Heat Continues its Grip on Region and Anglers

Frank G. Dwyer
August 4, 2006

As a New Englander, I don’t often complain about the heat, because once winter is here we will be wishing for the warm weather, but this heat is making us anglers work overtime.

Bluefish and flounder remain for the persistent day-time angler and bass have been much more cooperative after dark this past week. Tuna have yet to make a large showing in our area as Party Boats fight through the dogfish to get to the Cod and Haddock.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Large bluefish continue to take most offerings from anglers from boat and shore along the Marblehead coast, while bass fishing from the Neck at night has found larger bass close to shore.

Salem: (3 hooks) Anglers continue to fish from Salem Willow Pier, but daytime pick ups are slow at best. Larger bass have been taken from Winter Island at night and bluefish continue to be available to anglers in and around Salem Sound.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Flounder are still being caught off the Beverly coast. Anglers do better drifting with sea worms as bait rather than anchored. Bass action is mostly at night, with larger bass being taken from the Beverly Fishing Pier and around the islands.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) The water off Manchester-by-the-Sea and Magnolia has followed the pattern of most of our area with bluefish showing during the day and bass becoming more active at night. Some larger bass have been found in the deeper water columns off Halibut and Eastern Point while bluefish and dogfish have been wreaking havoc. Boat fishermen have been looking for school bluefin tuna from Thachers Island to Stellwagen, with little success. Cod and Haddock fishing remains somewhat steady even while fighting off the dogfish.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Small bluefish have been off the beach at Crane and Steep Hill beaches early in the morning the past week. Striped Bass fishing has slowed for daytime anglers, but on the positive side, greenheads have thinned out considerably.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Bluefish and bass have been taken in the early morning from the Parker River NWR as anglers
have been taking fish on top-water plugs, metal and bait. Fishing in the Parker River has slowed with only sporadic bass activity reported over the last week.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Pre-dawn hours have seen small bass rising on the top of the Merrimack River from Cashmans Park to Joppa Flats. As soon as the sun is up, the fish vanish. Fishing at night, just off the channel, from the AYC moorings to Woodbridge Island, bass have been taking live eels and sea worms as well as clams and cut mackerel. Drifting the mouth of the Merrimack on the outgoing tide with either whole or chunk mackerel has delivered some big fish to anglers willing to deal with the boat traffic and chop. Larger bluefish have been taking trolled umbrella rigs and deep swimming lures
from just outside the mouth and all along the beachfront. Party Boats continue to deliver Cod and Haddock by moving frequently to outsmart the dogfish.

Salisbury: (3 hooks) Bluefish have been hanging around the North Jetty off Salisbury as they await easy meals at the mouth of the river. In addition, trolling from Salisbury to Seabrook has found decent sized blues taking trolled deep running lures.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Bluefish from Seabrook to Portsmouth has been the most reliable fishery over the past week for the Granite State. Anglers fishing in the Rye and Portsmouth areas have found bass cooperating at night, especially on eels. Larger bluefish have been taken at the mouth of the Piscataqua as well as around the Isle of Shoals.

Tip of the Week:

Trolling is a great way to target fish; however it can cause problems with line twist. To get the twist out of your line, while motoring slowly, drop rod tip and line into the water and put your reel on “free-spool”. Allow all the affected line out and troll with nothing attached to the end of the line. In a short time your line twist problems will be over.