September 25, 2005

Reprint: Canoe on the Flats

This is an Oldie but a goodie!
Tight Lines!

September 22, 2005

And the beat goes on

Frank Dwyer
September 22, 2005

The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Tournament and is in full swing and will run through October 15th. If you’ve never participated in this annual event, you don’t know what you’re missing! Have a look at http://www.mvderby.com/ and consider making the trip!

The North Shore continues to please anglers as bluefish, striped bass and tuna catches have all increased over the last week. Several bluefin tuna over 500 pounds have been landed by anglers off the North Shore and school bluefin tuna continue to please anglers searching for these prolific fighters.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Anglers fishing the rocky coastline of Marblehead Neck have landed keeper-size bass on both bait and lures. Cut bait has worked quite well for bait fishermen, while spin anglers using large popping plugs like Skitter Pops and Danny Plugs.

Salem: (4 hooks) The Danvers River continues to produce good sized bass as they continue to feed for their migration south. Anglers trolling tube-n-worm rigs as well as casting soft baits have had good success. Anglers fishing off Bakers and Childrens Islands have found good numbers of bass and blues.

Beverly: (4 hooks) West Beach and the Islands just off shore have seen terrific bluefish and bass action and lot’s of topwater activity this past week. Popping plugs offered by both fly and spin fishermen have been working quite well, as are metal lures. Bait anglers report decent action for keeper bass at night from the beach and fishing pier.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Surface feeds off Kettle Island and just outside Magnolia Harbor have kept anglers smiling. Larger bluefish have made their way to the waters around the Cape and 15 pound choppers are not uncommon at this time of year. Good bass action from most of the area beaches, especially at night for bait fishermen. Tuna dreams continue to captivate anglers in search of these speedy fish. Anglers continue to find schools of tuna off Thachers Island as well as off Halibut Point. If the fish are not evident, trolling is the best bet, but nothing gets the heart pumping like casting to a pod of tuna on top. The Annisquam and Essex Rivers are also fishing quite nicely as fish have been chasing bait into the river systems. Party boats have had good action for cod, haddock, cusk and wolf fish.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Ipswich Bay has been alive with bait and stripers and bass in pursuit. Surface feeds have been seen off Great Neck and off both Crane and Pavilion Beaches. Fly fishermen and spin casters alike have had good luck as the fish chase bait within easy casting distance from shore.

Newbury: (4 hooks) The Beach Buggy crowd has been out in force along the beaches of the Parker River NWR, and for good reason. Early morning has seen good numbers of bluefish and bass in close to shore and taken an assortment of baits and lures. Plum Island Sound has been quite lively with bass and blues as it has been at the mouth of the Rowley River as well.


Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) If personal experience is any indication, the fishing in Newburyport has been great this week. Sunday had only a few boats in the mouth and large bluefish and stripers carousing in the choppy waters. We landed several large blues and bass with the largest going to my friend Don, coming in at 46” and just shy of 40 pounds.

All fish were taken on green and silver Skitter Pops. Bait anglers continue to have success from Plum Island Point and I saw many keepers landed there this past week. Joppa Flats has been somewhat spotty as the water was quite murky for much of the week. Party boats report good ground fishing with good numbers of cod and haddock being taken.

Salisbury: (4 hooks) As the sun has come up this week each morning, bass and blues have been feeding on bait quite close to shore on Salisbury Beach. The State Reservation crowd has also had good action for bass and a few bluefish on the end of the outgoing tide and the beginning of the incoming tide.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) No shortage of fish or bait along the Seacoast as anglers from Hampton to Portsmouth have had good luck in pursuit of bass and bluefish. The entrance to Hampton Harbor has been alive with fish as bait funneling through is easy picking for the blues and bass. Fishermen working the beaches and shoreline around Rye report good bass action close to shore, especially at night. The Great Bay area and Piscataqua have also been fishing well as has the area around the Isle of Shoals.

September 15, 2005

‘tis the Season

Frank Dwyer
September 15, 2005

The fishing has been great over the past week as most of the North Shore has been alive with bluefish and stripers furiously feeding along the coast. Hopefully this earlier than usual action will not signal an earlier Fall migration than usual.

This weekend, the Plum Island Surfcasters, Massachusetts Beach Buggy Association and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge welcome distance-casting champion Ron Arra for a fun morning of fishing for beginners and veterans alike. The event, called the “Beach Blast” will include instruction and demonstrations by Mr. Arra and their will be fishing rods for usage by those that don’t have their own. The event runs from sunrise to 1pm on Saturday, September 17 at Parking Lot 1 of the NWR.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Fishing in Marblehead has been good as stripers and blues have been feeding in the harbor as well as around area beaches. Fly and spin anglers have found feeding schools of blues and bass off Devereuax Beach as well as from the Neck. Larger profile flies and popping plugs have worked best on these hungry fish.

Salem: (4 hooks) Bluefish and bass have been in Salem Harbor and anglers have had good luck getting both on the line. The Danvers River has been fishing quite well for shore anglers using chunk bait or clam strips, as well as boat anglers trolling tune-n-worm rigs.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Fly anglers have been catching a mix of blues and stripers at sunrise from West Beach. When the bluefish are biting in numbers, long-rodders do well using a piano wire leader to their fly allowing them to catch these toothy critters without sacrificing numerous flies. The Beverly Fishing Pier has yielded some big stripers to bait fishermen at night.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Manchester-by-the-Sea beaches have been hot for surfcasters as White Beach and Singing Beach have been providing good action for bluefish and striped bass. Bait anglers as well as those tossing plugs have done well. In Gloucester, the Annisquam has been alive with bass most mornings at sun up, while bluefish have been just outside the harbor, with some in the mid-teens being landed. Good Harbor and Wingaersheek Beaches have also been good destinations for fishermen. Tuna fever continues as many “footballs” from 30-100 pounds have been seen and landed by anglers off Halibut Point, Thachers Island and out on the Banks. The Essex River has also been providing steady action for bass and some blues closer to the mouth. Cod and Haddock fishing continues to please those in search of ground fish.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Night fishing from Crane Beach has been quite good with fly anglers using large black flies and spin casters using pencil poppers or other popping plugs landing good sized bass. Bluefish have been at the mouth of the Ipswich River most mornings and have been taking most offerings.

Newbury: (4 hooks) The Plum Island Sound has also been very busy with fish and anglers in pursuit of both bass and blues. The Parker River has also been delivering more consistent action for fishermen in search of bass. The beaches on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge have seen consistent bluefish action close to shore early in the morning and good bass fishing at night.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Bass have been feeding on top most mornings over the past week as the sun comes up. In the Back River as well as in Town Creek, schoolie bass—and some bigger ones too—have been taken on small popping plugs as well as sluggos. Drifting on Joppa Flats has been good on the outgoing tide as bass have been actively hitting flies, lures and bait. Anglers fishing from Plum Island Point have also had good bass action with some blues in the mix. The Plum Island beachfront has also had several near shore feeding frenzy’s from Plum Island Boulevard to the South Jetty. Party Boats have had great cod and haddock fishing over the past week.

Salisbury: (4 hooks) Much like the beaches of Newburyport, Salisbury Beach has also had some in-shore surface feeds allowing surfcasters to land blues and stripers. The State Reservation has also been attracting anglers who have been catching a mix of stripers and blues from the Merrimack on bait and lures.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) The mouth of Hampton Harbor has had some decent surface feeds over the last week as blues and bass have been actively feeding on bunker. Rye Harbor and just outside has also seen surface feeds this week as the waters have been filled with bait. Further north, the waters around Newcastle have been full of bait and birds and good numbers of mostly school sized bass. In the Piscataqua, surface feeds have been seen near the Navy Yard as well as at the mouth of the River. Anglers taking the ride to the Isle of Shoals report large bluefish and some bass around the rocks.

September 9, 2005

Fishing Remains Strong

Frank Dwyer
September 9, 2005

Labor Day has come and gone and apparently the fish know it too. With plenty of bait in the water—especially peanut bunker—fish are on the move and beefing up for the migration south to come.

Striped bass and bluefish have come back in force over the last few weeks and most of the North Shore has been experiencing fantastic fishing action. Cod and Haddock catches have also been plentiful and tuna fever continues to persist.


Marblehead: (4 hooks) Good bass action for boat anglers around Tinker’s and Ram Island. Big bass have been slurping up large chunks of cut bait offered on the bottom. Surfcasters working from Devereux Beach have also reported good action for bass, again mostly on bait. Bluefish have also been taken all around Marblehead, especially off the Neck.

Salem: (4 hooks) Plenty of bait around Salem Harbor and there are big bluefish after them. Many hookups have been had around the Salem Harbor Islands and just outside the harbor. Bass have also been more active around Winter Island and for bait fishermen casting from Salem Willows Pier.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Early morning surface feeds have been happening off West Beach as stripers and blue corralled bait up against the beach. Large popping plugs, kastmasters or swimming plugs have all been landing fish. Fly anglers have been getting in on the action as well as the fish chase bunker closer to shore. Beverly Fishing Pier and the Danvers River continue to produce consistent bass action.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) A few flounder have been taken around Manchester and Magnolia, but bluefish and bass have been much more cooperative with anglers around Cape Ann. Good Harbor in Gloucester has been home to several heart pounding blitzes this past week as bluefish and stripers boiled on top of the water devouring peanut bunker. The mouth of the Annisquam has been alive with bass and blues and anglers report many keeper-sized bass in the mix. Tuna continue to attract anglers like a Siren’s song and have been found off Thachers Island, Halibut Point and Jeffrey’s Ledge. The Essex River has also heated up, especially towards the mouth as bluefish and stripers wait for an easy meal. Cod and Haddock fishing remains very good for the Party Boat fleet.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Crane Beach on the Trustees of Reservation property has been quite productive for fly and spin anglers. Near the mouth of the Ipswich River has seen an influx of bait and with that, stripers and bass in pursuit. Pavilion and Steep Hill Beaches are also yielding their fair amount of fish.

Newbury: (4 hooks) With full access available to walk-on and drive-on anglers, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge beaches have been a popular destination over the last week. Bluefish have been taken close to shore quite consistently at first light and night anglers have been doing quite well for striped bass. Chunk baits, clams and eels have all landed keeper bass.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Bluefish and Bass are readily available around the Port and anglers are feeling renewed after a somewhat slow August. Joppa Flats has been good for striped bass on moving tides from the American Yacht Club to Woodbridge Island. Bass have been feeding on the surface in the early morning hours from Newburyport Harbor out to Badgers Rocks. Bluefish continue to be available for anglers from the mouth of the river and all along the Plum Island beachfront. Several surface feeds with birds overhead were seen over the last week, with boat and beach anglers reporting success. Anglers heading out in search of Tuna report good action off Cape Ann while the party boats continue to deliver good cod and haddock action to their patrons.

Salisbury: (4 hooks) Bluefish and Bass blitzes have been within reach of early morning anglers fishing from Salisbury Beach. Those anglers fishing the Merrimack from the shores of the State Reservation are still landing good numbers of bass and bluefish.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Fishing from Hampton to Portsmouth continues to impress anglers of all methods. Surfcasters working the shore line from Hampton to Rye report decent action from shore for bass and blues, especially around Odiorne Point. Pogies continue to reside around Portsmouth and Great Bay, and with that good amounts of striped bass and blues are available to boat and shore fishermen.

September 2, 2005

Labor Day Should be Fun for Anglers

Frank Dwyer
September 2, 2005

Labor Day Weekend is here and it certainly feels like it on the water. Even with the heat and humidity earlier in the week, there has been plenty of bait in the waters around the North Shore and no shortage of fish feeding on that bait.

Fishing from Marblehead to Portsmouth will only get better from here on out as we approach the dreaded fall migration which signals the beginning of the end of our saltwater fishing season. That said; get out there now as the best fishing of the season is yet to come!


Marblehead: (4 hooks) Striped bass fishing has improved over the last week as anglers report good action from the beaches and on the Neck near the lighthouse. Spin anglers using mid-sized plugs like Skitter Pops have done well, as have fly fishermen with poppers and sliders. Devereaux Beach has been home to several surface feeds as stripers chase peanut bunker.

Salem: (4 hooks) Salem Sound has been full of bait and with that has been home to several surface feeds over the past week with a mix of blues and striped bass foraging on peanut bunker. When the fish are feeding like this, you can’t go wrong with most poppers, metals or swimming plugs while fly anglers will have most offerings devoured. Fishing from Winter Island and Salem Willows Pier continues to produce good numbers of bass.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Fishing for bass in the Danvers River has been good for anglers from both boat and shore. Bait casters using chunks, clams and worms near the Salem/Beverly Bridge have been landing good numbers of bass. Anglers fishing just off West Beach have seen a number of surface feeds over the last week.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) While flounder fishing has declined as of late, bass fishing has picked up nicely as peanut bunker have invaded the Cape. Manchester Harbor and the beaches of Manchester have seen several bass and blue surface feeds this week as both fly and spin anglers reported good catches. In Gloucester, the fishing has been quite good for bass, blues and school bluefin tuna. Bass have been more active in the Annisquam this past week and surface feeds have been reported off Brace Cove, Cape Hedge and Milk Island. Tuna fever continues as anglers have found tuna in the 30-100 pound range off Thachers Island and Halibut Point. Fishing off Rockport has also been quite consistent with bass and blues being taken from Pebble Beach, while the Essex River has been heating up with several surface feeds at the mouth this past week. Inshore cod action has slowed, but Party Boats have been returning with good numbers of cod and haddock.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Crane Beach has been good for shore bound anglers as bass and blues have been corralling peanut bunker just off the beach. Anglers hovering near the mouth of the Ipswich River have seen many surface feeds this past week and many have said it certainly feels later in the season than the calendar says. Pavilion Beach has also had its fair share of fish taken from its shores.

Newbury: (4 hooks) Good news for the beach buggy crowd as September 1 was opening day for drive-on access to the beaches of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Permits can be purchased at the gate house or at the Reservations headquarters and all the typical gear is required to gain drive-on privileges. All beaches at the reservation are now open and reports have good fishing from the shore for bluefish and bass.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Newburyport anglers have been pleasantly surprised with an up-tick in action over the past week. Surface feeds have been seen from just off Cashman’s Park to the mouth of the river. Joppa Flats has been quite active with many sub-legal fish being taken by spin and fly anglers alike. Bluefish have ventured onto the flats a bit more this week, so don’t be surprised if you get cut off. Fishing from Plum Island Point and the front beach on Plum Island has been quite good as bluefish and striped bass activity has increased this past week. Fishermen trolling for bluefish from just outside the mouth all the way down to Emerson Rocks have seen plenty of hook ups. Anglers leaving from Newburyport in search of tuna have found them off Cape Ann, specifically off Thachers Island and around Halibut Point. Cod and Haddock catches remain plentiful for the Party Boats.

Salisbury: (4 hooks) Surfcasters will be happy that Labor Day Weekend is typically the last big beach weekend, thereby freeing up Salisbury Beach just in time for autumn. Bass and Bluefish have been taken by anglers working the beachfront just before dawn, with bluefish and stripers venturing into the wash in search of bait. The State Reservation continues to produce good numbers of bass and blues for those who like to fish with plenty of company.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Fishing around the mouth of Hampton Harbor has seen an increase in bass and bluefish activity as both spin and fly anglers have reported good action. Further north, fishing the beaches from North Hampton to Rye has also proven productive for anglers casting for bass and blues. The Piscataqua has been fishing somewhat slowly, however there have been a few surface blitzes at the mouth. Further offshore, cod and haddock fishing around the Isle of Shoals has been very good.