Bait fishing is slow too but still producing some nice fish. We can't blame water temperatures that are generally around 65 and as high as 67 out on the shore, but perhaps the absence of baitfish is causing the fish to go elsewhere. I've been in contact with other guides from the Merrimack to the Kennebec Rivers and it's the same there. Our 10 day monsoon has passed, the rivers are beginning to clear up, and the sea is flattening out. Water temperatures have risen into the 60's and there are a great number of 40 inch class fish being taken on flies as well as bait.
Fishing is very good both in the estuaries and out front on the shoreline.
With water temperatures barely in the 50's along the shore, the general consensus seems to be that the bigger fish are being found up in the rivers where the water is up to 10 degrees warmer and spawning fish can provide an easy meal. There have been several 40 inch plus fish caught on live mackerel in the Piscatiqua recently. Probably when the spawning activity is over and the water temp's along the shore get into the mid-50's we'll see some bigger fish outside. After two trips so far this week I can report good numbers of 16 to 22 inch fish in the York area, but so far no really small stripers or any over the mid 20 inch range. I'm going to check that out tomorrow.