NORTH COUNTRY

Jeez folks, my work schedule has got the best of me lately. I've been gearing up for our annual "Grant Weekend" where we've been monitoring brook trout populations for a number of years in the Dead Diamond River watershed, primarily located in the Second College Grant just north of Errol. Hope to be back next time with a full report.

- Andy Schafermeyer, Regional Fisheries Biologist


LAKES REGION


With more and more requests for "casual" family shore fishing, a prime opportunity for a relaxing, late summer's eve is the often overlooked "horned pout," technically brown (and also yellow) bullhead - the nocturnal, small "catfish" common to abundant in so many New Hampshire lakes, ponds, and even rivers. "Horn pouting" seems to have become a somewhat lost art; back when as many fished for the table, Friday night meant rounding up the family and hitting the local "pout" pond. Maybe such simplicity is just "too much" for modern anglers! No fancy boat, no getting up before dawn, no $300 reels, we are talking (as the "pout" will once caught, hence the latter portion of their name) down and dirty, lawn chair, forked-stick fun where the entire family can line the shore by lantern light - with minimal expense and effort. Special bait concoctions work, but plunking out a couple night crawlers on a slip-sinker rig (large, long-shank hook best for removal) will catch all the pout you want. With biting insects waning in late summer, one less excuse to get the family to water's edge. And what better way to instill the wonder, magic, and mystery of a starry August night - the bullfrog's jug-o-rum; a cricket chorus; an amplified, unidentified splash! in the distance; the Milky Way; a shooting star, or maybe many more, if correctly timed with the Perseid meteor showers.

Many, many ponds can provide "pout" paradise, but an overlooked location is the fertile bays of large lakes, where some of the largest bullhead can be caught... that said, smaller pout lightly battered and pan seared, the fried "chip" tail an additional delicacy, is the real trophy! One note of caution: the "horned" part of the name derives from the dorsal (top) and pectoral (side) fin spines, which can give a noticeable sting! Simply hold the pout from the locked pectoral fins (the pout locks them outward as defense) with a "forked" index and middle finger grip... sounds complicated, but not really! A couple grips and you'll be an expert...

Large-lakes "trollers," at the risk of the proverbial broken record, the summertime thermocline pattern remains, with some adjustment slightly deeper into the 38-45 foot range (although as many anglers still report success at 30-35 feet, especially at daybreak) for landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, and active lake trout. Some anglers find success even deeper, especially later into morning on the brightest, sunniest days. As always, lake trout seem to cooperate anywhere from these depth ranges (daybreak) to bottom - they really are a different "critter" entirely, with knowledgeable anglers employing very specific techniques that can produce lake trout all day long... maybe a future report, if time allows...

- John Viar, Regional Fisheries Biologist


MONADNOCK/UPPER VALLEY

My last report, which lacked any substance due to my lack of time on the water, was met with an outpouring of sympathy from local anglers who provided me with some great updates on local fishing. Thank you, all! I especially want to thank Mike Bulgajewski, Brad Burnett, Mike Canter, and Chris Russo for their emails.

Silver Lake (Harrisville) has been producing some bigger smallmouth bass during early mornings with lots of 1-pound bass being caught during mid-day. Rainbow trout have also been cooperating there along the eastern shoreline. Swanzey Lake is good right now for smallmouths as well and suggestions including fishing plastics deep and slow during the day and switching to topwaters at dusk.

Bronzebacks are also hitting in the evening at Spoonwood Lake and in the Connecticut River in deep shaded holes and around downed trees. Walleyes are reported to be hitting jigs and deep running crankbaits in deeper holes in the Connecticut River.

Largemouth action is good in numerous small ponds in Marlborough, Fitzwilliam, and Troy. At Forest Lake in Winchester, try deeper water, docks, and the channel near the campground. One motivated angler who likes to target trophy largemouth from dusk to midnight reports catching lots of big largemouth in Hubbard Pond and Contoocook Lake.

Finally, another reader reported catching a limit of yellow perch at Spofford Lake and some nice white perch up to 2 1/4 pounds!

Thanks again for all your reports and please continue to email any updates on fishing in the Monadnock Region to gabriel.gries@wildlife.nh.gov

- Gabe Gries, Regional Fisheries Biologist

Of Interest:

Trout stocking reports: read this year's reports at http://www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-stocking.html

Fishing licenses: fishnh.com. Don't forget - kids under 16 fish free in NH!