I decided at about noon today i wanted to get away for a couple days so by 1 oclock i was on the road and ended up in Laconia NH on Winnipesauke I rented a boat tomorrow morning till noon. Then I plan to fish Lake Wentworth tomorrow evening and Thurs. I have never caught a smallie before so Im hoping to hook up with my first one tomorrow. If anyone has any tips for them it would be appreciated ha. Its just nice to get away by myself and be able to fish.
You will see navigation markers black and white and red and white. They usually mark the beginning of a shallow area. Fish on the outside of them. A carolina rig with a small creature bait like a baby brush hog or 4" lizard will have you hooked up. Use a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce weight and a 2-3 foot leader with a 3/0 offset hook. keep the boat in 20+ feet of water and throw to the marker and drag it down the drop off. If it feels heavy... set the hook. If you are comming up with a fine grass like weed, you are in the right place. Please crush the barb on your hook because you can easily gut hook a fish on a carolina rig. If its windy throw a 1/2 spinnerbait over the shoals ( rocky areas) 1st thing and burn it back to the boat keeping it just under the surface. Spooks and pop-r's work well over these same areas at 1st light. If a carolina rig is not your thing, try a 3-4" tube on a 3/8th jig head. The cluster of islands in the middle is a good place to start. be very careful out there and buy a map. Lots of rocky shoals in the middle of nowhere.
seriously DO NOT go out there without a map. most marinias on the lake sell them. the place where you rented the boat most likley does. If you tell me where you rented from ( what town it is in and section of the lake) I can better send you in the right direction. For example you said laconia. To me thats Paugus bay. If you are in paugus bay I can put you on fish in that bay. let me know.
Ok you can catch LM right in smith cove with an occasional sm in the deeper water. Come out of smith cove and take a right. Fish off of allocoya state beach. there will be a set of I believe black markers fish outside them and to the left all the way to the point. Thats a great spot for top water 1st thing in the morning and a carolina rig later. If you go around the point you will see a field of moored boats on a shallow flat infront of BIG houses/ Condos fish in and around those boats early ( smallies will use the shadows of the boats and then if you move out there is a sheer drop off with weeds on its edge. Fish that as well. Fish it early though because the boat traffic in the afternoon makes that spot dangerous. remember if your not in that grassy stuff your not in the hot spots. Shoot across to the cluster of islands as you leave smith cove and fish all the markers and drops. Smallies can be shallow (5'-10') in the morning but quickly retreat back to deeper ( 20+') as the day progresses. 25'-30' is not too deep.
Hey Rich thanks for the info it helped me a lot! Man did i fall in love with smallies!! That fight and there jumps. I pulled in 5 smallies and 2 largemouths it was an awesome day. Of course i backlashed my fav rod with some brand new braid on it about a half hour into the trip and it was too bad to fix out there haha. But by the beach and the point were the two best spots and the island in the left pulling out of smith bay produced 2 bass! I appreciate the tips Rich it really paid off
Hey Rich thanks for the info it helped me a lot! Man did i fall in love with smallies!! That fight and there jumps. I pulled in 5 smallies and 2 largemouths it was an awesome day. Of course i backlashed my fav rod with some brand new braid on it about a half hour into the trip and it was too bad to fix out there haha. But by the beach and the point were the two best spots and the island in the left pulling out of smith bay produced 2 bass! I appreciate the tips Rich it really paid off
Glad you had a productive day. Smallies are a lot of fun.
stratos or anyone with advice, you certainly know Lake Winnipesaukee. Maybe you could give me a little adise and a recommendation on small or largemouth bass fishing locations in Meridith NH? I'm going there on vacation in a couple of weeks. I have access to a motor boat. My motoring and navigational skills minimal.
get the plastic coated map, i learned this 20 years ago, the paper ones melt! after the no-wake buoys in meridith bay the weeds stop and the drop-off starts, fish this weed line, going out fish the right or left side of the lake awesome fishing, also find fish cove on the map and do not fish it, fish the cove on the right (nice ones in there) after that come back through( sallys gut) and fish that whole shoreline to the right around to the small marina and out to the light house on the point to the main lake, great areas, good luck,, this time of year a 3/8 oz jig head with a 3" smoke grub with black flake, or better yet 3"grub clear with black flake, lots of 3" smelt at this time and the clear grub smokes them, and keep a top water tied on for those smallies busting the smelt, good luck and if this don't work, i didn't say a thing.........
Weather permitting zip down into Paugus Bay. As soon as you pass under the bridge, start fishing. Top waters in that current can be deadly on smallies if they are there. Cast them across the current or at a 45* angle up current. Its hard to work a topwater with the current. You are constantly playing catch up as the bait drifts toward you. A 5" grub on a ball head or shaky head can do damage as well. Cast up current and let the bait fall naturally with the current. All the boat houses and dock can hold LM. This area is best in the morning before the boat traffic i up. Fish all the way out to the no wake marker. A carolina rigged small creature bait works well too. You can fish the entire left and right sides of paugus as well as around the 2 island. I like the right side. Stay out in 12-15' of water and look for cabbage patches. Fish then with a tube, c-rig or a senko. The set of docks behind the big island is usually good for a couple LM and the deeper water out front for smallies. You can spend an entire day in Paugus Bay and depending on the wind, can be a safer haven then the main lake. If you happen to be at the entrance to Paugus when the Mt. Washington tour boat takes off. Fish its backwash. The turbulance stirs up the bottom awakining the baitfish and crayfish with in turn , wakes up the smallies and they go on a feed. LM can be had under all the docks at the entrance where all the stores are as well. Skip way under with soft plastics.
Back at the start of meridith, the Marinias straight out and to your left can hold LM under the docks, Skip under with senkos. Just about any "marker" in the lake can hold a fish. Just fish the outside edge of them.
Back at the start of meridith, the Marinias straight out and to your left can hold LM under the docks, Skip under with senkos. Just about any "marker" in the lake can hold a fish. Just fish the outside edge of them.