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The calendar may say August but the feeding frenzies are saying “fall.” Spike mackerel are swarming inshore and are the key to much of the catching. Larger macks can be found offshore and are proving too appealing for Charlie Tuna to pass up.
There’s great news from Captain Bob Weathersby of Seacoast NH Sportfishing as it looks as if the stellar striped bass fishing of a few weeks ago has returned. Live and free-lined mackerel drifting along the Piscataqua River has been productive as has hopscotching along coastal “fingers.” There has been a resurgence of the offshore Isles of Shoals big bass bite with open-water blitzes tipping off the bedlam below. Mackerel remain abundant along the coastal ledges and Isles. Ironically, should you find mackerel on the surface that are reluctant to feed, odds are pretty good you’ve found the bass or maybe even bluefin. Regarding bluefin, Captain Bob has been putting anglers onto some serious standup tuna including an 85” that was schooled on standup gear! During the same trip, they missed a rec fish. The go-to tuna treat has been mackerel. Jeffrey’s Ledge has been the venue for pollock and haddock with sharks less of a factor than before.
Captain Andy from Adventureandcatch Charters said that haddock and tuna are the big stories. Provided that you don’t mind wading through dogfish, you will find haddock on Jeffrey’s Ledge. There are also good size pollock but they are not plentiful as of yet. Rec-size tuna can finally be found throughout Scantum, South and North Jeffrey’s and even at the Isles of Shoals as well as up and down the coast, Charlie is chewing anything and everything from haddock to herring to mackerel. Regarding mackerel they are an easy find by the 2KR Can and if you don’t find stripers there, take a livewell full over to the Isles of Shoals where big bass are back.
Peter from Saco Bay said that stripers are on the move all along the coast as they seem to head the need to feed. While certainly not fall, the first leg of the highly anticipated “fall run” seems to be happening. Hot spots to consider are Kennebunk, Pine Point and Freeport. Anglers are catching on the Albie Snax XL, Al Gag’s Whip-it-Fish and GT Eels. As for bait, spike mackerel have been an easy score with many anglers using them for bait. Pogies are prevalent just north of Saco with big bass hounding the schools. As for groundfish, if Jeffrey’s or Platt’s is too far to reach, consider Tantas which is much closer yet still giving up a few haddock and pollock.
From our friend Captain Lou of Diamond Pass Charters comes word of an uptick in the bite over the last few days. They’ve have been getting fish mostly off the beach fronts. Slowly trolled mackerel have been like dowsing rods for finding the bass, and once found anglers are staying with the school and pounding them with flutter spoons or jigs/soft plastics. They are also seeing some sporadic surface blitzes off the beaches with school sized bass feeding on spike mackerel. Albie Snax XLs, spooks, and pencil poppers have been best bets for those blitzes. The night bite continues to impress as well. Live eels, and imitation style soft plastics have been best. They are seeing some bite offs and hearing a little about the random bluefish being caught but nothing to write home about.
Spike mackerel caught up by the 2KR Can and drifted among the current of the Piscataqua River are accounting for steady striper action. However with the reappearance of a big bass bite near the Isles of Shoals, you may be better served going on a boat ride. Farther up the coast, soft plastics such as Albie Snax are accounting for striper action off Wells, Saco, Pine Point and Kennebunk. Offshore, some haddock can be found off Tantas while the better bet is Jeffrey’s Ledge but beware there are tuna as interested in your grounffish as you are!
Crime
A court hearing for Cher’s son Wednesday over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home this month has been canceled.
Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days. Allman, the 49-year-old son of the iconic singer and actress, was also detained Feb. 27, accused of acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in Concord.

It is unclear if Allman, of Malibu, California, has any connection to the home in Windham, New Hampshire. He is being held in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
The hearing Wednesday was continued until an undetermined date after Allman got an attorney Wednesday morning. The attorney, Sarah Landres, did not respond to a request for comment.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it.
Officials at St. Paul’s School said Allman last month identified himself as the parent of a prospective student and slipped into the dining hall as some students were leaving the building. Police responded to reports that he was disturbing people in the building.
He was charged with four misdemeanors in the school incident: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime. He was released on bail.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman’s struggles with his mental health and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition says the superstar performer’s son is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he was in a good place, was attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his estranged wife.
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The son of Cher is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a hearing over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home earlier this month.
It was the second arrest in a matter of days for Elijah Allman, 49, of Malibu, California, who was detained Feb. 27 after allegedly acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire. It was unclear if Allman had any connection to either St. Paul’s School or the home in Windham, New Hampshire.
Allman remains in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections in what is called preventive detention, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, faces two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it .
In the incident at the prep school, Allman was charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime.
At about 7 p.m. that day, Concord police responded to reports that Allman was disturbing people in the dining hall of St. Paul’s School. After charging Allman, police said he was released on bail as his case works through the court system.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working. It was unclear from the court records if Allman has an attorney.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman struggles with mental health issues and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition from the singer and actress said Elijah Allman is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
A few weeks later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.
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