Kittery Trading Post – Kittery, ME
2/7/22
Full-time New Hampshire fishing guide Tim from Tim Moore Outdoors tells us that ice conditions have been improving, but the most recent storm system brought rain and snow, making for some slushy conditions on much of the lake. He says the cold weather that followed helped tighten things up, but mid-day sun was often softening the crust. As for the fishing, Tim reports average to above average days for he and his clients. “We’ve had some amazing days, but it always seems to depend on the weather and our ability to move around. Some of the low-pressure days have been great, but the high-pressure windy days are normally slower. We move when we can, or when it is paying off for others, but if others are moving and not catching, we stay put and maximize the time our lines are in the water. It seems to be paying off,” Tim told us. He says that there has been a mix of tactics working. One day tip ups with smelt catch the majority of the fish, and the next day it is jigging, which he prefers. He says this week his clients did well using Clam Outdoors 1/8-ounce pink and white blade spoons, and ¼-ounce gold Leech Flutter Spoons, but the 1/16-ounce glow purple tiger Tikka Mino has been on fire.
Lon Berry at Berry’s Bait in New Durham reported a busy week in his shop. “The lake trout fishermen did very well over the weekend using AJ’s Bucktails and PK glow spoons,” he said. Lon reports that the white perch bite was a bit off for most people. Lon says they are busy gearing up for the upcoming Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby. He says they will have extended hours this coming weekend for the derby. You can find their hours and more derby info on their Facebook page. On the smaller ponds, Lon says they had lots of good crappie and yellow perch reports.
Jason MacKenzie at Pawtuckaway Trading Post in Raymond also reported a very busy weekend. “We’ve had customers coming in with really good yellow perch reports, but they won’t say where they’re fishing. But we do know that Pawtuckaway has been producing lots of black crappie on tungsten jigs and live shiners, as well as nice bass on medium shiners,” he told us. Jason says he is hearing reports of smelt catches on the Squamscott River that are averaging ½-gallon per trip. “They’re not lighting the world on fire, but they are happy to be out,” he said.
Mike Crouthamel at Wildlife Sport Outfitters in Manchester told us that he too was busy gearing up for the upcoming ice fishing derby. “We’ll be picking up our smelt later this week and word is we will have suckers too, which have been kind of ghosts this year,” he said. Mike says locally, many are doing well for crappie and perch on Massabesic, but the trout bite there has been almost non-existent. He also hears good lake trout reports on the south end of Winnipesaukee and really good cusk reports from Newfound Lake.
George Taylor at Taylor’s Trading Post in Madbury told us he had a very busy weekend. “There were lots of people fishing and it seems like everybody caught fish. You couldn’t find a place to park at the Bellamy most of the time,” he said. George reported that Ayers and Baxter produced well for the bass anglers. George said that most of his customers are live bait anglers, and shiners were king.
