Saturday, September 25, 2004

Frank Dwyer
Columnist

Cape Ann: Manchester Harbor continued to be home to small schools of herring, which anglers have been successfully using as bait in deeper water. Singing Beach offered only spotty action this week. One report did have schoolies in the wash at dusk, with fly anglers picking them off with some frequency. In Gloucester, reports had small bass on the Ipswich Bay side of the Annisquam River, as well as off Wingaersheek Beach. Fly and spin anglers fishing along Shore Road in Magnolia have reported sporadic striper activity, with a few bluefish in the mix. Anglers fishing in deeper waters off Halibut Point have landed some large bluefish trolling big lures on wire. The Essex River has yielded some fish, but again folks are scratching their heads wondering about the fall run. Tuna activity has been slow as well offshore with some fish seen surfacing, but not staying up for long. Party boats continue to do well for ground fish.

Marblehead: Strange days on the North Shore as anglers, terns and seagulls wonder when and if the typical fall surface feeds will happen. Fishing around Castle Rock and the lighthouse has yielded only a few fish. Anglers have found both bass and blues in the deeper water around Gerry and Brown's islands. Surfcasters off Devereux Beach have seen some action, mostly smaller stripers.

Salem: Anglers fishing the Salem Willows Pier and also from Winter Island report decent action for striped bass, but it's not red hot just yet. Bluefish have been reported just outside the harbor, and anglers fishing near Coney Island with live and cut bait have reported some large striper catches.

Beverly: Fishermen have found fairly spotty action along the coast, with some fish caught by anglers trolling tube 'n' worm rigs just offshore. Trolling deep-diving swimming plugs has proved productive for bluefish as well. Anglers targeting flounder have continued to do well.

Ipswich: I fished from Crane Beach last week and was frustrated by a pod of surface-feeding bass just out of my casting range. I did manage several small bass, all taken on an olive and green clouser fly on a sinking line, but wished I could reach the frenzy out in front of me. Bluefish have been at the mouth of the Ipswich River this past week; however, the striper fishing has been a bit slow.

Newbury: Anglers fishing the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge have continued to attract walk-on and drive-on surfcasters in search of the big one. Anglers reported spotty action, but those fishing at night have managed some fish into the 20-pound range. Fishing on the Parker River and Plum Island Sound has been slow.

Newburyport/Plum Island: A large, well-defined cloud deck was hanging over the mouth of the Merrimack on Sunday as the 43-degree air lapped at my face. The sun did not warm me until midmorning, but the fishing was decent along the AYC moorings and further out by Can No. 11. In fact, one fish hit a slow-drifted sluggo extremely hard, and then the line went limp. Upon inspection, the hook on the lead-head was bent, so there are some big ones out there. Anglers at Plum Island Point is somewhat sporadic. Clams and sea worms drifted on the bottom seem to be the best bait. Outside the mouth, bluefish continue to be caught, mostly by those trolling large lures on wire. Some big fish have come from the 20- to 40-foot depths. Many anglers are still in search of tuna, and there were some sightings south of the Isles of Shoals. Party boats have reported good action for their patrons.

Salisbury: The beachfront remained quiet this week, with none of the traditional signs of fall activity. Bluefish have been caught by boat anglers fishing off Salisbury Beach, but surfcasters report little action. The state reservation yielded some fish this week, mostly for those using bait, but the action has not been red hot.

New Hampshire Seacoast: There has been a bit more activity around Seabrook, Rye and Hampton, mostly with small bass. I saw several fish landed at the Rye Harbor State Park on Wednesday, and reports also had fish off Foss Beach, just outside Hampton Harbor and along Hampton Beach. Further north, fish have been feeding at the mouth of the Piscataqua, although, again, most of the fish have been schoolie-sized. Bluefish have also been more active this week along the coast. The Isles of Shoals continue to draw anglers in search of blues, bass and the elusive bluefin tuna.

Frank Dwyer is the fishing and outdoor columnist for Eagle-Tribune Publishing and is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. E-mail him at dwyer.f@comcast.net.

~