 PM
Hot bass fishing; Go deep for trout
By Gabe Gries, Region 4 Fisheries Biologist, Monadnock/Upper Valley Region
Fishing this past month in southwestern New Hampshire has been excellent. Reports from bass anglers tell us that they are having a terrific year. From large lakes and rivers to small ponds, the bass action has been hot. Some places to try your luck include: Harrisville Pond (Harrisville), Mountain Brook Reservoir (Jaffrey), Highland Lake (Stoddard/Washington), Naticook Lake (Merrimack), Gregg Lake (Antrim) and of course, the Connecticut River. Willard Pond (Antrim) is a fly-fishing-only pond that contains some big smallmouth bass that are sometimes overlooked by trout anglers (gas motors are prohibited on Willard Pond).
Although the water levels on most streams are rapidly approaching low summertime levels, good trout fishing can still be found in deep holes on some of the larger rivers (Ashuelot, Contoocook, Souhegan and Cold). Additionally, the deeper lakes are still producing some nice trout. There are reports of some beautiful 18-22 inch rainbows coming out of Granite Lake (Stoddard/Nelson) and a 5.3-lb rainbow trout was recently caught in Silver Lake (Harrisville). A gentleman who has fished Spofford Lake (Chesterfield) for the past 15 years told me that this is one of the best years he has ever had for rainbow trout. Additionally, two 12-lb lakers were recently caught at Nubanusit Lake (Nelson/Hancock) on the same day.
Better than a Video Game!
Getting a youngster to make the transition from bait to lure fishing can often be a trying experience and not one you want to make too soon in their young fishing careers. However, I had a great experience last week while taking my 7-year old son fishing. It was the first time he was out in a "real" boat and fishing only with lures. We fished for bass at Spofford Lake (Chesterfield) with a couple friends, and my son had a great time. We fished with "wacky" rigged Senkos, which are a good choice for beginning anglers. The lure is heavy enough that it is easy to cast, and you really can't fish it wrong. Cast it out and let it sit on the bottom or slowly jig it. He ended up catching four bass all by himself and had a great time. Fishing with kids can be a lot of work and takes a lot of patience, but the rewards are great. At one point, he turned to me and said, "This is better than a video game!"
Warmwater Fish Surveys Begin
Now that summer is here, Fish and Game is beginning to perform annual surveys of warmwater fish populations throughout the state. These surveys involve sampling fish at night in warmwater lakes and rivers using an electrofishing boat. This boat sends a small amount of electricity into the water, momentarily stunning the fish. Fish are then netted, placed in a livewell and later released back into the water. Information collected includes species occurrence, catch-per-unit effort (number of fish captured per hour of sampling), length, weight and scale samples (for examining age and growth). This data allows fisheries biologists to check on the status of various warmwater populations throughout the state and determine what populations may benefit from angling regulations or other management strategies.
Please help stop the spread of aquatic nuisance weeds by removing all vegetation from your boats and canoes when leaving a waterbody. We hope you enjoy fishing this year in the Monadnock/Upper Valley Region, and don't forget to take a kid fishing anytime you can. We're always happy to talk to you about fish and fishing so please contact us at Region 4 (603/352-9669; reg4@nhfgd.org) if you have any questions.
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By Gabe Gries, Region 4 Fisheries Biologist, Monadnock/Upper Valley Region
Fishing this past month in southwestern New Hampshire has been excellent. Reports from bass anglers tell us that they are having a terrific year. From large lakes and rivers to small ponds, the bass action has been hot. Some places to try your luck include: Harrisville Pond (Harrisville), Mountain Brook Reservoir (Jaffrey), Highland Lake (Stoddard/Washington), Naticook Lake (Merrimack), Gregg Lake (Antrim) and of course, the Connecticut River. Willard Pond (Antrim) is a fly-fishing-only pond that contains some big smallmouth bass that are sometimes overlooked by trout anglers (gas motors are prohibited on Willard Pond).
Although the water levels on most streams are rapidly approaching low summertime levels, good trout fishing can still be found in deep holes on some of the larger rivers (Ashuelot, Contoocook, Souhegan and Cold). Additionally, the deeper lakes are still producing some nice trout. There are reports of some beautiful 18-22 inch rainbows coming out of Granite Lake (Stoddard/Nelson) and a 5.3-lb rainbow trout was recently caught in Silver Lake (Harrisville). A gentleman who has fished Spofford Lake (Chesterfield) for the past 15 years told me that this is one of the best years he has ever had for rainbow trout. Additionally, two 12-lb lakers were recently caught at Nubanusit Lake (Nelson/Hancock) on the same day.
Better than a Video Game!
Getting a youngster to make the transition from bait to lure fishing can often be a trying experience and not one you want to make too soon in their young fishing careers. However, I had a great experience last week while taking my 7-year old son fishing. It was the first time he was out in a "real" boat and fishing only with lures. We fished for bass at Spofford Lake (Chesterfield) with a couple friends, and my son had a great time. We fished with "wacky" rigged Senkos, which are a good choice for beginning anglers. The lure is heavy enough that it is easy to cast, and you really can't fish it wrong. Cast it out and let it sit on the bottom or slowly jig it. He ended up catching four bass all by himself and had a great time. Fishing with kids can be a lot of work and takes a lot of patience, but the rewards are great. At one point, he turned to me and said, "This is better than a video game!"
Warmwater Fish Surveys Begin
Now that summer is here, Fish and Game is beginning to perform annual surveys of warmwater fish populations throughout the state. These surveys involve sampling fish at night in warmwater lakes and rivers using an electrofishing boat. This boat sends a small amount of electricity into the water, momentarily stunning the fish. Fish are then netted, placed in a livewell and later released back into the water. Information collected includes species occurrence, catch-per-unit effort (number of fish captured per hour of sampling), length, weight and scale samples (for examining age and growth). This data allows fisheries biologists to check on the status of various warmwater populations throughout the state and determine what populations may benefit from angling regulations or other management strategies.
Please help stop the spread of aquatic nuisance weeds by removing all vegetation from your boats and canoes when leaving a waterbody. We hope you enjoy fishing this year in the Monadnock/Upper Valley Region, and don't forget to take a kid fishing anytime you can. We're always happy to talk to you about fish and fishing so please contact us at Region 4 (603/352-9669; reg4@nhfgd.org) if you have any questions.
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