Many fish caught over the last week including a sturgeon!

Frank Dwyer

Publication Date: June 19, 2009

This is really a great time to live in New England if you love fishing. Ocean temperatures continue to rise and bait fish continue their push north enticing many game fish to our shores.

Bass, bluefish, flounder, tuna, cod, and haddock are all available to anglers on the North Shore and along the Granite State’s seacoast.

® ™ Frank Dwyer Outdoors Photo
Marblehead: (4 hooks) The Neck has been fishing well as bass have been in close to the rocks chasing bait. Medium to large profile flies and lures have been getting hammered. Bluefish are also around; so don’t be surprised if you’re cut off while fishing for striped bass.

Salem: (4 hooks) There have been pogies around Salem Harbor and if you can snag a few and live-line them, you may well catch a 40-pound bass. Bluefish have been cavorting in Salem Sound and fish are taking most lures and lot’s of chunk bait—don’t forget you’re wire!

Beverly: (4 hooks) Anglers report good action for bass and some bluefish around the Beverly / Salem Bridge. Flounder fishermen continue to find legal fish around the harbor and just outside. Fishing from the Pier at night has yielded a few nice bass over the last week.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) The Manchester and Magnolia shoreline continues to hold good numbers of bass for those stalking from shore or boat/kayak. The beaches of Gloucester, including Wingaersheek and Good Harbor are fishing well for landlubbers with large pencil poppers working well at night. The Annisquam continues to hold fish, but you’ll need to look a bit harder as bait becomes a bit scarce. Halibut Point and the waters around

Photo courtesy Don Osmer

Thacher’s and Kettle Island have been yielding good-sized stripers

and bluefish. The NWC of Stellwagen has been providing action for anglers in search of tuna. Live pogies have been the best bait.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Terrific fishing is available around Ipswich as bluefish and bass have been active around the mouth of the Ipswich River, in Ipswich Bay and off Pavilion Beach. Crane Beach continues to fish well for bass, mostly at night.

Newbury: (4 hooks) Parking Lot 1 at the Refuge continues to attract anglers and for good reason. Over the last week, good numbers of bass and some blues have been taken from the beach. The Parker seems to have slowed a bit, but nighttime action should still be viable.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Don Osmer of Ayer hooked a 25- pound bass on an overnight trip this past week, up river of the Gillis Bridge. The fish fell for a live eel. Joppa Flats continues to fish well for both fly fishermen and eel fishermen at night. The Plum Island beachfront has been yielding fish to plugs, cut bait, worms and clams. Bluefish have started to arrive scaring mackerel away and flounder fishing continues to be good. John Solomon and Jim Hajjar out of Methuen and Captain Ralph out of

Photo courtesy Captain Ralph and John Solomon

Salisbury had the catch of a lifetime last week when the hooked and carefully released an Atlantic Sturgeon at the mouth of the Merrimack. John, being an experienced angler, knew he had a big striper or as he said to his buddies, “either that or a Sturgeon.” The fish fell for a 1 oz Lead Head rigged with a six-inch sluggo on 30-pound braid. John estimates the fish took twenty minutes to land and leaped clear out of the water at one point. As per regulations, John released the fish without ever having it leave the water.

Salisbury, MA: (4 hooks) Mackerel have become a bit scarce, as bluefish have made their annual arrival. Blues have been taken at the mouth of the Merrimack, from the North Jetty and from Salisbury Beach. Plum Island Point continues to provide good bass action, mostly for bait anglers.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Mackerel are still somewhat abundant outside the Piscataqua out to Isle of Shoals. Larger Bass have been keying on the bait and some 40-pound fish have been taken on live lined mackerel. In some of the Great Bay river systems, Alewife’s remain thick and with that good opportunities for bass. Cod fishing remains strong near the Isle of Shoals.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Don’t be heroes: As we get deeper into summer, weather can change in a very short amount of time. If you’re on the water or the beach and sense a storm heading your way, take your lines in and head in. Lightning, strong winds and waves are not something worth fishing through; there will be other days.

Frank Dwyer is a freelance Fishing and Outdoor Columnist. Contact him at dwyer.f@gmail.com or www.frankdwyeroutdoors.blogspot.com with your fishing news!

Fishing Continues to Improve

Frank G. Dwyer
Publication Date: June 12, 2009


Fishing continues to improve on the North Shore as ocean temperatures continue to climb and bait has an increased presence in our waters.

Flounder, Cod, Haddock and Striped Bass are all readily available and the bluefish will be around for you to target soon.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Fishing around the Neck has been great for bass this past week. Large plugs, cut bait and worms, as well as dual colored flies on sinking lines. I’ve found that olive and White to be the best pattern over the last week. Greystone Beach has been fishing well with bait, soft plastics, bucktail jigs and Danny Plugs.

Salem: (4 hooks) Mackerel and Pollock have been in and just outside the Harbor as well as throughout Salem Sound. Bass are chasing larger plugs and tube and worm rigs, but the big fish are being taken on live lined bait. There is no shortage of Flounder off the Salem coast.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Kayak fishermen report good fishing around the islands as well as around any rocky formations. False dawn has found bass hitting topwater plugs while fishing with bait from the pier has been good. Fishing the Danvers near Kernwood has been heating up.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Plenty of bait around the Cape with mackerel, river herring and pollock all attracting larger bass. Fishing has been good for larger bass off Halibut Point and Thacher’s with live lined bait and tube and worm rigs working well. Fishing has also been good from Good Harbor and Niles Beach and mackerel have been close enough to shore for surfcasters to get in on the live lining action. Bass Rocks and the Annisquam continue to give up nice fish with larger fish taking eels in the Annisquam at night. The Essex area has also been fishing well, especially for Kayakers exploring the marshes. Party boats have been getting into big Cod.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Mackerel have been in and out of Ipswich Bay and bigger bass continue to show up. Bass to forty pounds have been taking live-lined mackerels and that really is the best way to nail a cow. Of course fly fishermen and spin casters are still doing well in the rivers and from the beaches.

Newbury: (4 hooks) The Parker River continues to yield bass, some over 30 pounds as river herring are still being chased. Anglers using herring pattern flies as well as broken back swimming lures have done well. Fishing from the beach 1 at the NWR continues to be good for both bait and spin fishermen.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) Flounder catches are up around the Port as these tasty fish have been taken from the mouth of the Merrimack down past the Reservation beaches. Anglers are even taking some flounder from the beach. The beachfront has also been good for bait chunkers as cut mackerel and clams have been working well for fish to twenty pounds. Bass continue to be taken around Joppa Flats by both wade fishermen and those in boats. Plum Island Point has been delivering good numbers of bass to those willing to brave the combat style fishing that is often the case at the Point. Party boats report consistent Cod action for patrons.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) I made a point to try the beachfront in Salisbury this week and ended up with several schoolies in a 30 minute span at Dawn near the old pavilion. White six-inch sluggos were my weapon of choice. Anglers continue to do well in the Merrimack from the shores of the State Reservation.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Mackerel have made it to the granite state and anglers able to fill the live-well have done well from the mouth of the Piscataqua all the way into Great Bay. Hampton and Seabrook have also seen good numbers of bass and flounder continue to be a good target from Rye and Odiorne Point.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Change out your Treble Hooks: Treble hooks are really more trouble than they are worth. I switch out my trebles for single hooks, especially on larger lures, to make releasing the fish easier and limiting the hooks that I can sink into my hand or fingers as a fish moves around during hook removal. I find that the single hooks also make the lures swim truer.

Worth the Winter Wait

Frank G. Dwyer

Publication Date: June 5, 2009

You’re squirreled away in your fishing room, the snow is blowing against the windows and you’re daydreaming about that late Spring blitz as you look at your dormant equipment. Time to wake up, you are not dreaming and fishing is where you want it to be!

The Bay State and the Granite State are both starting to see drastic increases in bait and game fish in the waters and now is the time to get out and chase the many fish available to us.

Marblehead: (4 hooks) Mackerel are around Marblehead, and with that larger striped bass are on the prowl. Anglers just outside the harbor have been live lining the macs and landing keeper bass. Surf casting from the beaches and off the Neck has improved with warming ocean temperatures.

Salem: (4 hooks) Salem Sound has been alive with fish as striped bass and flounder catches continue to increase. Mackerel off Baker’s Island have helped the fishing as big bass look to feed. Fly fishermen have been having luck with larger profile flies and flounder catches have been on the rise.

Beverly: (4 hooks) Larger flounder have been taking the worms around Beverly Harbor. Striped Bass fishing continues to improve with anglers reporting catches on soft plastics, mid-sized top water plugs and cut bait. Surface feeding bass continue to make false dawn a great time to be around West Beach.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Fishing from Magnolia to Essex has really been on the upswing. Anglers working the rocks around Manchester and Magnolia have yielded fish from 20” to 40”. Flies on sinking lines, soft plastics, larger plugs and bait have all been working well. The Annisquam continues to fish well, especially at night on the moving tide. Mackerel have set up shop all around the Cape, and anglers using sabiki rigs to load up the live well have landed fish to 40 pounds. Rockport beaches have been productive for surfcasters and party boats continue to find good amounts of cod and haddock.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Mackerel have been in and out of Ipswich Bay over the last week and striped bass catches have been becoming more consistent. Fishing from Pavilion Beach has been good with both plugs and swimming lures. The Crane Beach environs continue to provide shore bound anglers a plethora of fishing opportunities.

Newbury: (4 hooks) Plum Island Sound has been fishing very well as anglers have found larger bass feeding this week. Tube and worm set ups have been deadly as have large wooden plugs at night. I can tell you from first hand knowledge that the Parker River continues to give up bass, mostly in the early morning or evening hours. The beach from the refuge continues to provide somewhat consistent action for bass.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks) This is the time of year I love living in the Port. The upper Merrimack has been fishing well at times, especially at the top of the incoming tide. Sluggos, small white flies and broken-back swimming plugs have all been productive above the Route 1 Bridge this week. Joppa Flats continues to deliver good fishing for boats drifting by the AYC moorings and those who don’t mind the long wade out at low tide. Live lined mackerel have been attracting big bass at the mouth of the river and flounder catches are on the increase in the river and just off Plum Island.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Salisbury Beach at sunrise has been fishing well over the last week for surfcasters in search of bass. Chunks and worms have been working well as have buck tail jigs. Fishing from the State Reservation shoreline as well as the North Jetty has been consistent for bass from two hours before low tide until two hours after low.

Seacoast, NH: (3 hooks) Fishing from Seabrook to the Great Bay has been good this week as more fish make their way north. Striped Bass have been just outside Seabrook and Hampton Harbor and mackerel have become more consistent at Breaking Rock. Flounder fishing off Rye has been good as more legal fish are in the mix. The Portsmouth area has seen an influx of schoolie striped bass with some bigger fish in the mix. Large Cod have been taken around the Isle of Shoals.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Change the rhythm: Often times, switching up how you’re fishing a particular lure rather than the lure itself will lead you to the fish. Many times I have gone from a steady retrieve cadence to a more erratic twitching of the lure to increase pick-ups. Experimenting with your retrieve and how you make your lure swim will make you a better angler.

Fishing Continues to Improve from Boston to Portsmouth

Frank G. Dwyer

Publication Date: May 29, 2009

Unsettled weather the last few days seems to have thinned the crowds, but the fishing is still quite good from Boston to Portsmouth.

Striped Bass continue to show in more numbers as mackerel make their annual push north. Cod, Haddock and Flounder are also being caught in more numbers on the North Shore.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Bait fishermen have been doing well around Hovey Park and the Neck. Big chunks of cut mackerel have been working best to attract bigger bass. Surfcasters have found bass off Devereux Beach, especially at dawn and in the early evening hours.

Salem: (3 hooks) Flounder fishing has improved in and around Salem Harbor as some 4-5 pound flatties have been landed recently. Striped Bass have been chasing mackerel just outside the Harbor and anglers using soft plastics and cut bait have done well. Fishing around the islands has also been good and pogies should make their annual appearance soon.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Action is heating up around Obear Park as striped bass continue to make their arrival known. Sea worms and clams have been working for bass of the Pier, while anglers fishing the river near the Kernwood Country Club have also found cooperative bass. Flounder fishing around the harbor has been good.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) Fishing has improved around the Cape as mackerel have become more active. The Annisquam is still fishing well with striped bass becoming quite active with keepers in the mix. Anglers have found larger bass off Halibut Point, with large chunks or live-lined mackerel. The beaches off Rockport have been yielding striped bass to both fly and spin fishermen. In Essex, the rivers have been fishing well as bass continue to feed on river herring.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) The mouth of the Ipswich continues to fish well for striped bass, as does the Crane Beach area. Bass has been pounding soft plastics on lead heads. Fly fishermen have found fish on sinking lines with small baitfish imitations.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Fishing from the Parker River NWR Lot 1 has been good over the last week. In the early morning hours, top water plugs and metal have been working while bait slingers report decent hook ups in the morning and at dusk, with some keeper sized bass in the mix. Stripers are still chasing herring in the Parker River.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (3 hooks) There are plenty of striped bass to stalk in the Newburyport area; you just need to be in the right place at the right time. Anglers fishing from Rock’s Village to the Route 1 Bridge report decent activity for striped bass on the moving tides. Small flies and sluggos twitched slowly on the bottom have been working well. Joppa continues to produce fish with some keeper fish falling for the tube and worm and chunk bait. My daughter Caitlin and I have been down on the oceanfront and the fishing has been good, mostly in the pre-dawn hours. Plum Island point continues to attract throngs of fishermen. Wednesday had birds working over feeding fish in the middle of the river by the jetties for a solid hour around low tide, so the fish are certainly active. Flounder catches are slowly improving and party boats are starting to pick up decent sized cod and haddock.

Salisbury, MA: (2 hooks) Salisbury State Reservation was packed with RV’s over the Memorial Day weekend and that had the Salisbury side of the river packed with anglers in search of striped bass. Worms, clams and cut bait were mostly in use when I was there and all three seemed to be working just fine.

Seacoast, NH: (2 hooks) Flounder fishing near Rye Harbor has been good over the last week as has been cod and haddock fishing near the Isle of Shoals. Further north, striped bass continue to chase river herring in the Newmarket and Portsmouth vicinity. Mackerel have been reported at the mouth of the Piscataqua, so get the jigs out and start live lining!

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Keep Moving: It sounds silly, but don’t stay put when fishing from shore or boat in one spot for too long. Sure, the fish could swing by the bank you are fishing or near where your boat is drifting, but you have a better chance of hooking up if you leave an unproductive spot in search of better waters.

Memorial Day Weekend Heralds in the Saltwater Fishing Season

Frank G. Dwyer
Publication Date: May 22, 2009


With the current heat wave, ocean temperatures will continue to rise and fishing conditions will improve daily.

Striped bass, shad, cod, haddock and even some flounder are available from Boston to the New Hampshire Seacoast, but we are still early in the season.

Marblehead: (2 hooks) Striped Bass are in the area, you just need to find warmer pockets of water and present small plastics on jig heads or tempt your prey with sea worms. Check out the rocks around the Neck or an open stretch of beach. Mackerel have been reported outside Boston Harbor, so fishing is bound to improve as the schools make their way north.

Salem: (2 hooks) Slurping bass have been taking small flies and top water plugs in the Danvers River near Kernwood. Not much around Salem Willows, but some fish have been active in and around the Harbor and off Winter Island.

Beverly: (2 hooks) Kayak fishermen have been finding bass in the early morning off West Beach while anglers dunking bait from the Pier have also found fish. Sluggos and small white flies are working in local rivers. Legal sized flounder have been hard to come by.

Cape Ann: (3 hooks) While some fish have been taken in open waters off the Cape, your best bet is still in the back rivers and estuaries. School Bass have been taken from Magnolia to Essex with fish keying in on small white flies and sluggo type offerings. The Annisquam is always a good early season bet. Offshore boats are seeing better numbers of cod and haddock.

Ipswich: (2 hooks) The mouth of the Ipswich River has been a productive area for fishermen looking for striped bass. Throwing small plugs or trolling swimming lures has been working well. The Castle Neck River and Crane Beach have been good for surfcasters and fly fishermen.

Newbury: (2 hooks) The Parker River has been a good bet for anglers in search of striped bass as small flies, plugs and swimming lures are all enticing fish. Herring are quite thick in the river. Plum Island Sound and the beach of the Refuge are also fishing well for school striped bass.
Newburyport / Plum Island: (2 hooks) The Chain Bridge opening coincided nicely with striped bass arriving around the Port and with that Deer Island has been a popular spot for both bait and artificial fishermen. Shad have been cooperating up by Rocks Village with anglers having success with darts. Further down river, Joppa Flats and the area around Woodman Island has been providing striped bass action, especially in early morning. Fishing the Beachfront has also produced small bass on both metal and buck tail jigs. As usual, the banks of the river at Plum Island Point have been jammed during the good tides. Flounder have been scarce but cod and haddock have become more active around the Northwest corner of Stellwagen.

Salisbury, MA: (2 hooks) Bass have been hitting surface plugs and hopkins/kastmasters off Salisbury Beach in the morning. Anglers fishing the river and jetty from the State Park have found decent bass action with a few keepers in the mix.

Seacoast, NH: (1 hooks) Stripers have been reported as far north as Portsmouth, with many fish up in the smaller rivers chasing alewifes. Fish have also been taken off the Coast Guard station. Anglers report spotty striped bass action in Seabrook, Hampton and Rye. Some flounder have been taken off Rye Beach.


TIP OF THE WEEK:


Sharpen Hooks after the Off Season: One of the biggest reasons for missed hits while fishing is dull hook points. Ensure you sharpen those that can be salvaged or replace the ones that can’t to ensure you don’t lose that fish of a lifetime.

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!

Sweetwater Tune-Up

Frank G. Dwyer
April 7, 2009
Spring fever is in full effect and if you are like me you are itching to wet a line. I've been staking out some of the local ponds for trout and assorted other species like large mouth, perch and pickerel. Searching out these fish is a great rehearsal for when the stripers and blues arrive.

The State has been busing stocking trout and you can find the schedule and ponds and rivers stocked here.

You'll also find that other freshwater species will become quite active as April leaks into May. The State has excellent resources for finding a location near you to freshwater fish or you can use your Google skills.

Wishin' we were Fishin'

As warmer weather slowly moves our way, striped bass will begin their move up the coast and out of the Hudson River and as with every year, it can't happen soon enough!

To keep you occupied, the New England Saltwater Fishing Show will be held April 3 through April 5 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Should be lot's of great exhibitors as well as lessons, demonstrations and other fun.

Bird catches fish with Bait!

No Saltwater Fishing License for Massachusetts Anglers.....Yet.

Frank G. Dwyer

January 14, 2009

Saltwater fishermen will once again be able to take to the sea without a license, however one way or another, we will have to register with either a Federal Registry or buy a State License, whichever happens to be in place by January 1, 2010.

Massachusetts has wrestled with this question in the past and if a state does not have a registry (aka saltwater license) in place by January 2010, saltwater anglers will have to register via NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries Service federal registration.

If Massachusetts does not have a saltwater license program in place anglers who fish in federal ocean waters or in tidal waters for anadromous species (migratory fish such as striped bass and salmon that spawn in rivers and spend their adult lives in estuaries and oceans), they will need to register with the Federal Registry. The registry is expected to be free the first few years with a nominal fee added in future years.

Those registering via the Federal Registry will need to include the angler's name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and the regions where they intend to fish. The information will be used to conduct surveys on fishing effort and numbers of fish caught. Once anglers have registered, they may fish anywhere in U.S. federal waters, or in tidal waters for anadromous species, regardless of the region specified in their registration.

The registration will be valid for one year from its date of issue. Anglers must comply with applicable state licensing requirements when fishing in state waters. Anglers will be able to register online or by calling a toll-free number that will be publicized, and will receive a registration certificate. Anglers will need to carry this certificate (or their state license from an exempt state) and produce it to an authorized enforcement officer if requested.