Fish Finder – 6/24/2004

Frank Dwyer
June 24, 2004

Marblehead: Mackerel have become more scarce, but anglers fishing with live or dead ones have done well off Marblehead, and in and around the islands. Bluefish have been present, but not in large numbers. Flounder fishing just outside the harbor has been good.

Salem: Striped Bass fishing in the Danvers River remains steady with bait anglers out fishing all others at this point. Worms and clams are the preferred meal for these hungry fish. Fishing the harbor and just outside has been good for flounder. Tubes trolled off Bakers Island have done well for bass.

Beverly: Fishing continues to be decent off Beverly. Reports had bass feeding on herring outside Beverly Harbor during the past week. In addition, flounder fishing has improved for those targeting them, and even those who aren’t. I had a friend dredge up a 3 pound flounder on a fly he was dragging along the bottom. The Kernwood Bridge is also pleasing anglers with bait and jigs as is the base of the Beverly/Salem Bridge.Beverly beaches have been slow, but anglers fishing at night have reported success.

Cape Ann: Singing Beach, in Manchester-by-the-Sea has been home to some excellent bass fishing, especially at night. Sea worms seem to be the most popular bait, drifted on a fish finder rig. Fly anglers have also done well, picking up school bass in the wash. Fishing the rocks around Magnolia and Gloucester picked up for several days, but seems to have cooled again, however anglers are still reporting good catches on both bait and lures. Anglers fishing off Halibut Point reported bass into the 20-pound range, with live bait working best. Stripers have not been as steady in the Essex River, but are still present, as well as bluefish.

Ipswich: Fishing in Ipswich has also been somewhat spotty, however there have been some fish in the rivers. Cranes, Steep Hill and Pavilion beach have continued to produce fish from shore bound anglers, however not in steady numbers. Bluefish have been caught in Plum Island Sound as well as at the mouth of the Ipswich River.

Newbury: The Parker River has been fishing well at night and has been home to both bass and bluefish in the past week. The Parker River NWR beaches remain closed for nesting Piping Plover’s.

Newburyport / Plum Island: Bigger fish are in, but you’ll need to put in the time. The fish are in and getting bigger and big bass are being landed in the Merrimack from the Lawrence Dam all the way to the mouth at Plum Island. Fly anglers on Joppa Flats are doing well with large (5-9”s) fly’s imitating bait fish. Sand eel imitations also do well. Anglers fishing the mouth have done well with live mackerel, which are still plentiful out by Breaking Rocks. The ocean front on Plum Island has been home to numerous bass blitzes over the past week with spin anglers landing good sized bass on popping plugs and metal (Kastmaster, Hopkins) lures. Bait anglers fishing off Deer Island (Chain Bridge) have done well with worms and cut bait. Bluefish are spotty, but party boats still reporting good Cod, Haddock and Pollock action.

Salisbury: The ocean front has produced some larger fish for bait anglers fishing with worms and clams. I fished the Salisbury Reservation side of the river for a change last week and landed several small stripers on bucktail jigs, however I did see two keepers being walked off the beach. Bait anglers continue to do well, with most sticking to worms and clams.

Seacoast, NH: Seabrook, Rye and Hampton have all seen their share of good fishing over the last week. I heard about a nice surface feed off Rye at sunset last week, with bass and blues in the mix. Boat anglers have done well in the Piscataqua River over the past week, with many keeper sized bass being landed. Fly anglers do best with large flies presented on a fast sinking line. Spin fishermen have done well with sluggos, broken-back swimming lures and poppers. Bluefish and Bass are still available in numbers offshore at the Isle of Shoals.