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.

Stripers are back but don't forget to register

Stripers are back but don't forget to register

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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.

Saltwater Fishing "Registry" This Year = Saltwater Fishing Fishing License Next Year

Might as well get used to carrying the little card you can have sent to you from here, because when you read the below excerpt from this, you'll see why:

In 2006, the United States Congress amended the Magnuson-Stevens Act to require a national recreational saltwater fishing registry. Congress charged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with creating the registry, which scientists could access to improve recreational fishing data and fisheries management. Under the federal system, saltwater anglers must register online or by telephone in 2010. Beginning in 2011, federal registration will cost from $15 to $25 in states that do not have a saltwater permit systems.

The federal legislation included a provision allowing states to create their own saltwater fishing permit systems in lieu of participation in the federal registry. The law signed by Governor Patrick enables the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to require saltwater anglers to purchase a saltwater fishing permit beginning in January 2011.

Under the new state law, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will propose an individual permit fee of $10, with revenue from permit sales deposited into a state Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Fund administered by DMF in consultation with a newly created Marine Recreational Fisheries Development Panel. The revenue will pay for data collection and administration of the permitting program, programs to improve public access for recreational fishing, and better fisheries management.

FishFinder Returns May 21

Look for the FishFinder to return to thein the Lawrence Eagle Tribune, Newburyport Daily News, Gloucester Daily Times and the Salem News on Friday 5/21.

You can also find me on Facebook as well.

Until then, here's a hint....fresh stripers have been taken as far north as Plum Island, so get out there!

Free this year, next year not so much...

From Mass.GOV Division of Marine Fisheries:

New federal law [Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization of 2006, Saltwater Angler Registry Final Rule - NOAA Fisheries] requires most saltwater recreational fishermen to be documented in 2010. Massachusetts fishermen will be required to register with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). However, recently enacted state law, “An Act Instituting Saltwater Fishing Licenses”, enables MarineFisheries to build and implement a permitting program for 2011 and beyond that will exempt the Commonwealth’s saltwater recreational anglers from the federal registry. The new state law triggers a transition from the federal registry in 2010 to the state’s marine recreational fishing permit program in 2011.

Trout are Good Practice until the Striped Bass Get Here!

Trout Stocking has begun and you can find these little fish all over the Bay State. So regardless if you fly, spin or bait fish, there's plenty out there to catch.

You can keep up-to-date on the most recently stocked waters by vising the MassWildlife Site. Over the last two weeks, the following waters have been stocked according to MassWildlife:



Town / Stocked Waters (As of 4/19/2010)
------------------------------------------------------------------

Acton	Fort Pond Brook, Nashoba Brook
Andover	Shawsheen River
Ashland	Sudbury River
Bedford	Shawsheen River
Billerica	Shawsheen River
Boxboro	Fort Pond Brook, Guggins Brook
Byfield	Parker River
Dover	Charles River
Georgetown	Parker River
Groton	Squannacook River
Hopkinton	Sudbury River, Whitehall Reservoir
Ipswich	Ipswich River
Lynn	Sluice Pond
Medway	Charles River
Middleton	Ipswich River
Millis	Charles River
Natick	Charles River
Norfolk	Charles River
North Reading	Ipswich River
Pepperell	Nissitissit River
Shirley	Squannacook River
Tewksbury	Shawsheen River, Strongwater Brook
Topsfield	Ipswich River
Townsend	Squannacook River
Wilmington	Ipswich River, Shawsheen River

Town / Stocked Waters (As of 4/12/2010)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ashby	Locke Brook, Pearl Hill Brook, Souhegan River, Trapfall Brook, Upper Wrights Pond, Willard Brook
Ayer	Bennetts Brook
Boxford	Fish Brook, Pye Brook
Canton	Massapoag Brook, Ponkapoag Brook
Carlisle	River Meadow Brook
Chelmsford	Crooked Spring Brook, River Meadow Brook, Stony Brook
Dover	Trout Brook
Dracut	Beaver Brook, Richardson Brook
Dunstable	Salmon Brook, Unkety Brook
Essex	Alewife Brook
Georgetown	Penn Brook
Groton	Cow Pond Brook, Unkety Brook
Haverhill	East Meadow River, Little River
Hudson	Danforth Brook, Hog Brook
Ipswich	Bull Brook, Dow Brook
Littleton	Beaver Brook
Methuen	Bartlett Brook, Spickett River
Middleton	Boston Brook
Milton	Pine Tree Brook
Natick	Charles River
Newbury	Mill River
North Andover	Boston Brook, Mosquito Brook
Norwood	Traphole Brook
Pepperell	Sucker Brook, Unkety Brook
Rowley	Batchelder Brook, Mill River
Sharon	Beaver Brook, Massapoag Brook
Shirley	Catacoonamaug Brook, Mulpus Brook
Stow	Assabet Brook
Topsfield	Fish Brook, Howlett Brook, Pye Brook
Townsend	Bixby Brook, Mason Brook, Walker Brook, Witch Brook
Walpole	Traphole Brook
Westford	Stony Brook
Weston	Cherry Brook, Stony Brook
Weymouth	Old Swamp River

Soon!

Look for my column towards the end of May in the Lawrence Eagle Tribune, Newburyport Daily News, Gloucester Daily Times and the Salem News. Until then...

Bass are Lazy in Summer Heat

BY Frank Dwyer
Publication Date: August 7, 2009

The heat and humidity have affected both fishermen and fish alike. Much like we don’t enjoy running around in the humidity, the fish also head for deeper water and are much less active in this weather.
Bait is your best bet during the so-called “dog days”, however plugs and other assorted artificials will still work, especially at night.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Fishing from Devereux Beach at night with bait is the best bet around Marblehead if you are looking for keeper bass. There have been some smaller bass and a few bluefish around the Neck as well.

Salem: (3 hooks): There have been surface feeds around Misery and Baker’s Island this past week as bass and bluefish have been foraging for both mackerel and peanut bunker. The fish have been hitting the surface and disappearing as quickly as they appear.

Beverly: (3 hooks) The outer harbor in Beverly has been home to some great action as bass have been hitting the surface for a meal of peanut bunker, herring fry and some mackerel. Chartreuse clousers stripped quickly have been nailing these fish for the fly fishermen while most any top water plug will do for spin casters.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Pogie and Mackerel chunkers have found action at night for bass to 30 pounds off Singing Beach in Manchester. There have been some mackerel in the vicinity of Eastern Point and around Brace Cove, and anglers lucky enough to find them have been live-lining them and bringing in some cows! Cod, Haddock and Pollock fishing has been quite good for the charter captains and some large bluefin are keying in on schools of mackerel on Stellwagen Bank. Rockport beaches have been fishing well at night, especially with clams and chunk mackerel, while the Essex River action has slowed considerably.

Ipswich: (3 hooks) Hit or Miss is how it’s playing out around Ipswich Bay this week as bait has bee somewhat scarce and bass hard to find. Crane Beach has slowed considerably and larger bass catches are coming from those using bait. Hopefully the bait will fill in and the fishing will improve.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Anglers working the night shift from the beaches at parking lots six and seven at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge have found sporadic action for bass to 35 inches. Plum Island Sound has been very spotty with bass becoming quite finicky in the heat. Not much happening in the Parker River either.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks): While it may take some looking, there are still big bass around the Port. Joppa Flats has been doing very well for anglers using eels at night. Also working on the flats are sluggos bounced slowly along the bottom as well as trolling a tube and worm rig. The oceanfront, particularly near the South Jetty has been good for bait fishermen with some flounder being taken by surfcasters using worms. Bluefish have been somewhat scarce, but have been popping up, mostly for boat anglers off the Plum Island oceanfront. Party boats continue to please patrons with good action for Cod, Pollock and Haddock.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Reports have some anglers having success off the beach near the Seabrook town line for both bass and some flounder. Do some exploring and avoid the crowds at the usual spots! Google maps can show you some very fishable areas that are fairly untapped.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) There is sea herring and mackerel available from Hampton Bay to Kittery, and with that the bass fishing has been quite good. You’ll still need to seek out deeper water or fish after dark, but large bass are there for the taking. The Piscataqua has been fishing well with both bait and plugs, with large Danny plugs and needlefish working well. Cod fishing out by the Isle of Shoals has been quite good with some large fish in the mix.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Don’t forget the float. At this time of year, skates and dogfish tend to irritate anglers fishing with bait. Limit the irritation by using a float between your weight and hook to keep the bait off the bottom. Vary the leader length based on your experiences.

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

Saltwater Action Remains Good

BY Frank Dwyer

Publication Date: 7/31/2009

Despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, fishing remains quite good on the North Shore and off the New Hampshire coast.

Surface feeding bass and blues have been seen this week from Marblehead to Portsmouth while the tuna bite has remained consistent for offshore fishermen.

Marblehead: (3 hooks) Mackerel and Ocean Herring remain plentiful around Marblehead, and with that, bass and bluefish have been crashing the surface in search of an easy meal. Large baitfish imitation flies stripped quickly have been attracting bass, while anglers live-lining mackerel have been weeding out the small fish.

Salem: (4 hooks) Salem Sound and its environs has been fishing quite well as mackerel continue to attract bass and bluefish. Just outside the harbor, several bass over 30 pounds have been taken, mostly on live lined mackerel. Chunkers fishing off Winter Island also report good action, especially at night.

Beverly: (3 hooks) Early morning surface feeds off West Beach have attracted anglers in search of fish prior to the arrival of sunbathers. Bass and blues are intermingling to key in on mackerel and some ocean herring, and when feeding are taking most offerings. Anglers working the nightshift near the Salem-Beverly Bridge have found decent action for bass, mostly with bait.

Cape Ann: (4 hooks) An abundance of bait has kept the fishing off Magnolia and Gloucester quite hot. Large bass are keying in on mackerel and you can find the macks by the breakwater and groaner. Eels have been producing good numbers of keeper bass from the beaches around the Cape at night while anglers fishing deeper water by Halibut Point and Thachers have found some 40-pound bass on live mackerel and tube and worm rigs. The Essex River fishing has been quite spotty, with greenheads making things even less enjoyable. Ground fishing has been good according to the Party Boat fleet.

Ipswich: (4 hooks) Crane Beach has been fishing well this week with surface feeds breaking out on several occasions. Larger bass have been in the mix along with some monster bluefish. Large popping plugs, hopkins/kastmasters and swimming plugs have all been taking fish.

Newbury: (3 hooks) Fishing from Parking Lot 1 of the NWR has yielded good numbers of bass and bluefish for bait and lure fishermen, and some flounder are also being taken on worms. Lot’s 6 and 7 remain open and a decent option for surfcasters. Bluefish numbers have increased in Plum Island Sound while the Parker River has slowed considerably.

Newburyport / Plum Island: (4 hooks): The Port remains a hot fishing destination as several 30+ pound bass have been taken from Joppa Flats, the Oceanfront and the sand bar near the mouth. Eels, cut bait, large plugs and needlefish have all been taking fish. Flounder remain available just outside the mouth and off the beach near the south jetty. Bluefish are around, but most have been taken from boats trolling deep swimming lures. Party boats continue to please their patrons with good cod, pollock and some haddock catches. Tuna fishing out by the NWC of Stellwagen continues to attract throngs of boaters in search of fresh sushi.

Salisbury, MA: (3 hooks) Bluefish and Bass continue to be taken from the river bank of the State Reservation, with anglers using clams and cut bait out scoring most other methods. Surfcasting off the northern end of Salisbury Beach has been good, especially at night.

Seacoast, NH: (4 hooks) Flounder fishing off Rye remains good, as many anglers are catching their limit. The Great Bay has been yielding some big stripers, mostly on bait, while the Piscataqua has been quite hot this week as mackerel are still abundant and with that blues and bass are quite active. Offshore, cod and pollock are being taken by the Isle of Shoals with some consistency.

TIP OF THE WEEK: There are many choices for fishermen when it comes to selecting a new pair of waders. Surfcasters tend to cover a lot of beach and I have found that Neoprene Waders are the most comfortable for long walks. Neoprene, while perhaps not flattering for some anglers body shape, provides a comfort that is unequaled by traditional wader materials.

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