May 27, 2005

Right Season, Wrong Weather

Frank Dwyer
May 27, 2005

Many of my friends who like to golf as much as I like to fish have been complaining—as most of us are—about the lousy weather we have been experiencing. It appears the forecast should be improving for the Holiday weekend so we can all get out an pursue our interests, be it chasing a little white ball around a large grassy area, or looking for fish around the North Shore.

The weather has created very light pressure in most North Shore spots, and while the going has been tough, some decent fish have been landed. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Fishing around Marblehead Neck and Castle Rock has not been for the faint of heart. If you can find a lee in the wind, then you may just find willing bass. Flounder reports have been sparse due to the weather, but if things calm down for the weekend, flounder should remain in and around Marblehead.

Salem: (3 hooks) Winter Island continues to produce bass for those willing to brave the weather. Anglers with light spinning gear and jigs or rubber shads have done well casting into the wind. Anglers fishing with bait from the Salem Willows Pier had been landing bigger bass before the weather turned, and fishing should be good once things calm down.

Beverly: (3 hooks) The Kernwood Bridge area has been producing hungry striped bass for anglers casting from shore. With the wind this past week, fly anglers have had a tough go of it, while those casting small swimming lures, jigs and sluggo type lures have done better. Fishing off West Beach has slowed with the inclement weather, but as with most spots, it should heat up again quickly.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Flounder fishing had been quite good around the entrance to Manchester Harbor and around House Island prior to this week’s weather. Bass activity off the beaches in Manchester has slowed, however a few reports of landings have been heard. In Gloucester, the Little River has been yielding more bass as has the Annisquam. Fishing from the beaches in Gloucester has been difficult, while Cod and Haddock fishing has slowed due to the weather. The buoy at Stellwagen Bank was reporting 9-15 foot waves on Thursday. School bass have been reported to be cooperative off both Long Beach and Pebble Beach in Rockport. Those fishing the Essex River by boat have reported schoolies taking refuge upriver from the weather, allowing for some decent catches this week. There are some mackerel and herring around, but not in large numbers yet.

Ipswich: (2 hooks) Fishing in the Ipswich River and at the mouth has produced schoolies over the last week. Fishing off Cranes Beach has improved, with a few decent surface feeds reported during the week. Pavilion and Steep Hill have also been yielding school bass willing to bend your rod.

Newbury: (2 hooks) I drove by the Newbury Boat ramp off 1A earlier this week and wish I had a rod in the car. A good sized pod of bass was working an undetermined school of bait with birds overhead, well within casting distance from shore. Fishing in Plum Island Sound had been improving however reports have been scarce this week due to the weather.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) I finally got the boat in the water last Friday and had decent fishing all weekend long. Even in the wind and rain on Sunday, we found willing fish on an incoming drift not far from the Captain’s Lady. In two hours time we boated over 30 fish, most under the magic 28 inch mark. The nice thing was that there were only 2-3 boats working the same pods of fish, which is one of the positives you can take from the lousy weather. In addition, working upriver of the Route 1 Bridge, around Eagle and Carr Islands has also yielded fish over the last week. Joppa Flats has also increased it fish output for both boat and wade fishermen. The ocean beaches on Plum Island have been quite rough, with only sparse activity reported. Plum Island Point continues to attract crowds 2 hours before low tide, right through the first part of the incoming tide. George at Captain’s Fishing Parties on Plum Island reported that he’s been baby sitting the boats for the past week, but up until the weather change, the action had been quite good.

Salisbury: (2 hooks) Fishing the Salisbury side of the river by boat, around the Toothpick and the State Boat Ramp, has been productive for the past week. Shore anglers do well from the shores of the State Reservation using bucktail jigs, sluggos and sea worms.

Seacoast, NH: (2 hooks) The Rivers around Seabrook, Hampton and Rye have seen alewives become active, which usually means bigger fish will follow. The Piscataqua River and the Great Bay Estuary have also become more active as stripers have been caught by both lure and bait anglers. Before the weather change, reports had decent Cod and Haddock action off the Seacoast.

May 20, 2005

Now we’re talking!

Frank Dwyer
May 20, 2005

Things are certainly heating up in our waters as the local rivers and shorelines are becoming more and more active with returning striped bass. I fished several north shore areas this past week with much success in search of feisty schoolie bass. Herring and Mackerel are beginning to show up as well, making things even more exciting.

In addition, I was lucky enough to fish on Wednesday morning in Boston Harbor and had two hours of fun chasing birds and fish around the Harbor. We caught many fish, even a few just above the magic 28” mark. We would have stayed longer but the LNG Propane Tanker was heading into the harbor and the Police chased us to clear the way for the tanker. It’s one of the few times I’ve ever left boiling fish, but it was certainly not my choice.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Those fishing along the rocks of Marblehead Neck have has success with striped bass willing to take most offerings. Light spinning gear with rubber shad (sluggo) imitations rigged on lead heads have been yielding fish on most every cast. While bigger stripers are in the mix, most are sub-legal. Flounder fishing in and around Marblehead remains strong.

Salem: (3 hooks) Fishing around Salem has improved quite a bit over the last week. Anglers using both artificial lures and bait have been catching good numbers of striped bass. Winter Island and Salem Willows have been active with fishermen all week. Those using bait have done well with large sea worms and fresh cut mackerel.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Anglers fishing the outgoing tide at White’s Fuel Bridge in Danversport have done well targeting stripers with both spin and fly gear. Fly fishermen have done well with sliders, clousers and most other offerings. A few good bass surface feeds have been reported at West Beach, while anglers targeting Flounder have done well too.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Surfcasting has gotten better over the last week for those casting from the beaches in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Reports had decent bass activity off Singing and White beach as well as around the Harbor. I caught a small schoolie in the Little River last Friday. I was coming home from an appointment, so if you saw a guy in dress pants and dress shoes casting a line, that would have been me. The Annisquam has also been heating up over the last few days with good activity for bass in the 14”-26” range. Rockport has also had its fair share of schoolie action with fish reported around Halibut Point. The Essex River has also been heating up with many reporting good action for hungry bass on both fly and spin gear.


Ipswich: (2 hooks) Shore fishermen fishing Cranes Beach as well as Steep Hill Beach have reported steadier schoolie action this week, although the action is somewhat sporadic. Fly fishermen near the mouth of the Ipswich have reported decent activity with sliders and ray’s flies on sinking lines. Pavilion Beach should be heating up soon.

Newbury: (2 hooks) Bass catches continue to increase in the Parker River as both shore and boat fishermen have had success locating newly arrived striped bass. While most fish are quite small, they are hungry and put up a good fight on light spinning gear of fly rods. Fishing off Sandy Point has improved this week, with reports of feeding fish patrolling the shoreline.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (2 hooks) Fishing conditions off Plum Island Point as well as the beaches of Plum Island have improved over the past week. Surfcasters working the beach from Atty. May’s to the North Jetty have had decent action with feeding bass. Buck tail jigs, metal spoons and rubber shad imitations have been working for the spinning gear crowd, while sinking lines with deceivers, clousers or sand eel imitations work well for fly fishermen. Joppa Flats and the area around Woodbridge Island have also begun to show signs of life. Cod and Haddock catches continue to improve with many fish over 20 pounds being caught.

Salisbury: (2 hooks) Anglers fishing the Merrimack from the State Reservation in Salisbury have been pleased to find cooperative striped bass cruising in and out of the river. Bait has been working, but anglers casting jigs and assorted other lures have had just as much, if not more luck than their bait using compatriots. Salisbury Beach has also yielded bass to those looking for a less crowded experience.

Seacoast, NH: (1 hook) Seabrook, Hampton and Rye have begun to show signs of life with reports of bass being caught off the beaches as well as in the harbors and rivers. As with most locales, most fish are small so using light gear and smaller lures will work best. Further north, the Piscataqua and Great Bay have begun to yield fresh fish, but the action is somewhat spotty. Anglers report good Cod and Haddock action off the New Hampshire seacoast.

May 13, 2005

Stripers beginning to show

Frank Dwyer
May 13, 2005

The last few days of warming weather should help those in search of newly arrived striped bass. The first reports of mackerel and herring being caught have been coming in and I would imagine the coming week will see an increase in activity in most of the waters off the North Shore.

Marblehead: (2 hooks) Rumors of newly arrived striped bass bearing sea-lice being caught in the Marblehead area have been heard this week. Anglers have been working the areas around Castle Rock and Devereux Beach, as well as the harbor. Soft plastic shad imitations seem to be the bait of choice for spin anglers, with some using fresh cut bait. In addition, flounder catches continue to please anglers willing to work for their limit.

Salem: (2 hooks) Anglers heading offshore in search of cod and haddock have been rewarded with larger fish over the last week with more 20 pounders in the mix now. Fishermen working the areas around the Lead Mills and Winter Island should do well in the coming week as newly arrived stripers begin to feed.

Beverly: (2 hooks) Fishermen have been trying their luck from West Beach and the Beverly Fishing Pier, and although the reports are not stellar, some school-sized striped bass are being caught. In addition, anglers working around Baker’s and Misery Island have reported some activity.

Cape Ann: (2 hooks) Flounder fishing continues to be good along the Manchester shoreline. Anglers have been working Singing and White Beaches, with some success with hopes that the warming trend over the next few days will bring an influx of new bass. A few bass have been taken in the Little River in Gloucester and the Annisquam should be heating up as well. I saw birds preying on bait earlier this week at Wingaersheek beach in Gloucester and the stripers won’t be far behind. Fishermen in Rockport have been trying the waters around Halibut Point and Long Beach with limited success. Anglers fishing the Essex/Castle Neck system have reported an increase in striper activity, with more reports of sea lice-ridden (newly arrived) bass being taken.

Ipswich: (2 hooks) The water has warmed a bit over the last week and anglers working the Ipswich River as well as the area beaches have reported limited success, but at least fish are being taken. Anglers fishing the Neck have taken some fish from the Eagle Hill River. Crane and Pavilion beaches have been slower to heat up, but should soon.

Newbury: (1 hook) The Parker River water has risen above 50 degrees and more striped bass are showing up because of it. Plum Island Sound and the waters off Sandy Point are just scraping at 50 degrees, so the fishing should get better over the next week. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge beaches remain closed for the nesting piping plovers.




Newburyport / Plum Island: (1 hook) Shad action continues to be good at Rock’s Village, with a few striped bass in the mix now too. Anglers fishing off Deer Island, or poking around Eagle and Carr Islands by boat have found sporadic striper activity. Anglers trying their luck on Joppa Flats have not had as much success as those a little further up river. Some reports have had fish foraging along the ocean front on Plum Island, however the weed in the water has made fishing a challenge. Plum Island Point continues to attract crowds of fishermen, but the fish have been slow to arrive. Cod and Haddock fishing have been quite good for the party boats and offshore fishermen.

Salisbury: (1 hook) Anglers have been crowding the Salisbury State Reservation to catch the last of the outgoing tide and the beginning of the incoming tide in search of fresh fish. Fishermen do well utilizing soft plastic shad imitations as well as using seaworms on a fish finder rig. Fly fishermen will do best with a fast sinking line to ensure getting down to the fish in the fast moving current.

Seacoast, NH: (1 hook) Seabrook, Hampton and Rye have all been slow in showing signs of activity, but that is slowly changing. The Hampton River and surrounding marshes should begin to fill with newly arrived striped bass over the next week and reports have a few fish being plucked over the last week. Further north in the Portsmouth area, fish will lag a bit behind those in more southern waters.

May 6, 2005

Still not a barn-burner

Frank Dwyer
May 6, 2005

Lot’s of fresh striped bass around the cape and south shore areas, but the north shore has been slower to heat up with water temperatures staying below 50 degrees in most of our area. Hopefully the warm up predicted for the weekend will entice the influx of striped bass we are all waiting for patiently.

Marblehead: (2 hooks) Flounder fishermen continue to catch their limits off Marblehead, mostly using sea worms drifted or slowly retrieved. Skates are showing in more numbers so a float is advised. Fish were reported near the power plant over the last few days. Slow to raise water temperatures have slowed the arrival of our striped friends with only low ruminations that fish have slowly started to show up.

Salem: (2 hooks) The Lead Mills will hopefully see fresh striped bass soon as should the typical early season spots like Winter Island and Kernwood Bridge. Flounder action continues to please fishermen around Salem Harbor. Cod and haddock action at the ledges continues to be decent for the offshore crowd.

Beverly: (2 hooks) Cold water dominates the Beverly coast line so anglers will do better prospecting in the Bass River or Danvers River, as opposed to the ocean front. Hopefully predicted warming trends are accurate and we will see a flurry of activity soon. Light spinning gear or fly rods will work best on these Spring arrivals.

Cape Ann: (2 hooks) Boat anglers targeting flounder along the Manchester-By-The-Sea coastline have done well this past week. Hopeful striper fishermen have been trying the ocean beaches with little success. Many anglers have tried the Little River in Gloucester over the past week, but the fish have been sparse. Hopefully both the Little and Annisquam will heat up in the coming days. Anglers prospecting in the Essex area have also experienced slow fishing with an occasional sluggish striper being taken. Hopefully the Essex River will come alive soon. Cod and Haddock fishing has been fairly consistent for anglers this past week.


Ipswich: (1 hook) Consistent with other areas, the cold water has led to the slow arrival of striped bass. The Castle Neck and Ipswich Rivers are excellent places to search for early season bass. In addition the bass should soon return to Pavilion, Steep Hill and Crane Beach.

Newbury: (1 hook) Some action reported with small school bass in the Parker River, but certainly a percentage of these fish are “holdovers”. Sluggos twitched slowly along the bottom or sparsely tied flies should do the trick.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (1 hook) Shad continue to be caught at Rock’s Village by both shore and boat anglers. Spinning gear with small shad darts work best for these acrobatic fish. Anglers fishing at Deer Island are landing more catfish than striped bass, but that will change soon. Kayak and wading fishermen have been trying their luck on Joppa Flats, but the action has been slow. Anglers fishing the ocean front with bucktail jigs and assorted other lures have reported little activity. Plum Island Point has had anglers targeting bass all week, but the fish have been less than cooperative. There have been some reports of schoolies near the Jetty. The party boats have done well with cod, haddock and an occasional wolffish.

Salisbury:(1 hook) Just like their brethren across the river, anglers fishing from the Salisbury State Reservation have had minor activity when it comes to newly arriving striped bass. The river has been running quite high and there is a large amount of debris floating down river. The ocean front remains quiet.
Seacoast, NH: (1 hook) No major activity to report in southern New Hampshire, however some stripers that wintered over have been plucked from the rivers. Cod and Haddock have been plentiful for those heading to the ledges, while some flounder have been had around Little Harbor in Portsmouth.