Fishing pressure and boat traffic will soon decrease on the larger lakes as most of the summer people close their vacation homes and put their pleasure boats away for the season. Over the last few years, mid-August has proven to be a bonus peak salmon fishery time on most lakes in New England. Persistent anglers know that some of the biggest fish of the year will be caught during the next few weeks. Surface fishing during low light conditions early on a crisp morning is a truly rewarding experience. Salmon, rainbow trout and lakers start to feed on schools of white perch that have grown big enough to attract these game fish. As the day progresses, look for active fish in deeper water. Use white and yellow perch patterns on the downrigger set at about 35 feet or use 7-8 colors of lead core line.Kittery Trading Post, a well-known New England outdoor sports specialty retailer, will celebrate its 32st Annual Septemberfest at the store’s Route One location in Kittery, Maine. Starting Labor Day Monday, Sept. 1, there will be one full week of excitement, entertainment and extraordinary prices on products throughout the store. This event features educational and entertaining activities of special interest to sportsmen and women. Over $10,000 in free merchandise prizes will be given away throughout the week! Drawings will be held daily. There is no purchase necessary to enter, and you need not be present to win. All events are free and open to the public.Antlerless deer permit notification cards were mailed to deer hunters in mid-August. All applicants selected for their Wildlife Management Zone (WMZ) of choice were notified of their permit with a green postcard. To ensure receipt of the permit by archery season, the postcard and $5 fee must be returned by Sept. 3 to: “Deer Permit” MassWildlife FHQ, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581. Applicants not selected for their WMZ of choice were sent white postcards in mid-August to allow applicants to re-apply in WMZs where permit allocations exceeded applications. The final opportunity for obtaining an antlerless deer permit, or acquiring additional permits, will occur Oct. 6, when remaining permits will be available for sales over-the-counter. Specific information on WMZ availability will be posted on the agency website in late September.The August meeting of the Fisheries & Wildlife Board will be held on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 at 1 p.m. at the Newburyport Elks Lodge on 25 Low Street in Newburyport. Two public hearings will take place at the same location. At 3 p.m., there will be a public hearing regarding the establishment of a mentored hunt for youth turkey hunters. Oral and written public comments are invited at this hearing. The Fisheries and Wildlife Board will vote on the proposed season at the September Board Meeting. Later in the evening, at 7 p.m., a public hearing will be held by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board at the same location, to establish rules and regulations relative to establishing dates and bag limits for the 2008-09 migratory bird seasons. As part of the public hearing, a presentation on the proposed seasons and bag limits will be given. Immediately following the public hearing, the Board will vote on the proposed regulations.According to the Kittery report, Martha at Surfland Bait and Tackle on Plum Island said that they had one of their best live eel customers go through 20 eels in one night while fishing for stripers on Joppa Flats! “The night fishing on the flats often produces the best striper fishing,” she said. “But we also have a small group of kayak fishermen that use electric trolling motors and troll with tube-and-worm rigs on the flats in the daytime. These guys also have been catching their share of fish and some big ones. They’ll often hook up to 20 fish or more a trip ? The boat guys are definitely doing better than the shore fishermen.”The early Canada goose hunting season dates are Sept. 2-25, 2008, with hunters allowed a new, increased bag li