Frank G. Dwyer
May 25, 2002
Last Saturday the alarm started chirping at 4am as planned and as always I shot out of bed with the anticipation of getting on the water and chasing fish. The weather had called for rain, and as I looked out the window in the pre-dawn hours, it appeared the weather folks were accurate this time.
I put on a ½ pot of coffee and struggled to get my rain gear on while listening to the drip of the coffee machine. I filled up a very large cup with ice and coffee, then headed for the car, which of course was pre-loaded with my gear.
Driving towards the marina in the pouring rain to go fishing may sound strange, unless you’ve done it before with success. Once you’ve had a banner day in the rain, it does not seem so strange to be heading out in weather like we had last Saturday. After all, the fish don’t know it’s raining, or at least I don’t think they care!
My ballast, otherwise known as my friend of 20 years Don, was driving up from Watertown for our 5am meeting and I wondered as I drove if he made the trek even after seeing the weather. I should not have doubted Don’s commitment to fishing as his vehicle was already in the marina parking lot, and he was nowhere to be seen. Trudging down the dock, I saw a Don casting off the last section of dock into the Merrimack awaiting my arrival.
Don has been the fishing with me both from shore and the boat for several years, so we both went about preparing the boat and our tackle, with virtually no words spoken. Once we had cast off from the dock, Don was the first to speak and said, “I don’t think the heavy stuff is going to come down for awhile”. We both laughed at the pirated line from the movie Caddie Shack, as the rain and wind continued at a decent clip.
To make a long story short, we had a very memorable four hours of fishing that rainy, windy and generally nasty Saturday morning. Even though the wind and rain intensified during our time on the water, we landed and released somewhere in the vicinity of 100 striped bass, including four fish that were over 30 inches. With 3-foot, wind induced waves rolling over Joppa Flats, we felt at times as if we were fishing miles offshore.
While many folks probably looked out the window on that rainy Saturday and saw a washed out beginning to a weekend, others saw it as a beautiful day. Looks can be deceiving.
***
Fishing has certainly gotten better over the last two weeks. Striped Bass are holding in the typical upriver spots around Carr Island and Deer Island. Anglers’ using soft baits like Sluggos and Bass Assassin’s rigged on small lead heads reported several days of consistent fishing.
Tuesday on the outgoing tide, the river mouth had a huge cloud of diving birds working a large pod of bait, with many large striped bass feeding beneath. I saw bait, fly and spin fishermen all enjoying the frenzied action.
Fishing on the oceanfront has also been quite hot over the last two weeks. Spin fishermen have been having good luck with metal and soft plastic lures as well as the old stand by, the buck-tail jig. Jean from the Parker River National Wildlife Reserve reported that a small portion of beach is available for fishing on the Reserve, accessible from parking lot one. None of the other beaches are open for fishing at this time to protect the 10-12 pairs of Piping Plovers nesting there.
Anglers fishing the river at Plum Island point are also having success, mostly at low tide. This can at times be “combat fishing” as the crowds can be quite large. A fast moving current combined with shoulder to shoulder anglers can lead to many crossed and tangled lines. There’s plenty of shoreline to explore if you find the Point to crowded!
Many fishermen have been wading off Joppa Flats at low tide as the fishing activity has intensified. Fly fishermen have reported success using olive or chartreuse over white fly patterns on fast sinking lines. A word of caution for the uninitiated, wade fishing on the flats can be a blast, but there are many factors to consider when doing so. The sand is quite soft on the flats, it’s important to have tight wading shoes to enable you to pull yourself out of any soft sand. Once the current gets moving, footing can be tricky, so it’s key to be alert at all times. In case you take water over the top of your waders, it’s a good idea to wear a belt to ensure that they don’t fill with water, creating a dangerous situation. The incoming tide and fast moving current can take a fisherman by surprise, so it’s important to know that tides for the day you are fishing.
Liz at Surfland reports that many larger fish have been caught over the last week, including shore caught striped bass weighing 18, 19 and 27 pounds! Liz also agrees that Joppa Flats has been producing nicely for anglers at low tide.
Frenchie at Captain’s Fishing Parties had good news as well, reporting Cod catches in the 20-30 pound range in the past week, with one big boy weighing in at 43 pounds! A 14-pound Haddock was also caught this week. Whole and half day trips are now running daily.
May 25, 2002
May 11, 2002
Solitary, Relaxing and Soothing, but not always!
Frank G. Dwyer
May 11, 2002
Often when someone thinks of fishing, an image comes to mind of a solitary fisherman waist deep in water, man against fish in nature. While this may be true sometimes, and I certainly fish as part of a relaxation and stress relief regiment, fishing can be quite fast paced, unpredictable and sometimes quite hair-raising.
Night fishing can be a very relaxing proposition, but can also be the source for terrific fish tales. Surfcasting on the beach, under a canopy of stars can be just the ticket for a relaxing commune with nature, but it can also be a heart racing experience. Take for example a trip my wife (hereon known as Tami) and I took to Martha’s Vineyard several years ago. We were lucky enough to be out Striper fishing with a well-known island guide, Cooper Gilkes III, when we came across a gentleman on the beach fighting what appeared to be a monstrous fish. “He’s on a shark”, Coop said, as we pulled closer and watched for a half-hour as the man fought with the fish on the other end of his line. Finally, he slowly backed up the beach eventually displaying the 85lb Brown shark he had been fighting.
The next day, we were back at Coop’s shop buying shark fishing gear and taking the free advice Coop was providing. We 4x4’d out to the same spot on East Beach on Chappiquidick where we had seen the shark caught the previous evening, and set up shop. Remembering Coop’s advice, we buried our sand spikes (tubes of PVC, to slip your rod into) deep in the sand, rigged up an eel with a 6-ounce weight and heaved it into the churning ocean. I repeated the process with Tami’s rod, and we began the familiar process of watching the tip of the rod bounce in rhythm with the waves.
In less than five minutes, my rod tip curled over violently and my line began to peel off the reel. I pulled the rod out of the spike and began what ended up being a 45-minute fight with a 70lb Brown shark. I would gain line and think the end was near, only to have the shark run again, peeling away all the line I had just reeled in. Just as I was starting to question what I was going to do when I got this fish on the beach, I saw Coop’s familiar truck heading down the beach towards us with another group of customers. They stopped when they saw me fighting the fish—just as we had done the night before—and lucky for me it was about the time I had gotten the fish to shore. Coop gave me a hand releasing the shark, and also snapped a picture for me. He then left with his customers for an evening of fishing.
As he was pulling away, Tami’s reel began to sing, and she too had a shark fight on her hands. Her fight lasted just about as long as mine, but the shark appeared to burrow into the sand at one point, and the line snapped. It still amazes me to this day that those sharks were well within casting distance from the beach. It was certainly one of my favorite surfcasting experiences and really got the heart pumping.
***
Fish have begun to make appearances around the Port in the typical early-season haunts. Shad are being caught at Rocks Village in West Newbury by both shore and boat fishermen. Shad darts are the typical lure of choice. There have also been reports of few stripers being caught at Rocks Village as well.
Reports also have striped bass being caught near and around Deer Island, but that could be a tough fishing spot as the Chain Bridge closure may put a damper on things, or at the very least make for a longer walk for shore anglers.
Anglers wading off Joppa Flats over the last few days have reported mild success at low tide with schoolie striped bass biting on both fly and spin offerings from area fishermen. Clouser Minnows and Lefty’s Deceivers in Chartreuse and White or Olive and White work well for fly fishermen. Soft plastics and small metal lures are working well for spin fishermen.
Bass have also been taken on Plum Island, both on the ocean front and in the river, however the fishing over the last week was still of the early season variety with finding fish being a hit or miss activity, from both shore and boat.
Martha at Surfland reports that fish are starting to appear in more numbers. Bait anglers using clams and sea worms have had success at Plum Island Point at low tide, and although no keepers have been weighed in and photographed for Surfland’s famous wall of pictures, rumors abound of legal sized keepers having been caught. (In Massachusetts, recreational fishermen may have 1 striped bass in possession per day with a 28" minimum length limit)
Ryan at Captain’s Fishing Parties on Plum Island reports that they are running daily trips aboard the Captain’s Lady on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday. Half-day trips will start soon, and boats will run seven days a week starting in June. Cod, Haddock and even early season Pollock have been caught this year. Ryan reports Haddock in the 9 to 12 pound range and Cod in the mid-twenty pound range.
The seal herd in the Merrimack is quite large this year and they seemed to having a grand old time corralling fish for dinner when I was down there a few evenings ago.
The river has changed once again this year, so those of you who enjoy wading out on the sandbar be sure to check things out at low tide to survey the new terrain.
Fishing will only get better from here on, so get out there and fish!
May 11, 2002
Often when someone thinks of fishing, an image comes to mind of a solitary fisherman waist deep in water, man against fish in nature. While this may be true sometimes, and I certainly fish as part of a relaxation and stress relief regiment, fishing can be quite fast paced, unpredictable and sometimes quite hair-raising.
Night fishing can be a very relaxing proposition, but can also be the source for terrific fish tales. Surfcasting on the beach, under a canopy of stars can be just the ticket for a relaxing commune with nature, but it can also be a heart racing experience. Take for example a trip my wife (hereon known as Tami) and I took to Martha’s Vineyard several years ago. We were lucky enough to be out Striper fishing with a well-known island guide, Cooper Gilkes III, when we came across a gentleman on the beach fighting what appeared to be a monstrous fish. “He’s on a shark”, Coop said, as we pulled closer and watched for a half-hour as the man fought with the fish on the other end of his line. Finally, he slowly backed up the beach eventually displaying the 85lb Brown shark he had been fighting.
The next day, we were back at Coop’s shop buying shark fishing gear and taking the free advice Coop was providing. We 4x4’d out to the same spot on East Beach on Chappiquidick where we had seen the shark caught the previous evening, and set up shop. Remembering Coop’s advice, we buried our sand spikes (tubes of PVC, to slip your rod into) deep in the sand, rigged up an eel with a 6-ounce weight and heaved it into the churning ocean. I repeated the process with Tami’s rod, and we began the familiar process of watching the tip of the rod bounce in rhythm with the waves.
In less than five minutes, my rod tip curled over violently and my line began to peel off the reel. I pulled the rod out of the spike and began what ended up being a 45-minute fight with a 70lb Brown shark. I would gain line and think the end was near, only to have the shark run again, peeling away all the line I had just reeled in. Just as I was starting to question what I was going to do when I got this fish on the beach, I saw Coop’s familiar truck heading down the beach towards us with another group of customers. They stopped when they saw me fighting the fish—just as we had done the night before—and lucky for me it was about the time I had gotten the fish to shore. Coop gave me a hand releasing the shark, and also snapped a picture for me. He then left with his customers for an evening of fishing.
As he was pulling away, Tami’s reel began to sing, and she too had a shark fight on her hands. Her fight lasted just about as long as mine, but the shark appeared to burrow into the sand at one point, and the line snapped. It still amazes me to this day that those sharks were well within casting distance from the beach. It was certainly one of my favorite surfcasting experiences and really got the heart pumping.
***
Fish have begun to make appearances around the Port in the typical early-season haunts. Shad are being caught at Rocks Village in West Newbury by both shore and boat fishermen. Shad darts are the typical lure of choice. There have also been reports of few stripers being caught at Rocks Village as well.
Reports also have striped bass being caught near and around Deer Island, but that could be a tough fishing spot as the Chain Bridge closure may put a damper on things, or at the very least make for a longer walk for shore anglers.
Anglers wading off Joppa Flats over the last few days have reported mild success at low tide with schoolie striped bass biting on both fly and spin offerings from area fishermen. Clouser Minnows and Lefty’s Deceivers in Chartreuse and White or Olive and White work well for fly fishermen. Soft plastics and small metal lures are working well for spin fishermen.
Bass have also been taken on Plum Island, both on the ocean front and in the river, however the fishing over the last week was still of the early season variety with finding fish being a hit or miss activity, from both shore and boat.
Martha at Surfland reports that fish are starting to appear in more numbers. Bait anglers using clams and sea worms have had success at Plum Island Point at low tide, and although no keepers have been weighed in and photographed for Surfland’s famous wall of pictures, rumors abound of legal sized keepers having been caught. (In Massachusetts, recreational fishermen may have 1 striped bass in possession per day with a 28" minimum length limit)
Ryan at Captain’s Fishing Parties on Plum Island reports that they are running daily trips aboard the Captain’s Lady on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday. Half-day trips will start soon, and boats will run seven days a week starting in June. Cod, Haddock and even early season Pollock have been caught this year. Ryan reports Haddock in the 9 to 12 pound range and Cod in the mid-twenty pound range.
The seal herd in the Merrimack is quite large this year and they seemed to having a grand old time corralling fish for dinner when I was down there a few evenings ago.
The river has changed once again this year, so those of you who enjoy wading out on the sandbar be sure to check things out at low tide to survey the new terrain.
Fishing will only get better from here on, so get out there and fish!
April 27, 2002
The Wait is Almost Over
Frank G. Dwyer
April 27, 2002
The wait is almost over
Frank G. Dwyer
There are many signs that historically signal the end of winter’s death grip on the region. Trees begin to bud, a Robin makes its appearance or, as it is around my house, the sound of tackle maintenance is in the air.
When I began fishing many years ago, I was not aware of the amount of upkeep that my new hobby would require. The upkeep is both a necessity to keep your equipment in good working order, but also is something that can help a northeastern fisherman endure the long stretch between last cast in the Fall and that first cast of the new year in the Spring. (This winter of non-fishing activity is for the most part self-imposed, as I am primarily a saltwater fisherman)
In fact, this fishing thing is quite contagious. What started out as a non-fishing vacation many years ago to the shores of Martha’s Vineyard--and a chance meeting with a bluefish blitz at Wasque on Chappaquiddick--has culminated in a full blown addiction to all things fishing. I certainly could stock a small tackle store with all of the equipment I have accumulated over the years, and this is certainly not a rare trait among fishermen. Most of my fishing friends have a similar amount of equipment, and we all continue to acquire more!
So, it is with great joy that I welcome the days and nights of April that allow me to rummage through my tackle bags and boxes, admire my arsenal of fishing rods and reels, and begin the annual ritual of preparing for the upcoming fishing season. Many of the items listed below can be done at the end of the season, allowing for just a spruce up in the spring. At a high level, here are the major areas of concentration:
Rods- Check guides/ferrules for wear and tear. Nicks can fray your line. Ensure all ferrules 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, you should 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, or some folks use WD-40, 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, allowing me 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 long winter 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)
Over the coming months, as the fish begin to move once again, I hope to deliver current fishing news and information in a timely and informative manner. It is also my hope that I can deliver other outdoor-centric columns that provide entertainment and conjure up memories of the wonderful experiences we have all had in the great outdoors.
April 27, 2002
The wait is almost over
Frank G. Dwyer
There are many signs that historically signal the end of winter’s death grip on the region. Trees begin to bud, a Robin makes its appearance or, as it is around my house, the sound of tackle maintenance is in the air.
When I began fishing many years ago, I was not aware of the amount of upkeep that my new hobby would require. The upkeep is both a necessity to keep your equipment in good working order, but also is something that can help a northeastern fisherman endure the long stretch between last cast in the Fall and that first cast of the new year in the Spring. (This winter of non-fishing activity is for the most part self-imposed, as I am primarily a saltwater fisherman)
In fact, this fishing thing is quite contagious. What started out as a non-fishing vacation many years ago to the shores of Martha’s Vineyard--and a chance meeting with a bluefish blitz at Wasque on Chappaquiddick--has culminated in a full blown addiction to all things fishing. I certainly could stock a small tackle store with all of the equipment I have accumulated over the years, and this is certainly not a rare trait among fishermen. Most of my fishing friends have a similar amount of equipment, and we all continue to acquire more!
So, it is with great joy that I welcome the days and nights of April that allow me to rummage through my tackle bags and boxes, admire my arsenal of fishing rods and reels, and begin the annual ritual of preparing for the upcoming fishing season. Many of the items listed below can be done at the end of the season, allowing for just a spruce up in the spring. At a high level, here are the major areas of concentration:
Rods- Check guides/ferrules for wear and tear. Nicks can fray your line. Ensure all ferrules 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, you should 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, or some folks use WD-40, 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, allowing me 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 long winter 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)
Over the coming months, as the fish begin to move once again, I hope to deliver current fishing news and information in a timely and informative manner. It is also my hope that I can deliver other outdoor-centric columns that provide entertainment and conjure up memories of the wonderful experiences we have all had in the great outdoors.
May 1, 1999
Partial 1999 Fishing Journal
Frank G. Dwyer
May 1, 1999
The season began early this year. May 1st brought the first fresh schoolie striped bass to the Plum Island region. My friend Don reeled in a fresh, lice covered and bright 16" striper. I was not far behind him, with a 14" schoolie of my own. Both fish came out of one of the back rivers of Plum Island. Spinning gear with plastics/rubber worked well as well as small flies. (Ray's fly)
We took a few casts down at Plum Island Point, but caught nothing. A few other anglers were lining the river, some casting bait, others fishing spinning or fly gear. Of interest here is that the sand bar area has changed dramatically. No longer does the bar extend far out into the Merrimack for easy access wading. It appears the bar has shrunk in size and depth. Be careful!
I hope to christen the New Boat (High Tide) Sunday Morning. Stay tuned and Tight Lines!!
May 2, 1999
First things first. No fish were caught today. I observed many fishermen, both on the shore and in boats, and did not see any fish landed. Those I spoke to directly had no luck. I believe we're a solid week away from good fishing here. I'll be in the back rivers tomorrow hunting those fresh fish lurking in the warm shallows.
More importantly, my Boat was launched for the first time ever this morning at approximately 8:15 am. My friend Andy was kind enough to come up and share some of his 30 years of boating expertise. (My days as "Launch Boy" at the NYAC Travers Island were long ago.) In any event, we trailered the "High Tide" to the public boat ramp at Cashman's Park. We launched after a small christening and spent the next 5 hours breaking in the engine and cruising the Merrimack and the ocean. We fished a bit, but primarily broke the engine in (if you do it by the book, it is fairly tedious) and got used to the boat. The boat handled very well but the weather was very cooperative with 1' to 3' seas and very little wind. Air temperature was over 70 by the time we came in at 12:30. Tami was kind enough to meet us at the dock at 11am with some lunch and was treated to a gentle river cruise. (Gentle because she is almost 7 months pregnant!)
All in all a wonderful first day on the water.
May 4, 1999
Froze my butt off after work this evening and fished for an hour around Plum Island. It was about 1/2 tide with steady rain and wind. I did not hook up with any fish, but I did see something break about 20 yards off shore. In addition, I pulled up a tiny shrimp on the end of my hook, I guess there is something to eat in there!
Tight lines.
May 6, 1999
Tried my luck on the ocean front this evening on the dropping tide. Walked from the church to the jetty and back. No bait in the water as far as I could tell, and no fish--not even a bump. Next week should be the week, although we need a few nice warm days to help.
May 7, 1999
Took a legitimate day off work today to do some things around the house, AND fish. Since my boat is not yet in the water permanently, I again fished from shore. I decided I would try the Merrimack/Sandbar area. When I pulled in the lot was full for a rainy/foggy Friday morning in early May. The river was being fished by a bunch of people, but by no means elbow to elbow. I was a bit late, arriving about 1 hour before low tide. As I walked up several guys were on fish, both fly and spin. I found a spot and cast into the outgoing flow. Third cast and I was on as well. I was using a sinking line and a fairly small Ray's fly. I caught 3 more fish over the next hour and a half for a total of 4. No size to them, but plenty of sport. (14-16" tops) So, the fishing was not furious, but it felt good to get more than one. In talking with a few folks, it was a bit more consistent prior to my arrival. Things appear to be getting better!
May 11, 1999
Finally got the Boat in for the season last night, however I did not get a chance to fish at that time.
I was able to make it back to the dock by 6:45pm tonight for a couple of hour’s enjoyment. This was my first solo run in the boat and I had yet to land a fish from the boat.
I headed out towards the mouth of the Merrimack--more for the ride than to fish. Saw lot's of terns as well as many seals. I saw seals all the way up on Joppa, off Badgers and pretty much all over the river. Lots of guys fishing off the beach but I did not really see anybody into anything. (High tide was approx 9pm) After a few casts up by the mouth, I headed back up river. I fished Joppa and the vicinity for 15 minutes or so. Lots of birds working the water, but I could not get a bite. Headed further up river and found a spot where the river split and ended up catching over 20 schoolies in 45 minutes. The fish ranged from 12", up to one that was 18". I caught the first 7 or 8 on an intermediate line with a chartreuse/white clouser. The fly action seemed to slow, so I switched to a light-spinning rig with a sluggo and caught a bunch more. Slow retrieve, with a twitch every now and again seemed to work best. There were two other boats fishing the same area and they were also having some luck. The fish were busting on top once the sun went down. It was a very pleasant evening to say the least.
I know where I'll be the rest of the week. Tight Lines!
May 12, 1999
I fished the rising tide last night from about 7pm - 9pm. Much like last night, I found lots of fish up river. All micro bass, but I did have one 24" fish mixed in. (That fish was lots of fun) I took a ride out onto Joppa, and there were fish on top there as well, but the fishing was very inconsistent. I tried several flies (clouser, deceiver, and ray’s and mylar sand eel) and only ended up with one fish. That’s when I headed back up river and caught my hearts content, all on a Ray's Fly. I also took several fish on an albino sluggo.
May 14, 1999
Time: 5pm - 6:30pm Tide: 5:02pm Low
Took the boat out for a small run this evening and managed 4 schoolies. Took the fish directly across from BoatWorks, just beyond the red buoy where the river splits. Not a very serious fishing trip, just nice to be out on the Boat .
May 15, 1999
Time: 4:45am - 10:00am Tide: 6am Low
Don arrived at the house at 4:30am sharp and when loaded up my truck and headed to the marina. We were leaving Boatworks by 4:45. Motored directly towards the mouth and set up shop in a drift from the toothpick, down towards badgers. Hugging the Salisbury side and starting by the old boat ramp seemed to work very well. We had a solid hour and a half of fish swirling, rising, and slapping on the surface. A variety of lures worked for us and we switched from spinning to fly gear and back again. On spinning, we had luck with albino sluggos/blue and white leadheads, as well as pencil poppers and striper swiper atom plugs. On the fly, both Ray's fly and Chartreuse/White flies worked, with the clouser the hands down winner. Sinking line was the best bet as I started on an intermediate line but quickly switched as Don had many more hook ups on his sinking line. As mentioned, the drift worked well for 1 1/2 hours but when slack hit, the bite was off. During the "toothpick drift" we landed around 100 fish between us. The largest was one I had around 30" on a sluggo and Don had a very nice 27" fish on the fly.
We moved down towards Joppa and plucked a mooring and landed a bunch more as the tide turned and began to move again. Flies worked far better on Joppa and we managed another 30-40 fish between us. These fish were smaller, with the largest around 24".
All in all a Great morning. Two hours before low at the mouth is still the rule!
May 16, 1999
Time: 5:30am - 11:00am Tide: 7:05am Low
Well, in attempting a repeat of Saturday, Don and I were back at the marina at 5:30am. One thing we did not factor in was Mother Nature. A thick fog surrounded BoatWorks, and it was difficult to see a couple of fingers over. We waited it out until it lifted a bit at about 6:45am. (We've both been lost in the fog and did not long for a repeat.) In any event, we missed the tide for the "toothpick" drift, but did manage a few fish off Joppa. We drifted for a while over Joppa and landed a few fish. (4 for Don, 1 for me) We then tied to an AYC mooring and hit fish a bit more consistently, landing 20 or so between us. Once again sinking lines with White/Chartreuse flies worked best. Definitely not a repeat of Saturday, bet well worth the effort.
May 18, 1999
Time: 6:30pm - 7:45pm Tide: 9:12pm Low
Fished the outgoing tide this evening and found many aggressive schoolies. This has been the case for sometime now up here. Stopped by Joppa, landed 7 schoolies, all in the 14-22" range. (Tied up to one of the AYC moorings)Headed back up river and drifted below Deer Island and picked up several more fish. No big fish in the mix this evening.
Certainly getting better at handling the boat, easing in and out of the slip like the days of "launch boy" at the NYAC Yacht Club.
Storm rolling in tonight, but not a big one. Should not affect fishing too much. Got the hatches battened down and the auto bilge on!
May 21, 1999
Time: 6:00am-8:30am Tide: 4:42am High
Fished from 6am until 8:30 am this morning.The river was alive with fish on top. Fished just below the route 1 bridge and landed many fish as they swirled, slurped and slapped all around me. Moved out towards Joppa and the festivities continued, only this time had the added fun of birds working over large pods of fish. Just drifted and caught lots of schoolies, all on char/white clouser, sluggos and a few on an Atom Plug.. Fair amount of boats out there today and everybody seemed to be getting their share of fish. Largest this a.m. was 24". This morning I had more tangles, snags and knots than who knows what. Good old Murphy's Law.
May 22, 1999
Time: 5:00am-10:00am Tide: 5:40am High
Fished with Don this morning from 5am to 10am. What a magnificent morning. As soon as we left BoatWorks we had fish rising and breaking all around us. Don's second fish was a 29" brute which took a while to boat on the fly rod, a quick picture and he was swimming again. Fished next to Tom Sheehey for some time and for the first two hours we never went beyond the Route 1 bridge. Sinking lines with Chart/White Clousers was once again the order of the day. Once the tide turned and started flowing out quickly, we headed up towards Joppa, tied up to a mooring and were into fish on almost every cast. The tide was ripping through and there were swirls of fish as far as the eye could see. This was one of those mornings for which you have no idea how many you got, you just know it was a lot! (I've got two "Striper Thumbs" to show for it) I'm talking hundreds of fish this morning! My back and arms are quite tired and I just finished painting the nursery, so now I'm really in pain!The majority of the fish today were on the fly, however to rest the arm I occasionally used a lightweight spinning rod with a sluggo with just as much success. Round 2 Sunday Morning!
May 23, 1999
Time: 5:00am-10:00am Tide: 6:44am High
On the water at sunrise this AM in the boat with Don. We fished above the Rte 1 bridge for the first part of the morning, with fish everywhere. Not as good as yesterday but we caught and released more fish than we could count. The second fish of the day was a 2-3 pound shad for Don.We moved down to Joppa after a while and were still taking fish at 10AM, before deciding to head in. The fish were taken on chartreuse and white clousers, top water plugs and sluggo's. One fish that we picked up proceeded to spit up a golf ball size glob of worms. The biggest fish this morning on a fly was a healthy 27" fish with plenty of power. Don ended up hooking into a 29" fish directly in the current that felt and looked like a whale. We could have sworn that fish was bigger!
May 25, 1999
Time: 5:30am-9:00am Tide: 8:44am HighLeft the dock this a.m. at 5:30am and headed out towards Joppa. As I passed the Ice Breaker I saw three sets of birds working different locations on the flats. Gunned the boat to the closest birds and sure enough they were working a pod of fish under sand eels. As soon as the fly hit the water I was on and for the next hour I chased the birds around the flats and hooked consistently with boiling fish. No real big fish today--largest about 24". The wind was picking up and the water was getting choppy as I left, but fish were still present. What a great morning....no other boats in sight!
May 26, 1999
Time: 5:30am-8:00am Tide: 9:37am High
Fished for a few hours today and only got a handful of fish. It was a bit overcast, and fish were not apparent on the top like the morning before. Still, it's nice to get a few days when the fishing is tough to remind me how good things are with the striper fishery these days.
May 27, 1999
Time: 5:30am-9:00am Tide: 10:25am High
I got a late start this morning but took Stephen out in the boat. We fished from the toothpick into Joppa and picked up only 1 fish. It was a healthy 27" fish that was peeling drag off my 6' light spinning rod. Other than that, I learned how to mark waypoints and routes with my new GPS since Stephen enjoyed showing me how to do it! We also headed halfway down to Hampton Harbor, basically right out from the Seabrook Nuke Plant. It was a very calm day in the ocean. If we had the time, we could have made it to Hampton no problem. Maybe this weekend if the weather in nice.
July 4, 1999
Well, I've fished quite a bit over the last month and a few days. With work and an expectant wife(less than 30 days now) time to write after every fishing trip has proven tough. Don and I have fished at night twice with some success, however just one keeper to our name from the night trips. W trying again on 7/18. In addition, we've had several nice morning with fish into the hundreds. Nice healthy schoolies. Don has gotten one keeper off the Jetty this year and is gracing the walls of Surfland.
Most recently, we fished yesterday from 5am - 10am. (9am Low tide) We tried bait in several areas and had a rough morning to begin with. Sluggos, Poppers, Swimming Plugs and numerous flies all seemed of no interest to the fish. We finally anchored up at and undisclosed AYC mooring and ended up catching numerous schoolies and snapper blues. We caught them on clams, herring and mackerel. All in all, what started as a slow morning ended up pretty good.
July 31, 1999
Things have changed. Four days after the last journal entry, our daughter Caitlin Sierra was born. Since July 7th, I've fished 4 times. Not bad for a new father getting used to sleeping in 3 hour intervals! Last Saturday (7/24) Don and I fished the flats as well as Plum Island point from aboard the High Tide. We did not have much luck from 5:30 until 9am at which time we ended up landing a bunch of schoolies in front of the AYC at the top of the tide.(incoming)
We fished out by Woodbridge Island and saw numerous fish swimming and frolicking. These fished seemed to be swimming on their sides at times. This is best explained in a thread by my fishing partner Don via the Reel Time Northern New England Bulletin Board:
Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (1 of 9), Read 142 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Don Osmer (pisurf1@aol.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 10:56 AM
Fished the flats this morning with fellow reel-timer Frank Dwyer in his boat. From 5AM until 830AM we managed only three small fish. Although in the flats the fish were literally cruising along in large schools and would not touch anything!! It was extremely frustrating to say the least!! Casting flies that landed in the middle of schools would spook the fish and there would be 15-20 large swirls, but nothing!! The fish did not look small either!Moved into the AYC and after the turning tide we picked up alot of schoolies on sluggo's. One of those was my first tagged fish. Tagged from the Littoral SOC in NJ.Saw fellow reel-timer Tom Sheehy and he seemed to be having the same luck. Anyone have any suggestions when the fish are lying in the sun??Don
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (2 of 9), Read 132 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
backman (backman@ultranet.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 11:23 AM
Don:for those picky flats fish try this:* sinking line* crab fly* cast in the schools direction - led them by10-20 yards.* let your cast sink - count to 20,wait, count to 10. * twitch the fly twice; 3" short sharp strips; and wait 3 seconds* twitch, twitch pause again.If you get your crab in the sand or mud in front of a fish and it twitches when the fish is coming you will hook that fish. It has to be on the bottom; it has to act like a fleeing crab; it comes off the bottom forget it. the striper will grub it up from the bottom in an instant if it sees it.
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (3 of 9), Read 131 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Tom_Sheehy (tom_sheehy@hotmail.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 01:05 PM
Larry,Actually, based on your reports and success earlier in the year, I have tried just that on a number of occasions without much success. As Don said, it was very, very frustrating. An additional observation was a large fish swimming up on the surface with its tail and part of the dorsal fin exposed, swimming around in a 3' diameter circle. As far as I could tell, the fish's mouth never broke the surface. It looked similar to the way a fish trying to swim in 4" of water would, very strange. I have tried three types of crab flies, a brown/tan merkin a little smaller than a quarter; a home-made pattern using corsair and sand colored sparkle body and a floating cork pattern.I have tried this with both a 350-grain sinking line and also an intermediate. I always let the fly sink (6' of water) and would try the slow twitch method that you described.The other thing that seems strange is that on the last 3 trips I have made to this flat where this has been happening, I have also had someone with me fishing with clams. Not a single fish..Anyhow, this is the second year now that I have seen this happen, and I have yet to catch anything other than 1 or 2 fish when it is happening.Oh well, if it was easy, it would be boring!-- Tom
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (4 of 9), Read 125 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Don Osmer (pisurf1@aol.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 03:35 PM
Tom,Thanks for substantiating the frustration and wierdness of the situation. I am by far an expert, but have never seen fish, that close, swimming with their sides to the surface. It seemed like they were sunning themselves?! And laughing at me!! Larry, I have seen you post about Cape flats, have you seen this before? Anyother suggestions? As Tom mentioned, some of these fish looked to be on the large side! While Frank and I were out there we tried several fly patterns. We did try bait including clams and chunk along with several surface and swimming plugs. As you can tell we threw everything at them!! The only thing that we did not try, that Kay told us, was floating a sea worm into them?? Has anyone had any success at this or does anyone have any other success when this happens? Tom does this continue to happen in that section of the flats often? Thanks for the advice,Don
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (5 of 9), Read 123 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Bob D (bobd@watersedge-charters.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 04:13 PM
I have witnessed this a couple of times on Joppa flats and had the same results as you. One thing I have noticed is that each time I've seen this it was at high slack tide on a very warm day. My thought as I was leaving was that maybe they had gorged themselves on the incoming tide and where just basking in the sun digesting their feast. Although it is very frustrating it is still an awesome sight to see those large fish lying just under the surface.
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (6 of 9), Read 102 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Tom_Sheehy (tom_sheehy@hotmail.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 07:56 PM
I saw it maybe half a dozen times last year, mostly slack high as Bob mentioned. This was a lot, as I didn't get out there much with the canoe last season.I have also seen it at least that much this year, it happens both in the morning and evenings, and I have very frequently seen 8 or 10 boats out there with a combination of fly, spin and bait guys, with nobody catching anything.The only other time I have seen fish showing their 'sides' as much was last fall on the wildlife refuge beach during a sunny afternoon. The water was clear and you could see the schoolies working the bottom about 20' out, picking up sand eels getting caught in the wave action.As I think I mentioned before, there is no obvious sign of food on Joppa when this happens. It might be a good idea to take out a small mesh net to take a sample of the water and see what is really down there. If you were to read how fish behave during a typical worm hatch (I've never seen this, personally) the description fits this to a 'T'. Except its during daylight hours, and there are no signs of the worms.-- Tom
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (7 of 9), Read 104 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Don Osmer (pisurf1@aol.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 08:09 PM
Tom,I don't know if anyone has tried it? But it sounds like the next time that Frank and I get out there I will have a worm pattern fly and some sea worms to try. I have never landed a fish over 29" on the fly, and this may be the opportunity. Thanks for the help and hope to see you out there as well.Don
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (8 of 9), Read 66 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Jackie Chan (j_carlton@globe.com)
Date:
Monday, July 26, 1999 07:49 AM
While fishing some tidewater ponds down the Vineyard the past couple years, we've encountered a similar situation, where we found lots of big fish (30-36") holding in clear, shallow, knee deep water. The first day we only managed a couple, with many follows. Finally figured out we had to run smaller, longer tippets (down to 8 lb) in order to increase our catch rate. The other thing we found was that many of the larger fish would turn on their sides and sort of shake and shimmer along the bottom, while refusing everything we tossed at them. It's an awesome sight, with the glare of the sun reflecting off their huge silvery sides giving you an almost tarpon like effect. In actuality these are fresh run from the sea fish that come in to the shallows and use the bottom to rub the sea lice off their sides. Hope it helps.. Good Luck.
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (9 of 9), Read 50 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
John Lytle (john@ktiboston.com)
Date:
Monday, July 26, 1999 12:54 PM
I have seen the same thing in Maine. High tide, slack, with the same results. A fly (several different patterns tried) either spooks them, or creates no interest.Have gone the longer leader, route, but have not gone the crab fly route. Will be doing that this weekend.-John Lytle
Took the afternoon off yesterday (July 30) and took the boat out on the flats on the rising tide. Fishing off Woodbridge Island, with lots of company, the fish were rolling and slapping in the current. Similar to last Saturday as Don and I saw, these fish were very finicky. I could see numerous fish swimming by, it seemed on their sides, but not many hits. I only managed 2 fish in 2 1/2 hours. The first fish I caught was after I left my line untended for several seconds while dealing with a tangle and upon retrieve I had a fish. I slowed my retrieve considerably after that, but still only managed one more fish. I tried further out in the river however the wind was howling, there was a nice chop and it was fairly crowded, so I poked around the flats a bit more and called it a day. I got the two fish on a olive/white clouser. A gentleman who was anchored up was catching fish much more consistently. Not sure when the next trip will be, but hopefully it will be soon!
Oct. 1 - Oct 4. (MV Derby)
Took Tami and Caitlin out to MV for a weekend trip that happened to coincide with the MV Derby.Haven't missed one in seven years, but this one was the most challenging to find time to fish!Over the three days, I fished each morning out on East Beach/Wasque and enjoyed 5 Albies from shore, with only 3 landed. I also caught one small bluefish. I did not get out at night and never saw a striper the entire weekend. (Except at the weigh station!) All of these little footballs were under the 25" minimum for the derby, but quite fun. This mornings was the most fun with a very turbulent turf and several heart pounding runs. I caught all these fish on light spinning gear. (6' rod/12lb test)I also managed a few casts at Edgartown Harbor,(Chappy side)Tashmoo,and the Big Bridge, but had no luck at these places.All in all, lots of fun.
Oct. 7, 1999
Took a spin in the High Tide for kicks. River seemed quite dead. I tried a variety of baits on both spinning and fly tackle but to no avail. It was quite windy and the spray from the ocean was quite cold from my 16 foot boat! I'll be trying a few more times, then it's time for the boat's first winter and my time to tie flies!
Oct. 10, 1999
Fished the outgoing tide this morning from 9am-12:30pm. There was nothing in the water. No bait, no fish. There were however, lots and lots of seals. (as well as a fair amount of debris) There were a few boats in the mouth, however I did not see anybody catching fish. Looks like it's the end of my fishing season and the beginning of my fly tying season.
Tight lines and here's to an even better Y2K fishing season!
May 1, 1999
The season began early this year. May 1st brought the first fresh schoolie striped bass to the Plum Island region. My friend Don reeled in a fresh, lice covered and bright 16" striper. I was not far behind him, with a 14" schoolie of my own. Both fish came out of one of the back rivers of Plum Island. Spinning gear with plastics/rubber worked well as well as small flies. (Ray's fly)
We took a few casts down at Plum Island Point, but caught nothing. A few other anglers were lining the river, some casting bait, others fishing spinning or fly gear. Of interest here is that the sand bar area has changed dramatically. No longer does the bar extend far out into the Merrimack for easy access wading. It appears the bar has shrunk in size and depth. Be careful!
I hope to christen the New Boat (High Tide) Sunday Morning. Stay tuned and Tight Lines!!
May 2, 1999
First things first. No fish were caught today. I observed many fishermen, both on the shore and in boats, and did not see any fish landed. Those I spoke to directly had no luck. I believe we're a solid week away from good fishing here. I'll be in the back rivers tomorrow hunting those fresh fish lurking in the warm shallows.
More importantly, my Boat was launched for the first time ever this morning at approximately 8:15 am. My friend Andy was kind enough to come up and share some of his 30 years of boating expertise. (My days as "Launch Boy" at the NYAC Travers Island were long ago.) In any event, we trailered the "High Tide" to the public boat ramp at Cashman's Park. We launched after a small christening and spent the next 5 hours breaking in the engine and cruising the Merrimack and the ocean. We fished a bit, but primarily broke the engine in (if you do it by the book, it is fairly tedious) and got used to the boat. The boat handled very well but the weather was very cooperative with 1' to 3' seas and very little wind. Air temperature was over 70 by the time we came in at 12:30. Tami was kind enough to meet us at the dock at 11am with some lunch and was treated to a gentle river cruise. (Gentle because she is almost 7 months pregnant!)
All in all a wonderful first day on the water.
May 4, 1999
Froze my butt off after work this evening and fished for an hour around Plum Island. It was about 1/2 tide with steady rain and wind. I did not hook up with any fish, but I did see something break about 20 yards off shore. In addition, I pulled up a tiny shrimp on the end of my hook, I guess there is something to eat in there!
Tight lines.
May 6, 1999
Tried my luck on the ocean front this evening on the dropping tide. Walked from the church to the jetty and back. No bait in the water as far as I could tell, and no fish--not even a bump. Next week should be the week, although we need a few nice warm days to help.
May 7, 1999
Took a legitimate day off work today to do some things around the house, AND fish. Since my boat is not yet in the water permanently, I again fished from shore. I decided I would try the Merrimack/Sandbar area. When I pulled in the lot was full for a rainy/foggy Friday morning in early May. The river was being fished by a bunch of people, but by no means elbow to elbow. I was a bit late, arriving about 1 hour before low tide. As I walked up several guys were on fish, both fly and spin. I found a spot and cast into the outgoing flow. Third cast and I was on as well. I was using a sinking line and a fairly small Ray's fly. I caught 3 more fish over the next hour and a half for a total of 4. No size to them, but plenty of sport. (14-16" tops) So, the fishing was not furious, but it felt good to get more than one. In talking with a few folks, it was a bit more consistent prior to my arrival. Things appear to be getting better!
May 11, 1999
Finally got the Boat in for the season last night, however I did not get a chance to fish at that time.
I was able to make it back to the dock by 6:45pm tonight for a couple of hour’s enjoyment. This was my first solo run in the boat and I had yet to land a fish from the boat.
I headed out towards the mouth of the Merrimack--more for the ride than to fish. Saw lot's of terns as well as many seals. I saw seals all the way up on Joppa, off Badgers and pretty much all over the river. Lots of guys fishing off the beach but I did not really see anybody into anything. (High tide was approx 9pm) After a few casts up by the mouth, I headed back up river. I fished Joppa and the vicinity for 15 minutes or so. Lots of birds working the water, but I could not get a bite. Headed further up river and found a spot where the river split and ended up catching over 20 schoolies in 45 minutes. The fish ranged from 12", up to one that was 18". I caught the first 7 or 8 on an intermediate line with a chartreuse/white clouser. The fly action seemed to slow, so I switched to a light-spinning rig with a sluggo and caught a bunch more. Slow retrieve, with a twitch every now and again seemed to work best. There were two other boats fishing the same area and they were also having some luck. The fish were busting on top once the sun went down. It was a very pleasant evening to say the least.
I know where I'll be the rest of the week. Tight Lines!
May 12, 1999
I fished the rising tide last night from about 7pm - 9pm. Much like last night, I found lots of fish up river. All micro bass, but I did have one 24" fish mixed in. (That fish was lots of fun) I took a ride out onto Joppa, and there were fish on top there as well, but the fishing was very inconsistent. I tried several flies (clouser, deceiver, and ray’s and mylar sand eel) and only ended up with one fish. That’s when I headed back up river and caught my hearts content, all on a Ray's Fly. I also took several fish on an albino sluggo.
May 14, 1999
Time: 5pm - 6:30pm Tide: 5:02pm Low
Took the boat out for a small run this evening and managed 4 schoolies. Took the fish directly across from BoatWorks, just beyond the red buoy where the river splits. Not a very serious fishing trip, just nice to be out on the Boat .
May 15, 1999
Time: 4:45am - 10:00am Tide: 6am Low
Don arrived at the house at 4:30am sharp and when loaded up my truck and headed to the marina. We were leaving Boatworks by 4:45. Motored directly towards the mouth and set up shop in a drift from the toothpick, down towards badgers. Hugging the Salisbury side and starting by the old boat ramp seemed to work very well. We had a solid hour and a half of fish swirling, rising, and slapping on the surface. A variety of lures worked for us and we switched from spinning to fly gear and back again. On spinning, we had luck with albino sluggos/blue and white leadheads, as well as pencil poppers and striper swiper atom plugs. On the fly, both Ray's fly and Chartreuse/White flies worked, with the clouser the hands down winner. Sinking line was the best bet as I started on an intermediate line but quickly switched as Don had many more hook ups on his sinking line. As mentioned, the drift worked well for 1 1/2 hours but when slack hit, the bite was off. During the "toothpick drift" we landed around 100 fish between us. The largest was one I had around 30" on a sluggo and Don had a very nice 27" fish on the fly.
We moved down towards Joppa and plucked a mooring and landed a bunch more as the tide turned and began to move again. Flies worked far better on Joppa and we managed another 30-40 fish between us. These fish were smaller, with the largest around 24".
All in all a Great morning. Two hours before low at the mouth is still the rule!
May 16, 1999
Time: 5:30am - 11:00am Tide: 7:05am Low
Well, in attempting a repeat of Saturday, Don and I were back at the marina at 5:30am. One thing we did not factor in was Mother Nature. A thick fog surrounded BoatWorks, and it was difficult to see a couple of fingers over. We waited it out until it lifted a bit at about 6:45am. (We've both been lost in the fog and did not long for a repeat.) In any event, we missed the tide for the "toothpick" drift, but did manage a few fish off Joppa. We drifted for a while over Joppa and landed a few fish. (4 for Don, 1 for me) We then tied to an AYC mooring and hit fish a bit more consistently, landing 20 or so between us. Once again sinking lines with White/Chartreuse flies worked best. Definitely not a repeat of Saturday, bet well worth the effort.
May 18, 1999
Time: 6:30pm - 7:45pm Tide: 9:12pm Low
Fished the outgoing tide this evening and found many aggressive schoolies. This has been the case for sometime now up here. Stopped by Joppa, landed 7 schoolies, all in the 14-22" range. (Tied up to one of the AYC moorings)Headed back up river and drifted below Deer Island and picked up several more fish. No big fish in the mix this evening.
Certainly getting better at handling the boat, easing in and out of the slip like the days of "launch boy" at the NYAC Yacht Club.
Storm rolling in tonight, but not a big one. Should not affect fishing too much. Got the hatches battened down and the auto bilge on!
May 21, 1999
Time: 6:00am-8:30am Tide: 4:42am High
Fished from 6am until 8:30 am this morning.The river was alive with fish on top. Fished just below the route 1 bridge and landed many fish as they swirled, slurped and slapped all around me. Moved out towards Joppa and the festivities continued, only this time had the added fun of birds working over large pods of fish. Just drifted and caught lots of schoolies, all on char/white clouser, sluggos and a few on an Atom Plug.. Fair amount of boats out there today and everybody seemed to be getting their share of fish. Largest this a.m. was 24". This morning I had more tangles, snags and knots than who knows what. Good old Murphy's Law.
May 22, 1999
Time: 5:00am-10:00am Tide: 5:40am High
Fished with Don this morning from 5am to 10am. What a magnificent morning. As soon as we left BoatWorks we had fish rising and breaking all around us. Don's second fish was a 29" brute which took a while to boat on the fly rod, a quick picture and he was swimming again. Fished next to Tom Sheehey for some time and for the first two hours we never went beyond the Route 1 bridge. Sinking lines with Chart/White Clousers was once again the order of the day. Once the tide turned and started flowing out quickly, we headed up towards Joppa, tied up to a mooring and were into fish on almost every cast. The tide was ripping through and there were swirls of fish as far as the eye could see. This was one of those mornings for which you have no idea how many you got, you just know it was a lot! (I've got two "Striper Thumbs" to show for it) I'm talking hundreds of fish this morning! My back and arms are quite tired and I just finished painting the nursery, so now I'm really in pain!The majority of the fish today were on the fly, however to rest the arm I occasionally used a lightweight spinning rod with a sluggo with just as much success. Round 2 Sunday Morning!
May 23, 1999
Time: 5:00am-10:00am Tide: 6:44am High
On the water at sunrise this AM in the boat with Don. We fished above the Rte 1 bridge for the first part of the morning, with fish everywhere. Not as good as yesterday but we caught and released more fish than we could count. The second fish of the day was a 2-3 pound shad for Don.We moved down to Joppa after a while and were still taking fish at 10AM, before deciding to head in. The fish were taken on chartreuse and white clousers, top water plugs and sluggo's. One fish that we picked up proceeded to spit up a golf ball size glob of worms. The biggest fish this morning on a fly was a healthy 27" fish with plenty of power. Don ended up hooking into a 29" fish directly in the current that felt and looked like a whale. We could have sworn that fish was bigger!
May 25, 1999
Time: 5:30am-9:00am Tide: 8:44am HighLeft the dock this a.m. at 5:30am and headed out towards Joppa. As I passed the Ice Breaker I saw three sets of birds working different locations on the flats. Gunned the boat to the closest birds and sure enough they were working a pod of fish under sand eels. As soon as the fly hit the water I was on and for the next hour I chased the birds around the flats and hooked consistently with boiling fish. No real big fish today--largest about 24". The wind was picking up and the water was getting choppy as I left, but fish were still present. What a great morning....no other boats in sight!
May 26, 1999
Time: 5:30am-8:00am Tide: 9:37am High
Fished for a few hours today and only got a handful of fish. It was a bit overcast, and fish were not apparent on the top like the morning before. Still, it's nice to get a few days when the fishing is tough to remind me how good things are with the striper fishery these days.
May 27, 1999
Time: 5:30am-9:00am Tide: 10:25am High
I got a late start this morning but took Stephen out in the boat. We fished from the toothpick into Joppa and picked up only 1 fish. It was a healthy 27" fish that was peeling drag off my 6' light spinning rod. Other than that, I learned how to mark waypoints and routes with my new GPS since Stephen enjoyed showing me how to do it! We also headed halfway down to Hampton Harbor, basically right out from the Seabrook Nuke Plant. It was a very calm day in the ocean. If we had the time, we could have made it to Hampton no problem. Maybe this weekend if the weather in nice.
July 4, 1999
Well, I've fished quite a bit over the last month and a few days. With work and an expectant wife(less than 30 days now) time to write after every fishing trip has proven tough. Don and I have fished at night twice with some success, however just one keeper to our name from the night trips. W trying again on 7/18. In addition, we've had several nice morning with fish into the hundreds. Nice healthy schoolies. Don has gotten one keeper off the Jetty this year and is gracing the walls of Surfland.
Most recently, we fished yesterday from 5am - 10am. (9am Low tide) We tried bait in several areas and had a rough morning to begin with. Sluggos, Poppers, Swimming Plugs and numerous flies all seemed of no interest to the fish. We finally anchored up at and undisclosed AYC mooring and ended up catching numerous schoolies and snapper blues. We caught them on clams, herring and mackerel. All in all, what started as a slow morning ended up pretty good.
July 31, 1999
Things have changed. Four days after the last journal entry, our daughter Caitlin Sierra was born. Since July 7th, I've fished 4 times. Not bad for a new father getting used to sleeping in 3 hour intervals! Last Saturday (7/24) Don and I fished the flats as well as Plum Island point from aboard the High Tide. We did not have much luck from 5:30 until 9am at which time we ended up landing a bunch of schoolies in front of the AYC at the top of the tide.(incoming)
We fished out by Woodbridge Island and saw numerous fish swimming and frolicking. These fished seemed to be swimming on their sides at times. This is best explained in a thread by my fishing partner Don via the Reel Time Northern New England Bulletin Board:
Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (1 of 9), Read 142 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Don Osmer (pisurf1@aol.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 10:56 AM
Fished the flats this morning with fellow reel-timer Frank Dwyer in his boat. From 5AM until 830AM we managed only three small fish. Although in the flats the fish were literally cruising along in large schools and would not touch anything!! It was extremely frustrating to say the least!! Casting flies that landed in the middle of schools would spook the fish and there would be 15-20 large swirls, but nothing!! The fish did not look small either!Moved into the AYC and after the turning tide we picked up alot of schoolies on sluggo's. One of those was my first tagged fish. Tagged from the Littoral SOC in NJ.Saw fellow reel-timer Tom Sheehy and he seemed to be having the same luck. Anyone have any suggestions when the fish are lying in the sun??Don
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (2 of 9), Read 132 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
backman (backman@ultranet.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 11:23 AM
Don:for those picky flats fish try this:* sinking line* crab fly* cast in the schools direction - led them by10-20 yards.* let your cast sink - count to 20,wait, count to 10. * twitch the fly twice; 3" short sharp strips; and wait 3 seconds* twitch, twitch pause again.If you get your crab in the sand or mud in front of a fish and it twitches when the fish is coming you will hook that fish. It has to be on the bottom; it has to act like a fleeing crab; it comes off the bottom forget it. the striper will grub it up from the bottom in an instant if it sees it.
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (3 of 9), Read 131 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Tom_Sheehy (tom_sheehy@hotmail.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 01:05 PM
Larry,Actually, based on your reports and success earlier in the year, I have tried just that on a number of occasions without much success. As Don said, it was very, very frustrating. An additional observation was a large fish swimming up on the surface with its tail and part of the dorsal fin exposed, swimming around in a 3' diameter circle. As far as I could tell, the fish's mouth never broke the surface. It looked similar to the way a fish trying to swim in 4" of water would, very strange. I have tried three types of crab flies, a brown/tan merkin a little smaller than a quarter; a home-made pattern using corsair and sand colored sparkle body and a floating cork pattern.I have tried this with both a 350-grain sinking line and also an intermediate. I always let the fly sink (6' of water) and would try the slow twitch method that you described.The other thing that seems strange is that on the last 3 trips I have made to this flat where this has been happening, I have also had someone with me fishing with clams. Not a single fish..Anyhow, this is the second year now that I have seen this happen, and I have yet to catch anything other than 1 or 2 fish when it is happening.Oh well, if it was easy, it would be boring!-- Tom
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (4 of 9), Read 125 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Don Osmer (pisurf1@aol.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 03:35 PM
Tom,Thanks for substantiating the frustration and wierdness of the situation. I am by far an expert, but have never seen fish, that close, swimming with their sides to the surface. It seemed like they were sunning themselves?! And laughing at me!! Larry, I have seen you post about Cape flats, have you seen this before? Anyother suggestions? As Tom mentioned, some of these fish looked to be on the large side! While Frank and I were out there we tried several fly patterns. We did try bait including clams and chunk along with several surface and swimming plugs. As you can tell we threw everything at them!! The only thing that we did not try, that Kay told us, was floating a sea worm into them?? Has anyone had any success at this or does anyone have any other success when this happens? Tom does this continue to happen in that section of the flats often? Thanks for the advice,Don
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (5 of 9), Read 123 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Bob D (bobd@watersedge-charters.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 04:13 PM
I have witnessed this a couple of times on Joppa flats and had the same results as you. One thing I have noticed is that each time I've seen this it was at high slack tide on a very warm day. My thought as I was leaving was that maybe they had gorged themselves on the incoming tide and where just basking in the sun digesting their feast. Although it is very frustrating it is still an awesome sight to see those large fish lying just under the surface.
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (6 of 9), Read 102 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Tom_Sheehy (tom_sheehy@hotmail.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 07:56 PM
I saw it maybe half a dozen times last year, mostly slack high as Bob mentioned. This was a lot, as I didn't get out there much with the canoe last season.I have also seen it at least that much this year, it happens both in the morning and evenings, and I have very frequently seen 8 or 10 boats out there with a combination of fly, spin and bait guys, with nobody catching anything.The only other time I have seen fish showing their 'sides' as much was last fall on the wildlife refuge beach during a sunny afternoon. The water was clear and you could see the schoolies working the bottom about 20' out, picking up sand eels getting caught in the wave action.As I think I mentioned before, there is no obvious sign of food on Joppa when this happens. It might be a good idea to take out a small mesh net to take a sample of the water and see what is really down there. If you were to read how fish behave during a typical worm hatch (I've never seen this, personally) the description fits this to a 'T'. Except its during daylight hours, and there are no signs of the worms.-- Tom
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (7 of 9), Read 104 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Don Osmer (pisurf1@aol.com)
Date:
Sunday, July 25, 1999 08:09 PM
Tom,I don't know if anyone has tried it? But it sounds like the next time that Frank and I get out there I will have a worm pattern fly and some sea worms to try. I have never landed a fish over 29" on the fly, and this may be the opportunity. Thanks for the help and hope to see you out there as well.Don
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (8 of 9), Read 66 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
Jackie Chan (j_carlton@globe.com)
Date:
Monday, July 26, 1999 07:49 AM
While fishing some tidewater ponds down the Vineyard the past couple years, we've encountered a similar situation, where we found lots of big fish (30-36") holding in clear, shallow, knee deep water. The first day we only managed a couple, with many follows. Finally figured out we had to run smaller, longer tippets (down to 8 lb) in order to increase our catch rate. The other thing we found was that many of the larger fish would turn on their sides and sort of shake and shimmer along the bottom, while refusing everything we tossed at them. It's an awesome sight, with the glare of the sun reflecting off their huge silvery sides giving you an almost tarpon like effect. In actuality these are fresh run from the sea fish that come in to the shallows and use the bottom to rub the sea lice off their sides. Hope it helps.. Good Luck.
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Topic:
7/24 Merrimac River Report/1st tagged fish (9 of 9), Read 50 times
Conf:
Cape Cod to Northern New England
From:
John Lytle (john@ktiboston.com)
Date:
Monday, July 26, 1999 12:54 PM
I have seen the same thing in Maine. High tide, slack, with the same results. A fly (several different patterns tried) either spooks them, or creates no interest.Have gone the longer leader, route, but have not gone the crab fly route. Will be doing that this weekend.-John Lytle
Took the afternoon off yesterday (July 30) and took the boat out on the flats on the rising tide. Fishing off Woodbridge Island, with lots of company, the fish were rolling and slapping in the current. Similar to last Saturday as Don and I saw, these fish were very finicky. I could see numerous fish swimming by, it seemed on their sides, but not many hits. I only managed 2 fish in 2 1/2 hours. The first fish I caught was after I left my line untended for several seconds while dealing with a tangle and upon retrieve I had a fish. I slowed my retrieve considerably after that, but still only managed one more fish. I tried further out in the river however the wind was howling, there was a nice chop and it was fairly crowded, so I poked around the flats a bit more and called it a day. I got the two fish on a olive/white clouser. A gentleman who was anchored up was catching fish much more consistently. Not sure when the next trip will be, but hopefully it will be soon!
Oct. 1 - Oct 4. (MV Derby)
Took Tami and Caitlin out to MV for a weekend trip that happened to coincide with the MV Derby.Haven't missed one in seven years, but this one was the most challenging to find time to fish!Over the three days, I fished each morning out on East Beach/Wasque and enjoyed 5 Albies from shore, with only 3 landed. I also caught one small bluefish. I did not get out at night and never saw a striper the entire weekend. (Except at the weigh station!) All of these little footballs were under the 25" minimum for the derby, but quite fun. This mornings was the most fun with a very turbulent turf and several heart pounding runs. I caught all these fish on light spinning gear. (6' rod/12lb test)I also managed a few casts at Edgartown Harbor,(Chappy side)Tashmoo,and the Big Bridge, but had no luck at these places.All in all, lots of fun.
Oct. 7, 1999
Took a spin in the High Tide for kicks. River seemed quite dead. I tried a variety of baits on both spinning and fly tackle but to no avail. It was quite windy and the spray from the ocean was quite cold from my 16 foot boat! I'll be trying a few more times, then it's time for the boat's first winter and my time to tie flies!
Oct. 10, 1999
Fished the outgoing tide this morning from 9am-12:30pm. There was nothing in the water. No bait, no fish. There were however, lots and lots of seals. (as well as a fair amount of debris) There were a few boats in the mouth, however I did not see anybody catching fish. Looks like it's the end of my fishing season and the beginning of my fly tying season.
Tight lines and here's to an even better Y2K fishing season!
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