July 29, 2005

Stripers , Blues and Tuna Too

Frank Dwyer
July 29, 2005

Striped Bass fishing remains quite strong for night fishermen and bluefish are still plentiful off our coast. Flounder and Fluke catches have been quite good for the last few weeks and school bluefin tuna have started to make appearances in our waters.

As we move into August, we can expect the fish to continue to head for cooler/deeper water and the tuna to arrive in more numbers.


Marblehead: (3 hooks) Fishing out on the Neck near Castle Rock has been good at night especially for those using eels or fresh cut bait. Surfcasters reported limited success working the beaches at night this week as skates have become more prevalent. Fishing just outside the harbor has been good for bluefish.

Salem: (3 hooks) Boaters have found good sized bass and blues from Satan Rock to Newcome Ledge. Live and Chunk Bait has been working well as has trolling deep diving lures. The Willows and Winter Island continue to attract fishermen and bass are still willing to eat, especially at night. There has not been as much bait in the water this week as in weeks past. The Salem/Beverly Bridge is still a good spot to search out bass.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Beverly fishermen have reported excellent flounder fishing just off shore. The largest sea worms you can find will work best! Bass continue to traverse the Beverly coast line with most anglers finding fish in the rocks early in the morning or after sunset. Fly fishermen need to let their fly sink for a solid 10 count to get down to where the fish are.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Manchester-by-the-Sea continues to be a good spot for flounder, blues and striped bass, but most of the action is before sunrise or after sunset. Good fishing abounds for those working the water in Gloucester as bass, blues and flounder are all plentiful. Trolling for bluefish just outside the breakwater has proved productive for many anglers. Using lures that swim from 18-25 feet seems to work best. Striped bass fishing continues to be strong in the Annisquam as I was lucky enough to get out this weekend in Gloucester and it’s amazing how many fish we landed in broad daylight with extreme boat traffic. The fish were all taken with cut bait in a nice 20 foot hole up river, with a couple of keepers in the mix. Halibut Point continues to offer up good action for bluefish and bass, especially in some of the deeper water. Off shore anglers in search of Cod, Haddock and Pollock have been pleased with their catches but the bigger news is that surface feeds of tuna in the 30-100 pound range have been spotted. If you can get close enough, these fish will take popping plugs cast in their direction or trolled lures like the green machine. Rockport continues to fish just as well as Gloucester, while fishing in the Essex River may be quite picturesque, the fishing has been slow.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Ipswich Bay has been loaded with bluefish with many anglers hooking up on the troll and others coming upon surface feeds and casting to their catch. The mouth of the Ipswich River has also had a potpourri of bass and blues for the taking with fly and spin fishermen reporting success. Pavilion, Steep Hill and Crane Beaches are all still good bets for bass, especially after dark.



Newbury: (3 hooks) Fishing the Parker River at night has been productive lately, especially for boat anglers fishing in low light conditions. Some bluefish have been carousing in the river as well. Plum Island Sound has had decent action for bass and bluefish with many fish being taken on cut bait. On the southern end of Plum Island, Sandy Point continues to be a destination for anglers in search of bass and blues.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Plenty of fish and pressure around Newburyport and Plum Island this last week. I fished last Friday night in-between some severe lightning storms, and we had many bass to the boat, with three over 30” in the mix. We were anchored not far from the Route 1 bridge and using fresh herring. Joppa Flats has been fairly inconsistent during the daylight hours, however good bass fishing can be had at night around the flats and out towards the Toothpick and Badger Rocks. Plum Island Point continues to attract large crowds of anglers in search of their dream fish. Some bluefish have been taken off the South Jetty and flounder fishing just outside the mouth has been good. Anglers have been motoring towards the ledges in search of tuna and the fish should become more plentiful in the coming weeks. Party boats have been returning to the dock with lots of fish and happy patrons.

Salisbury: (3 hooks) As it is across the river, the State Reservation has seen its share of fishing pressure over the last week. Anglers pitching sea worms, cut mackerel or herring and clams have all been hooking up with fish, most in the 20-26” range. Salisbury Beach has yielded keeper bass to bait fishermen at night this past week.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Bluefish have been patrolling the waters off the New Hampshire coast in good numbers from Seabrook to Portsmouth. As with other areas, trolling deep diving swimming lures tends to lead to a hook up with these toothy critters. Bass fishermen are still finding fish during the day, but many are casting into the rock strewn shorelines around Rye and Hampton. Further north, bluefish and stripers have been just outside the mouth of the Piscataqua while anglers working off Pierce Island have also reported decent fishing conditions.

July 22, 2005

Heat has Fish heading for Deeper Water

Frank Dwyer
July 22, 2005

The warm weather has finally taken its toll on fishing on the North Shore as anglers and fish alike seek cooler environments. Mackerel and Pogies have thinned out as the bluefish have spread throughout the area, but are still available early in the morning before heavy boat traffic starts.

Striped bass fishing is best at night now, with these nocturnal fish coming out to feed when the sun is down. Cod and Haddock fishing remains quite good.
Marblehead: (3 hooks) If you want big fish, you’ll need to get out at night for the most part. Anglers fishing the neck at night have reported good fishing action for keeper sized striped bass. Chunk herring or mackerel has been slaying the fish. Surfcasters fishing at night from Devereux Beach have been quite productive as well. Bluefish are still available just off shore and anglers trolling deep diving Rapalas having the best luck.

Salem: (3 hooks) Pogies remain available in Salem Harbor and those able to snag them live have been having their way with big striped bass. Bluefish continue to patrol inside and outside the harbor, with fishermen ending up with a few blues on the line even when not targeting the toothy critters. Salem Willows Pier continues to attract fishermen with bait at night working best while chunk fishermen at Winter Island have done well for bass.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Fishing from the Beverly Fishing Pier has yielded some decent sized keeper bass for anglers tossing chunk baits at night. A mix of bluefish and striped bass has been available in and around the rocks off Bakers’ Island, with mostly undersize bass available during the day. Worms and large sluggos twitched slowly along the bottom have been enticing bass to hit.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Surfcasters setting up on Singing Beach have done well with all manner of bait, including sea worms, clams and chunk herring. Anglers fishing from the State Fish Pier in Gloucester at night have had consistent action for bass well over the legal 28 inch limit. Chunk herring, mackerel or pogie has been working quite well, with or without a weight. In deeper water, fishing off Halibut Point has been yielding larger fish on bait in some of the deeper holes. Bluefish have been taken from most of the local beaches as well as just outside Gloucester Harbor and dogfish are becoming more prevalent. Cod, Haddock and Pollock fishing has been very good for the Party Boats with plenty of fish coming off Stellwagen and Tillies. School Bluefin Tuna rumors are starting to be heard.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) There are many bluefish to be had at the mouth of the Ipswich River as well as throughout Ipswich Bay. Striped bass fishing during the day has waned, with mostly schoolies available during daylight hours. Crane and Steep Hill beaches continue to produce healthy sized striped bass for night fishermen.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Greenheads are more abundant now than striped bass in the Parker River, but as with most of the area, stripers are active at night. Plum Island Sound has been slower than the last few weeks, but is still yielding striped bass and bluefish to anglers willing to put in the time. Sandy Point at the southern end of Plum Island has been producing some fish, with mostly bait anglers hooking up.



Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Fishing upriver of the Route 1 Bridge this past week has yielded some decent fish for anglers using both fly and spin gear. Around the 95 Bridge as well as near Deer Island, anglers have been having decent luck during the day mostly for sub-legal bass. Night time around Carr and Eagle Islands and in some of the holes in the back river has been quite good, especially for bait fishermen. Joppa Flats continues to attract both wade and boat fishermen day and night; with anglers fishing at night with eels, large popping plugs or large black flies. Some small bluefish have also been carousing on the flats, most in the 3-5 pound range. Just outside the mouth, flounder fishing has been good, as well as just off the Plum Island beaches. Bluefish continue to patrol the ocean from Sandy Point to the mouth of the Merrimack. Look for a cloud of birds or just troll a deep-diving plug for a near certain hook up. Party boat patrons have been loading up on Cod and Haddock and even some Pollock.


Salisbury: (3 hooks) The camping/RV season is in full swing and many of those staying at the Salisbury State Reservation are crowding the river bank and jetty in search of bass and blues. Anglers using bait across from Plum Island Point have been catching good numbers of bass, with the best fish coming at night. Bluefish have been taken from anglers willing to brave the jetty to get closer to the mouth. Boat anglers fishing just off Salisbury Beach have been finding more Flounder than in the last few weeks.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Bluefish and Bass remain quite plentiful for anglers fishing the Seacoast. From Seabrook to Portsmouth, anglers have been hooking up with both fly and spin gear. Fishing near the railroad bridge in Hampton has yielded some fish to 30 pounds for anglers using live and cut bait. Further north, the rocky coastline in Rye has also been yielding it’s fair share of striped bass. In the Portsmouth area, Great Bay has been flooded with bluefish and bass, with both large swimming or popping plugs and bait working quite well. Blues, Cod and Haddock are all available around the Isle of Shoals.

July 15, 2005

Fishing still on the Upswing

Frank Dwyer
July 15, 2005

Despite our changing weather, the fishing continues to please anglers throughout the North Shore. Bluefish, Flounder, Striped Bass and numerous other species are out there for the taking.
As we get deeper into July, we can expect the striped bass to head for deeper/cooler water, and to be more active in the nighttime hours. Large bass are the norm at night and using an eel, cut bait or a large plug can put you on the fish of your life.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Bluefish, Striped Bass and Flounder continue to please fishermen around Marblehead. Just outside the harbor, flounder fishermen have been catching their limits. Striped Bass fishing has been strong from the beaches for surfcasters, with most fish being landed before dawn or after sunset. Bluefish remain quite abundant.

Salem: (4 hooks) The Willows and Winter Island have seen good bluefish activity over the last week. These toothy critters have been taking all offerings and are especially fun on light tackle or fly rods. Flounder fishing has also been good in the harbor and just outside. Bigger bass have been taken outside the mouth out to the Gooseberries.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Mackerel and Pogies are still around in numbers but you’ll need to get out early to find them. Plenty of bass off the beaches and around the Islands just off the Beverly coast line. Flounder fishing has also been good as anglers dunking healthy portions of sea worms have been rewarded heartily.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Striped bass fishing continues to be strong for anglers fishing the Manchester-by-the-Sea area. Boat anglers reported good action for bass from House Island to Kettle Island, mostly for school sized bass to 26 inches. Further up the coast, fishing activity in Magnolia, Gloucester and Rockport continues to be good. Fishing the rocks from Eastern Point to Halibut Point has been yielding many keeper size bass, most taking fresh cut bait. Mackerel are still around the Cape, but you will need to search them out before the sun is up and the boat traffic is heavy. Bluefish are still quite thick around the Cape and the ever pesky dogfish have also been showing up more and more. Fishing for the ground fish boats has been good with many market sized cod, haddock and pollock being taken.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Pavilion and Steep Hill Beach have been home to a few surface feeds this past week, with bass and blues feeding on top. Fly rodders with poppers or sliders have had a ball as have those with spinning rods. Crane Beach has also been producing for anglers patrolling the sand in lowlight hours.

Newbury: (4 hooks) The Parker River continues to yield striped bass and a few bluefish. Plum Island Sound has also been fishing well with a good mix of bluefish and striped bass. Sandy Point at the very end of the Parker River NWR has also seen a good mix of blues and stripers. Sea worms, clams and cut bait are the favorites among the bait crowd, while popping plugs have been yielding both striped bass and bluefish.


Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Plenty of company out on Joppa Flats at night these days as the larger fish are becoming harder to find in the daylight hours. Needelefish and large popping plugs have been working well, as have eels, clams and cut bait. Fishing from the AYC mooring area continues to produce good amounts of school bass—with an occasional bluefish mixed in—being taken, mostly on the outgoing drift. Fishermen anchoring just off the channel near the Toothpick as well as by Badgers Rocks have reported many legal sized fish taken on bait. Bluefish continue to patrol the waters just outside the mouth of the Merrimack and along the beaches and have been taken by anglers casting and trolling. Party Boat action remains consistent for Cod, Haddock and Pollock.

Salisbury: (4 hooks) No shortage of fishermen on the riverbank and jetty off the Salisbury State Reservation. Anglers have seen good catches of bass and blues over the last week, with bait fishermen out-fishing all other anglers. The Salisbury beach front has also been yielding both bluefish and stripers, however you need to get your fishing done prior to sun bathing times.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Fishing in New Hampshire continues to please those drawn to the coast. Bluefish and striped bass are quite abundant, with no shortage of school sized bass. Larger bluefish have shown up in the Granite State’s waters, with some over 12 pounds being caught. Fishing in Portsmouth, specifically in the Piscataqua and Great Bay area has been consistent with plenty of legal bass for those willing to put in the time.

July 8, 2005

Blue (and Greenhead) July

Frank Dwyer
July 8, 2005

Bluefish have thoroughly invaded the North Shore now and have chased some of the mackerel and herring off, but the fishing remains quite good. Larger bass have taken up residency inshore and anglers fishing at night have the best chance of taking home a hog.

Flounder fishing remains strong across most of our region as does the fishing for Cod, Haddock and other ground fish.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Bluefish continue to patrol the coast of Marblehead in search of an easy meal and anglers have been taking advantage of their aggressive nature. Trolling deep diving swimming lures or casting large plugs will typically get you hooked up. Bass fishing has been consistent, but mostly in low light hours as anglers utilizing cut bait, sea worms and clams scoring best. Flounder limits are easily attainable just off the Marblehead coast, especially just inside the harbor.

Salem: (4 hooks) The Salem Willows Pier continues to attract throngs of anglers with stripers, bluefish and even a few flounder being landed. Kernwood Bridge has also been fishing quite consistently with anglers drifting sea worms on a moving tide doing best. Fishing off Winter Island has also been quite productive for blues and bass. Mackerel have thinned out but are still available early in the morning for those willing to search.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Large schools of Pogies have been in Beverly Harbor and that is terrific news for striped bass anglers. If you can snag a large pogie and set up a live drift, that’s a very good way of weeding out the smaller fish and getting your self a fish over 30 pounds! Anglers fishing the rocky structures off West Beach and Baker’s Island have done quite well with cut bait and trolling a tube n’ worm rig. Bluefish have chased some fish to deeper water, and using bait in deeper holes inshore is one way to target bass with the blues around.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Mackerel have been thinning out around Cape Ann, however pogies have been around in larger schools, enticing bass and blues to chase them. Flounder fishing remains strong off Marblehead as limits have been reached by many anglers over the last week. Blues have been carousing just off the Marblehead coast and striped bass have been hanging in the rocks, especially at night. Anglers fishing the beaches of Gloucester, especially at night, have been rewarded with consistent bass action, some into the 30 pound range. Boat fishermen have done well with bait in some of the deeper holes around Gloucester as some bass have moved to deeper, cooler water. Fishermen reported good sized bass in 30 – 100 foot depths off Halibut Point. Flounder fishing remains strong from Marblehead to Magnolia and large portions of sea worms will work best. The Essex River has not been as hopping as the last few weeks, however anglers fishing for bass in low light conditions continue to land fish. Cod and Haddock fishing has been quite good around Stellwagen, Jeffreys and Tillies as the Party Boats continue to please their patrons.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Mackerel have thinned out a bit in Ipswich Bay, however pogies have made the move north and have been attracting bass and bluefish. Fishing from Crane and Steep Hill Beach has slowed in the daylight hours but fishing has been quite good for anglers willing to head out after dark. Boat anglers continue to score good numbers of bluefish and bass around the mouth of the Ipswich River.


Newbury: (4 hooks)

Suprisingly, the Parker River continues to fish well in Newbury, with schoolie bass still available during the day and larger bass coming out of the water at night. Boat anglers working the southern end of Plum Island have found good numbers of bass off Sandy Point as well as Emerson Rocks. Bluefish remain strong just off the beaches.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Fishing around Newburyport continues to please anglers of all methods. Upriver, anglers working some of the deeper holes with bait around Ram and Carr Islands as well as further up river by Eagle and Deer Island report good sized catches of bass. On Joppa Flats, fly fishermen fishing around the moorings of the AYC and near Woodbridge Island have reported good numbers of bass. Larger fish, as with most of our area , are a better bet at night. Top water plugs were the rule for spin fishermen on Joppa last weekend as stripers put their noses up at most other offerings, choosing instead to treat fishermen to the surface explosions that come from fishing on top. Further down river, fishing from the Toothpick to Badgers rocks has been producing good numbers of bass, with a few bluefish also venturing into the river. Anglers drifting with live or dead bait at the mouth of the Merrimack have also done quite well with bass into the 20 pound range. Plum Island Point continues to attract the largest crowds, with good reason as the fishing remains strong, if you can take the company. Flounder have been pleasing anglers just off the Plum Island beaches, with seaworms proving irresistible to the flatties. Bluefish remain just outside the mouth out to the MR Buoy. Party boats continue to bring happy patrons back to the dock as Cod and Haddock fishing has been good. Boat anglers should take note that a new “No Wake” zone is going to be set up in the near future from approximately Ben Butler’s Toothpick to Green Can 11, near Badgers Rocks.

Salisbury: (4 hooks) The RV and Camping season is in full swing and with that the Salisbury State Reservation has been quite crowded with anglers. Sea worms, cut bait and clams have all yielded keeper bass over the past week. Surfcasters working Salisbury Beach early in the morning or at dusk have reported action with both bass and bluefish.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) The seacoast remains hot for bass and bluefish. The mackerel that have thinned out to the south are still around the New Hampshire coast and with that, bass are still in close to shore. Bluefish have started to spread over the area, so the mackerel may push out any day, but for now the fishing from Seabrook to Portsmouth remains strong as bass cooperate with both fly and spin anglers. Cod and Haddock fishing has been quite good just south of the Isle of Shoals as the ground fish action continue to please fishermen.

______________________________________________________________________________Frank Dwyer is the Fishing and Outdoor Columnist for Eagle Tribune Publishing and is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Email him at dwyer.f@comcast.net