New Hampshire

Coastal New Hampshire and Maine Fishing Report- June 13, 2024 – On The Water

Published

2 years ago

June 13, 2024

Touch of Gray Charters is finding haddock to 25-inches from 180 to 215-feet of water on Jefferies ledge.

With sizeable striped bass keyed in on Mackerel, and bottom fishing for Haddock on fire, summer fishing doldrums still seem far away in northern New England. Striped bass to 45-inches have been reported in Maine, while bottom fishing excursions to deep water are finding an array of haddock and pollock. Meanwhile, offshore-oriented anglers are now pursuing their first tuna of the 2024 season.

New Hampshire Fishing Report

Based out of Newington NH, Captain Andy from Adventure and Catch Charters was on the way to tuna grounds at Stellwagen Bank when contacted for this week’s report. Capt. Andy had heard positive reports of tuna at Stellwagen, and was on his way to target the offshore Thunnus species this afternoon.

Earlier this week, Captain Andy said that he and his customers had found haddock willing to bite at Jeffreys ledge in approximately 225’ of water. Squid were the bait of choice for hungry haddock, as well as pollock from 25 to 30-inches. Unfortunately, dogfish, a less-desirable by-catch, have moved in and mixed in alongside the haddock and pollock this week.

Inshore, Captain Andy also mentioned that mackerel were the primary forage for striped bass in the Piscataqua River; he caught schoolie and slot-sized fish chasing live mackerel in the past week. Although he was using live bait, not artificials, any stripers on sustained surface feeds of Mackerel would undoubtedly be susceptible to a broad array of topwater plugs and swimming lures for anglers who prefer tossing artificials.

Southern Maine Fishing Report

Crossing over into Maine, more fish on mackerel were reported at the mouth of the Saco river, according to Brandy at Webhannet Bait and Tackle/Boatyard. Pogies are also present in this area, and boat anglers are targeting fish holding here on the tube & worm, with bass caught up to 45-inches!

Surf anglers are also able to join in on the action all around Southern Maine. Brandy mentioned she had found fish from the surf in the Wells Harbor area, catching on small, white topwaters, soft plastic paddletails, and straight-tailed soft baits such as the ever-popular Lunker City Sluggo®. She had heard of fish up to 38-inches being caught in the surf in the past week! The abundance of a broad array of bait in this area should make blitzing striped bass a very viable target for shore-bound surf and boat-based anglers alike.

Maine Women Hunters organization aboard Touch of Gray charters — Captain Paul of Touch of Gray Charters recently took out a group from the Maine Women Hunters organization; they were lucky enough to spot breaching whales, and catch many keeper-sized haddock with a single wolffish mixed in.

On the groundfishing front, Brandy’s report mirrored that of Captain Paul Hood of Touch of Gray Fishing Charters. Captain Paul has found haddock to 25-inches from 180 to 215-feet of water on Jefferies ledge. The current calmer conditions have allowed his clients to reach these fish with sea clams and soft artificials weighed down with only 16 ounces of lead.

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Maine!

New Hampshire And Southern Maine Fishing Forecast

In the coming week, inshore anglers should be able to have their fill of striped bass fishing, no matter if they are hiking the shoreline, or chasing blitzing fish from boats. Plentiful pogies and mackerel, especially around the mouth of the Saco river, should keep schoolie, slot, and over-slot sized bass occupied for the time being.

Ground fishermen inclined to venture further out in search of table fare will be able to quickly fill limits of haddock and pollock from 180 to 225’ of water on sea clams and squid. With rising water temperatures, increasingly abundant dogfish are the only adversity groundfishing anglers must contend with.

For offshore anglers, tuna are now an option. Confirmed reports from Stellwagen should keep those targeting tuna satisfied during these earliest stages of the season.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire services respond to 7-car crash

Published

8 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

New Hampshire services respond to 7-car crash

SPRINGFIELD, N.H. (ABC22/FOX44) – After an icy morning on Interstate 89 that saw multiple cars in a crash in Springfield, New Hampshire, responders say that they are thankful that only one person sustained injuries.

According to Springfield Fire Rescue, they originally were called at 7:40 a.m. on Friday for a reported two-car crash between Exits 12A and 13 – but arrived to find 7 vehicles involved, including 6 off the road.

According to authorities, all of the occupants of the cars were able to get themselves out and only one needed to be taken to the hospital. Their injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening.

“Springfield Fire Rescue would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to slow down and move over when emergency vehicles are in the roadway. The area where this incident occurred was very icy and we witnessed several other vehicles almost lose control when they entered the scene at too great a speed.”

Responders from New London, Enfield, and Springfield, as well as NH State Police, helped respond to the incident and clear the vehicles from the road, as well as to treat the ice to make the road safe.

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New Hampshire

Man killed in NH snowmobile crash

Published

20 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

An Alton man is dead after a snowmobile crash in New Hampshire’s North Country Thursday afternoon.

The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game says 63-year-old Bradford Jones was attempting to negotiate a left hand turn on Corridor Trail 5 in Colebrook when he lost control of his snowmobile, struck multiple trees off the side of the trail and was thrown from the vehicle shortly before 3:30 p.m.

Jones was riding with another snowmobiler, who was in the lead at the time of the crash, according to the agency. Once the other man realized Jones was no longer behind him, he turned around and traveled back where he found Jones significantly injured, lying off the trail beside his damaged snowmobile.

The man immediately rendered aid to Jones and called 911 for assistance, NH Fish and Game said. The Colebrook Fire Department used their rescue tracked all terrain vehicle and a specialized off road machine to transport first responders across about a mile of trail to the crash scene.

Once there, a conservation officer and 45th Parallel EMS staff attempted lifesaving measures for approximately an hour, but Jones ultimately died from his injuries at the scene of the crash, officials said.

The crash remains under investigation, but conservation officers are considering speed for the existing trail conditions to have been a primary factor in this deadly incident.

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New Hampshire

The weight of caregiving in NH. Why we need SB 608: Sirrine

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

The weight of caregiving in NH. Why we need SB 608: Sirrine

Anne Marie Sirrine
| Guest Columnist

Recently, I met with a husband who had been caring for his wife since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Her needs were escalating quickly — appointments, medications, meals, personal care — and he was determined to keep her at home. But the cost to his own wellbeing was undeniable. He was sleep‑deprived, depressed, and beginning to experience cognitive decline himself.

As director of the Referral Education Assistance & Prevention (REAP) program at Seacoast Mental Health Center, which supports older adults and caregivers across New Hampshire in partnership with the CMHC’s across the state, I hear stories like his every week. And his experience is far from unique.

Across the country, 24% of adults are family caregivers. Here in New Hampshire, 281,000 adults provide this essential care, often with little preparation or support. Only 11% receive any formal training to manage personal care tasks — yet they are the backbone of our long‑term care system, helping aging parents, spouses, and loved ones remain safely at home. (AARP, 2025)

REAP provides short‑term counseling, education, and support for older adults, caregivers, and the professionals who support them. We address concerns around mental health, substance use and cognitive functioning. After 21 years working with caregivers, I have seen how inadequate support directly harms families. Caregiving takes a serious toll — emotionally, physically, socially and financially. Many experience depression, chronic stress, and increased risk of alcohol or medication misuse.

In REAP’s own data from 2024:

50% of caregivers reported moderate to severe depression
29% reported suicidal ideation in the past two weeks
25% screened positive for at‑risk drinking

Their responsibilities go far beyond tasks like medication management and meal preparation. They interpret moods, manage behavioral changes, ease emotional triggers, and create meaningful engagement for the person they love. Their world revolves around the care recipient — often leading to isolation, loss of identity, guilt, and ongoing grief.

The statistics reflect what I see every week. Nearly one in four caregivers feels socially isolated. Forty‑three percent experience moderate to high emotional stress. And 31% receive no outside help at all.

Compare that to healthcare workers, who work in teams, receive breaks, have coworkers who step in when overwhelmed, and are trained and compensated for their work. Even with these supports, burnout is common. Caregivers receive none of these protections yet are expected to shoulder the same level of responsibility — alone, unpaid, and unrecognized.

Senate Bill 608 in New Hampshire would finally begin to fill these gaps. The bill provides access to counseling, peer support, training, and caregiver assessment for family caregivers of individuals enrolled in two Medicaid waiver programs: Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD) and Choices for Independence (CFI). These services would address the very needs I see daily.

Professional counseling helps caregivers process the complex emotions of watching a loved one decline or manage the stress that comes with it. Peer support connects them with others navigating similar challenges. Caregiver assessment identifies individual needs before families reach crisis.

When caregivers receive the right support, everyone benefits. The care recipient receives safer, more compassionate care. The caregiver’s health stabilizes instead of deteriorating from chronic stress and neglect. And costly options, which many older adults want to avoid, are delayed or prevented.

There is a direct and measurable link between caregiver training and caregiver wellbeing. The spouse I mentioned earlier is proof. Through REAP, he received education about his wife’s diagnosis, guidance on communication and behavior, and strategies to manage his own stress. Within weeks, his depression decreased from moderate to mild without medication. He was sleeping through the night and thinking more clearly. His frustration with his wife dropped significantly because he finally understood what she was experiencing and how to respond compassionately.

The real question before lawmakers is not whether we can afford SB 608. It is whether we can afford to continue ignoring the needs of those who hold our care system together. In 1970, we had 31 caregivers for every one person needing care. By 2010, that ratio dropped to 7:1. By 2030, it is projected to be 4:1. Our caregiver supply is shrinking while needs continue to grow. Without meaningful support, our systems — healthcare, long‑term care, and community supports — cannot function. (AARP, 2013)

Caregivers don’t ask for much. They want to keep their loved ones safe, comfortable, and at home. They want to stay healthy enough to continue providing care. SB 608 gives them the tools to do exactly that.

I urge New Hampshire lawmakers to support SB 608 and stand with the 281,000 residents who are quietly holding our care system together. We cannot keep waiting until caregivers collapse to offer help. We must provide the support they need now — before the burden becomes too heavy to bear.

Anne Marie Sirrine, LICSW, CDP is a staff therapist and the director of the REAP (Referral Education Assistance & Prevention) program at Seacoast Mental Health Center.

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