Now we’re talking!

Frank G. Dwyer
6/6/2008 Publication Date

The weather the last few days has put a damper on some of the fishing on the North Shore, however before the weather turned, fishing for striped bass was excellent throughout the region.

Cod and Haddock fishing has improved over the last week and bluefish have been feeding heavily on the Cape for some time now, so expect the toothy one’s to be in the mix soon.


Marblehead: (3 hooks) Anglers fishing Devereux Beach have found cooperative bass, especially in the early morning and late afternoon. I worked a large Danny Plug off the beach this past week and found many cooperative bass; however my theory of weeding out the small fish with the large plug was flawed as hungry school-bass continually gave chase.

Salem: (3 hooks) Fishermen trolling the reliable tube ‘n worm set up around Salem Harbor have had good success with hungry bass. Fly fishermen have found fish off Winter Island as well as in the Harbor. Fish have been feeding actively so sinking lines and small bait fish imitations are getting the most strikes. Cod and Haddock fishing has been good for those going off shore in search of dinner.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Fishing near Kernwood Bridge has been heating up as anglers are taking bigger bass from the Danvers River. Soft plastic baits and swimming plugs have been attracting the fish. Action off West Beach, as well as around the islands off the beach, has also been good. Flounder catches have also been quite good along the Beverly shoreline.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Decent sized schools of mackerel have been off the Magnolia and Gloucester coast and with that, anglers have been finding larger bass. Cut as well as live lined mackerel has been working quite well. The Annisquam and Halibut Point continue to produce good striped bass action. Fishing from Long Beach and Pebble Beach has been quite good, especially at dawn. The Castle Neck and Essex Rivers continue to produce striped bass for fly and spin fishermen. The fish have been quite active with soft plastics, top water plugs, swimming plugs and flies all working. Those targeting cod and haddock have been pleased with the action this week.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Fishing continues to make fishermen happy as the Ipswich River and Crane Beach areas have been fishing very well. Pavilion Beach has also picked up over the last week with striped bass

Newbury: (3 hooks) Fishing behind Plum Island on Middle Ground has been productive with Sluggos and Storm Shads attracting fish. In addition, anglers have had good luck in the Parker River near the Route 1A Bridge.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) As usual for this time of year, fishing at Plum Island Point is attracting mega crowds, especially on the weekend. Fishing is best the first few hours before and after low tide. Anglers bouncing clams and sea worms off the bottom have done well, as have fly anglers with sinking lines. The oceanfront has been producing sporadic action for striped bass, but well worth a casting walk from the south jetty towards the Parker River Reservation. I’ve had good luck this week on sluggos rigged on lead heads as well as a few morning of top water action. Joppa Flats continues to produce good action, especially for boat angler’s drifting on the outgoing tide. Off shore, Cod and Haddock fishing has been quite good for the Party Boats.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Fishing from the State Reservation has been good over the last week, with bait anglers outnumbering other anglers and thus scoring the most bass. Cut mackerel, sea worms and clams have all been taking fish and larger fish continue to invade the river.

Seacoast, NH: (2 hooks) Saltwater fishing in New Hampshire has definitely gotten better over the last week with more and more striped bass invading the coast line. From Seabrook to Portsmouth, stripers have been cooperating with bait and artificial fishermen. The Hampton marshes and surrounding river systems have been yielding good fish and further north, the Piscataqua and Lamprey Rivers have been producing a steady pick of bass. Offshore, cod and haddock fishing has been very good.


TIP OF THE WEEK:

Keep it light! The lighter test line that is used when surfcasting, the further you will be able to cast and the less weight you will need to use to hold the bottom. In our environs, 12 to 20 pound test should almost always suffice. The same rule applies when fishing with lures, so try to use the lightest test possible without risking losing a fish.

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!)

Holiday Cheer, Winter Blues.

Snow is blanketing my backyard as I write this from the North Shore of Massachusetts and unfortunately I can no longer deny that winter is upon us and the long wait for our saltwater friends to return has now begun.

One of the benefits of outdoor writing is that I receive books in the mail in hopes that I'll review them. I've received some good ones and some bad ones over the years. One that is very much worthy of mention is Rich Murphy's new book, Fly Fishing for Striped Bass . Rich is an accomplished fly designer, and a well known surf fisherman who is an accomplished saltwater fly caster. The book is packed with information that can help anyone, however there is ample talk about the North Shore of Massachusetts, which made the book an especially interesting read for me.

The Fly Fishing Show East will be held January 18, 19, & 20th at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlbourough, MA. There will be exhibits, casting demos and several notables from the world of fishing will be on-site including Ken Abrames, Don Bastian, Alan Caolo, George Daniel, Jack Gartside, Mike Martinek, Rich Murphy and Bob Popovics to name just a few.

The Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition will be from February 7-10, 2008 at the DCU Center in Worcester. The show is always a welcome respite from the winter and will offer many exhibitors and special events. A free Plano Tackle Box will be given to the first 200 children 12 and under who attend the show on Sunday, February 10th with a paying adult attendee, so get their early with your little one on 2/10.

Finally, to help the time pass during the cabin fever season, there are a wealth of excellent pod casts related to fishing here. Or you could always play Big Mouth Bass 3D for free online.

Oh Six! Chasing Funny Fish Around Buzzard Bay

If you've never done it, chasing false albacore, bonito and spanish mackerel either from shore or boat is an exciting and frustrating fishing experience. From scanning the horizon for birds and boiling fish to reeling as fast as you possibly can, this is not normal fishing.

Over Labor Day weekend I had the pleasure of joining my long-time friend Andy and our buddy Craig for a trip off Falmouth in search of "albies". Bonito and spanish macks have also been in the area, but the albie fishing had been hot for the last couple of days.

As soon as we left the dock in Wild Harbor, we saw birds about a 1/2 mile from our position, and sure enough there were fish boiling under the birds. By the time we made it out there, the fish had dispersed. No big deal, soon the yell of "six o'clock" has Andy spinning the boat 180 degrees and heading back from where we came and towards another cloud of birds. (For the uninitiated, the bow is 12 o'clock, the stern six, port is nine o'clock and starboard is three. ) This time both Craig and I get a cast into the middle of the boils and each of us are tight almost immediately. Decent fights ensued, but the hopes of funny fish diminished as we each reeled in a decent sized bluefish.

We continued to chase clouds of diving birds and boiling fish for about five hours. I was lucky enough to land two false albacore's and a bluefish. Andy had an albie and bluefish and Craig landed a nice sized bluefish on ultra-light tackle.

The albies were active from about 7 AM until Noon at which time the action lessened considerably. Pound for pound, albies fight on 8-10 pound test like a large tuna on heavier gear. The drag-reeling runs happen several times and landing these fish is a thrill.

To land two in one outing was outstanding for me since I've only landed three previously, all from shore during trips to Martha's Vineyard for the Derby.

For a small dose of what it was like on the boat that day, you can visit this short clip of Andy and I in the throws of battle. Warning: Adult Language Contained in Video Clip.

There's always next year!

It's been an interesting Spring/Summer, and if you have not guessed, my column was "put on hold" due to budget constraints at the Eagle-Tribune. I'm confident that my column will return in the Spring of 2008 as I believe it is budgeted for the next fiscal year.

Besides working a relatively new day job at Oracle Corporation, I have been splitting my time between Golf (I know, the horror!) and fishing, with golf having the edge this year.

Overall, the fishing on the North Shore has been quite good this year. From Boston Harbor to Portland, Striped Bass and Bluefish have been quite active, while offshore anglers have been chasing Tuna off Tillies, Stellwagen and occassionally closer to shore.

Bluewater anglers have been fishing off Chatham and Nantucket in search of tuna, marlin, swordfish and sharks. Overall fishing conditions have been quite positive.

In the absence of my columns this year, the next best place to look is at Fly Fish Salt Waters.com, a reliable and friendly community. Two of my favorite forums are the Offshore forum and the Massachusetts forum.

Until next time, see you on the water or around the greens!

Just Around The Corner

Northshore anglers have just over a month until striped bass return to our waters and before we know it the season will be in full swing.

Most of the following is common sense, but it’s always good to revisit the basics with the annual tackle cleaning tips. Take a look at your tackle and consider the following:

Rods: Check guides for wear and tear. Nicks and abrasions can fray your line.Ensure all guides are tight and are lined up correctly. Ensure that the reel seat is corrosion free and in good working order. If you have two-piece rods, ensure that the top and bottom portions connect easily and securely.

Reels: Reels typically require the most upkeep. Some can be complex, so if you’re unsure on how to take your reel apart or maintain it, visit your local tackle shop. Alternatively, most reels come with detailed diagrams to help you in this endeavor. Nothing gets the heart pumping like a whole table full of small parts that need to be put back together exactly as you found them! Reel spools should be taken off the reel, and all old line discarded. Reel oil should be used on most moving parts after the reel has been washed and rinsed in warm (not hot) soapy water. If you enjoy fly-fishing, these reels also need similar maintenance and care.

Line: I change my line not only at the beginning of the season, but several times during the season. Your mileage will vary, depending on how often you fish, and the conditions you fish under. At the very least, starting the season off with fresh line will hopefully be insurance against having a "the one that got away" story of your very own. In addition, I enjoy tying up several leaders of different size and test for the upcoming season, allowingme to be ready for whatever conditions might come up without having to stop to make up a leader. Fly lines also require cleaning, although typically won’t need to be replaced each year.

Lures: Lures of all varieties also need some primping to prepare for the upcoming season. Hooks should be checked for rust and if need be, replaced. If not rusted, hooks can be sharpened using a stone or a variety of commercially available hook sharpeners. Other lure dressing such as buck-tail, feathers and paint should be checked and spruced up as necessary. Once again, fly fisherman need to check their flies for wear and tear too, and if you’re like me, you’ve been stockpiling your favorite flies after a longwinter of fly tying.That certainly covers the basics, but when in doubt, you can certainly enlist the help of your local tackle shop. (or drop me an email)

Quality Basement Time

There are three things going on in the basement of the Dwyer household (at least worthy of mention) to pass away the cold winter. I received a ping-pong table and boxing training equipment for a recent birthday and my daughter and I have become quite addicted to ping-pong, and I to the speed and heavy bags. Excellent quality time for the entire family, including the two cats and the pooch.

The other activity of interest is fly tying. I'd started tying flies about 10 years ago, but had not done so for at least the last two seasons, well, mostly as Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans".

In any event, the fly tying table has been dusted off and in between heated ping-pong matches, I've managed to churn out about 2 dozen flies so far this winter, all of the saltwater variety, and mostly variations of the old standard clouser and deceiver. I have been reading up on other flies and have begun to expirement with other patterns using epoxy, mylar and other synthetic materials.

The thing about fly tying is that you'd think you'd save money making your own, but much like the sport the flies are used for, the hobby takes over and you end up accumulating more and more "necesseties" for your pursuits.

Ah well, there's worse things to be addicted to!

Hard Water Anglers Finally Happy

The recent cold snap has left many people shivering but the ice-fishing crowd could not be happier. Around the North Shore, ponds and lakes are offering up several species of hungry fish.

Sluice Pond in Lynn has yielded brown trout to anglers over the last week. Baldpate Pond in Boxford, as well as Four Mile Pond have also been hot for anglers braving the cold with pickeral and bass being caught in good numbers. Small shiners have been tripping the flags the most. Rock and Pentucket Ponds in Georgetown have also provided good action to hard water fishermen.

Plug Pond in Haverhill has been the scene of broodstock salmon catches to 7 pounds. In Merrimac, Lake Attitash has seen good action for largemouth bass from 1-3 pounds, again, mostly taken on shiners.

And remember, only 41 days until Spring!!