August 26, 2005

August Dwindles and the Fall Migration Looms


Frank Dwyer
August 26, 2005

As the waning days of August come to an end, the fishing action seems to be slowly improving, almost signaling the beginning of the fall migration. While still a few weeks away from the frenzy that is the fall migration, fishing has certainly improved from a few weeks ago.

A wide array of fish are available for anglers to target, with good table fare like Fluke and Flounder readily available and game fish like Tuna and Striped Bass all available for the taking.


Marblehead: (3 hooks) Fishing from shore has improved for surfcasters as both striped bass and bluefish have been taken from area beaches. Fly fishermen using fast sinking lines along the rocky coastline on the Neck have also taken decent numbers of striped bass.

Salem: (4 hooks)There have been good numbers of bass in Salem Harbor this week, with several early morning feeds as bass chased peanut bunker to the surface. Bigger fish have been taken by the outer islands as plugs, tube-n-worm and bait have all been attracting keeper sized bass. Bluefish continue to remain all around Salem.

Beverly: (3 hooks) No shortage of bass and bluefish along the Beverly coast as fishermen from shore and boat report decent action with striped bass and bluefish. Fishing the Danvers River has continued to produce good numbers of bass, with some nice sized keepers in the mix especially at night. Bluefish continue to wreak havoc and take just about any offering.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) The mouth of Manchester Harbor continues to produce good numbers of flounder. Bluefish and stripers are also in the mix at the mouth and along the Manchester and Magnolia coast as both spin and fly anglers report an up-tick in activity. Fishing the deeper holes in the Annisquam has yielded bigger fish this past week, mostly for chunk fishermen. Bluefish continue to remain just outside the breakwater and Tuna fever is in full swing as anglers patrol Tillies and Jefferies in search of these speedsters. Party boats continue to produce excellent numbers of cod and haddock. The Essex Estuary has seen better numbers of stripers in the past week for both fly and spin anglers.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Bass and blues continue to be taken by anglers in Ipswich. Plum Island Sound and the inner part of Ipswich Bay provide a healthy mix of striped bass and bluefish for anglers. Shore fishing has not been as productive as for those in boats, but anglers continue to try their luck from Pavilion, Crane and Steep Hill beaches.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Anglers fishing the southern end of Plum Island have reported decent action for striped bass and bluefish from the beaches at the Parker River NWR. Parking Lot’s 1, 6 and 7 have all yielded fish with stripers and bluefish taking bait, plugs and metal. While not breathtaking, the action has certainly improved.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Striped bass fishing around Newburyport has been somewhat spotty over the last week, however decent fish have been found by persistent anglers from the Route 95 Bridge to the mouth of the Merrimack and beyond. Drifting Joppa on the outgoing tide from the American Yacht Club moorings out towards Woodbridge Island has yielded schoolie size bass for both fly and spin anglers. Bait anglers continue to land fish from Plum Island Point, mostly on bait. Bluefish continue to be landed from the mouth of the river and all along the Plum Island Beachfront. Fluke have been taken just outside the mouth of the Merrimack, near Ben Butler’s toothpick, as well as upriver by the Ice Breaker.

Salisbury: (3 hooks) Bass and bluefish continue to be the order of the day for anglers fishing from the State Reservation in Salisbury. Anglers fishing from the Jetty have reported bigger bluefish—to 12 pounds—just inside the mouth of the river.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Just outside Hampton Harbor has seen a good mix of striped bass and bluefish. The beaches off 1A in Rye have also been quite productive for bass fishermen as larger bass have been working bait close to sure, especially at night. Pogies have been in the waters around Portsmouth and using this fresh bait when possible has been landing keeper sized bass for bait fishermen. Bass and Bluefish have been reported from the New Castle Bridge as well as by Fort Foster.

August 19, 2005

No reason to complain

Frank Dwyer
August 19, 2005

While the fishing is not tremendous—and never is this time of year—there are plenty of opportunities for North Shore anglers to wet a line and land a fish.

Striped Bass continue to be caught from Marblehead to Portsmouth, with most large fish still being taken at night. Bluefish remain in large numbers in our area while tuna have been a hit or miss proposition.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) There are plenty of bluefish swimming the waters in and around Marblehead, most in the 3-7 pound range. Boat anglers report stripers hanging around in pods just outside of the Neck, with many keeper size bass being taken on chunk baits as well as large plugs. Fly anglers report slower action, which is normal for this time of year. Surfcaster report decent action on clams, worms and cut bait from Devereaux Beach. Flounder fishing seems to be on the upturn, especially just outside the Harbor.

Salem: (3 hooks) Bass seem to be on the move quite often lately as a hot location one day is not so hot the next. Pogies can still be found early in the morning in Salem Harbor and live-lining this striper favorite will increase your chances of hooking a big one dramatically. Bluefish remain in good numbers in and just outside the Harbor, with anglers trolling large, deep swimming lures doing quite well.

Beverly: (3 hooks) The action for bass at the Salem/Beverly Bridge has been somewhat sporadic as anglers fishing with clam strips and tube-n-worm rigs report moderate success for bass to 35 inches. Anglers fishing from boats off West Beach and around the islands report decent action for bass, especially in low-light hours. Tube-N-Worm, cut bait and large popping plugs have all been attracting fish.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Surfcasting from White and Singing Beaches in Manchester has been more productive over the last week as anglers report good action for both bluefish and striped bass. Flounder catches have increased for anglers drifting sea-worms near the mouth of Manchester Harbor. Some herring remain in the harbor. Fishing from the beaches in Gloucester, surfcasters also report good action, mostly on worms, cut bait and clams. Boat anglers have been having good luck for bass in the 20-30 pound range in the deeper waters off Halibut Point. Bluefish remain numerous all around the Cape. School Bluefin Tuna have been reported from just east of Thachers Island, out to Tillies and Stellwagen. Trolling covers more water, but if you get the chance, casting plugs and jigs into fish on top can also provide a hook up. The Essex River has seen decent action for school-sized bass over the last week, but no large fish to report. Good numbers of Cod and Haddock reported for those who like to get out on the Party Boats.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Bluefish and striped bass have been caught in better numbers this past week in and at the mouth of the Ipswich River. Some nice surface feeds have been reported with bluefish and stripers churning up the water and taking both plugs and surface twitched plastics. Fly fishermen report slower fishing from the shores of Crane and Steep Hill Beach, with fast sinking lines and larger flies only registering an occasional hit.

Newbury: (3 hooks) With the additional beach front to work with, anglers have reported decent action for both bass and blues from the beaches at parking lots 6 and 7 at the Plum Island National Wildlife Refuge. Early morning has been good for top water plug action as stripers and bass have both been cooperative.
Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Bass have been cooperating around Newburyport, but mostly for anglers out at night. Bluefish have been in quite thick around Newburyport with the choppers venturing further onto Joppa Flats than in weeks past. Several times this week I was cut off when fishing for stripers on Joppa. Some of the bluefish have become quite large as they have fed over the last few weeks and some bluefish in the 15 pound range have been taken. Fishing from Plum Island Point continues to be somewhat sporadic; however decent fish continue to be caught every day, mostly on bait. Outside the mouth of the Merrimack, larger bluefish have been falling for large, trolled swimming plugs, as well as popping plugs twitched on the surface. Fishermen in search of Tuna report decent sightings but sporadic hook ups for bluefin tuna. Cod and Haddock fishing remains strong.

Salisbury: (3 hooks) Surfcasters fishing from the State Reservation have landed a mix of bluefish and stripers over the last week. Most fish have been attracted to bait much more so than lures, with clams and worms working best. Some anglers have been having success with bluefish by casting Kastmaster’s and other metals from the Jetty and Salisbury Beach.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Like much of our coastline, fishing from Seabrook to Portsmouth has been fairly consistent for bluefish and somewhat more sporadic for striped bass. Larger bluefish and striped bass have been reported around the Isle of Shoals and there has been a few feeding frenzy’s reported just outside Hampton Harbor over the last week. The Piscataqua has been somewhat slow for bass, but bluefish have been active just outside the mouth.

August 12, 2005

Stripers a bit Finicky

Frank Dwyer
August 12, 2005

The summer heat has pushed many of the striped bass in our area to deeper water as they seek relief from the heated shallow waters of the North Shore. Bass have been much more active at night; however the next few weeks will see a resurgence of bass activity as the beginning of the fall migration approaches. Bluefish remain ever present, while cod, haddock and school bluefin tuna remain in good numbers.

Mark your calendars, as the Third Annual Leo Almeida Memorial North Shore Striped Bass Tournament will be held Labor Day weekend. Last year 350 anglers entered and $3,500 was raised for three North Shore food pantries, the Cape Ann Food Pantry in Gloucester, Our Neighbor’s Table in Amesbury, and the Danvers People to People pantry. For full details, visit http://www.northshorestriper.com/


Marblehead: (3 hooks) Fishing the beaches in Marblehead has slowed as the waters have warmed to a near season high. Fishing around the Neck has been more productive than the beaches as anglers look for deeper holes near rocky structure. Bluefish remain active around most of Marblehead.

Salem: (3 hooks) Bluefish have been both inside and outside of the harbor in Salem and anglers targeting them with light spinning gear and fly rods have been having a ball with fish ranging from 3- 12 pounds. Stripers have been reacting to the heating waters and moving to deeper environs, however night anglers have reported success with chunk bait off Winter Island.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Fishing in and around Beverly has been somewhat slow in the daylight hour’s, however bluefish and flounder have been taken in the sunlight by persistent anglers. Fishing the Beverly Fishing Pier at night has produced good results for anglers finding the right tide at night. Boaters around Bakers and Misery Island report good bass action at night.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Things have slowed for surfcasters off Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea, with only sporadic action reported over the last week. The same story is being heard in Gloucester as well as surfcasters struggle to find decent action for striped bass. Bluefish remain plentiful, but most seem to be out of the casting distance of shore bound anglers. The big attraction for anglers with boats that can travel some distance are the good numbers of school bluefin tuna that are being caught about 10 miles off Thachers Island. Tuna have been taken by anglers trolling Green Machines and casting metal jigs and even tossing chunk baits. You’ll need at least 30 pound test and 300 yard capacity or a 12 weight fly rod to have a shot of landing these fish. Rockport and Essex striped bass fishing has slowed as well, with bluefish remaining the more prevalent catch this past week. Party boats continue to please their customers with good numbers of cod, haddock, cusk and wolfish.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Fishing from the beaches of Ipswich has been slow for anglers casting from shore. Many bluefish have been hanging around the mouth of the Ipswich River with a few striped bass in the mix. Pavilion, Crane and Steep Hill beach continue to produce for anglers willing to get out in the dark of the night.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Fishermen have gained additional real estate to work with on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge as parking lots one, six and seven are now open and ready for anglers to wet a line. Some reports of decent striped bass catches in the early morning hours, with seaworms and cut bait working best. The Plum Island Sound has also gotten better over the last few weeks with both striped bass and bluefish catches reported.


Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Fish have been finicky around Newburyport this week, even at night. Slurping bass have been on top working small bait fish from the central waterfront right out to the Toothpick. While most of the fish are small, some bigger fish have been in the mix, but most remain quite temperamental with plenty of bait and lure offerings going untouched. The Point continues to attract throngs of anglers, but most of the fish of any size are coming at night. Bluefish remain present from the mouth of the Merrimack and along most of the Newburyport beachfront. Some flounder catches have been had over the past week but are not as plentiful in weeks past. Many anglers have been heading out into Ipswich Bay in search of the school bluefin tuna that have started to populate our waters. Cod and Haddock Party Boats continue to please anglers with good market-sized catches.

Salisbury: (3 hooks) Some bluefish have been taken by surfcasters off Salisbury beach, most just after sunrise. Large plugs, Kastmasters, Rangers or Ballistic Missiles should do the trick. Bass fishing has slowed from the beach, but some bass are still hanging around the Merrimack with anglers fishing the jetty and State Reservation having limited success.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Striped Bass fishing from Seabrook to Portsmouth has also seen a slow down mostly driven by rising water temperatures. Anglers need to find deeper holes, or head out at night to increase their chances. Big bluefish have been carousing off the Isle of Shoals as well as some bigger striped bass hanging around the cooler rocky structure. The Piscataqua and Great Bay area have also seen a slow down in fishing activity.

August 5, 2005

Keep on Fishing

Frank Dwyer
Front Page!! https://home.comcast.net/~dwyer.f/Aug5FrontPage.pdf
August 5, 2005

There are plenty of choices for North Shore anglers as the fishing season continues to roll on. Bait fish continue to be somewhat plentiful and anglers are scoring good catches from both shore and sea.

Larger bass have been caught mostly at night by those utilizing live baits like eels, or large cut baits. Bluefish continue to patrol our shoreline while groundfish and tuna await those looking to get off shore.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Pogies remain around Marblehead Harbor, but you need to get out early to find them. Live-lining these favorite striper baits has been yielding fish into the 30 pound range. Fishing around the Neck has improved for bait, spin and fly fishermen.

Salem: (4 hooks) Early-risers report consistent Pogie catches in Salem Harbor and success can be had live-lining or chunking these fish. Bluefish are available inside and outside the harbor and have been quite aggressive. Winter Island and Salem Willows Pier continue to attract throngs of anglers.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Fishermen trolling tube-n-worm combinations in the Danvers River have been catching good numbers of striped bass. Fishing around the islands just off West Beach has also proven quite productive for bass. A live pogie set up on a balloon rig has been deadly around the rocks. Bluefish continue to please anglers on light spinning and fly rods as the fish get fatter as they continue to feed.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Flounder have been somewhat scarce, however persistent anglers have found them in Manchester and off Magnolia. Tuna are now in quite thick around Stellwagen Bank as well as 10 miles off Thacher’s Island. Anglers have reported success trolling for these speedsters as well casting plugs and mega-bait jigs to pods that appear on top. Striped Bass fishing continues to impress anglers at night with many fish in the 20-30 pound range coming out of the Annisquam and off the beaches. Bluefish continue to wreak havoc around the Breakwater and anglers trolling large, deep-diving plugs have reported blues to 12 pounds. Fishing off Halibut Point has been yielding more bluefish and dogfish, however some bass have been taken in deeper water. Party boats report good action for Cod and Haddock.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) The greenheads have become a bit more bearable around Crane Beach, but the best angling for bass remains at night. Fly anglers casting large black sliders have reported bass action close to shore. Bluefish remain plentiful throughout Ipswich Bay and especially close to the mouth of the Ipswich River. Pavilion and Steep Hill have also yielded their fair share of bass.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Fishing from boat off Emerson Rocks over the last week has produced a good mix of bluefish and striped bass. Trolling off the reservation beaches has been quite productive with many double hook ups on my boat during the past week. Striped bass fishing in the Parker River has slowed a bit, however some smaller bluefish have ventured upriver.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Upriver of the Route 1 Bridge has been quite productive at night. If you can find a nice hole or change in surface structure, dunk your bait and hold on. There are nice drop offs and holes near the Gillis Bridge as well as off Ram, Carr, Eagle and Deer Island. Joppa Flats has continued to yield good numbers of schoolie sized striped bass in the early morning, however the bigger fish are being taken at night by anglers using both bait and artificial lures, especially around Woodman Island. Bluefish continue to be available just outside the mouth of the Merrimack and along the entire length of the Plum Island Beaches. Off shore, anglers have been pleased with the numbers of school bluefin tuna available near Stellwagen Bank and the Party Boats continue to please patrons with Cod, Haddock and Bluefish trips.

Salisbury: (3 hooks) With camping season in full swing, most of the fishing from the banks of the river at the State Reservation is of the elbow to elbow kind. Bluefish have been taken from the North Jetty for those anglers willing to brave the walk on the jagged rocks. Striped Bass—some keepers—have been taken at night from Salisbury Beach.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Bluefish have know thoroughly invaded the waters off the coast of New Hampshire and are available and willing from Seabrook to Portsmouth and out to the Isle of Shoals. Striped bass have been somewhat fussy during the day, but anglers fishing the rocks near Hampton and Rye have done quite well with chunk baits and eels. Further north, the Piscataqua has been somewhat quite, however bluefish and stripers have been congregating at the mouth.