Plenty of options for Anglers - Even in this Heat

BY Frank G. Dwyer
Publication Date: August 6, 2010

I’m still jittery and having dreams about that big tuna that got away on Stellwagen a few weeks back and hoping to get another shot soon. You should try to get out as well, since fishing has been quite good as August goes.

Some big stripers are still being taken at night from Marblehead to Portsmouth by patient anglers, with plenty of other fish out there to target as well.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) It may sound like Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same, but if you want to catch striped bass, you need to get out at niht. Eels, cut bait and plugs are all taking fish from the beaches in Marblehead as well as around the Neck. Bluefish activity has been good during the day if your enjoy rumbling with the toothy ones as I do.

Salem: (3 hooks) Give the North and Bass Rivers a shot at night as both spin and fly anglers report an uptick in schoolie activity at dawn and after dark. The Danvers River has done well for anglers using sluggos and other soft plastics. Salem Harbor has seen a bit of a decrease in mackerel and Pogie numbers, but bass fishing is still OK in the area if you keep at it.

Beverly: (3 hooks) The Beverly Fishing Pier has been giving up bass at dusk on sea worms and clams. Anglers have also found some bluefish off the West Beach and Islands area, while anglers have reported a pickup in activity in the Kernwood and Ober Park areas.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Bluefish remain somewhat abundant around the Cape as mackerel are still quite thick. Good Harbor beach has seen several big surface feeds this week with a mix of bass and blues in the mix. In the outer harbor and just outside the breakwater, bluefish have been busting and taking most offerings. Poppers and metal lures have been taking fish on every cast when you get on them. Further north, Rockport beaches are also producing bass, mostly at night on cut bait or eels. Some anglers have had success with large wooden poppers reeled at irregular and slow speeds. Anglers heading out to Thachers and beyond have reported many tuna sightings with fewer hook ups, but just seeing them makes you crazy to get out there again. Party boats have been into a good mix of cod, haddock and pollock.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Pavilion and Crane Beach continue to be your best bet for both bass and some bluefish. Anglers have had good luck on metals like Kastmaster’s as well as smaller popping plugs with a buck tail teaser. Even bait dunkers have been getting decent hits from the beach this week.

Newbury: (3 hooks) I hate to sound like a broken record, but getting out on the beaches of the Parker River NWR before dusk is your best bet for a bass around Newbury. Clams, eels and worms have all been taking fish. The activity in and around the Parker seems to have slowed considerably.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Joppa Flats has had skittish fish wary of most offerings on the morning tides this week, but eels and tube-n-worm set ups have been working well at night. Bluefish are somewhat closer to shore with beach catches on the rise. Flounder and Fluke are still around, but numbers seem to be dwindling a bit. Bluefish are still quite prevalent and mackerel are still around our area. Tuna fishing on Tillies and Stellwagen is still hopping, with plenty of hook up’s but not all fish getting on the boat. David Moulton (yes, Kay from Surfland’s son) landed a 52 pound bass from a boat last week in the river! Matthew O’Leary of Newburyport hooked and landed two 16 pound bluefish just outside the mouth of the Merrimack River (at the same time!) during boat camp on the Erica Lee. Not too shabby for an 11 year-old! (Photo)

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Keep trying that fairly under-fished Salisbury Beach front for blues during the day on Ballistic Missiles or Rangers and bass by night on eels, clams and cut bait. If you want to cross up your lines, get into arguments and raise your blood pressure, feel free to head over to the river front off the State Reservation.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) There is a lot of small bait fish in the water around Portsmouth and Rye, making hooking up with fish on artificial’s a bit more challenging, but not impossible. Bass are chasing herring, mackerel and silversides so your offering should resemble one of these bass treats. Small metal lures and sluggos have been working best around the mouth of the Piscataqua and all around Rye, including off the harbor jetties. North Hampton beaches have also been fishing well at night. Bigger stripers are taking live-lined macks out by the Isle of Shoals while Tuna fishing in the Gulf of Maine remains strong.

Tip of the Week: Keep it Clean: You need to fresh water rinse ALL your gear after each extended foray into the surf. Saltwater is extremely corrosive and it’s always a good idea to splash down your rods, reels, hooks and lures to ensure maximum catch numbers.