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.