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Merrimack
River 2007 Retrospective
Although
the season is not over yet, the “fat lady” will be singing before
long! I am here down on the Cape where I have been enjoying some
vacation time with my wife and some friends. Of course, I have also been
doing some fishing but that is another story. My objective here is to
give my readers my perspective on the 2007 Merrimack River area fishing.
The
season began in May as it usually does. Actually I was down here on the
Cape the first week of May and got into the first
stripers arriving in the Monomy waters. The first part of the week I
found very few stripers but towards the end I had twenty and thirty fish
days with a climax of over fifty stripers, including a couple that were
keeper size. All were released. It was a great day and my arm was tired.
I caught all of the fish using either light spinning tackle or the fly
rod.
About
the time I returned we had some heavy rain. After just putting my boat
in the water at the marina I hauled it out. It was a good move. The
heavy rain and resulted in local flooding. It is truly extraordinary
that we had two major floods on the Merrimack in the span of a single
year. I have lived and fished here for over thirty years and never
experienced such high waters before.
About
a week later I put my boat back into the water. The river water was
warm, approaching 60 degrees. I left the launch ramp at my new marina
and went across to an area that I have fished many times. I saw fish
rises and sure enough the early season schoolies had arrived. I fished
the local area for about an hour and caught and released 20 or 30
striper schoolies on my fly rod. They were not particular about what fly
I used. They were hungry and hitting anything that looked like food. It
was wet but warm and the fishing was action was great. My largest fish
measured 20 inches. Most were 17 or 18 inches.
The
striper season had definitely begun on the Merrimack River . Schoolies,
ranging from about 17-inches to almost keeper length, were abundant. At
times they were smashing small minnows at the surface or feeding on sand
eels a little deeper. They could be found on any tide.
In
early June, I stopped by Surfland on Plum Island (one of my favorite
tackle and bait shops) to pick up some duo lock snaps and a few fly
tying items. They told me that a 31 pound striper was caught off the
beach near parking lot #1 on the reservation. There was also a 17 pound
striper caught off the south jetty.
My
clients caught several 3 or 4 pound, very scrappy blues. They destroyed
the soft baits that they were using, but the flies did hold up pretty
well. The blues were caught near the north end of Plum Island just off
the sandbar where we have been finding good striper action. Other
clients had some good fishing catching stripers up 26 inches as well as
a couple of bluefish and one shad.
The
weather in the middle of June was miserable for fishermen. There were
strong winds from the Northeast and very cool temperatures. In spite of
the weather conditions we did get some nice fish, including an 18 pound
38-inch striper that hit a large jig rigged Fin-S. There were 3 foot
waves on Joppa Flats. They were very difficult days to fish. Even the
deep water charter boats stayed inside as the Coast Guard issued storm
warnings with strong winds. There were lots of bluefish around. My
clients enjoyed battling 4 to 7 pound blues on light spinning tackle and
Joppa, when we could get out there, produced some big striped bass.
At
the end of June the weather conditions improved with much less wind.
Fishing picked up with big stripers being caught out on Joppa. There
were also many bluefish around.
The
bluefish began dominating the local fishing. Stripers were still in the
waters, but it seems that the blues were more abundant into early July.
The blues foraged out side the river mouth and moved onto Joppa Flats on
high tides. They hit jigs with soft baits attached (the soft baits only
lasted for one or two blues) or deep runner lures and poppers.
We
have also caught them on various flies rigged with 50 pound shock
tippet.
The
fishing was good! I heard reports that the striper fishing was not as
good as usual. Maybe they were correct in some respects but personally I
think a better description would have been “sporadic”. There were
days (I am not referring to nights) where the morning fishing was been
slow but, my clients experienced mornings catching many stripers 19 to
20 inches with an occasional big fish. The weather has been a factor.
Cool air and cooler water had an effect. The bluefish moved out as the
waters cooled down to the lower 50’s. That was the case when the tide
was high. As the tide dropped the warmer water from up the river came
into the estuary area and the fishing improved with some very good
action on light spinning or fly tackle.
There
were enormous stripers out on Joppa Flats but it was very difficult to
get them to hit flies or other artificial lures. I saw the tails of very
large stripers at the surface. One looked to be 10 to 12 inches, top to
bottom. A striper tail, which is that big, belongs to a very large fish.
I had my clients out trying to entice a strike from those monsters. They
only got two or three close to keeper sized fish. I recall one fellow
who got a 26 inch fish on the fly rod.
Mid
July, fog was also a problem by restricting mobility. I don’t like to
be out in the fog where there are inexperienced boaters. It isn’t
worth the risk.
During
late July I found lots of stripers and bluefish in the river. There was
some good action on the outgoing tides along the channel edge of Joppa.
There was also lots of activity off the sandbar at the north end of Plum
Island as well as between the jetties where some big bluefish could be
found near the time of the tide change. The blues would hit surface
poppers as well as flies and other lures.
The
season seemed to be flying by. I guess it is true that time goes faster
as you get older. In the first week of August there were reports of baby
bunker showing up along the Maine coast. I didn’t spot any but I
knew that as August matures I would. When one sees flocks of terns
diving into the water mingled with the splashes of fish it is often
schools of baby bunker that they are feeding on. It happens in the river
as well as out along Plum Island beaches.
In
mid-August there were some big bluefish in the river. One morning I
found them in Newburyport
near the Route 1 Bridge. It isn’t an easy place to fish because of the
boat moorings and traffic, but in the early morning I could do it, with
no boat traffic. I caught some 7 to 8 pound blues on my light spinning
tackle. It was a challenge to keep the fish away from the mooring lines
and the boat away from the moored craft.
Later
in the week I hosted my friend Larry, a transplant to Florida
, who spends summers up here. I fished with him and we caught lots of
stripers. Most were caught down between the jetties where I could only
find bluefish earlier that week. They were scrappy 18 to 22 inch fish.
I
recall one Saturday morning when I guided for Jim, his son-in-law and
grandson Brendan. We fished mostly between the jetties, catching many
stripers. They were mostly around 19 or 20 inches and provided great
fights on the light spinning tackle. It was difficult fishing because of
the heavy boat traffic that forced me to maneuver the boat many times
during a drift. All of the fishermen were steady on their feet and had
no difficulty casting or fighting a hooked fish. I took them over to the
sandbar located off the south jetty because I saw a few terns diving
into the water. We just got to the spot and Brendan made a cast and
hooked up with a strong fish. It stripped line off the spinning reel
easily, so I tightened the drag as Brendan worked the rod. It took about
ten minutes to bring the fish to the boat, as the fish and angler fought
it out. Brandon said his arm was getting tired. However at 15, or so
years old, he didn’t have any real problem mastering the fish. It
turned out to be a 29 inch, 9 pound bluefish. Brandon was a very happy
and proud fisherman as I congratulated him on his handling of the
struggle. It is that kind of experience that highlights my enjoyment in
doing what I do.
The
last week of August I took out one of my clients, Charles, and a
coworker who came here from India
about seven years ago. She is an engineer with two masters degrees. She
had never fished before and wanted to try catching stripers after
hearing about and seeing the results of Charles’ fly fishing
excursions. She did not know how cast or use a spinning outfit but after
a few quick lessons and some encouragement she got it.
The
tide was high and outgoing as we began the trip so I took them to the
Salisbury side of the river near Newburyport
. I hooked a couple of small schoolies and let her bring them to the
boat. Then she started making casts and soon had a striper hit the soft
bait lure. All the fish were small schoolies so I suggested we go down
to the river mouth to where I had been having good action. We fished
inside the jetties and although it was Sunday the boat traffic wasn’t
bad in the early morning. Both she and Charles caught
many 19 or 20 inch schoolies with an occasional mid-twenty inch fish.
They also caught several small bluefish. It was a good morning. Charles
told me later that she is now
hooked
on fishing.
September
brought fall fishing. One morning my clients and I found hordes of
busting stripers in the river near the Route 1 Bridge. The fish were
smashing what looked to be baby bunker minnows. The guys caught a few on
flies and then switched to 6-inch Sluggos. The action was pretty steady
for well over an hour just before the morning high tide. Most of the
fish were about twenty inches. As the tide slacked the fast action
stopped. We found more stripers near half tide rocks and couple inside
the north jetty. It was a good morning of fishing.
There
were still plenty of bluefish around. Many fishermen were taking them by
trolling umbrella rigs (that is not a method of fishing that I like,
however).
There
was a fishing tournament over the long Labor
Day weekend and the winning stripers for boat and shore
categories were both in the 50 pound range. One was weighed in at
Surfland on Plum Island .
As
I stated at the beginning I shut down my chartering in mid-September to
send a few weeks vacation on Cape
Cod with my wife. I always do enjoy the change and challenges of
shore fishing when I am down here. I will probably post a report of my
fishing experiences on the Cape later this fall.
Tight
Lines till next
season!
Capt.
Charlie Crue
Channel
Edge Charters
www.channeledgecharters.com
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Merrimack
River Report #18
September 6, 2007
The
fall fishing is here. This morning my clients and I found
hordes of busting stripers in the river near the Route 1
Bridge. The fish were smashing what looked to be baby bunker
minnows. The guys caught a few
on flies and then switched to
6-inch Sluggos. The action was pretty steady for well over
an hour just before the morning high tide. Most of the fish
were about twenty inches. As the tide slacked the fast
action stopped. We found more stripers near half tide rocks
and couple inside the north jetty. It was a good morning of
fishing.
There
are still plenty of bluefish around. Many fishermen are
taking them by trolling umbrella rigs ( that is not a method
of fishing that I like, however ).
There
was a fishing tournament over the long weekend and the
winning stripers for boat and shore categories were in the
50 pound range. One was weighed in at Surfland on Plum
Island .
I
know people get busy with other activities in September but,
if you can get out for some fishing you could have some
great fishing trips.
Merrimack
River Report #17
August 30, 2007
I
had a free morning so I ventured down to the mouth of the
river just before low tide. As I cruised in the river
towards Plum
Island I was watching for any signs of surface
action. There wasn’t any but, just a couple days ago I saw
a few individual stripers chase bait to the surface above
the route 1 bridge. When I arrived at the mouth, just below
the sandbar I marked fish down deep but didn’t see any
signs of action. The few boats at the mouth and just outside
trolling or drifting bait weren’t doing much. I saw a
couple schoolies get caught.
I
tried along the north jetty using my light spinning rod with
a jig head rigged Fin-S. Nothing happened. Just
before the low tide I saw some birds working off of the
south jetty. I ran over there and made a cast with my 8
weight fly rod (still rigged with a 50# shock tippet and
olive white clouser I had used for recent bluefish action).
I had a good hit and could tell it was a good sized fish as
it kept taking line and I was soon using the reel drag to
slow the fish. After a few minutes I got the striper near
the surface and then boat side. It was a nice 26 inch fish.
In the next hour or saw I caught a lot of stripers in the
area as I moved into where there was bird activity. It was a
fun morning.
Earlier
in the week I found stripers outside the north jetty. They
were all 20 plus inch fish.
I
am still waiting for one of those blitz type trips when the
stripers and/or bluefish are chasing baby bunker. Maybe my
clients will enjoy such action tomorrow morning.
Merrimack
River Report #16
August 23, 2007
Striped
bass and bluefish are still plentiful at the mouth of the
river and for those trolling deep they can be found off the Plum
Island beach. The later type of fishing is not my stile
as I and my clients enjoy a more even battle using fly and
light spinning tackle. We have been quite successful over the
past week. In fact last Sunday I took out one of my clients,
Charles, and a coworker who came here from India
about seven years ago. She is an engineer with two masters
degrees. She had never fished before and wanted to try
catching stripers after hearing about and seeing the results
of Charles’ fly fishing excursions. She did not know how
cast or use a spinning outfit but after a few quick lessons
and some encouragement she got it.
The
tide was high and outgoing as we began the trip so I took them
to the Salisbury side of the river near Newburyport
. I hooked a couple of small schoolies and let her bring them
to the boat. Then she started making casts and soon had a
striper hit the soft bait lure. All the fish were small
schoolies so I suggested we go down to the river mouth to
where I had been having good action. We fished inside the
jetties and although it was Sunday the boat traffic wasn’t
bad in the early morning. Both she and
Charles caught many 19 or 20 inch schoolies with an occasional
mid-twenty inch fish. They also caught several small bluefish.
It was a good morning. Charles told me later that she is now
hooked on fishing.
Throughout
the week the fishing action seemed best on the lower half of
the outgoing morning tides. I ventured down off the Plum
Island beach a couple of times but I always found the
fish to be down deep. I am waiting for the good late season
surface action.
Joppa
Flats didn’t produce when I got out to fish there. But I
didn’t try it very often.
Today’s
Newburyport Daily News has a story about a rare catch at the
mouth of the river. A fisherman using a jig head rigged with a
6 inch Sluggo caught a 6 foot long sturgeon. He thought it was
some kind of a shark at first. It took him 15 to 20 minutes to
get the fish to the boat. Sturgeons are and endangered species
so they left it in the water and got the hook out.
I
think I hooked one last year when fishing the Salisbury side
of the river. I was using my fly rod with an olive/white
clouser. I remember that at fish I thought I had hooked a
submerged log that was drifting by but headed up river against
the tide and I definitely felt the pulsating tail action. I
couldn’t move the fish and eventually the fly pulled out.
Merrimack
River Report #15
August 16, 2007
I
am a couple days late getting this report out but I was busy –
fishing. I had some days to myself and enjoyed fine weather as
well as pretty fine fishing. There has been some very good
schoolie action in the morning, with hungry hard fighting 19 to 24
inch stripers. In addition there have been lots of bluefish
around.
Last
Monday I had clients and we fished the mouth of the river around
the morning low tide. There was fast striper action near the north
jetty until well into the incoming tide. When it slowed down we
ventured out along the Plum Island beach to try for some blues.
One
of them had never tangled with a bluefish on with a fly rod. When
we reached an area about half way down the Island I marked some
fish on the fishfinder but they were down about twenty feet. That
is a difficult depth to get the fly to but, I had 350 grain fast
sinking lines on the reels. They sink at about a half a foot a
second in dead water and we were drifting slowly so I told them to
cast, feed line and count for 10 or 15 seconds before beginning to
strip the line in. It wasn’t long before one of them had a hit.
I knew by watching the fight that it was a good size bluefish.
However I hadn’t had a chance to put on a heavy shock tippet and
the leader was only 23 pound test fluorocarbon. Fortunately the
fish was hooked on the outside of the mouth and after about 15
minutes the angler got it next to the boat. I grabbed the Boga
Grip with one hand and the leader with the other. As usual, the
bluefish, which looked to be about an 8 or 9 pounder, continued to
thrash and before I could get the tool into its mouth it chopped
the leader. It was a little disappointing for the angler (and me)
but he enjoyed the experience.
There
have been bluefish out on Joppa Flats on some high tides. One of
my clients landed a 7 pound blue which followed and grabbed a 7
inch sluggo.
The
party boats have been gathering off of the Plum Island beach to
get bluefish. One day there were five of them anchored in the area
off of the old Polio
Camp. I also heard that there has been good bluefish action off
the southern end of the island.
Someone
reported that last Sunday bluefish or stripers drove baby bunker
up onto the beach.
Yesterday
I took my grandson out and we both enjoyed great striper action
near the north jetty. He was using one of my jig head rigs with a
Fin-S attached. He probably caught and released 25 stripers (me
too). We were bit off by blues a couple times.
Merrimack
River Report #14
August 6, 2007
Over
the past week the schoolie stripers have taken over to provide the
light tackle action. We found them at various spots along the
river below Newburyport
. The tides were not right for fishing out on Joppa during the
morning so I didn’t get out there. Most fish that we caught were
between the jetties around the end of the outgoing tide. They
ranged from about 18 to 22 inches. There was an occasional
marauding blue fish that chopped off the soft bait lures. For the
most part my clients used light spinning tackle with my jighead
rigged with a Fin-S five, or five-and-three-quarter inches long.
I
heard that night fishermen have been catching big stripers out on
Joppa Flats.
I
fished alone one day and went down to the Parker River where there
has been consistent bluefish action. It was slow the morning I was
there. I caught one nice striper (about 26-inches) and several 3
or 4 pound blues. I was only there for a little over one hour so
it wasn’t bad fishing.
People
trolling off of Plum Island have been getting blue fish in the
area about half way to High Sandy. Bait fishermen have been
getting blues drifting outside the jetties.
There
has been lots of bird action over hordes of sand eels as the tide
dropped over the sand bars by #11 buoy and off the north end of
Plum Island but not many fish under them so far. I keep expecting
to see signs of baby bunker in the area but haven’t so far.
Early
this morning there were big stripers and an occasional big
bluefish out on Joppa according to a couple of my friends. I
caught schoolies later at the upper end of Joppa.
Merrimack
River Report #13
July 30, 2007
This
season seems to be flying by. I guess it is true that time goes
faster as you get older. Anyhow, it has been very good fishing so
far and given weather and bait conditions as we have enjoyed
lately we can expect more great inshore fishing action. There were
reports of baby bunker showing up along the Maine coast last week.
I haven’t really confirmed any around the area as yet but as
August matures I expect to see them. When I see flocks of terns
diving into the water mingled with the splashes of fish during the
month I usually see the schools of baby bunker that they are
feeding on. It happens in the river as well as out along Plum
Island beaches.
I
had some opened days last week to enjoy some fishing on my own. It
was nice weather and good fishing. There were some big bluefish in
the river and I found them in Newburyport
near the Route 1 Bridge. It isn’t an easy place to fish because
of the boat moorings and traffic, but in the early morning I could
do it, with no traffic and near low incoming tides. I caught some
7 to 8 pound blues on my light spinning tackle. It was a challenge
to keep the fish away from the mooring lines and the boat away
from the moored craft.
Later
in the week I hosted Larry, a transplant to Florida
who spends summers up here. I fished with him and we caught lots
of stripers. Most were caught down between the jetties where I
could only find bluefish earlier in the week. They were scrappy 18
to 22 inch fish.
Saturday
I guide for Jim, his son-in-law and grandson Brendan. We fished
mostly between the jetties, catching many stripers. They were
mostly around 19 or 20 inches and provided great fights on the
light spinning tackle. It was difficult fishing because of the
heavy boat traffic that forced me to maneuver the boat many times
during a drift. All of the fishermen were steady on their feet and
had no difficulty casting or fighting a hooked fish. I took them
over to the sandbar located off the south jetty because I saw a
few terns diving into the water. We just got to the spot and
Brendan made a cast and hooked up with a strong fish. It stripped
line off the spinning reel easily, so I tightened the drag as
Brendan worked the rod. It took about ten minutes to bring the
fish to the boat, as the fish and angler fought it out. Brendan
said his arm was getting tired. However at 15, or so years old, he
didn’t have any real problem mastering the fish. It turned out
to be a 29 inch, 9 pound bluefish. Brendan was a very happy and
proud fisherman as I congratulated him on his handling of the
struggle. It is that kind of experience that highlights my
enjoyment in doing what I do.
Check
out the photo!
Merrimack
River Report #12
July 23, 2007
I
had a couple off days the past weekend. It was a nice break with
beautiful New
England summer weather so I could get some yard work done.
This morning, I hosted Pete and his son, Adam. They have fished
with me each year over the past few and I know they enjoy our
bountiful Merrimack River Plum Island area fishery. As sometimes
happens the weather turned down during the night and the stripers
and blues felt the change in conditions so that they were not easy
to find or get to hit lures or flies. Further, the weather became
poorer as the morning progressed as rain moved in along with
stronger NE winds. I tried all the places that have been producing
striper action. The fishfinder didn’t show many fish anywhere
until we traveled up river near Eagle Island where I marked pods
of stripers in deep water. The guys managed to get a few to hit
jig head soft baits. Later as the tide began moving strongly, they
caught some schoolies that were feeding near the surface. We
finished the morning down on the upper end of Joppa where in
soaking rain with a strong NE wind. Sometimes being a guide is
frustrating but as any experienced fisherman knows there are just
some days when it is tough to fish and have successful results. I
appreciate clients that understand that it does happen.
Last
week I found lots of stripers and bluefish in the river. There was
some good action on the outgoing tides along the channel edge of
Joppa. There was also lots of activity off the sandbar at the
north end of Plum Island as well as between the jetties where some
big bluefish could be found near the time of the tide change. The
blues would hit surface poppers as well as flies and other lures.
The
weather forecast for this week shows improving and much warmer
conditions so I am looking forward to good fishing.
Merrimack River
Report #11
July 16, 2007
Over
the past week my clients have enjoyed good striper and bluefish
action. We have fished the
Merrimack
down to the mouth and Joppa Flats, plus some excursions to the
Parker
River
. One notable item is that for the first time we have encountered
blitz action with stripers chasing small bait fish. They
coral and heard the bait in pods and attack ferociously. The
anglers experience sudden strikes and the action is fast and then
just as suddenly, the activity moves to some other place before
surfacing again. I think the bait they are chasing might be
arrival baby bunkers.
I heard reports of bunker action along the
Maine
coast over the past week. It is always a thrill to see fish
smashing bait at the surface as terns and even cormorants get into
the fray. It is always a fisherman's pleasure to witness the wild
nature of it all.
My
clients have caught some stripers about the keeper size on Joppa
Flats around the high tides. As usual the hits are few but
exciting when it happens. The blitzing stripers have been large
school sized fish ranging from about 19 to 23 inches in length.
I
am always surprised at how many fishermen think that most of the
action occurs during the month of June because I have found very
good fishing, often
with larger fish, in July and August.
I
will add some photos of a few of the catches over the past week.
Merrimack
River Report #10
July 10, 2007
The
fishing has been good! I have heard reports that the striper fishing
is not as good as usual. Maybe they are correct in some respects but
personally I find a better description of current striper fishing to
be sporadic. There have been days (I am not referring to nights)
where the morning fishing has been slow but my clients have
experienced mornings catching many stripers 19 to 20 inches with an
occasional big fish. The recent weather has been a factor. Cool air
and cooler water has had an affect. The bluefish have moved out as
the waters cooled down to the lower 50’s. This has been the case
when the tide was high. As the tide dropped the warmer water from up
the river came into the estuary area. Usually the fishing improved
with some very good action on light spinning or fly tackle.
There
have been enormous stripers out on Joppa Flats but they are very
difficult to get to hit flies or other artificial lures. I have seen
the tails of very large stripers at the surface. One was 10 t0 12
inches top to bottom. A striper tail that big, belongs to a very
large fish. I have had my clients out trying to entice a strike from
those monsters. So far they have only got two or three close to
keeper sized fish. One fellow got a 26 inch fish on the fly rod on
Monday morning.
Fog
has also been a problem restricting mobility, because I don’t like
to be out where there are inexperienced boaters in fog. It isn’t
worth the risk.
I
will insert a few photos of client results for the recent fishing.
Please understand that I try to tell it as I see and experience the
fishing. My overall impression is that we still have a very nice
season underway and most people are enjoying the experience out on
the local waters.
Merrimack
River report #9
July 2, 2007
The
bluefish are dominating the local fishing. Stripers are still
here, too but it seems that the blues have been more abundant over
the past week. The blues have been foraging out side the river
mouth and come onto Joppa Flats on high tides. They hit jigs with
soft baits attached (the soft baits only last for one or two
blues, so be prepared to help the tackle industry) or deep runner
lures and poppers. We have also caught them on various flies
rigged with 50 pound shock tippet.
We
have caught stripers off the north end of Plum Island on some of
the early incoming tides. There haven’t been
many keeper sized fish caught although the night fishermen have
been getting them.
My
son-in-law lives on the river in Haverhill
and last evening he caught a half dozen striper so while fishing
off of his dock. He said the largest was 24 inches long.
My
clients have been mostly catching bluefish weighing 4 to 7 pounds.
Some of them took a few home to be grilled or cooked in a smoker.
The blues have been providing great action caught on either the
fly rods or light spinning tackle. In shallow water they make some
spectacular jumps
Merrimack
River Report #Merrimack
River Report #8
June 25, 2007
Fishing
in the Merrimack River and its estuary area remains very good. Last week
there was some very difficult fishing days because of high winds from
the North West . The weather people told us it was due to a stationary
low front just south of Nova
Scotia . Whatever the cause, we suffered some from the effects.
The
charter week began for me on Tuesday when I guided for a father and his
young teen age son. They were definitely novices, even with light
spinning tackle. However after a little instruction on casting and the
best way to work the lures they did pretty well. The fishing was slow
but they each caught a few stripers. The fish were found near buoy 11
and down by the jetties.
Friday,
after a slow beginning, my clients got into bluefish action just outside
the mouth of the river. Having had little experience catching blues they
surprised at the voracious hard fighting nature of the fish. Joe was all
smiles as he landed a couple. I was busy using my Boga Grip to grab the
fish next to the boat.
At
the end of the week the wind finally began to subside to the point that
it was calm this morning. Sunday was very bright on the water and it was
difficult to get stripers out on Joppa. Sandy did nail a nice 27 inch
fish that followed her Sluggo near to the boat before gulping it down.
It was a close in fight between angler and fish but she won.
This
morning there were lots of stripers out on Joppa but it was flat calm so
they spooked easily. I had a couple of follows by big fish but no hits.
I did see one angler get a striper (probably 25-27 inches) while using a
surface plug. I spent some time over on the Parker River where I caught
a half dozen blues using flies and soft baits. Needless to say, I used
up a good number of lures!
Merrimack
River Report #7
June 18, 2007
The
weather over the middle of last week was miserable for fishing. There
were strong winds from the Northeast and very cool temperatures for
June. In spite of the weather conditions we did get some nice fish,
including an 18 pound 38-inch striper that hit a large jig rigged Fin-S.
There were 3 foot waves on Joppa Flats. Wednesday and Thursday and they
were very difficult days to fish. Even the deep water charter boats
stayed inside as the Coast Guard issued storm warnings with strong
winds. Even schoolies were hard to find.
There
are lots of bluefish around. My clients enjoyed battling 4 to 7 pound
blues on light spinning tackle. Joppa, when we could get out there,
produced some big striped bass. They hit large soft baits.
Following
are some high lights of last weeks fishing trips
Monday
I took out a couple guys from south west
Monday
I took out a couple guys from south west ew
Hampshire
They
met me at a show I participated in Keene last April. I remember the
show well because of the 11 inches of snow that fell which resulted
in very low attendance on that Saturday. Sunday was better and that
is when I talked to Tom, who later booked a trip. They were
interested in catching blue fish and last Monday they did. We found
blues from 4 to 7 pounds on the Parker River . They brought home 6
o7 to cook in a smoker. Also that morning Tom caught and released a
26-inch striper on Joppa Flats. They also released some schoolies.
On
Tuesday my clients Jay and his son Chris also enjoyed blue fish
action plus some striper schoolies on Joppa. The next day the
weather turned nasty. It was cloudy and cold with a very strong wind
from the Northeast. Early in the morning I drove by to look at
conditions on Joppa Flats there were white caps with two foot waves.
Since fishing would be difficult at best, I decided to fish up river
around the islands. I marked some fish in deep water near Eagle
Island but they were reluctant hit lures. Finally, as we fished the
up river side of the island, Ed had a solid hit on a jig head rigged
Fin-S. It was obviously a large striper and Ed
was into a good fight on the light spinning out that he was using.
As we drifted with the incoming tide towards the Chain
Bridge we landed the fish. It was a very nice striper (38
inches, 18 pounds).
Thursday
the weather was better but still windy. There were large swells
coming into the river past the jetties and over the sand bar at the
north end of PI. My clients took hits by a couple of blue fish but
lost them. Later as we fished Joppa one of them caught a keeper. It
was just over 28 inches.
Friday
morning the weather had cleared but it was still rough water by the
jetties. We tried up river with little success but did catch some
schoolies on fly and light tackle near the #11 Buoy.
Merrimack
River Report #6
June
10, 2007
The
striper fishing continues to be very good. In addition the bluefish
have come onto local waters. My clients have caught several 3 or 4
pound very scrappy blues. They destroyed the soft baits that they
were using, but the flies did hold up pretty well. The blues were
caught near the north end of Plum Island just off the sandbar where
we have been finding good striper action.
We
have also caught a couple of shad as they moved down the river after
spawning. My grandson caught his very first shad and was elated. He
had wanted me to get him out shad fishing.
Some
of my clients have been catching and releasing some fish that only
measured an inch or two short. One day one of my clients had a
tremendous hit while we fished out on Joppa. It hit the Sluggo very
close to the boat. I heard the explosion but didn’t see the fish.
He did, and was amazed at the size of the fish.
Saturday
I took out Jim and Dave who brought their father who was visiting
from Ohio
. The weather was cool and wet with low overcast. We fished Joppa
and the big stripers were there. Several were lost but Jim brought
in a 32-inch keeper as well as a 27-inch fish.
Friday
my clients from New
Hampshire had some good fishing catching stripers up 26
inches as well as a couple of bluefish and one shad.
Earlier
in the week I guided for Russ from Vermont
and his friend Rich from Canada
. Russ used the fly rod while Rich chose to use the light spinning
rod. Both enjoyed catching and releasing lots of stripers near the
jetties. They were fat and very scrappy 18 to 20 inch fish.
Merrimack River
Report #5
June 4, 2007
The
Merrimack River
is alive with striped bass and the bigger ones are beginning to show in
numbers. Large bass have been caught on Joppa Flats, at the mouth of the
river and along the
Plum
Island
shoreline. There is abundant bait in the area, everything from mackerel
off shore, to sand eels and silversides in the river. Schoolie stripers
to mid-twenty inch range are have been chowing down around the morning
low to high tide changes. Even a few shad have been caught as they
return from their spawning up river. My grandson caught one using a
small Sluggo rigged with a jig head.
My
clients and I have seen busting stripers between the jetties and near
the sandbar all week. The fishing action has been great using light
spinning or fly tackle.
Smaller
baits and flies are producing since the sand eels and minnows are small.
Bait fishermen have not been doing well while the stripers are feeding
on the small bait at or near the surface.
Our
experience this week has been the enjoyment of fast action with
schoolies and then occasionally getting a hit by a fish approaching
keeper size, and only being an inch short a couple of times.
The
weather has been great for fishing. There has been little wind making
for good fly casting. So far, this June has the makings of an excellent
striper catching month. It is a welcome change from the miserable
weather and floods of last year.
I
had an off day Sunday it was just as well since the weather turned after
the violent thunder storms of Saturday evening. I was scheduled for a
charter on Monday morning but because the forecast is for heavy rain and
wind, I postponed the trip.
I
stopped by Surfland on
Plum
Island
(one of my favorite tackle and bait shops) to pick up some duo lock
snaps and a few fly tying items. They told me that a 31 pound striper
was caught off the beach near parking lot #1 on the reservation. I
don’t know for shore but I think it was caught by a bait fisherman.
There was also a 17 pound striper caught off the south jetty.
I’ll
give a few comments on some of my charters over the past week with some
photos.
Last
Tuesday I took Charles and his dad who although up their in years still
enjoys fishing. We fished at the end of the outgoing tide and first of
the incoming. Most of the time we fished between the jetties or outside
of the north jetty. When we first arrived we found breaking stripers all
over. It was constant action on Fin-S rigged with jig heads or other
soft body lures. Charles father caught a 27 inch striper. We tried the
flats but there was no action.
Friday
the fishing was equally good as my clients Gene and Mark enjoyed lots of
action using spin and fly tackle. At one point I had them switch to an
un-weighted medium size Fin-S. They had some great surface hits with
stripers up to about 20 inches. They got two nice fish. One measured 26
inches the other 27 inches. It was another good morning of fishing.
I
am looking forward to my next trip, hopefully Tuesday morning.
__________________________________________
Merrimack River
Report #4
May
29, 2007
The
striper season has definitely begun on the
Merrimack River
. Schoolies, ranging from about 17-inches to almost keeper length, are
abundant. At times they have been smashing small minnows at the surface
or feeding on sand eels a little deeper. They can be found on any tide.
The other evening I had a report that they were busting the surface
inside the North end of
Plum
Island
. I have found them just across from my marina, between Carr and
Ram
Islands
. Shore fishermen have been doing well off of the Chain Bridge Island.
Wade fishermen are nailing small schoolies along the edge of the
AYC mooring area. So, overall the season is off to a nice start.
I
keep expecting to see a keeper come to the boat. My clients over the
last two days have had constant action during the entire four hour
trips. Friday it was all fly fishing mostly along the
Salisbury
side of the River. Saturday my client and his wife enjoyed a beautiful
morning while catching and releasing many fish with light spinning
tackle and soft baits rigged on jig heads.
A
few mackerel have been caught outside the mouth of the river.
Monday
morning my clients started their trip under cloudy skies with some light
rain. It looked to be good weather for striper action. As we all learn
if we spend a lot of time fishing, the stripers can change their feeding
pattern from on trip to the next. Yesterday was example of such change.
The action was slower. There were fewer fish in areas that produced
constant action the day before. My clients caught and released a couple
dozen schoolies thru the last of the incoming and early outgoing tide.
There was one very nice almost keeper size striper that took a white
Sluggo and gave a great fight one the light spinning rod.
Although
our fishing was slower I learned from some of my friends that there was
good action at other places. Steve caught a keeper over on the
Parker
River
using his fly rod. David reported a bunch of big stripers on Joppa Flats
but they disappeared after a short period of time. I also heard that
there was fast action very early in the morning outside the jetties. I
saw evidence of the results down there at my marina as I saw my neighbor
filleting a looked to be about a 32 inch striper caught on bait.
____________________________________
Merrimack
River Report #3,
May 22, 2007
The
fishing has definitely improved in the Merrimack River . We
tolerated lousy weather last weekend, but for the intrepid striper
fishermen, there were lots of stripers to be caught. Most fish were
small schoolies up to 20 inches in length but they hit a fly as
though they were bigger. Saturday afternoon, in
unpleasant weather, I found fish breaking across from my new marina.
Sunday morning more fish, but not as many. That trip included
connecting with a very large Carps using my fly rod (see the earlier
post).
The
weather changed and clear skies prevailed on Monday morning. But,
there was a strong wind from the north. That is usually not good for
fishing, as it turned out to be. Anyhow, it was very nice to get out
on a sunny morning, although I only caught one schoolie.
Tuesday
morning was much nicer. I had postponed a charter because of the
previous day’s poor fishing. As it turned out that was a mistake
but I don’t like to take anglers out if the fishing is not good.
Anyway
I decided to go out in the morning. I didn’t start until after the
tide was about half way down. It was cold early and I wasn’t
anxious to experience more cold with few fish. It turned out to be a
near perfect morning, weather-wise, and very good striper fishing. I
caught and released at least 17 stripers out on Joppa Flats. They
were big schoolies and a couple of them were close to being keepers
(28 inches). It was a fun morning and since I wasn’t chartering I
could enjoy the action myself. Now I am ready to
host
clients to enjoy our great fishery.
____________________________
Merrimack
River Report #2
For
those of you who follow my reports I am posting one a little earlier
than my usual weekly. Although the weather has not been good the last
few days, it hasn’t been bad enough to mess up the arrival of striped
bass. The river water is warm, approaching 60 degrees. Yesterday the
forecast was for heavy rain and astronomical high tides. Because of the
flood back in April and, last May, I chose to haul my boat out from my
new marina (just in case). It did rain but not as heavily as predicted
and the storm tides were not excessive so today, in spite of the heavy
mist and continued unpleasant conditions, I launched the boat again. It
was wet but the wind was minimal. I left the launch ramp at my new
marina and went across to an area that I have fished many times. I saw
fish rises and sure enough the early season schoolies had arrived. I
fished the local area for about an hour and caught and released 20 or 30
striper schoolies on my fly rod. They were not particular about what fly
I used. They were hungry and hitting anything that looked like food.
It
was wet but warm and the fishing was action was great. My largest fish
measured 20 inches. Most were 17 or 18 inches.
So,
the season has begun. Now we can expect the arrival of the bigger fish.
_____________________________________________________________________
Merrimack
River Report #1 May 14, 2007
The
2007 season is off to a later start than most years past. The very
cold, stormy early spring weather kept the water temperatures down
well into late April. I was off fishing on the Cape over the past
week. I will put those results in a separate story on the website.
I
fished a few times before going to the Cape on May 5 with no
results. I tried shad once at Rocks Village and several times for
stripers in the Parker River . The heavy rain and resulting local
flooding didn’t help the situation. It is truly extraordinary that
we have had two major floods on the Merrimack in the span of a
single year. I have lived and fished here for over thirty years and
never experienced such high waters before the recent events.
There
are a few migrating stripers in the area. I
caught and released a couple in the Parker River .
First
2007 Parker River Striper
I
haven’t been back to try for shad but the reports are that people
have been catching them.
My
boat is still on the trailer in the driveway but I am planning to
put it in the water at my new marina,
Newburyport Basin Marina
(formerly Ferry Landing) tomorrow morning. I will try some striper
fishing in the river.
A
few stripers have been caught on the Plum Island beaches the last
few days. I think we can expect the big onslaught
of stripers by
this coming weekend.
Look
for my report on the Cape fishing last week to be posted soon. It
was good fishing!
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