Fishing Report Week Ending 8/29/10

Fishing was a mixed bag over the last few weeks.  Some days we definitely did better than others.  On some days we caught as many sea bass as stripers.  We got one large blue fish last week it was over 10lbs.   On all trips we caught striped bass.

Saturday was probably the highlight of the last few weeks, we caught about a dozen nice sea bass, a bunch of stripers including two over 28” (NH keepers).  First thing in the morning we came across 6 seals on the rocks, although it looks like they are floating on the water and later in the day we were treated to the Portsmouth Air Show.

 The Air Show was a major attraction for the area, the roads were crowded and there was a flotilla of boats heading in and out of Great Bay all weekend long.  It was worth it, to see the acrobatic planes as well as the Blue Angels precision flight team, right over our heads was a memory to last a life time. 

Tight Lines,

Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing Report Week Ending 8/14/10

Fishing was fair to good this past week.  We caught a number of Striped Bass and had lots of fun but it took a lot of searching  to find ones that would take the baits.  The river was exceptionally weedy over the last few days and that added to the tougher than normal fishing conditions.  They were there, but the baits were always getting covered in weeds and that made it tough.  We did get into a couple of sea bass this week.  They are different than stripers, being more of a bottom dweller around rock piles.  Smaller in size than stripers, sea bass are very good eating.

Fishing dates are available, don’t wait till the season is over and regret not getting out this year.

Tight lines,

Capt Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Week Ending 7/31/10

I did a lot of fishing trips over the last two weeks.  Most trips were done with live bait, Mackerel and Pollock, but on occasion for a mellower or shorter trip, or when we had 4 anglers aboard we used cut bait.

All of my long time customers who have done the live bait trips have loved it.  First catching a bunch of bait and then live lining them for stripers.  It can be very exciting as the stripers are real aggressive when hitting the live bait.  Live bait trips are run for 6 hours with a maximum

of 3 anglers, two is even better. 

Highlights of this week, include a trip with Joey and his son Doug, on leave from the military in Italy.  Doug had never done any real fishing before but brought a beautiful 37 inch striper to the boat. 

On Saturday I went out with a dad and his 15 and 17 yr old daughters.  Cassie the younger of the two hooked and landed our first bluefish of the season.  It was a beauty between 8-10 lbs and really put up a great fight.  I thought we had a monster striper on the line but the circle hook was just in the corner of the mouth so we didn’t get bit off.  Usually we would use wire or 40lb leader for bluefish.

It was a great couple of weeks plenty of fish caught and many memories to cherish for a lifetime.

I do have open dates coming up in August so if you would like to get in some striped bass fishing in NH get in contact.

Tight lines

Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Week Ending 7/18/10

We had good Striped Bass fishing with at least 2 keepers on each trip this week.  Fishing was good and we mixed trips this week with some trips we used live bait and other trips we used chunk bait.  On two days we even got into some short surface action with pods of smaller stripers on the surface.  We caught them on casting plugs and rubber lures.   The feeds didn’t last long but we were in the right place at the right time, and fished them hard for the 15 minutes they were on top. 

Saturday was a fun trip with long time customer Paul and his wife and young children. Everyone had a blast catching bait, mackerel and pollock, and then we spent some time catching stripers.   Just a lot of family fun. 

This week we also caught a sea bass, our first for the season.  Every year I get a few, they make for good eating even though much smaller than striped bass.   Sea Bass are more common south of us where sometimes party boats will run trips for them.  In NH they are rare and there aren’t any size limits on them, although anything less than 14” is just too small to keep.

Tight lines, Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing report Week Ending 7/3/10

Fishing was really good this week using live bait.  I ran almost all trips with live bait, mackerel and pollock and it really paid off.  Due to the time it would take to get to the bait areas and then catch them I extended most 4 hour trips to 5 hours, with permission from the clients.  I did a few live bait trips with 3 anglers (but prefer 2) but on all 4 person trips we used cut bait. 

The best day of the week was Monday, taking long time customer Mark, his daughter Amy and son in law Eric, we caught a bunch of fish including two 38.5” beauties.  These were the biggest fish for the week and we only kept one releasing the other for another day.  On all days but one, we caught keepers, with Friday probably the most.  Scott and his daughter Nicole caught  5 keepers with a bunch of others which was a welcome experience for them as they went the day before with another charter and landed only 1 striper and a bunch of dogfish (ouch)..

Weather has been great and the fish for the most part have been cooperating.  Still not seeing large schools of smaller fish but using live bait we usually don’t get any fish smaller than 26” or so.

Tight lines and happy 4^th of July.

Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing report week ending 6/27/10

Striped Bass fishing is still a bit off (past years catches) in NH over the last two weeks.  We are catching fish, usually between 5 to 15 or so but I am just not seeing the large schools of smaller stripers that were evident in prior years.  On almost every trip we caught at least 1 fish over 28” and on many we caught 3 or 4.  Last week I did a lot of live bait fishing, first going out and catching mackerel and then live lining them back for striped bass.  It can be a real effective and fun way to fish although best with one or two anglers aboard.  This week right off the macks seemed to disappear.   So we went back to cut bait for stripers.  That gave us more time to fish for our targeted species and in most cases we caught similar sized fish.  The silver sides (small bait fish) that had been in the river system where still around but not as prevalent on the surface, they seemed to be deeper in the water column.   Saturday probably the busiest day on the river this week, produced some of the best results.  With 3 long time customers we managed 3 bigger fish, with one for the grill and a bunch of other good sized fish.  A number of fishing spots produced which is probably the best news of all. 

Tight Lines, Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing Report Week Ending 6/12/10

We are catching stripers on each trip with on average 2 or 3 undersized fish for each over 28” fish.  Last year it was more like 15 undersized for each keeper.  On each trip this week we caught at least one keeper and on the last trip of the week on Saturday caught 4 keepers with the biggest a whopping 40” fish.    Just an amazing fish, what a great time we had with 2 sons who treated their Dad to a fishing trip.  The day before I took two old high school chums out for a trip, where we mixed bait fishing with a little fly fishing.  What a story Bill will have to tell.  He hooked a good striper on fly that took him into his backing and then his backing knot busted.    We watched a 100 ft of fly line moving through the water and decided to go after it.  We finally got the end of the fly line and hand lined in the fish until it got caught up in the weeds and broke the tippet.  Well at least Bill got his $70 fly line back and had a story to tell.  I don’t usually do fly fishing trips but having taken Bill before I knew with flexibility we could make it work. 

Early in the week, I took long time customer Mark out for a live bait trip.  This requires us to go catch live bait  (which can take an hour or two) and then bring them back into the river to fish.  This is a great trip for one or two guys on a 6 or 8 hour trip.  Final tally we had more than 6 keepers (although we released them all) with a couple more big fish that we broke off in the structure..

Tess caught a large striper midweek on her first ever saltwater fishing trip, putting the boys to shame.

 

What a strange year this has been for Striper fishing in the Piscataqua River.

Unlike past years I am just not seeing a lot of smaller fish in the river.  On occasion yes, there are some surface feeds and we do catch a few smaller fish but not large numbers like in years past. 

Silversides, (little baits) are everywhere sometimes so thick the depth finder screen is blacked out (or purpled out on my colored screen).   That causes me some worry as the smaller fish are the future big fish.    Hopefully this is just a temporary situation, and soon we will see a big migration of stripers into the river. 

We didn’t catch a lot of stripers on each trip this week but we always caught em, and everyone had a great time, which is really the most important thing in any fishing trip.

Tight lines, Capt. Joel

On Friday May 28, I had the first Striped Bass Charter of the season, followed by another trip on Saturday.   On both trips we caught stripers although less than I would have liked.  We caught 8 or so fish on each trip and at least one over 28” (NH Keeper size) each day.  A number of fish were real close to 28 inches, and poor Joe, on Saturday had two that were within ½ inch of legal.  Unfortunately this isn’t hand grenades or horse shoes  and almost isn’t good enough to keep.   There are plenty of baits moving into the river now, including herring, mackerel, and silver sides.  This and the warmer water temps will hopefully bring many more fish into the river quickly. 
The temps have been perfect for great times on the water and I have a number of midweek dates currently available. 
Tight Lines Capt. Joel.


2010 News

Hope the winter and the economy has been good to you and your family.  My news, I no longer work winters at Gunstock Ski Area.  My wife and I bought a seasonal house in Venice Florida, and will be wintering down there and up north to NH for the summers and fishing beginning in May.  I have been doing a lot of fishing in Florida but have no immediate plans to run charters there.   

Other news, the long anticipated saltwater license has come to NH.  I already have a charter boat license so anyone fishing with me will be covered by my license.  So no problems, no license needed when fishing aboard “Reel Ecstasy”.

The sometimes hot weather in the Northeast has prompted some inquiries about early fishing trips in April.  This is too early. Through the years I have found consistent striper action doesn’t begin until the 3^rd week in May.  Maybe with the extra warm temps a little earlier, but I don’t expect the ocean to warm up enough to dramatically change the striped bass migration up to NH.  Sorry, you just have to wait until mid May.  My boat should be ready to go May 15^th  and I will begin heading out to locate the fish.  

I have already started to book a number of fishing trips. So, if you need to book a specific date it is best to book your trip early (you don’t want to disappoint your cousin from Michigan). 

As in previous years, I will not be running trips on Sundays.  Saturdays book up real early in the season, so if you need to book a trip on a weekend don’t wait too long.  
Stay tuned for 2010 fishing report updates..
 

Week Ending 9/20/09
Fishing really slowed down this week.   In the morning the temps were in the 50's and every day was very windy.  The wind and current rarely were in the same direction making it a struggle to catch just a few fish each day. 
In past years,  the fish have always been around till at least Oct. 1 so I believe the slow down was due to some major cold fronts coming through and not that the fish have migrated out of the area yet.   We shall see.
Tight Lines, Capt. Joel.

Week Ending 9/5/09 

The last week has brought fantastic weather to the NH Seacoast.  Cool mornings with warmer temps as the day progresses has made for some great fishing weather.

The beginning of the last week of August had some slower days fishing, mainly due to the storms that were nearby dumping rain and causing extreme high tides in the river. 

By the middle of the week the fishing had returned to normal and this week (the first week of September) the fishing was much better. 

This week we saw most trips with 15-20 stripers and 1 or 2 seabass as well.  I heard there were some bluefish in the river but all week we only had 1 or 2 bite offs.  There has been little surface activity over the last 2 weeks but fishing the way we do, down a little deeper, continues to produce striped bass.  Very few boats were out this past week and usually after Labor Day the boat traffic gets less and less. 

I do have a number of dates open in September and first week of Oct. if you would like to get a fishing trip in before the cold weather sets in give me a call or email.

Tight lines,

Capt. Joel

Fishing Report Week Ending 8/23/09 

What a difference a day makes!  From the worst day of the season to the best!

The last two weeks have been average striped bass fishing times for Reel Ecstasy.

 Fifteen to twenty striped bass was the typical catch on a fishing trip. 

Friday was a different story the morning trip was slooow, maybe 10 fish but this was with 4 seasoned veterans that I have taken out many times before.  Then the afternoon came, and it took a turn for the worse, the fishing was just terrible, we caught a few and lost a few but only one spot produced, and then shut off with the tide change..  After that the wind picked up and was in the opposite direction than the current and it just wasn’t happening.  On the way home I heard the weather report that there was a tornado warning in effect, well at least we didn’t get caught in a tornado I thought.

As I drove to the boat to get ready for my Sat. morning trip I pleaded with the powers that be to get the fishing back on track, and we did.  We started off with a good pick of midsize fish, and it was apparent that the poor fishing the day before was over.  We were about an hour into the trip with about 8 fish released when it was obvious we had a big fish on.  Nineteen yr. old Alex was at the rod and fought the fish well.  He brought the fish to net without a lot of excitement until we saw it alongside the boat.  It was huge, barely fitting into the net.  We measured the fish at 46” with an estimated weight of over 40lbs.  Absolutely amazing, and on 20lb tackle.  You have to realize the state record is 51” so a 46” fish is a big fish.  Well as good sports as these guys were, and as much as they wanted to keep one for the grill, we all agreed to let this true trophy go back in the water. 

After a few pictures and some revival swimming, off this beauty went. 

So there you have it, from the worst fishing day in my 10 years of guiding to the biggest Striped bass in my 10 year career.  People always ask “how was the fishing yesterday?” 

It doesn’t matter, it is today.

I have plenty of open dates for September including a couple of Sat. morning trips if you can’t get off during the week.  I don’t guarantee a big fish like this one but we will catch fish, guaranteed.

Tight lines, Capt. Joel

 

Fishing Report Week Ending 8/8/09

The fishing was good this week with a few great days and then WOW!!..  Monday and Tuesday were really good fishing days with 20-30 fish each day.  In addition we caught a couple of bigger fish with the biggest on Monday at 34”.  Midweek was slower with 10-15 fish caught each trip.  Everyone caught fish and all trips were deemed successful, and the weather was great.  Best weather of any week so far, it was finally summer in NH and no days of rain. 

Then on Saturday it happened.  It was a slow start only 5 fish in two hours, but then we hooked a good one.  Had a rod with a heavy weight off to the side and line starts to move off the reel.  We engaged the drag and line continued to move off the reel at the same speed.  I knew instantly it was a big fish.  Thirteen-year-old Mike was up on the rod and as he continued to work the fish it never stopped taking line.  After the fish took 50 or so yards of line off the reel I knew it was time to take action, clear the lines, toss the anchor buoy and start the boat.  There were a number of moorings behind the boat and I knew we would wrap one with all the line out, probably 100 yds. by now.  I kept telling Mike and his Dad, “THIS IS A BIG FISH”, I played this game before, no doubt about it.  We backed the boat down on the mooring that the fish was now wrapped on, and Mike skillfully, took up the slack line and kept tension on the fish.  We swung the boat around the mooring and freed the line and the real fight was back on.  Mike had a tug of war with the fish for a few more minutes before we were straight up and down with it, only gaining a little line at a time.  Net was extended, and ready, we see color, it is a monster, and in the net, barely.  One, two three, in the boat.  Mike lands a trophy 43” striper and on 20 lb test light tackle. The fish was fat and I estimate the fish weighed 32-34 lbs.   This is the largest fish of the season for us, and one of the heaviest ever. What a day.  We only got a few more fish after that but I hope Mike and his Dad remember this day for a long time.  Guys spend their whole lives trying for a big fish and to get one at 13 is fantastic, what memories for Mike and his Dad.

I have many open dates in September and hopefully we will see more big fish, move into NH waters. 

Tight lines, Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com 

Week Ending 8/2/09 

Finally, some nice weather for a change.  No rain on any trip this week and lots of sun.  Fishing was consistent with 15 –25 fish on each trip.  We had a couple of fish this week in the 30+” range with most fish between 24-27”.   It is truly amazing the fight these fish put up on the tackle we are using aboard Reel Ecstasy. 

Thursday turned out to be probably the best day of the week, with the original forecast calling for rain, that never materialized.  The day started off slow with only a couple of fish in the first hour.  Paul and his brother Ted (visiting from Texas) had never gone with me before and they asked if they still had to pay if we only caught 2 fish.  I told them no and half kidding, offered them double or nothing if we didn’t get at least 10 fish.  They didn’t take me up on it, and a good thing, cause we really got into them after that estimating 20 fish with a fat 31” in the mix. They were all smiles in the end.

There were a lot of great trips this week, including a business trip with Nick, Susie, and Chris.  I also did a number of family trips:  Shaun, his son Mike and Mike’s friend from Colorado James.   Eric and his son Shannon went out as well as  John, his wife Jennifer and son Steve on their yearly outings.  Last year Jennifer was a bit scared of going on the “boat” but this year all her fears were gone as she remembered the great time she had last year.

There is still 2 months left of Striped Bass Fishing in NH.  I do have a number of open dates so don’t miss out on booking a trip in 2009.

Tight Lines, Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Week Ending 7/26/09

Lot of good fishing trips this week.  Caught 15-20 fish on all trips with most trips yielding at least one keeper.  The weather for the most part was cooperative however it rained a bit on Tuesday and Connie, Charlie, Chuck, and Caitlin were ready to go out.

Connie at first was unhappy, but quickly realized she could stay dry under the bimini top and never even put on rain gear, and as soon as we starting catching fish she and the rest of the family had a blast.  Friday it poured.  Had a trip scheduled with Rob as a birthday trip for his brother Ken, and weather was not going to stop these guys from going out.  I told them to dress warm cause it was going to be cold but they were hardy and showed up in shorts and sandals.  The fish were cooperating that day, and the guys stuck out the full length of the trip even though I offered them numerous times to cut it short.  Having committed to a striper dinner that night we agreed to fish in Maine for a while catch a few fish within Maine’s slot limit 20”-26” and had Kens’s wife meet us at a Maine dock to put them on ice.  I don’t do this often but it ensures a striper dinner that evening. 

Saturday was a bright sunny day with warm temps, and Dave and his family repeated another successful fishing trip.  Dave has gone out with me for many years, and last year his wife joined us.  She was always afraid of getting seasick but quickly realized this was not gonna happen aboard the Reel Ecstasy.  Carol didn’t fish this trip but took some great photos of seals, and her family and I am sure she will be back again next year.

Sunday was a repair day as earlier in the week I broke my transducer for the depth finder. I tried to do an in the water repair but it was obvious the boat would have to be taken out of the water.  I field tested the depth finder after I pulled the boat and did the repair and all seems to be working great.  Reel Ecstasy, is ready for another week providing striped bass fishing trips for families and friends.  

Tight Lines,

Capt. Joel

  

Week Ending 7.19.09

Well it has been two week since my last report.  Finally the weather has cleared and we have had some hot sunny summer days.  The fishing has been mainly good with 15-25 fish caught on most trips, every so often though we get a slower trip with only 8-10 fish.  Some times the tides aren’t right, or the wind is blowing in the opposite direction than the current or maybe an impending or just passing storm has turned them off a bit.   Lots of factors affect things but whether we catch a lot or only a few fish with the right attitude we can have a great trip either way.

We caught a number of keepers the last few weeks with Friday, July 17^th probably the best with 3 keepers on the morning trip and one in the afternoon.  The big fish of the day was 33” with a 29” fish hooked as we were reeling in the bigger one.  Just goes to show as I tell my guests, try to keep lines in the water while we are fighting a fish. 

Also over the last two weeks we have caught a few eels, big ones, up to about 3 feet. Not my favorite and certainly not something we try for.  We also caught a few blue fish and had a few others bite off as well. 

On Sunday, I went out with my wife.  It was a beautiful day, and lots of boats were out midday.  We anchored up outside of the channels and did some bottom fishing on a rock pile.  The cunners (little bottom fish with sharp teeth) were everywhere but I also managed to catch 4 sea bass.  They are great eating but not plentiful in NH.  As the summer gets on we usually catch one or two on a trip but I thought I would specifically target them and we did ok in a couple of hours. 

I have a number of open dates (mainly midweek) over the next few weeks.  Get in touch if you want a fun filled time on the water catching striped bass.

Regards, Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Week Ending July 5, 2009. 

What a week, once again a lot of rain and cold temps in the beginning of the week.  Thankfully the bimini top and some rain gear keep everyone dry for the most part. 

Fishing had it ups and downs, this week.  Monday morning was a bit slow with about 10 fish, the afternoon trip yielded about 25.   My slowest day of the season was on Wed. with only 7 or 8 fish.  It was tough, we found one good spot that was producing but a bathroom trip caused us to head back in for a quick pitstop and we just never got into them again. 

On Thursday, we had 2 fish over 28 inches and a bunch of other quality fish despite the fact that is was the worst weather I have fished in so far this season.  We all got wet and called the trip about ½ hour early as lightning was starting to roar its ugly head.  Friday the weather was great, and actually for the first time in a couple of weeks I took the bimini top down.  We did real good fishing as well, with 2 over 30” and 7year old Liam with the help of me and his dad reeled in one of the big ones.

We saw some surface activity this week and even did some casting to some breaking fish catching a few on spinning gear.  We also caught our first bluefish for the season, well we got him right to the boat before he chewed through the leader.

Saturday turned out to be a great day, the sun was out, bimini top was put away and I even had suntan lotion and sunglasses on, an all too rare occurrence this summer.  The fishing was really good, we caught about 30 fish, no keepers but real close and the guys had a lot of fun.  In town for a wedding for Jerry’s daughter they were a nice bunch of guys from Kentucky, Georgia and western NH.  Happy July 4, 2009

Tight Lines Capt. Joel.

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing Report Week Ending 6.28.09 Another week of mostly bad weather.  Monday it poured, we stayed dry under the bimini top and we caught a bunch of stripers but sun would have been nice.  Tuesday I took off and guess what it didn’t rain.  Wed. I went out with long time customers Harry, Judy, Kenny, and new recruit Colin.  The weather was simply terrible, heavy rain, and high winds.  The first hour I couldn’t even get the boat to stay in position.  I started to head down river and the sky was dark, I offered to cancel the trip and rebook, (something I do maybe once a year), but they were troopers and said lets give it a little more time.  We anchored up and starting hitting fish.  The rain and wind let up a little, and every so often Judy would venture out of the bimini tops cover and say I think the sun is coming out.  Of course it never did. The fishing stayed good and we were the only boat out.  Kenny and Harry were just slaying the fish, Judy and Colin were catching a few in between.  With about 10 minutes left to the trip Judy hooks a good fish, husband Harry and son Kenny don’t realize it is a big one, and are giving Judy a hard time but I know better.  As the fish comes up along side the boat everyone knows it.  A nice 35” striper in the net.

Worst weather day, best fishing day, with over 35 fish and a fat 35” striped bass on board.

The next few days yielded 15-25 fish each trip and the weather got better for the most part, sometimes we had sun sometimes clouds but the wind and rain had let up. 

On Saturday we had fog, and it was thick, I maneuvered to a spot outside of the traffic lanes as there were a lot of boats out, and no one was leaving the river and bays. 

After about two hours the fog started to lift and my group could finally see all the boats that were out.  It wasn’t a great day of fishing, we caught 18 or so with most coming from one spot in about an hour, but the weather was nice once the fog lifted, and another Judy, a newcomer was high hook on this family outing. Most of others at the marina that  I spoke with said the fishing was terrible that day, I guess we did good with 18.

Tight Lines

Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Once again it was a week of rain, cold and Striped Bass.  Not sure when we will really get summer but at least the Striped Bass are here.  We did have one slow trip this week. 

We got 7or 8 fish but considering that in the morning we got over 25 it just wasn’t right. 

The fish were around but just wouldn’t cooperate.  We got to one spot and caught 3 within about 10 minutes and then not another hit till we moved.  It isn’t usually like that,

find a few and there are more there as well.  Even our slow trip was a great experience though, as we had 3 generations aboard for a real fathers day treat and we all got to see Dylan with his first striped bass.  Good job buddy!!

Except for that one slow trip, every other trip this week yielded 15-25 fish.  We caught a few in the 30” range as well as a fat 34” fish on Sat. 

Monday was cold with temps in the mid 50’s and with out of state clients from Florida, they were wearing everything they brought, and borrowed some clothes from one of my friends at the marina.  They had a great time though and were really impressed with the great inshore fishery NH has to offer.  Friday on the other hand was warmer but it was rain, rain and more rain.  Thanks to the bimini top both morning and afternoon customers stayed fairly dry, but after 9 hours on the water, with much of my time outside of the tops cover I was wet.  The rest of the week was damp weather, except for Saturday when the sun came out and it was just a beautiful day.

Tight Lines.

Capt. Joel

Fishing Report Week Ending June 7, 2009.

Had a number of great people out this week and everyone had a fantastic time.

The weather really cooperated as well.  The fishing was good but not great. 

Trips yielded 10-25 fish, but it wasn’t consistent.  Ten fish one day 20 the next,

then 11 and the next day 25.   Most days yielded at least one keeper and many

of the fish were less than an inch shy of the needed 28” size for NH..

Hopefully the fishing will really turn on this week.  Actually my best day was Sunday

when my wife and I went out to scout around.  We had two really good spots and were

catching fish right up until we ran out of bait.  Don’t worry, I never run out of bait with a charter.

Tight Lines, Capt. Joel

First two charters for the season took place this week.  It was a bit earlier

than I usually run trips but, after some preliminary fishing over the last

week or so I was confident I could get people into fish.  Both days turned

out to be successes.   On Thursday, I went out with Lee, Jeff and Dick for a

4 hour trip.  The temps were around 90 degrees but with the breeze blowing

were comfortable.  Actually, Jeff just up from Florida thought it was a little

cold, Ha!!.  We landed about a dozen stripers with two over the legal 28”

mark.  Both keepers were returned to the water unharmed.  On Saturday, Nat

Peter, and Ted went out for a 4 hour trip.  What a temperature difference over 2 days.

I don’t think it ever got over 60 degrees, and with overcast skies it was cold.

The fishing was better, it took a while to find em, but once we did we landed 

about 2 dozen with 1 over 28”.   On a few occasions we had more than one fish

on at a time.

It looks like the striped bass fishing in NH is fully underway and I am looking

forward to many more successful trips.

Tight Lines, Capt. Joel

River herring and Pogies are around in good numbers and as always, the Stripers are never far behind. 
Tight Lines, Capt. Joel. 


2007
Fishing has ended for the 2007 season.  The hot weather we had at the end of Sept. allowed us to extend our season for an extra couple of days. 

Week Ending 8/26/07
Beginning of the week was great with a big fish landed by Michael from Burlington VT.  The fish was over 40inches and was fat.  This was our largest fish of the year so far.  Michael, his brother John and father John, left Burlington at 3:45 a.m. for the 4 hour drive to Portsmouth.  They were rewarded with a lot of fish and two keepers including the 40" fish.  The middle of the week was a bit slow with only about 15 caught on the Wed. half day trip.  By Friday though the fishing picked up and Steve and Diane from Florida caught a bunch of Stripers as well as a few blues. 
Hopefully more "big" fish will be caught over the next month or so as Sept. can yield some bigger fish migrating from Maine to the south..
tight lines Capt. Joel.
Week Ending 8/12/07
Striped Bass fishing remains good with average catches of 30-50 fish per trip.  Almost all are under the 28" NH size limit but they all fight great on light tackle.  There are a few small blue fish mixed in, mainly when fishing deeper waters.  We also caught one small sea bass this week.  They are very rare in our waters but sure do taste great.
Tight lines. Capt. Joel

Week Ending 7/28/07
Plenty of Stripers still the norm with a couple of smaller blues mixed in.  Most fish sublegal with many in the 25-27inch range.  Every so often a larger fish makes his way to the boat but the smaller fish are so agressive right now.  On light tackle they all fight great and provide good sport for a catch and release fishery. 
Tight Lines. Capt. Joel 

Week Ending 7/7/07
Plenty of fish this week with the occasional over 28" keeper size striper mixed in.  The Tall ships were in port in Portsmouth and that is always a nice side trip when we want to take a break from fishing.
Most reports I have been hearing are similar to what I have found, plenty of fish but not a lot of larger fish.  Live bait fisherman are having similar luck, after spending a lot of time catching bait they are just not rewarded with the huge fish found in past years.  Maybe due to the colder water temps this year they are just slow to arriving or ???
Anyway we were rewarded with 30-60 fish on each trip over the past two weeks.  Lots of action, which is what I look for, most times we hook a bigger fish or two, sometimes getting em to the boat and sometimes not.  As long as the plan is to have fun we always succeed. 
Special appology to EVA, the picture just doesn't do her  justice.  They say a picture adds 10 lbs, somehow the format added about 40lbs to her picture.  She was a great fishing person, catching the biggest on our trip and baiting up her brothers hook as he was off to work after the trip and didnt want to smell like fish. 
Tight Lines..  Capt. Joel

Week Ending 6/24/07
Wind was the buzz word this week, lots and lots of it.   Made it hard to fish at times depending on which direction the wind was coming from vs the current.  On each trip however we did manage to find a few spots holding numbers of fish and caught between 25-50 fish each day.   Only a couple over 28" inches this week and most of those were returned as the fisherman those days were strictly fishing catch and release.  We did manage to catch one bluefish this week and had a few other bite offs.  This is a bit early in the season for the blues to arrive, but I guess global warming has something to do with it. 
Tight Lines.


Week Ending 6/10/07
First full week of fishing.  Monday was raining the whole day but my hearty crew from Vt. was there to catch fish.  Kevin and Casey got about 35 with the main struggle positioning the boat so we wouldn't drown in the rain.  Monday night Kevin drove back to VT. dropped off Casey and picked up a buddy and came back for another day of fishing.  Again we got about 35 fish, with the struggle today of positioning the boat in the high winds.  No keepers either day but a lot more fish than they were used to catching, and we were all happy.
Wed. was the break in the weather and the fishing.  Lots of fish for John and his crew, including a 38" 36" and a 29" inch Striper.  Thursday was probably the most fun for me, a great bunch of guys from out of state here for a sales meeting.  Dom, Corey and Big John.
The picture of two guys and fish is of John and Corey.  The fish John was holding up was 30" but hard to tell as John was 6'7".  The first guy to bump his head on my t-top rod holders.  We had a great time catching a bunch of fish but more importantly every fish we caught was appreciated by these guys.  Friday Larry and brother Ed came for a 40+ trip with biggest about 29".  Saturday, was overcast with bits of rain.  The weather conditions kept a lot of small fish on the surface, which was fun for the Sat. boating crowd, fly-fishing or light tackle casting to them.  It didn't do much for us as these fish were small and casting with 4 and the bimini top on for the rain just wouldn't have worked for us.  We did catch a number of fish 40+ none over 28" and we had to move a lot to stay with fish. It was a damp and cool day overall.
Tight lines Capt. Joel. 



e net in the water he gave a last effort and was gone.  Friday and Saturday yielded about 40 fish per day, with a keeper a little under 30" caught both days.  There are definitely some bigger fish around but certainly the rule right now are 20-26 inch size fish.  The smaller fish are a lot of fun on light tackle, and using circle hooks they go back in the water unharmed to grow up. 
This season like the last 10 or 12 is very predictable with good numbers of stripers making their way to NH on Memorial Day.  Striper fishing will remain consistent right through Sept. 30 when just as quick as they come they will leave to head to warmer waters.
Tight Lines, Capt. Joel

Fishing Reports 2006

October, The season has ended for Capt. Joel and Reel Ecstasy, LLC charters.  It was a great year and many, many Striped Bass were caught.  See you on the Ski Slopes!

September 12 Fishing Report.  Fishing remains great in the Piscataqua river.  Not many blues in the river these days rumors are they have moved to the mouth and just offshore.  Stripers are still around and will be here for the next few weeks.  Catches of smaller fish are consistent and the occasional large fish is finding its way to the bait.  Over the last week we caught two big fish in the 40 inch range.  The mornings have been cool but as the sun comes out temps warm up and it is shorts and tee shirt weather.  I currently have a few midweek openings through the end of the season (Sept. 30).   Tight Lines Capt. Joel

Report ending week of August 27,  Fishing back to normal again this week.  We had great catches of Stripers each day this week with between 50-70 fish caught on 6 hour trips.  Blues are in the river as well and every day we have a few blues on.  Sometimes the circle hooks are just right in the corner of the fishes mouth but many times the Blues bite through the leader and we dont get the fish in the boat.  Caught a few Sea Bass as well this week and as I reported earlier, this is the first year I have caught any in the river and we probably caught over 20 of them this summer..  Not sure if that means conditions are changing in the river or if the Sea Bass are migrating further North then in the past.  I will try to do some research during the fall so I can get an idea of what is going on.    My buddy Dave got a Tuna this week, about 85 lbs and he nicely left me the head in my bait locker.  Went I got to the boat and opened up my bait locker at 6a.m. the next day I almost jumped out of the boat as I found this big Tuna head staring at me..   Funny Dave!.   Tight Lines.  Capt. Joel.

August 20th fishing report.  WOW what a weird week.  Started off the beginning of the week with a 6 hour 100+ fish trip.  Nothing real big but we did manage one "just over keeper" in the mix.  It was non stop action for most of the trip and I didn't even fish much (I only hooked 5) as I was too busy.  Every day the numbers of fish declined from there.  On Friday on a 4 hour trip we probably caught only 30 or so but we had 3 keepers with the largest going 35".   Saturday was the real weird day.  It was slow, real slow.  The fish were around but just not eating.  Every time we would move to a new spot we would catch a couple and that would be it.  Probably only got a dozen fish, certainly the slowest trip of the season.  Decided to fish in Maine a little, as at this point I just wanted to get us into some fish.  Explained to my group that Maine's size limit was different then NH's and therefore even if we got one over 28" we would not be able to keep it (didn't get into the over 40" trophy you could keep in Maine).  Well as luck would have it our very first fish in the spot was a Whopping 41 inch beauty.  Smiles were everywhere as I explained that as it was over 40" it was legal in both states and we could keep it.   A slow day in numbers but the biggest fish we have caught so far this season.. Go Figure!!!  Hopefully Sundays rain will get fishing back to normal.   Tight lines.   Capt. Joel

August fishing Report.  Fishing remains excellent with many 6 hour trips yielding 70 or more fish.  Most of these fish are under 28inches but every so often a big one comes over the side.  We are now running into blues consistently in the river.  On most trips we hook onto 5 or 6 but as we are not using wire leader often we only get one or two into the boat.   This year as an added surprise we have caught a few sea bass.  We are not targeting them and just catch them while we are fishing for Stripers.  Over the last five years I have only caught one before, and this year we have caught at least a dozen with one last week weighing about 4 lbs.   This has certainly been the best year for consistent Striper action.   The fishing should remain fast and furious till the end of Sept. when the Stripers migrate south for the winter.   I still have a number of opening in Sept.  so it is not too late to get in on this incredible fishing action.. Tight lines, Capt. Joel    

First week of July fishing report- Well the buzz word for the last few weeks has been plenty of fish.  On most days we are getting over 50 fish.  The action has been fast and furious with constant action on most spots.  We are getting some NH sized keepers but certainly this year the numbers of fish being caught are amazing.  It appears the bigger fish are around but there are so many smaller fish they are just not letting the baits get down to the big Stripers. Light tackle has provided us with great action and many smiling faces and sore arms.   A couple of small blues have made their way into the river but at this time they are few and far between.  I have not seen a lot of surface activity of late which is surprising with all the fish here..   Tight Lines, Capt Joel. 

June 22 Fishing Report.   The last few trips have yielded plenty of fish but not to many NH keepers.  Today changed all that.  I was fishing with one client, Todd from northern Vt.  and we caught many fish but also managed to land 4 keepers over 30" with the biggest just a little shy of 40".  We took a ride to the mouth of the piscataqua took pictures of the light houses, shipyard and many of the other sites along the river and just had a grand old time.  Well worth the drive from Vt, Todd said at the end.   Hopefully the weather will finally stabilize some and the bigger fish will move back into the river in force.  Tight lines.  Capt.Joel 

Well the 2006 NH Striper season started off with a bang for Reel Ecstasy.  Usually I begin on June 1 but this year I booked a trip a day early on May 31.  The fishing started out slow with only one 29 inch fish and a couple of very small fish by noon.  With a tide change and some different tactics the fishing really picked up.  We caught a number of decent size fish with 2 other keepers and a real nice 37 inch fish.  Small schoolies, around 14 inches or so were up on the surface for most of the day which was a great sign as well. Looks like the season is going to be another great one.     Tight Lines Capt. Joel, 

The 2005 fishing season has ended for Reel Ecstasy and Capt. Joel.  Fishing remained steady right through the end of September but all the rain and heavy winds in October eliminated any thoughts of late season striper fishing.
See you on the ski slopes this winter, or next year starting after Memorial day for another great fishing season..
Regards, Capt. Joel.

Striper fishing report for September.

Fishing remains good with many stripers and a few blues still in the river. 

On most trips 20-40 fish are still being caught   Not as many large fish as

 some years but as the weather has gotten cooler, a few keeper size fish (over

 28inches) are being brought to the boat.

Still have a few openings for the end of September, and I plan on fishing up

till Oct. 1 which traditionally has been the end of good striper fishing.   With

the warm summer we have had and lack of rain, maybe they will stay around

a little longer this year.

Regards, Capt. Joel

Fishing Report ending July 31

Fishing continues to be good with a large number of fish caught.  Most days yield 30-50 stripers with plenty of action but the bigger fish seem to have taken a break with the warm weather setting in.  Small blue fish have appeared in the river and on most trips we get a few.  Circle hooks allow us to bring some blues to the boat even when wire line is not used.  Dogfish seem to be ruling the offshore striper fishing but inshore we have not caught a dogfish this year.   I have a few midweek opening in August and September still has a lot of open dates.  Fishing 6 days a week has kept me real busy and when I am not fishing my wife and I have been working on making our new house a home.

Regards, Capt. Joel.

Fishing Report for the month of June

Fishing is spectacular with most trips catching 40 fish or more.  Most trips yield at least one keeper size striper with multiple keepers caught on many.   In June we caught a number of fish over 36 inches, with a few just a hair under 40 inches.   Capt. Joel and Admiral Betty are in the process of moving to our new house in Rochester NH so I have been too busy to post weekly reports.  Hopefully things will be calm soon and I can get back to it.  Only have one or two open dates in July, so book now for August and September.    Regards, Capt.  Joel.

Fishing Report May 28, 2005

Fishing Report May, 19 2005

The Stripers have made it to NH.  Took out the new boat and decided to give fishing a serious try.  Caught a number of fish up to 26” in about 2 hours on cut bait and circle hooks.   All the fish were healthy and fought hard. 
Alewives are in the rivers as well so you can be sure the bigger fish are around.  Didn’t see any surface activity but with the wind blowing that would not be unusual. 
With any luck the weather will get nicer soon and many more fishing
trips will occur.
The new Reel Ecstasy is a great fishing boat and with the addition of gull wings I was able to go out when the weather was less than ideal.
Still adding rod holders and other finishing touches to make her a real fishing machine.
Regards, Capt. Joel

2004 Fishing Season EndedAnother great fishing season has come to an end.  It was a great year, many past customers came again and a lot of new faces got to sample the incredible New Hampshire Striped Bass fishery as well.  The fantastic fishing really surprised some of the newcomers and many booked additional trips after they told their friends and families how great a time we had.    Big News for Reel Ecstasy and our fishing friends, the Hydra-sports has been sold, so a NEW BOAT will be in use next year.    What to expect; a little bigger, quieter engine, T-top for some shade, more room in the back for fishing, additional seating for comfort, and additional storage for those who follow Gilligan's Island (it may be a 3 hour tour but you need to bring along enough clothes and food for a month).                                       Ski season will be starting soon, but first a trip to Florida to visit the parents and relatives.  We wish you and your family the very best for the winter and look forward to seeing you again next season.    Regards, Capt. Joel and Admiral Betty.

Fishing Report Week Ending 9/17/04

Fishing continues to be great in the River.  We caught at least  50 fish each day and one day we boated over a hundred fish.  Most days NH size keepers were caught (over 28inches).  The most keepers caught for the week came on Saturday, Sept. 11 where we boated over 10 keepers.  The big fish of the week was caught by Fred on Friday the 17th, a real fat 35+ inch striper.  We also caught about a dozen blues that day.  Most days the blues showed up mixed in with the stripers.  The 3-5lb blues that are abundant in the river now are great eating for those who like the stronger taste of Bluefish.

I have a number of openings the last week of Sept.  The fishing will still be good and the weather is cooler and pleasant.  Don't miss out, book a trip before the fish migrate south for the winter.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing Report Week Ending 9/04/04

Dog Days of Summer,  Not for us this week.  Absolutely great fishing had by all. 

Best day of the week was Wednesday where Dave, by himself, caught over 50 fish.  Dave was hot and his two buddies didn't count how many they caught,  but we had at least 90 fish at the boat on this trip.  Dave has been out with me a number of times before, as recently as last Saturday, but this day was different, he came with a few buddies and not members of his family.  That meant he could fish and not worry about showing the others up..  It took his buddies a while to get with the program but once they did they were catching fish like crazy too..  Big fish of the week was also caught on this trip, not by Dave but by his buddy Bob, a beautiful 35 incher. 

Other trips this week were also great with many fish caught on each trip.  Morning or afternoon didn't matter, we were into fish. 

There are many more days of great Striped Bass fishing left for the season, Sept. 30 is when they usually migrate out of the area but up until then catches of 30-50 fish are not uncommon, and if you are lucky and the conditions are right, you just might catch 50 by yourself,  like Dave.

Tight Lines

Capt. Joel

www.nhsaltwaterfishing.com

Fishing Report Week Ending 8/21/04
This was the week for the largest number of Stripers caught per trip.  On most days we caught upwards of 40 Stripers per trip with a few Bluefish mixed in.  Most of the fish were in the 23-27 inch range,but, except for one trip we caught keeper size fish (over 28") on each outing.   This week we also started to see Seals basking in the sun on the rocks around Little Bay.   On Wednesdays afternoon trip, with Dwayne and Will (an actor from California)  we caught 6 keepers with Dwayne's 36 incher coming over the side for the largest fish of the week.  The morning trip with Jeff his 12 year old son Ian and 12 year old friend Ethan was also a great trip where we caught a few keepers as well as Ethans 31" Bluefish.   Jeff and Ian did a Redfish trip down south earlier in the year and could not believe that we caught more fish in the first 15 minutes than they did in  6hours fishing for Reds.  The Striper fishery in NH is really world class and the number of fish caught on each trip amazes even the most experienced anglers.  On the light tackle we use, all of the fish put up a great fight and are a lot of fun to catch, but when we hook a big one it is a real blast.  
Striper fishing will remain good in NH right through Sept. 30th.  If you have not gone out yet, what are you waiting for?  
Tight Lines, Capt. Joel

Fishing Report Week Ending August 7, 2004

The Bluefish have entered the river in large numbers and award us

each day with their acrobatics and great fight.  Most fish are in the

3-5lb range but every so often we get a larger one in the river like

the fish Chris caught on Wed.  Stripers still predominate our catch

and we probably get 10 stripers to each bluefish.  Offshore, the blues

are dominating the catch.   From past records it appears the blues have

entered earlier this year and in greater numbers, although from what I

have been reading, it appears that this year and next will have large

populations of blues around due to the cyclical nature of things.

We continue to get 20-40 stripers on most trips with keepers caught

almost every day. 

I did do a trip with Nick and his father-in-law Ed last week and Ed really

wanted to try Stripers on the grill (he had heard how great they were to

eat).    As our time on the water was near its conclusion I offered to take

Ed and Nick to fish in Maine waters, which has a 20-26inch slot limit

where I was sure we could catch a few in our limited time that would be

within the Maine size limit.  The only thing was, I could not go back into

NH waters and would have to drop Ed off in Maine and Nick could drive

by car and pick him up.  Ed decided that was a great plan and off we went.

Well of course our first fish in Maine was over 30inches and had to get

released, we did catch some Maine keepers and got another over 30 that

also went back in.  Well Ed not only got to eat Striper that night but

also got to fight a few bigger fish.  Sure wish Maine and NH could agree

on a size limit for the Piscataqua river.

Tight Lines Capt. Joel

Fishing Report week ending 7/24/04

Striper activity continues to be great with catches each day between 20-40 fish.  Blues have moved into the river as well and each day we hook up on a few in the 3-8lb range.   Blues are great fighters on light tackle and will hit like a freight train and jump clear out of the water on light tackle.   In order to bring them to the boat wire leader is necessary as these toothy critters will bite through mono line.  Most days have produced keeper stripers in the 28-32 inch range, with a number of fish just under the NH legal limit caught each day.  

Rain or Sun, incoming or outgoing tides doesn't matter, the fish are here.   Best catch of the week 14 year old Courtney's sunglasses.  She leaned over and off they went, quck action on my part and I snagged them with my rod as they were decending to the bottom.  Now that is some great fishing..

Tight lines. Capt. Joel.

Fishing Report Week Ending 7/10/04

Fishing remains great with a large population of Stripers having moved into the rivers and bays of NH.  On most days we caught upwards of 30 fish of mixed sizes from 20inches up to 33 inches.  We caught keepers every day this week except for one trip where we had no keepers but over 35 fish with a few in the 27.999 inch range.  I am beginning to think it is time for the size limit to be lowered down to maybe 26” as there are just so many Stripers now.  Conservation has sure paid off over the last few years, but allowing 26” fish to be taken would probably mean every angler would get to take a fish home on each outing.  

Bluefish have started to move into the Piscataqua River as well now.  They are hard to specifically target in the river, but every so often they appear mixed in with a days catch.  That will probably scatter the large schools of mackerel that have been just outside the mouth of the river.  Bigger Blues are starting to make an appearance at the Isle of Shoals as well.

Most fun I had this week, was a trip on July 5th with Jimmy and DJ.  Jimmy is a drift boat guide in NY and it was fun sharing stories and experiences with another in the business.

Tight Lines Capt. Joel.

Fishing Report Week Ending 7/4/04

Striped Bass Fishing was excellent again this week.   On most days we caught 2-6 keepers with many other smaller fish as well.  No real big fish this week but a few were in the 34 inch range which is a lot of fight on the tackle we use aboard "Reel Ecstasy".  This week almost all of my trips were with fathers and their sons or daughters.  We had some great times and the enjoyment of seeing the bonding occur on an exciting fishing trip is a lot of fun for me.  One of my guests Rod took his son Hunter out and sent me the following thank you email which really sums it all up.            "Hello JOEL.  Just mailing you on the best time of my life with my son. It has been a very long time since we bonded like that. The trip was well worth the money and them some. Hope you hammer them like that every day. Hope to see you soon for some FUN IN THE SUN have a great day....Rodney N Hunter "             The most exciting catch of the week, one of my rods and reels.  We had a big fish that we were getting ready to net, another angler  was surprised when another fish hit the rod he was holding,  and over the side it went.  Quick reaction on my part, and instead of netting the fish I swung the net and snagged the reel and rod as they were going under the water.. Whew!.   Saved.       Tight lines, and hold onto those rods, it is not uncommon to have more than one striper on at a time.      Capt. Joel.

Fishing Report Week Ending 6/27/2004      Once again we had a fantastic week striper fishing aboard the Reel Ecstasy.  Some days the fishing was so hot we stayed in one spot the whole day and continued to catch fish.  Each trip this week yielded at least  1 keeper and on a few trips we caught as many as 6 keepers with many, many smaller fish caught as well.  On most days this week we caught upwards of 30 fish.   My favorite day this week was with David and his 11 year old daughter Emily.  We started off catching some smaller fish which Emily was at first having trouble with, but as our 6 hour trip progressed we found ourselves into a bunch of larger fish.  David had a blast with a few 33 inch fish and we were all real pleased when Emily hooked up with a 30" incher and fought  it to the boat like a real pro.  What a day we had, the weather was rainy and we must have raised and lowered the Bimini top a dozen times but we all stayed dry and had a great time.   Big fish honors this week go to Cora, who came with her Dad Kevin.  They had been doing an annual trip the last few years, catching mackerel but after Cora, (and almost everyone else on the boat) got seasick last year they decided to try an inshore trip with me aboard Reel Ecstasy.  Well Cora that 39" you caught was certainly no mackerel..   The weather was not the best this week with some rain and some wind but with the bimini top and a lot of inshore spots we were all able to stay dry, comfortable and catch plenty of fish..  Tight Lines Capt. Joel..

Fishing Report 6/19/2004  

Great Fishing continues to be the norm for Reel Ecstasy patrons.  Last week we had a number of big fish being caught including a 40 inch fish and BJ's 43 incher caught on 15lb spinning tackle.   Most days we caught 15-30 fish although I did have a slow day on Saturday with a real nice couple Ken and Lynn.  Only a few fish caught but we had a great time anyway.  This week the fishing picked right up again and we had a number 20+ fish days with keepers caught on every trip.   The weather people kept predicting rain but luckily they were wrong.  Small Stripers have been up on the surface and have provided exciting action for fly fisherman.  On a few trips, we started out with flys hooking up on numerous schoolies and then switched over to bait for the bigger fish later in the day.   The weather has been good and the fish have certainly moved into NH waters to spend the summer.

Tight Lines, Capt. Joel 

Fishing Report, 6/9/2004  Warm weather has certainly started to heat the fishing up.  We have been getting keepers every day now and on Monday got a nice 38inch fish.  It was a graduation present trip for Seth, who has been accepted to the college of choice.  After a busy exam schedule Dad Steve thought a fishing trip would be a great way to unwind.  Great experience with some big fish being caught.  Tuesday, Deb and Tim headed out with me and scored on a nice 34" fish along with a few other big boys.. Wed was about the same with Carl and his friends as we finished the day with a pair of 31 inch twins to bring to the Grill.  Many other fish were caught on all days and smiles were had by all including the captain.  More good fishing to come as the season is just getting started.

Tight lines, Capt. Joel

Fishing Report; Week Ending 5/30/2004

37 incher caught despite the bad weather.

This week’s story was all about the weather.  If it wasn’t raining,

it was windy, really windy.  Oh yeah, I think we had one sunny,

nice day thrown in to keep us from going off the deep end.

The Stripers though are in NH, the Piscataqua River and Great Bay

Estuary has all size classes of Stripers now.   On the days we did go

out, we caught a dozen or so each day up to around 26inches. 

A bigger fish 37+ inches came over the side on Friday.  There are

bigger fish in the river, and bays now, it is not all about schoolies

anymore. Alewives are at the dams and at the mouth of the rivers

mackerel are available as well.   All the makings of a great Striper

season is here, now we just need the weather to cooperate.

Regards, Capt. Joel

Fishing Report May 19, 2004

Bigger fish starting to arrive daily.  Caught 15 today with 5 between 26 and 27 inches.  No keepers, but these were big fat fish, and lots of fun.  Every day the fishing gets better. 

Fishing Report May 17, 2004

Well the Stripers have started to arrive in NH.  Like all good snowbirds the Stripers spend their winter in warmer waters and head up to NH to spend the entire summer.

They know where the good life is, and upon arriving at the end of May they stay until the cold water temps invade our coastline. 

Went out today and caught over 20 schoolies between 16-20 inches.  The fish are currently small but that is right on track for the bigger fish to start arriving within the next week or two.  There have been some reports of bigger fish being taken and I saw a number of larger fish follow up the schoolies being brought to the side of the boat. 

This time of year it is important to find the warmer water for the largest concentrations of fish.  For the schoolie size fish, plastic shad imitators, maribou jigs, and rattle traps proved most successful for me.  Fly fisherman also do well this time of year.

It is only a short matter of time before the incredible striper fishing found in NH is back into full swing. 

Last year we caught fish on every trip and most trips yielded 15-30 fish.  On 95% of our trips we caught keeper size Striped Bass.  All reports indicate that this will be another incredible year for Striped Bass fishing in NH.

Tight lines,

Capt. Joel.

Getting the fever for fishing?  You are not alone.  I have met with many friends and new acquaintainces at various fishing and boat shows over the last 2 months.  As the warmer weather begins we are all getting excited about another great season.    Many have asked when is the best time for a fishing trip aboard the Reel Ecstasy and my answer is always the same.. Striped Bass fishing in NH begins around Memorial Day and lasts through Sept. 30.  During that time the fishing is very good.  Large fish can be caught at any time and unlike areas south of us, there really is no spring or fall run.   Striped Bass are smart, they like to spend the summer in NH and Maine!    Sure on occasion there may be a "not so good day fishing" (although many would argue that any day fishing is better than most days of doing anything else).  Those days are few and far between and are more dependent on local weather than anything else.  A few days with temps near 100 or hurricane like winds and rain will temporarily turn the fish off (can you blame them) but within a day or so the fish turn on again.  They don't leave the area just turn off to eating.    Striped Bass fishing will be great again this year.  The striper size class keeps getting bigger and the conservation efforts have really paid off.       If you have relatives or friends coming for a visit this summer, they would really enjoy a day on the water.  Book your trip early so you won't be disappointed.   Call to discuss any trip you may have in mind.

Gift Certificates, or business invoices are gladly provided. 

2003 Fishing Reports

End of Season Wrap Up Report

It was a great fishing year for Capt. Joel and “Reel Ecstasy”.  Every trip resulted in Striped Bass caught.  For the second year in a row we were not skunked.  Few other charter boats offer guaranteed fish trips and our results prove we know where the fish are.  On over 96% of our trips N.H. keepers were caught.  The largest fish of the year was 44 inches. 

Once again, not a single person got seasick on a fishing trip.  Even those who said they could get seasick in a bathtub became believers in the calm water striped bass fishing trips offered on the “Reel Ecstasy”.   

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and so it is with NH Saltwater Fishing.  But only for this year!

Fishing trips will begin again around Memorial Day. 

If you have a special day in mind for a fishing trip, book early, as we ran a very full schedule this year.   

Best Regards, over the winter, hope to see you on the slopes of Gunstock Mtn. or next year on the water.

Capt. Joel.

End of the season 2002

With the cold weather approaching and the fishing slowing down it appeared that Oct. 14th would be a good day to pull the Reel Ecstasy out of the water and get it ready for the winter months. 

We had a great season though, and I thank all of my customers for the wonderful times we spent together. 

Fishing was excellent this year from Mid May right through Sept. 30th. 

Cold fronts and storms  turned the fish off in Oct. and we went from a 30 fish day on Sept. 30 to a 3 fish day on Oct. 4th.  The next few weekends the weather just wasn't  good enough to go out and I decided it was time to call it quits for the year. 

I still will do a little Freshwater Bass fishing on my little boat till the end of October which is usually a great time for smallmouth bass. 

My wife and I have planned a few trips to Florida and Cozumel Mexico this winter so I can stay in shape for the 2003 season. 

Don't forget to book your trips early this year as the weekends and Fridays book up quickly.  Also, please keep in mind that the fishing is great throughout the entire period of May -Sept. 30th.  July can be one of the best months for Striped Bass fishing on the Reel Ecstasy and the weather is usually perfect.

Have a great winter, see you next summer or on the ski slopes of Gunstock Mtn. where I will be a full time ski instructor again. 

Best Regards, Capt. Joel.

Fishing week ending Sept 29^th.

On Wed. and Thursday the Blues were all over Piscataqua river busting baits on the surface.  Casting Plugs, spoons, rubber shad imitations or flies all produced 3-4 lb Blue fish with an occasional small Striper mixed in. 

Friday’s heavy rain and colder temps seemed to eliminate the surface activity for the weekend.  However the Stripers were still in the river and both Saturday and Sunday yielded a good catch of Stripers on chunk bait for us.   We fished both incoming and outgoing tides and caught fish on both tides with good consistency.   The cold snap on Saturday night did not seem to affect the fishing at all. 

Dan caught the big fish of the weekend on Sunday, I real healthy 34inch Striper and as luck for him would have it his next fish  went  32 inches.   Dan wasn’t real familiar with catching larger fish but with a little guidance he did a great job landing those two on 15lb tackle. 

Heard some mixed reports regarding Mackerel starting to show up at the Isle.

Keep on fishing, it is not over yet.

Capt. Joel

Fishing Sept. 24th.

Fishing in the Piscatqua River, the Blues and Stripers were on the surface busting baits.  Caught a bunch with plugs with thin wire leader.  The blues were small 3pounds or so but a lot of fun.  Switched over to chunking and caught another 25 Stripers.  Scott wound up with the big one over 39inches.  We also got a 33 and a 3O. 
The fishing was great and we were the only ones out. 
It is not too late to schedule a fishing trip.  Call now before the Stripers migrate south.
Capt. Joel

Fishing Sept. 19th.

Caught 25 stripers of mixed sizes today.  Many smaller schoolies but we did land 3 keepers chunking in the river.  In the early morning small schoolies were busting baits on the surface and stayed up till about 10 a.m. 
Last Saturday caught the biggest fish of the year close to 28pounds. 
Fishing in the piscataqua is not over yet.
Mixed reports on fishing for blues outside of the river.  Seems like they were real thick a few week ago for about 10 days but then they seemed to scatter.  Now it appears to be hit or miss for those seeking out Bluefish. 
Capt. Joel

 Fishing week ending August 29th.

 Fishing in the Piscataqua River is really starting to heat up. 

On trips this past week, we caught on average 30-40 

stripers on each trip with a few large fish mixed in 

over 32" and a couple in the 38"+ range.  

Most trips also saw smaller bluefish brought to the boat,

 and on one trip we caught over 10 river run blues.  

Although I don't specifically target them in the river they 

sure are a lot of fun when they jump clear out of the water 

on the lighter tackle we use. 

Chunking baits on both the incoming and outgoing tide produced well

 and accept for Saturday the river was very quiet with few fisherman

 out.   

Surface activity has picked up as well and on many mornings surface 

feeding fish are up and busting baits in the back bays and shallow

 flats.

Off shore fishing reports remain good as well with numbers of bigger 

blues being caught on the offshore humps and at the Isle of Shoals.  

I had some real personal highlights this week when I got to take 

George who has his own boat but due to illness and his age (79) was 

no longer fishing on his own and his male family members out for a 

fishing trip.  They were a great bunch of guys and really just wanted

 this to be a trip to get George back into fishing.  In the end with

 over a dozen stripers to his credit George left with a big smile on 

his face.  

I also got to take John and his two sons 8 and 11 on a trip and as 

John wrote in a thank you email, “the men in his family are already 

planning their next fishing trip”.  With 8 year old Jay landing a 33”

 Striper and 11 year old Jack with 2 over 30” this trip will remain 

in the minds of these young people for many years to come.  

Some of the best fishing of the season is available through the month of September.  Don’t miss out on this last opportunity to enjoy fishing before it is just a memory, as we shovel out our driveways. 

Regards, Capt. Joel

Fishing August 21st and week ending August 18, 2002.

 Last week after continued temperatures in the 90’s the water temperature in the Piscataqua River was warm.  I found that continued warm weather with no rain can hurt the inshore fishing especially for bigger Striped Bass.  The warm temperatures however can get the Bluefish active at the Isle of Shoals. 

So as the heat wave continued I altered my fishing plans and headed out to the Isle for Blues.  Each day last week we caught some Bluefish with the best day on Saturday when we landed about a dozen fish between 10-12 pounds.  Bluefish are real good fighters and on the lighter tackle we use, provide some great acrobatic jumps.  As my guests did not want to keep any of the Bluefish I used a Boga grip to land them and released them all unharmed to fight another day.  Unfortunately, I see way to many people gaff these fine fighters and then throw them back as though they might live with a ½ inch hole in them.  We all need to practice catch and release for all fish we don’t plan on serving at the dinner table. 

We caught the Bluefish on live Pollock and fresh herring, floating these baits under balloons.  Of course chumming helped to bring the Blues to our baits. 

With Tuesday’s cooler temperatures I switched back to Striper fishing in the river and was rewarded with 20 or so fish with 2 keepers.   Chunking Herring and Mackerel did the trick although we did have to fish a number of spots to yield success. 

Hopefully the continued colder temps will bring the larger Stripers back feeding in the river. 

Good fishing.

Capt. Joel

Fishing Report Week Ending August 10, 2002

With a little bit of cold weather the inshore striper fishing improved this week. We were still catching good numbers of fish in the Piscataqua River but after a week without a keeper it was great to get 3-4 keepers most times out this week. On Wed. John took his 12 year old daughter Lauren out on the Reel Ecstasy and Lauren even though she didn’t catch the biggest fish of the day was all smiles with the 31” fish she brought to the net. Many others were caught that day but the memories of Lauren catching that big fish is one John and his daughter will remember forever.
With the warm weather some Bluefish have moved into the river. We had a big fish over 10lbs jumping clear out of the water on the light tackle we were using. Unfortunately after a great battle he bit through the 20lb leader we were using. We did boat a few smaller Blues this week that were hooked just right on circle hooks so the leader stayed out of their mouths.

Live bait has been hard to get after the warm spell. I found in order to get any quantity of live bait a trip off shore was necessary. I even found it necessary to bait the end of the sabiki hooks with little chunks of mackerel or herring to get the Pollock or Mackerel to hit. Bait fishing at 2KR or the inshore humps has only been yielding a handful of baits. Good fishing, Capt. Joel



Fishing Report week ending July 28

Fishing in the Piscataqua River remains great. The larger fish have moved into the river and we averaged 4 keepers on each trip this week. Largest fish of the week was a 34" with a couple of others real close. We used both cut and live bait and had equal success with both methods. Tide did not seem to matter much either, as long as the current was running we were catching fish.

Its been hard catching live bait near shore so I decided to head to the Isle of Shoals to find bait and check on the bluefish activity. Anchoring near the Isle in about 50 feet of water we quickly found that the Pollock and Mackerel were there. We had a contest to see how many we could bring up at once and with a double sabiki rig actually brought up 8 at one time. The Mackerel were large in size and we decided to take most of them home for dinners and to use the Pollock on future trips for Striper bait. We did see some party boats blue fishing but did not see any blues at all caught. My info tells me that they are around but very, very spotty.

Toward the end of the week we had an added bonus as the Tall Ship Providence was docked at the Portsmouth Pier. It is a small boat only 110 feet long, but made for a nice side tour after great days of fishing.


Fishing Report July 18th.

Fishing in the Piscataqua River and its corresponding bays continues to be great for Striped Bass. We have had great success both live baiting and chunking for Stripers. The biggest taken on Thursday was a 38inch Striper taken on chunks fishing the outgoing tide. This over 20lb fish put up a great fight and was released unharmed to be caught again. Once again, circle hooks prove their value. Numbers of other keepers in the 32inch range were taken this week as well.
We have been catching keepers through out the summer but it seems like more of the larger fish have moved in now. Over 95% of our Striper trips have produced keeper size fish so far this year.

For live bait Pollock, have been easier to catch with an occasional mackerel finding their way onto the sabiki rigs. The mackerel have been spotty and are large in size. Some anglers are having the best luck fishing for mackerel at the isle of shoals right in the foam of the surf. I find that Pollock work just as well and stay alive better anyway, so we catch most of our bait close to mouth of the river.

Surface activity for Stripers was spotty this week, and unlike the past two weeks we did not see many fish busting baits on the surface.

Good luck and good fishing.
Capt. Joel


July 8th

The heat of the first week of July made the Striper fishing a little tough for most anglers. Live bait was hard to come by and were scattered due to the heat and very warm surface temperatures. Anglers who keep live bait dockside overnight were alarmed to find the 70degree plus surface temps. had killed off most of their saved baits.
Those who were able to find live bait (Pollock or Mackerel) were rewarded with consistent action throughout the warm spell, as the Striped Bass were still thick in the river despite the warmer temperatures. We had a real fight on our hands on Thursday as a large Bass struck a bait rig as were bringing in some baits. With the light line used on the Sabiki rigs I set the drag real loose and had the fish on for a long time until he broke off as he made a final run near the boat, oh well!

Anglers fishing for mackerel were surprised by the larger fish that had now moved in to the mouth of the river and near shore humps. These larger mackerel put up a good fight on lighter tackle or when caught in numbers on Sabiki rigs.
Cooler temps. made catching live bait easier until Saturday’s winds picked up and made it real difficult to slow drift or anchor and fish outside of the mouth for bait.

On Monday July 8th fishing seemed finally back to normal. Surface schools of feeding Striper were busting baits all morning around Hilton Park and the General Sullivan Bridge. We caught many of these smaller fish on 8lb spinning tackle using white marabou jigs. No other anglers were working these fish and we could have stayed on them all day but instead decided to chunk for larger fish. Within a few hours using cut bait we were able to boat a large number of fish including a real fat 34” bass that weighed close to 20lbs. A great fight on the lighter bait casting tackle we were using.

June 25th

Striper fishing is still strong in the Piscataqua River. On Tuesday, June 25th I headed out for a trip with Wayne, his dad Bobby, brother David and friend Craig. We decided to chunk and were rewarded with over 40 fish with many in the 25-27 inch range and 5 in the 30” inch range. Circle hooks were used and once again proved their value as with all of these fish only one was deep hooked and might not survive. Had we used conventional hooks I am sure there would have been a much greater mortality rate.
Circle hooks really do seem to be catching on as Craig had just gotten back from a trip to Alaska and said they used circle hooks there as well for salmon and halibut.

Live bait continues to be plentiful at the mouth of the river, with a mixed bag of mackerel and Pollack available.



On Sunday, June 23,

We headed out in search of some fly-fishing activity, I found surface-feeding fish around the shipyard but the school stayed close to the facility and the patrol boat wouldn’t let us get close enough to the school to cast a fly within range. I did catch a number of larger schoolies on buck tail jigs. Continuing our pursuit for fly-fishing action headed to Little Bay and worked a school of surface feeding stripers for over 2 hours. We were near high tide and the fish stayed up busting baits the whole time we were there. Luckily we were the only boat working the school and made drifting runs through them with the motor off. Caught many fish using Deceivers and sinking line.



Fishing report June 10 & 12th.

Fished with Carole and Charlie from Michigan. This husband and wife team spends a lot of time fishing on Lake Huron for Salmon, and when on vacation fishing is a must.
We fished on Monday June 10, chunking fresh herring for Striped Bass. We caught a number of fish in the 20 to 28” size and then Carole landed a 31”. Of course, she really gave it to Charlie that she had the largest fish of the day, but alas shortly thereafter Charlie brought a 32” fish to the net.
They were both real surprised with the success of the circle hooks we used, and at first Charlie really doubted they could catch fish. His initial reaction when he first saw the hook on his pole was that he wanted a new hook cause this one was bent. Well, after we boated a number of fish that were all hooked in the jaw and easily released to fight another day he became a believer. I am sure he will start to use circle hooks back home.
Charlie is a professional chef back in Michigan so we took the two big fish back to the dock and filleted them up as he had a special recipe he wanted to try out. Staying at a small cottage in Rye, he treated the cottage owner and his wife a real nice meal of stuffed Striped Bass that night.
They had such a good time that they booked another trip for Wed. as their son Chris was going to be visiting them, from his home in Lincoln NH.
The weather report was not good but Charlie insisted we go anyway cause “we don’t let a little rain and wind stop us in Michigan”. So I mounted the bimini top on the Reel Ecstasy, and put on my full rain suit. I went to a protected spot that produced in the past and we ducked out of the wind and rain as best as we could. The fishing was OK although nothing over 30”. I know many people say they like fishing in the rain but for me fishing on a nice day is more enjoyable.
Anyway, we did catch a number of fish and Chris boated 7 or 8, which he said was better than any day he spent fishing in Michigan. His largest was 27 ½”.
Charlie and his family spend a lot of time trolling at home and really appreciated being able to feel the fish take the bait and set the hook. The use of light tackle really added to everyone enjoyment and they assured me they would be back again next year.
Picture of Charlie and Carole with their fish at top of this page.
Remember to use circle hooks when fishing, those fish not kept have a much greater chance of survival.

June 4th and 5th

The Striper fishing has been excellent on the rivers of NH and the larger Stripers continue to move in. On the Piscataqua River, Little Bay and Great Bay, many stripers over 28” were caught chunking and most others caught were near that size. This is unusual for this time of year as usually it is the middle to end of June before keeper size stripers begin to appear in any numbers. Of course this was an unusual spring and winter with temperatures way above normal. Currently water temps in the river are between 55 –59 degrees, which is warm for this time of year.
When using bait, use circle hooks, they really do help with catch and release. Most fish will be hooked in the mouth as long as you attempt to hook the fish as soon as he takes the bait, not waiting until it is swallowed. If the hook does get into the gut cut it off as close to the hook as possible; eventually it will rust or fall out. Every trip I catch fish that have hooks in them from other fishermen, most will continue to eat and live.


Surface activity was constant on Wed. June 5th east of Goat Island. The sky was overcast and the fish stayed on the surface busting baits throughout most of the day. These fish were schoolie size but provided great excitement for the few anglers who fish midweek. Over the last few years I have not seen a lot of surface activity on the Piscataqua River so I was real excited to see them busting baits throughout the day.
This brought back memories of 4 or 5 years ago when it was common to see fish working the surface in the river.
When working a school on the surface it is important not to motor through the school. Try to determine the path of the fish, (if they are moving) the current and the wind. Then slowly position the boat on the outside of the school so that you will move through the school silently. I am always amazed at fishermen who motor through a school of fish, and then wonder where they went only to motor through them again as they pop up a short distance away.
If you don’t fly fish but want to take advantage of this surface activity try using smaller marabou or feather jigs. These work great in the ¼ or 3/8 oz size on light spin tackle in the 4-8lb test range. I prefer using white or green colors. When the fish are busting the surface the larger portion of the school is actually below and the weighted jig will get down deeper than most flies and produce a good number of fish. Also, for many who cannot cast a fly a great distance, this gives them the opportunity to get to the school and catch fish.