Bigger bass chasing newly arrived baitfish

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

Fishing is really starting to pick up as bait is becoming more abundant in North Shore waters and attracting larger bass.

One word of caution: There have been two drownings in the Merrimack River in the last two weeks. Neither was fishing-related, but they are another reminder that the waters we fish can be quite dangerous. Know your surroundings and please be careful and use common sense out there.

Marblehead: Fishing the harbor this week on the outgoing tide has been consistent for bass over 25 inches. Closer to shore, the Neck has provided good action for bass for fly and spin anglers alike. Try poppers during the day, Sluggos at night.

Salem: The Salem Harbor entrance has seen several surface feeds of hungry bass. Poppers via spin or fly rods have been working best. Mackerel have been active around the islands so if you can get a few and live-line them, you will likely find yourself with a keeper-sized bass. Flounder catches are on the rise just outside the harbor.

Beverly: Striped bass are being taken in the environs around the Beverly-Salem Bridge, with small flies and Sluggos working best. The areas around West Beach and Endicott College have been fishing quite well, especially at sunrise. Mackerel were taken this week off the Beverly Fishing Pier.

Cape Ann: Fishing has been great from Magnolia to Essex as bass and bait become more abundant around the Cape. Just outside the breakwater to Thacher's, there have been good schools of mackerel to attract bass. Larger bass have been taken in deeper water off Halibut Point with both tube-n-worm set ups and bait working well. The Annisquam continues to provide good fishing action, especially around deeper holes. Rockport Beaches are fishing well and the Essex River also has been good for striper activity.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Pavilion Beach and Crane Beach have both been fishing well, especially in the early morning or after sundown. Top-water activity persists at both beaches, with the mouth of the Ipswich also yielding its fair share of fish.

Newbury: The backside of Plum Island has been fishing well around high tide. Fishermen have found top-water plugs and lures as well as soft plastics working well. The Parker River continues to fish quite nicely from the 1A Bridge out to Plum Island Sound.

Newburyport/Plum Island: Fishing from Deer Island to the mouth of the Merrimack has been good this week, with more bait arriving and larger bass in pursuit. Anglers drifting worms, clams and chunks by Deer Island and the I-95 bridge have found keeper bass, especially at night. Joppa continues to please fly and spin fishermen as larger bass feed on the surface and take most offerings. The oceanfront has been producing but has been hit or miss, with the rising tide the best time to fish. Plum Island Point continues to yield keeper-sized bass, especially on the last two hours on either side of the low tide. Flounder catches are increasing along the Plum Island beachfront and party boats report a consistent pick of good-sized cod.

Salisbury: Boat fishermen bouncing worms have been limiting out on flounder just off Salisbury Beach. Bass fishing has been good from the banks of the State Reservation with worms, clams and chunks working best.

New Hampshire Seacoast: (2 hooks) Fishing is still a tad slow in the Granite State, but as bait continues to increase, I'd expect in the next week that from Seabrook to Portsmouth fishing will improve greatly. Bass have been taken off the beach in North Hampton as well as at Rye. Jigs, Sluggos and flies have all been working. The Great Bay area has provided bass opportunities for the patient angler, while striper activity in and around the Piscataqua has definitely improved. Cod catches have been good off the Isles of Shoals.

Tip of the Week: In case of emergency

Whether you are heading out to fish on a boat, jetty, sandbar or anywhere else, always let a few folks know where you are and your time-line for return in case of emergency.

Fish are Showing Up in More Numbers

Frank G. Dwyer
Publication Date: 5/21/2010


Welcome to the 2010 fishing season!

Please be advised that you need to register to fish in saltwater this year. It is likely the first step towards a saltwater fishing license. You can register by calling 888-674 7411 or visiting countmyfish.noaa.gov to do it online. You will receive a National Saltwater Angler Registry card and number and if asked you will need to show it to the EP’s or Fishery Manager’s.

The season is just getting underway north of Boston and based on early reports, fishing is improving every day.
Marblehead: (2 hooks) Rock hoppers in Marblehead have found cooperative striped bass around Castle Rock on the Neck with small to mid-sized schoolies taking small flies, plastics on small lead heads and small swimming lures. Fly anglers have found quickly stripped small flies to be working best. Reports have bait taking some keeper sized bass off local beaches.

Salem: (2 hooks) Bait has been seen in and around the Harbor this week in Salem and fish have been taken by anglers willing to spend the time. Bass have been taken from shore off Winter Island as well as near Salem Willows; however most bass have been small. The warm weather over the next few days should turn the fishing on.

Beverly: (2 hooks) There have been some early season surface feeds off West Beach, as well as in the Harbor, but the fish have been somewhat finicky. The areas around Kernwood Bridge as well as Ober Park have been providing anglers with decent action for small bass.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) The local rivers have been producing bass for some time now with your best bet being the Annisquam or Little river. Additionally, you’ll find bass along the shore from Magnolia to Rockport, with small plastics, swimming lures and even metal picking up bass. Fly fishermen are also having good luck around the Cape. In Rockport, fish have been taken from Cape Hedge, Front and Pebble Beach. The Essex River has also been a good producer as bass continue to feed upon their arrival.

Ipswich: (2 hooks) Crane Beach and the Ipswich River are heating up as surface feeds continue to appear as recently as Wednesday evening. The fish are feeding on micro bait and possibly juvenile herring, so keep with the small profile lures and flies.

Newbury: (2 hooks) The Parker River has been holding good numbers of striped bass this past week, with small flies stripped fast and small plastics working well. Reports have fast moving pods of schoolies appearing sporadically in Plum Island Sound.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) The environs around Plum Island are absolutely heating up with your best bet being the river near the mouth or on the ocean front. Fishermen need to put in time as the fish are somewhat finicky and moving quickly. Pods of fish have made appearances on both the front beach and the river over the last week, with stripers to 25 pounds being landed. These fish are hungry, but a tad finicky, but soft plastics and sea worms have been producing best. Joppa Flats has been fishing well, with fly fishermen tallying the most bass. Upriver, the flats and area north of the Gillis Bridge have yielded some bass, but stick closer to the ocean for the upcoming week. The party boats are running and reporting decent Cod action.

Salisbury, MA: (2 hooks) Salisbury Beach is actually fishing well as is the area by the Toothpick and North Jetty. Enjoy the area off the State Reservation now as once Memorial Day arrives, the crowd’s will be here to stay. Sea worms, buck tail jigs and sluggos have been most effective on both the river and oceanfront.

Seacoast, NH: (1 hook) The Granite State is always a few weeks behind us, and this year is no different. While fish are around, most catches have been taken in the river systems around Hampton and Portsmouth, and typically well upriver. The ocean temps are still a bit chilly, but expect the ocean fishing to get better as we work towards Memorial Day.


TIP OF THE WEEK: If you are out fishing this new season with last year’s line, do yourself a favor and re-spool those reels with fresh line. You’ll thank me in the summer when you don’t lose that 40 pounder due to frayed line.