Weekend Promises Good Weather and Better Fishing

BY Frank G. Dwyer
Publication Date: June 18, 2010
The Father’s Day weekend weather forecast looks great and should help provide for some great fishing. There’s no shortage of fish around the North Shore and anglers should find plenty of options.

The tuna bite is officially on off-shore while flounder, bluefish and bass are providing terrific inshore action for shore and boat fishermen alike.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Devereux and Singing beach have been hit or miss for surfcasters this week but anglers fishing in and around the harbor have found surface feeding bass around Fort Sewall, Lady’s Cove and Chandler Hovey Park.

Salem: (4 hooks) There have been a multitude of surface feeding bass in Salem Harbor this week, and anglers lucky enough to catch one have found the fish quite cooperative. The bass are chasing herring and mackerel and top water plugs, metals and sluggos were all working and live mackerel helped anglers find the bigger fish. Some bluefish have been in the mix, but they have not overrun the area just yet.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Both Dane Street Beach and West Beach have seen surface feeding bass this week which are willing to take most offerings from anglers. Mackerel have been taken from the pier this week and we all know that’s good for striped bass fishing! Fishing around Lynch Park is also a good bet.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Mackerel are still available around the cape, mostly at first light. There are also lots of small herring in the water which has made bass fishing quite good over the last week. Surfcasters working the rocks around Magnolia have found bass taking most offerings including sluggos, deadly dicks and top water plugs. Boaters have found large bass by Dog Bar Breakwater, Halibut Point and off Lane’s Cove. Bluefish have also started to show in more numbers and bait anglers have been fending off more and more dogfish. Rockport beaches are fishing well with bait at night while the Essex River fishing has slowed a bit. Party boats have had good action for Cod, Haddock and Pollock while Tuna fishing on Stellwagen and Tillies is on the up-tick.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Pavillion Beach has been fishing well for mid-sized bass with the occasional keeper thrown in. Sand eel patterns for fly fishermen are deadly right now and un-weighted sluggos are working well too. Crane and Steep Hill continue to fish well at dusk, overnight and at dawn.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Plum Island Sound has been hit or miss this week and a few bluefish have made their way into the sound. The Parker is still giving up schoolies, mostly in low light hours and Sandy Point has been good for bait fishermen.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Joppa Flats remains very hot for large bass at night. Eels and tube and worm are working best for 25+ pound bass. Anglers drifting the outgoing tide from the Toothpick to the mouth of the river have found excellent bass action, especially with live mackerel. Shore anglers are getting in on the action as well on the outgoing tide near the sandbar at Plum Island Point. Beyond bait, metal lures like Hopkins and Kastmasters are also hammering the fish. Flounder fishing remains strong along the Plum Island Beachfront with shore anglers also limiting out! Party boats have been having great success with cod, haddock and Pollock. The tuna action is heating up on Stellwagen, especially around the NWC, while Tillies is also providing tuna action, mostly on the southern side.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Keeper bass have been taken off Salisbury beach this week on eels and black sluggos. Top water plugs are also attracting bass. A few stray bluefish are in the mix near the mouth of the river and flounder limits are still being caught just off the beach.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) The mackerel are thick from Seabrook to Kittery and bass are there for the taking. The best fishing has been around the Great Bay and throughout the Piscataqua river system. Anglers are using Sabiki rigs outside the mouth and then live lining mackerel for bass to 40 pounds. Eels have been working upriver and around the Bay at night. Ground fishing has also been good for the party fleet and anglers spending the gas money in search of Tuna have found them on Stellwagen and the footballs should be on Tantas Ledge any day.

TIP OF THE WEEK: No Bananas! The reasons are many, some more reasonable than others, but any angler worth his salt knows to NEVER bring bananas or anything remotely related to bananas on a boat when going fishing. (Related items could be Banana Boat sunscreen, Banana muffins, etc...) Bananas are considered bad luck for numerous reasons and you’ll save yourself a lot of grief by staying away when fishing on a boat.

Holiday Weekend Should Provide Excellent Fishing Opportunities

BY Frank G. Dwyer
Publication Date: 5/28/2010

Fishing has been slowly improving with bigger bass arriving and bluefish biting south of Boston. Flounder catches are on the uptick and the Cod boats are doing well.

I mentioned it last week, but you need to register to fish in saltwater this year. You can register by calling 888-674 7411 or visiting countmyfish.noaa.gov to do it online.

Enjoy your time on the water this Memorial Day weekend!

Marblehead: (2 hooks) Keep checking out on the Neck as fish have been just within casting distance this week taking most small to mid-sized offerings. Devereux beach has also been producing larger bass at night, especially for bait fishermen.

Salem: (3 hooks) Just outside Salem Harbor has seen many surface feeds over the last week. Small plastics, and medium profile flies stripped fast have been taking striped bass to 25 inches. Shore anglers have found cooperative bass around Winter Island.

Beverly: (2 hooks) Fishermen have been finding their limit of flounder around Beverly Harbor with depths of 15-25 ft working best. Sea worms and clams are attracting these flatties. Bass have also been taken around the harbor, but more sporadically, while fishing off West Beach and around the islands has been good for fly fishermen and spin anglers alike.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Surf fishermen casting bait from Singing Beach have found cooperative bass at night and just before dawn. Cut bait, sea worms and clams are all taking fish. Further north, the Magnolia/Gloucester coastline is heating up as more and more bass arrive, with bigger fish arriving every day. Most of the beaches from Gloucester to Essex are also yielding fish and some big fish are still being taken in the Annisquam and Essex. Mackerel have been abundant and easy to find and have led to some larger bass being taken outside the breakwater. Cod fishing for the fleet has been good.

Ipswich: (2 hooks) Steep Hill and Crane Beach have been fishing well as larger stripers seem to have arrived. Fly fishermen throwing clousers and the like have had good success as have spin fishermen with mid-sized plugs and metals. The mouth of the river has seen a few surface feeds this week.

Newbury: (2 hooks) Plum Island Sound striper activity has definitely picked up with sporadic surface feeding bass. Some anglers have reported good bass activity on chunks drifting their boats near Emerson Rocks. The Parker still has plenty of small bass for the taking.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Fishing upriver of Route 1, anglers have found cooperative shoolies on the moving tides all the way up to the Route 95 bridge. Small flies, sluggos and top water plugs have all tallied bass for this angler this week. Joppa flats has started to see more action from both spin anglers and fly fishermen, with the outgoing tide fishing best. Mackerel are just starting to show up, but mostly off shore a few miles. The ocean front has been less predictable but bass, to keeper-size, have been taken on the front beach, both on jigs and bait. There have been sporadic reports of flounder catches just outside the mouth of the Merrimack. The party boats are keeping customers busy with excellent cod action.

Salisbury, MA: (2 hooks) The crowds have increased substantially fishing from the banks of the river at the Salisbury State Reservation, but if you can stand the crowds, you are likely to find striped bass on the moving tides. Sea worms and clams with heavy weight have attracted bass as have larger sluggos bounced along the bottom on lead heads. Avoid the crowds and try your luck on the vast expanse of Salisbury’s ocean front.

Seacoast, NH: (2 hooks) Mackerel are around the Granite State waters, but not in large numbers just yet, however the striped bass activity has been getting better with fishing from Hampton to Portsmouth getting better with each tide. The Piscataqua in Portsmouth has become more active and many are catching decent sized bass on swimming lures and soft baits. Bait fishermen have also found bass off the beach from North Hampton to Rye. Cod trips have been coming back with good hauls.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Often anglers cast their jig or plug and start retrieving immediately. Let your lure or jig settle first, then experiment with your retrieve speeds. You’ll find that different timings will work depending on tide, time of day and weather.

Fish Finder Back in Newspapers on May 22, 2009

Frank G. Dwyer
May 11, 2009


The Fish Finder will make its return to the Eagle Tribune, Newburyport Daily News, Gloucester Times and Salem News on Friday May 22nd and run each Friday through the Fall.


In the meantime, I've been scouting the North Shore and have a few schoolies already to show for it. Fish are being caught sporadically from Boston to Newburyport and mackeral and pogies are beginning to show up in our waters.


Stay tuned!

Fireworks in the Air and Water

Frank G. Dwyer

Publication Date: July 4, 2008

Fishing close to shore has been somewhat hit or miss this week as unsettled weather in the late afternoon and evening has disturbed fishing patterns. Striped bass, bluefish and flounder remain plentiful; you’ll just need to work a bit harder to find them.

Offshore, tuna fishing continues to improve as ground party boats try to get their patrons under cod and haddock and away from dogfish.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) The beaches in Marblehead continue to produce good bass at night. Anglers using larger swimming or popping plugs or weighted sluggos have been doing quite well. Bluefish and Flounder remain just off shore.

Salem: (3 hooks) Larger bass have retreated to deeper water as the summer heat settles in. Boat anglers are doing well around Bakers and Great Misery Islands. Surfcasters do well with larger plugs at night.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Anglers around Beverly have found hungry bass at night near the Kernwood Bridge as well as off the Beverly Fishing Pier. Flounder anglers report good action just off shore bouncing worms off the bottom.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Tuna fever has hit the cape and anglers have been patrolling the Northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank in search of bluefin. Large amounts of bait and birds have been the norm, with school bluefin tuna available for those in the right place at the right time. Bass continue to hold in the deeper sections of the Annisquam and large bass have been active off Halibut Point. Bluefish have been at the Breakwater in Gloucester and anglers have done well trolling deep swimming rapalas. Rockport Beaches are fishing well at night with eels and cut bait working well as well as large plugs twitched across the surface. Fishing in the Essex River has slowed, but bass remain, especially after dark. Cod and haddock boats continue to catch good amounts of fish while trying to evade the dogs.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Cranes Beach continues to be a good bet, especially for fly fishermen targeting bass. Larger baitfish imitations stripped rapidly have been working well. Bluefish have been plentiful in Ipswich Bay and have been getting bigger.

Newbury: (3 hooks) The beaches from the Refuge have provided some action for bluefish and bass, however the action has slowed some. Chunk mackerel, worms and clams will work best for bait and larger sluggos rigged on lead heads should provide some strikes. (I prefer the albino white color)

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) Joppa Flats is the place to be at night or at false dawn as large stripers are taking eels, tube-n-worms and sluggos. Your best bet is on the ebbing tide. Crowds have decreased my interest in fishing the bank of the river at Plum Island Point, but if your into combat style fishing, you will find striped bass and bluefish willing to take your offering. Flounder have been taken just off the sandbar in the river as well as just off the front beaches. The front beaches have been hit or miss this week for surfcasters but party boats continue to provide good cod and haddock action. Further offshore, bluefin tuna have been marked at Tillies, Jefferies and Stellwagen.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Camping and Beach season is firmly here and with that the crowds at the State Reservation rival those across the river at Plum Island Point. That said, bluefish and bass are being taken from the beach at the state reservation as well as off the north jetty. Surfcasters report tough fishing off Salsibury Beach.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Mackerel are still present in numbers north of the border and large bass are still chasing them. Anglers from North Hampton to Portsmouth report good fishing from the beaches and rivers. Flounder fishing has also been quite good for anglers dunking worms near Hampton and Rye Harbors. Cod and Haddock remain steady for the charter boats

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Tides and Currents Matter: Many casual surfcasters do not understand the importance that the tidal movement plays in the game of catching fish. Take time to note the tide when you begin fishing and especially when you seem to be on a steady bite. Veteran surfcasters have used the “trial and error” method to discover what tides are most productive and certain locations. Once you are privy to this crucial information, you will catch more fish.

The Bite is On!

Frank G. Dwyer

Publication Date: June 13, 2008

Fishing has improved as steamy weather has warmed the ocean temperatures and increased bait and game fish activity.

Flounder and Striped Bass are all quite available to anglers in our region and bluefin tuna will not be far behind as the speedy fish have been found off the Cape in the past week as well as off Stellwagen Bank. Bluefish have been somewhat absent from our landscape but that is sure to change soon.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) There has been excellent striped bass action reported all around Marblehead. Fishing the Neck, especially around Castle Rock has been consistent for bass, with many keepers in the mix now. The waters around Marblehead Harbor have also been hot for both striped bass and flounder. Cod have been reported close to the mouth of the Harbor.

Salem: (4 hooks) Salem Willows continues to please anglers, as larger bass have become more prevalent in the last week. Fishermen have still reported large schools of pogies in the area and bass find it quite hard to resist a live-lined pogie! Flounder catches are on the up tick.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Bait anglers working the Pier in Beverly have found bass to be quite cooperative over the last week. Cut mackerel and pogie have worked well. West beach and the area that surrounds it has been home to excellent striper action for both fly and spin fishermen.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) White Beach and Singing Beach have been fishing well with fly and spin anglers landing excellent numbers of bass. Cut bait, sea worms and clams have all been working for fishermen; however watch out for skates! Gloucester beaches and rivers are also producing good numbers of bass, with larger bass increasingly showing up closer to shore. Fishing near Stage Fort Park, as well as off Eastern Point/Niles Beach has also been fairly consistent for bass. Rockport fishermen are also enjoying the influx of bass as most of the shoreline has been producing fish, including Pebble and Long Beaches. In Essex, numbers of bass are in the Essex River with larger fish in the mix. Cod and Haddock fishing has been quite good offshore.


Ipswich: (4 hooks) The Ipswich River and environs continue to please anglers as large bass have been chasing river herring. Crane Beach as well as Pavilion Beach continue to be good choices for fishermen.

Newbury: (4 hooks) The Parker River continues to produce bass as herring continue to attract fish upstream. Fishing near Emerson Rocks has also been quite hot, as large bass have been hammering both bait and large plugs.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Bass to 25 pounds have been weighed in at Surfland over the last week with fish being taken from the front beach, Plum Island point and Joppa Flats. Joppa has been especially hot for anglers using eels at night. Fly and spin anglers report a hot bite on the outgoing tide using all variety of flies and lures. Anglers heading to Speckled Apron for mackerel have done live-lining their catch at the mouth of the Merrimack. Cod and Haddock fishing has been quite steady for the party boats.

Salisbury, MA: (4 hooks) As it is across the river, anglers fishing from the State Reservation has found larger bass taking clams, sea worms and cut mackerel. Enterprising anglers have found ways to get to the north side of Joppa Flats via Ring’s Island and have been rewarded for their exploration with large bass. The Salisbury beachfront has also been productive for surf casters.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Things are looking up for the Live Free or Die crowd as bass fishing from Seabrook to Portsmouth has improved quite nicely. North Hampton and Rye have been pleasing for anglers as plugs and flies have been attracting bass. In Great Bay, pogies have arrived, pleasing angler as large bass have become quite active. Large cod continue to please anglers near the Isle of Shoals.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Catch more flounder: Flounder feed predominantly by sight. If the fish can't see your bait, you won't catch flounder. Try to utilize chartreuse or silver spinner blades and white, chartreuse or pearl buck tail hooks along with your bait to help you put more flounder on the table!

Slow but Continuous Improvement for Fishermen

Frank G. Dwyer
5/30/2008 Publication Date

Unsettled weather earlier in the week put a damper on fishing activity, however fishing should continue to improve for North Shore anglers over the next week.

Mackerel and pogies have made their way into many of our waterways and with that larger bass will follow.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Marblehead Neck and Castle Rock have been yielding bass to 36 inches for anglers with both cut bait and swimming and popping plugs. Flounder fishing has been slow, but some anglers have been able to bring home dinner.

Salem: (3 hooks) Salem Harbor has continued to hold large amounts of pogies, and with that ample opportunity for fishermen to land striped bass. Anglers fishing with bait from the Salem Willows Pier have been landing bigger bass this week.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Mackerel have appeared in the waters around Beverly and with that the fishing has improved and will only get better. Anglers fishing the pier have found keepers mixed in with school bass while early risers have found surface feeding bass off West Beach.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Surfcasters have found bass in the rocks off Magnolia and fish have been active around Halibut Point as well. Mackerel have been spotted in Gloucester Harbor. The Little River and Essex River have been fishing well as bass have been biting most offerings including metal, plugs, plastics and flies. The Annisquam River has also been fishing well with larger bass now in the mix regularly. Rockport beaches have begun to head up for surf fishermen. Cod and Haddock fishing has been good for party boat patrons.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Fishermen working the backside of Cranes Beach have had good luck this week; especially fly rodders. Medium to Large herring/mackerel imitations have been working well as have been Olive and White Enrico Puglisi Perfect Minnow. The mouth of the Ipswich River has seen more surface this feeds this week, while Pavilion Beach had somewhat sporadic action.

Newbury: (2 hooks) The Parker River has been fishing well near the Route 1A bridge and even further up-river. Anglers taking the ride to Sandy Point have been rewarded with decent fishing and keeper bass in the mix.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (2 hooks) Sand eels have moved into the Merrimack River and Plum Island and bass have been following this favored bait. Terns have been seen working the surface from the mouth of the river to Joppa Flats, with some 20-pound bass in the mix. Anglers using soft plastics, small surface plugs, swimming plugs and sand-eel imitation flies have done well following the birds. The front beach has been somewhat sporadic, with fishing slowed by rough and dirty water. The banks of the Merrimack at Plum Island point continue to attract the largest crowds with most anglers doing well with clams and sea worms.

Salisbury, MA: (2 hooks) The fishing on the Salisbury side of the Merrimack has been good for boat fishermen, especially around the Toothpick and the State Boat Ramp. Shore-bound anglers do well from the banks of the State Reservation using buck tail jigs, sluggos and sea worms.

Seacoast, NH: (2 hooks) The Rivers around Seabrook, Hampton and Rye now have alewives active, which usually means bigger fish will follow. The Piscataqua River and the Great Bay Estuary have also become more active as both spin and fly anglers have caught stripers. Party boats out of the Granite State have been having good luck with Cod, especially around the Isle of Shoals.


TIP OF THE WEEK:
Leader and Hook Storage: Many anglers utilize Styrofoam to easily store wire leaders and rigged hooks. One of the easiest solutions is utilizing a swimming “noodle”. Trim the noodle to the size you’d like, and then simply embed the hook or leader swivel in the Styrofoam and loop around the noodle until you can secure the other end into the Styrofoam. Less time rigging, more time fishing!

Memorial Day Weekend Should Provide Anglers with Excellent Opportunities

Frank G. Dwyer

5/23/2008 Publication Date

The weather has been somewhat cooperative and has improved fishing conditions over the last week in our region.

Memorial Day should bring good action for both inshore and offshore anglers as bait becomes more plentiful attracting the fish we like to catch.

Marblehead: (2 hooks) Wind mid-week made casting fairly tough for both spin and fly anglers. Schoolies have been taken from both Devereaux Beach and the shoreline around the Neck. Bucktail Jigs and Plastics rigged on lead have worked better than top water baits. Sinking lines work best for fly fishermen.

Salem: (2 hooks) Pogies have been around Salem Harbor which means the big bass can’t be far behind. Fish have also been taken from the waters around the power plant as well as at both Winter Island and Salem Willows. Reports also have decent action for Winter Flounder and Fluke.

Beverly: (2 hooks) The Danvers River has been fishing well for anglers, especially in the early morning. Larger bass have been reported this week with fish landed on small flies fished deep on sinking lines as well as sluggos twitched slowly across the bottom. West Beach has seen schoolies over the last week as well.

Cape Ann: (2 hooks) As is the norm for this time of year, the Annisquam River is fishing well, with anglers finding bass chasing herring, especially upriver. Mackerel and Pogies are also active around Cape Ann from Magnolia to Rockport and the striped bass are chasing them with larger fish in the mix every day. Some surface feeds have been reported with excellent top water action for bass to 37 inches.

Ipswich: (2 hooks) Bass have been active in Ipswich Bay as well as the mouth of the Ipswich River. Surface feeds have been noted at the mouth as well as off Cranes Beach, with small Kastmasters and Hopkins working well for surfcasters.

Newbury: (1 hook) Fishing around Sandy Point and in the Parker River has been heating up over the past week with school bass chasing bait and hitting small flies stripped quickly on sinking line as well as on soft plastic baits.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (1 hook) Anglers have found fresh stripers from Deer Island to the mouth of the Merrimack. A few keepers have been reported in the mix with the schoolies. Anglers fishing with soft plastics and buck tail jigs have done well on Joppa Flats as well as off the oceanfront. Bait fishermen report clams and sea worms to be working well of the beach as well as in the river. Shad fishing remains decent at Rocks Village and some bigger bass have been chasing herring around the Lawrence Dam. Offshore party boats report a good cod bite with many market-sized fish and some fish in the 20’s. Some Haddock have been in the mix as well.

Salisbury: (1 hook) School bass have been taken from both the ocean beaches and banks of the Merrimack River in Salisbury, however the action has been spotty. Anglers willing to walk will find decent fishing off Rings Island.

Seacoast, NH: (1 hook) The Blackwater River and Taylor River have been full of Herring and with that striped bass. While the action has been somewhat sporadic, anglers have been having luck with medium to large soft plastics. Hampton Harbor should be heating up in the coming days.

Tip of the Week:

Teasers: Seasoned anglers know that more is better and that adding a teaser to your line doubles the chance of landing a fish and also gives you the opportunity for the heralded “double”. Uses an Andrus Teaser or a fly like a Lefty’s Deceiver and either a dropper loop or UniKnot to a barrel swivel. The teaser should be tied at least 4 feet in front of the plug.

Ice Out, Herring Runs and Trout

April is around the corner and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has started to stock trout, beginning with the Southeast District. Hopefully the North shore will see the stocking trucks soon. (photo courtesy of Martha's Vineyard Times)

Herring Runs in the same vicinity and on the Cape are reported to be showing fish, which means Striped Bass will return soon. Now is a great time to get your gear in order regardless if freshwater or saltwater is your game. Hooks should be sharpened or changed. Reels should be lubricated and checked for nicks and dings. Last year's line should be discarded and new line put on your spools. Rods should be checked to ensure reel seats are secure and guides are in position and in good shape.

This preparation will have you ready for the season and more importantly ensure you don't have a "one that got away" story and wake up in cold sweats wondering what could have been. (over-dramatization intended).

I'll keep you posted as trout stocking progresses, until then Tight Lines! (and, prepare your gear!)