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Striper activity has been nothing short of fantastic this fall fishing season. Good numbers of bass have kept fishing interest high all over the North Shore. This week we have had four strippers weighed in at the shop that tipped the scales at better than thirty pounds with the largest weighing in at thirty-nine pounds. Most of the fish were caught by shore fishermen around Marblehead. Stripers have been plentiful from Boston to Plum Island. Devereux Beach is generally a late producing beach and I think it is about to explode with activity. For the past few nights it has been loaded with bait just begging for the action to begin. Once it starts it will be explosive. Some of the better beaches have been Singing beach, Nahant and Lynn beaches. Chunks of mackerel cast to the surf attract good sized stripers. Boat fishermen have done extremely well all along the North Shore. Trolling 9'er rigs, tube n' worm combinations and mackerel fillets have been best. Smaller bass continued to cruise the Danvers and Saugus Rivers. Fishermen have scored on a wide assortment of fresh and srtificial baits. Reports have indicated that the Deer Island Rip has started to come alive. The Boston Harbor Islands have given up good numbers of bass. Nahant has also been hot with plenty of bass for the taking. Bass fishing should remain productive well into next month if we are lucky enough to avoid any major storms.
Despite the fact that the fall mackerel run has not started yet, there are a few mackerel in the area. Many fishermen are still waiting for the fall run of mackerel to start. Generally, the fall run starts around the first or second week of October, give or take a few days. Look for the action to begin shortly. There have been years that the mackerel have failed to show in the area. The macks still headed south but their route was established across Massachusetts Bay instead of along the shore. Make sure you have enough herring rigs and mackerel jigs. Once the action starts it will be fast.
Flounder fishermen have successfully hunted down flounder and have scored on near limit and limit catches from Beverly to Manchester. Good numbers of flounder have been caught at the mouth of Manchester Harbor. Reports of flounder have come in from fishermen working the area between Mingo Beach and West Beach. Flounder have also been caught along House Island. Most of the flounder that have been caught have tipped the scales at around a pound but there have been flounder that have tipped the scales at as much as three and a half pounds. The largest of the flounder were caught between Manchester Harbor and House Island. A few flounder have also bee taken just inside the mouth of Marblehead Harbor. Remember, generous portions of seaworms attract the greatest numbers of flounder.
The best cod fishing continues to be at the offshore fishing grounds where cod from 15 to 25 pounds have become common catches. Fishermen score best along Jefferies Ledge where cod catches seem to register highest with "steakers" a common catch. What amazes me is that some fishermen complain because they have been catching more haddock than cod. Although bait fishermen catch the most cod, jig fishermen will also catch good numbers of cod. Jigs rigged with teasers attract the most cod. Teasers can be soft plastic, Norwegian worms or flies. Tillies Bank fishermen catch good numbers of cod with some of the largest cod coming from this popular area. Both jigs and bait score heavily. Fewer haddock have been caught at Tillies. Stellwaggen Bank anglers score on both cod and haddock. Fishermen fill fish boxes with heavy cod. Often times it takes only two or three cod to fill a box. A sure sign that the fall season is here is that cod have started to move inshore. Cod have been caught around Halfway Rock, Hill #47, the 101 Hill, Tinker's Ledge, Newcomb's Ledge and Cole Ridge. Most of the inshore cod have been market sized but a few steakers have been caught. Once in a while cod are caught within the boundaries of the harbor.
The Merrimack river is alive with fish and anglers trying to catch them. Anglers score steadily from the mouth of the river right up to the New Hampshire boarder. At the mouth of the river, fishermen score steadily on good numbers of stripers and some of these bass have approached trophy size. Fishermen cast chunks of mackerel and herring to the currents and the edges of the currents in order to score. Stripers have been caught from the mouth of the river right up to the dam in Lawrence. In the upper reaches of the river Largemouth bass fishermen have scored consistently on numerous baits. Productive waters include coves, back eddies, submerged structure and rockpiles. Carp and catfish fall victim to dough baits and stink baits in the quiet waters from Haverhill to New Hampshire. The section of the river between Lawrence and New Hampshire have been very productive.
Once again this fishing season the trout stocking trucks will rumble through the district depositing their valuable cargo in numerous trout waters. Not all the trout waters that are stocked in the spring will be stocked in the fall. Generally, the most popular trout waters will be stocked. Contact the Massachusetts Dept of Fisheries and wildlife for a list of stocked waters. Horn Pond in Woburn is generally stocked with a good number of trout as is Sluice Pond and Pleasant Pond. Trout will be very picky until they become accustomed to their new surroundings. Once the trout become used to their new homes they will start to feed on grubs, worms, power bait, salmon eggs and marshmallows. Any of these baits served up in combinations will also work well. Once the word is out that local ponds have been stocked, they will become crowded with anglers looking to catch their limits for the freezer.
Largemouth bass fishermen have started to return to local ponds with the hopes of landing a prized bass. Fishermen presenting medium and large shiners along weed lines, fallen trees and most emergent structure have been rewarded by strong strikes, hard fights and stringers of bass. Shiners attracted the greatest numbers of bass while swimming plugs, spinners and soft plastic baits proved to be among the best artificial baits. Other successful baits included spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and stickbaits. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits started to become less effective as water temperatures start to drop. Poppers were most effective during the late afternoon and into evening. The numbers of bass fishermen that are returning to local bodies of water have been on the increase and the number of bass that have been caught has also been on the rise. The current fishing trend indicates the number of successful bass fishermen is on the rise and should continue throughout the fall season.
Local anglers really enjoyed fighting fair to good sized pickerel. Anglers fought good numbers of pickerel throughout the week as pickerel were quite active. Most of the pickerel that were landed were found around weeds and were drawn away from their ambush locations by shiners ranging in size from medium to large. Casting a lively shiner to the edge of a weed patch almost guaranteed a powerful strike. Many of the pickerel that were landed measured out at between twelve and twenty inches. Although shiners did an excellent job at drawing hungry pickerel from the weeds, spoons both dressed and plain did a remarkable job at attracting hungry pickerel. Tewksbury Pond, Lake Attitash and Longham Reservoir were some of the most active bodies of water this week. Look for activity to increase as water temperatures start to drop signaling colder weather and the need for fish to prepare for winters coming.
Even though the weather turned a little nasty this week, the fishing remained strong with anglers scoring on plenty of panfish as they put on the feed bag in preparation for the long winter months ahead. Yellow perch fishermen scored heavily throughout the area's many local ponds. Good numbers of perch took advantage of the small shiners and bits of night crawlers that were cast their way. Perch were quick to respond to both live and artificial baits. Fishermen cast small spoons and small spinners to waiting perch. Most of the perch that was landed weighed in at right around a pound. Some of the perch tipped the scales at close to two pounds. Most kids enjoyed casting baits close to weedlines and experiencing the thrill of an explosive strike and a powerful run. Perch were found throughout the day in most local bodies of water. The only thing that slowed the perch fishing was trying to fish in direct sunlight. Successful anglers found shaded areas and weed patches to be the most productive. Once in a while perch were caught by anglers trolling spoons, spinners and small swimming plugs.
Striper activity remains strong and there have been good numbers of trophy sized bass attracted to angler's offerings of mackerel chunks, herring chunks, sea clams and eels. Presenting baits along most structure will trigger a strike. Some fishermen have reported great success by trolling. This allows for more ground to be covered increasing the chances of finding hungry bass. Limited reports have started coming in about the Deer Island Rip. It appears that the Rip will be a productive location this year. Striper activity has been good throughout Salem with some of the best action coming from around the mouth of Manchester Harbor. Satan Rock, Brown Island and Gerry Island have produced well for many fishermen. Peaches Point and Fluen Point have given up good sized bass to anglers drifting live eels during dusk to dark. Fishing the rip rap along the Salem Beverly Bridge worked out well for some fishermen but working the pillings of the railroad bridge proved to be a much better choice. Fishermen continued to catch bass in the Danvers River with the White Fuel Bridge a popular location. Most of the fish that were caught in the river were schoolies.
It appears that fishermen have been scoring on increqsed numbers of flounder. Many of the flounder that have been caught have been "doormats" with fillets that are large enough to feed a small family. Some of these flounder have tipped the scales at between three and four pounds. The most consistent activity has been reported from Beverly to Manchester. Drifting seaworms has been the most productive method for attracting flounder. Flounder have also been caught just inside Marblehead Harbor and along the Middleground.
Bluefish have been starting to school up in preparation for their southern migration. As the blues start to school they blitz schools of bait and feed heavily to put on weight for their journey. As these schools blitz, chaos takes place in the water as bait tries to avoid the jaws of hungry blues creating frenzied bait. Bluefish blitzes have taken place in many local harbors and along the Islands. Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands have been prime areas for explosive bluefish action. If you run into a blitzing school of fish, make sure you cast your plugs to the side of the busting fish so that you do not spook the fish.
Cod fishermen have enjoyed a great year with cod fishing holding up well all summer long. Cod fishermen have scored nicely on jigs, rigged with teasers and generous offerings of sea clams and shrimp. Working the edges of the offshore ledges produced well but the action was not limited to the offshore banks and ledges. Increased numbers of cod were taken by smaller boats working the fishing grounds located within reach of small boats. Some of the better areas were Tinker's Ledge, Newcomb's Ledge and Cole Ridge. Often times the hills and bumps just outside the harbor surprised fishermen wil\th good sized cod. Most of the cod that was caught in the inshore waters seemed to tip the scales at between ten and fifteen pounds, a respectable size in anyones book. Popular hills were the 101 Hill and many of the hills around the "B" buoy and the Graves. Often overlooked but usually very productive are the wrecks that are found between Boston and Gloucester. See our LORAN numbers page on this site for specific locations.
Merrimack River fishermen have been kept busy from the mouth of the river right up into New Hampshire. At the mouth of the river fishermen have consistently scored on good sized bass with night fishermen doing the best. Chunks of mackerel or herring have produced good hits. Night fishermen drifting live eels along the edges of the current have experienced explosive strikes and ferocious battles. Bass fishermen have scored from the breakwater right up to the Chain Bridge. Smaller fish have been caught right up to the dam in Lawrence. Limited numbers of bluefish have been caught along the mouth of the river and some bluefish have been mixed in with the bass that have cruised Joppa Flats.In the upper reaches of the river largemouth and smallmouth bass have been attracted to live and artificial offerings with largemouth going after shiners and smallmouth showing a preference for crayfish. Catfish and carp please most fishermen looking for na good fight and big fish.
Trout fishermen continued to entice hungry trout during the pre dawn hours. By the time the sun rises over the tree tops, trout activity simply ends. There have been short periods of activity later during the day with the best secondary action taking place around dusk. Successful trout anglers have remained faithful to the worm presentation especially with a sliding sinker rig. A few trout fell victim to power bait and salmon eggs. These baits were most effective during the end of the day . Fly fishermen did well at first light and again at dusk. Once in a while trout could be caught during the day when working in deeper water and along weedbeds.
Largemouth bass fishermen have just gone through one of the best weeks this summer. Activity has been strong as bass have been on a feeding spree. Presenting live shiners along any emergent or submerged structure is a recipe for success. The old saying goes, "big bait means big fish" held true this week. Those anglers that used the large shiners seemed to find the biggest fish. Night fishermen did well when they cast dark colored poppers alongside fallen trees, breakwaters and docks. Often times the quiet night setting was interrupted by explosive hits and fierce battles. The buzzing sound of a buzzbait was a great way to attract hungry and curious bass. Large bass could be observed cruising along submerged structure. Jig n' pig combinations seemed to work well at attracting deep water fish but this week's action seems to suggest bass are moving closer to the surface. Although bass have been caught all during the day the most active period appears to be late afternoon into dusk.
Pickerel fishermen have enjoyed a very productive and challenging week. Good sized pickerel have challenged anglers in both small and large bodies of water. Fishermen scored on both live and artificial baits but it seemed as though live baits attracted the greatest number of pickerel. Medium and large sized shiners scored the best catches when presented along the edges of weedlines and weedbeds. Some of the better local ponds were not necessarily the popular ponds that are generally fished heavily. Small ponds gave up trophy fish consistently. Leggs Hill Pond was a productive pond for anglers presenting shiners as did the Weedy Pond off of Vinin Square. Pillings Pond in Lynnfield proved to be productive for persistent fishermen. Lake Attitash pleased most pickerel fishermen with numbers of fair to good sized pickerel. Johnson's Pond, usually a hot spot proved to be somewhat on the slow side.
Panfish action remains strong and has been enjoyed by anglers of all ages. For those anglers looking for a challenge, panfish activity provides a good challenge when the angler uses lite lines. Ultra lite tackle is the way to go when fishing for perch, crappie and sunfish. Try using a two pound set up and use bits if worms, shiners and small spoons and spinners for bait. Small and medium shiners have been preferred by most anglers. Clipping a pectoral fin causes the bait to swim in an erratic manner and in a circle making it easier for the predator to strike. Many of the local ponds are starting to see water temperatures start to drop from the uncomfortable levels from earlier this summer. These cooler temperatures are causing panfish to become more active and are signaling the fish to start feeding heavily in preparation for the colder months ahead. Crappie fishermen have enjoyed some of the best fishing so far this season. Fair to good numbers of crappies have been caught at Chebacco Lake by anglers fishing medium depth waters with shiners and small jigs, tipped with a bit of bait. Late afternoon into dusk appears to be the most productive time of day. Crappie have also been caught at Pillings Pond and Putnamville Reservoir where the most productive periods seem to take place during the early morning.
Striper fishermen have enjoyed an incredible week of casting baits, hooking up and fighting heavy striped bass. There has been good numbers of bass caught that have tipped the scales at better than twenty-five pounds. Most of the bass have been caught on cut bait with plastic shads a popular choice also. Working the rocks and bottom structure produce the greatest numbers of stripers. Night fishermen do very well but it has not been necessary to fish after dark in order to score. Most fishermen have taken bass right at their docks by drifting cut bait. The harbor islands have given up a few good bass with many smaller fish falling victim to a wide assortment of baits. Productive locations have included Satan Rock, the Breakers, the Gooseberries, Coney Ledge and the gut between Cat Island and Commorant Rock. The Danvers River continues to produce good numbers of stripers but mostly on the small side. Some action continue at the White Fuel Bridge but there have only b been a few fishermen working the popular bridge to take advantage of the action. The next four to six weeks will be the best of the season for striper action make sure you take advantage of it.
Flounder fishermen have been commenting on the size of this fall's flounder. Fat flounder are common when you can find them. Skate continue to bother many fishermen but anglers have discovered that lifting the bait slightly off the bottom will eliminate many of the skate and result in greater numbers of flounder. Limit catches of flounder have been reported by fishermen working Manchester Harbor, the Manchester shoreline and House Island. Fair numbers of flounder have also been caught just inside Marblehead Harbor. Drift fishing the Middleground of the harbor has also given up a few flats. Manchester, though, has been the best for flounder fishermen. Not only have limit catches been made but the flounder have been big, some reaching weights around three pounds.
Large schools of bluefish have been spotted just outside the harbor islands from Gloucester to Boston. They seem to be stopping in the area to feed just before their southern migration begins. It almost seems as though it is just starting now as there have been increased numbers of bluefish in the area and reports indicate a decrease in the numbers of bluefish from New Hampshire and Maine. Deep diving plugs have been very effective in locating bluefish and teasing them into striking. Once in a while a large school of bluefish is located on the surface. This is when you can have a ball casting poppers into the school and creating a community of frenzies predators that will strike out at just about anything. My advice is to get in on the action as soon as you can as it will end without notice.
During the past week the numbers of cod that have been caught has been on the rise. Increased numbers of cod have been showing up along the inshore fishing grounds. Inshore fishermen have reported good catches when presenting generous offering of sea clams. Some of the better inshore cod locations have been Tinker's Ledge, Newcomb's Ledge and Cole's Ridge. Offshore cod fishermen have made numerous "prize" catches while jigging along the edges of many of the offshore banks and ledges. Jefferies Ledge has been very productive with cusk and haddock mixed in the catch of market sized cod and larger, Tillies has been a have for cod fishermen with plenty of large cod brought over the rails. Fishermen have scored well along Stellwagen with the eastern side of the bank producing the largest of the cod. This is a great time of the year to get out so that you can stock the freezer for the long winter months ahead. When heading out, just keep a sharp eye to the weather as the ocean can blow up rapidly.
The Merrimack River has been very active drawing fishermen from all over the area. Anxious fishermen h have been lining the mouth of the river casting an assortment of plugs and baits to waiting stripers and bluefish. Bluefish around ten pounds have been landed along with stripers to twenty pounds. Night activity appears to be best with the most bass brought to gaff. Fishermen can be seen working the Merrimack from the mouth of the river up to the chain bridge with a few bass caught much further up the river. Fresh water anglers have scored from Haverhill right up into Lowell. Largemouth bass fishing has been good with live bait attracting the greatest numbers of fish. Smallmouth bass have been responding positively to offerings of jigs. Carp and catfish just can't resist a fresh night crawler, The action is good, don't pass it up.
Now that fall has arrived local trout fishermen have been anxiously waiting for the stocking trucks to start rolling. Fall trout stocking will get more fishermen out to local ponds. Flogging the water with flies, small spoons and baits will become a common sight and recharge the batteries of local fishermen. Generally, the State likes to have all the trout ponds in the Commonwealth re-stocked by the Columbus Day Holiday. Once the stocking starts fishermen will be drawn to trout ponds and the word of trout being caught will spread like wildfire. Newly stocked trout will generally be drawn to bait instead of hardware. The time has come to get the trout rods ready for the upcoming fall action.
Largemouth bass fishermen have all commented on the increased activity they have been experiencing since the holiday weekend. Cooler nights have caused water temperatures to start to slide turning on the feeding switch in local largemouth bass populations. Fishermen have also commented on the increased surface activity they have noticed. Swimming plug that are cast or trolled close to weedlines, structure and overhangs usually result in a good hit. Soft plastic lures have been working well in the weedbeds during the day. Spinnerbaits and at times buzzbaits will attract fair to good numbers of bass. During the past week or so increased activity has been noted during the dusk to dark period. During this period, night crawlers inflated with air and allowed to float on the surface along structure can be a deadly attraction for aggressive bass. After dark, fishermen have experienced a good deal of luck by working poppers along weed beds and fallen trees. During this time of year make sure you have a sufficient amount of bait. All too often fishermen leave without enough bait. Remember, fish are feeding heavily now. Fishermen have reported bass action at Chebacco Lake, Putnamville Reservoir, Hood's Pond and the Merrimack River.
Pickerel have been coming to the realization that fall has arrived and winter will soon be here. Pickerel, usually lone travelers, seem to travel in numbers the way they can destroy a school of bait. They appear to have a never ending appetite and their aggressive nature makes the a sought after target for fishermen. Larger pickerel can make a quick lunch out of a pike sized shiner and be ready for more. They love to position themselves along the edges of weedlines, laying in ambush just waiting for unsuspecting prey to pass by. The strike is quick and solid, then the fight begins. These hearty fighters are not afraid to put up a valliant fight and take you for an exciting ride into the weeds, along structure and anywhere that might cause you trouble. At the end of the fight you will generally have a fish worth bragging about, as well as a good meal. Pickerel action has been good at Longham Reservoir, Stearns Pond, Johnson's Pond, Tewksbury Pond and Lake Attitash. Remember, when it comes to pickerel fishing use large bait.
Panfish anglers have been more than satisfied with the local action. It appears that panfish have been schooling up and feeding heavily. Young anglers rejoice in the increased activity and proudly show off stringers of perch, crappie and sunfish. Anglers, armed with little more than a can of worms will cast their baits to weedlines in popular coves and the action begins. Although any time of the day will yield good numbers of panfish, it seems that the period right around dusk yields the greatest numbers of larger panfish. Small spinners and spoons appeared to be best for attract fair numbers of calico bass and perch. Small to medium shiners were the best for crappie, white perch and yellow perch. Breaking in new fishermen to the joys of panfish will solidify their desire to go fishing.
Striper activity remains strong with a large percentage of fisermn scoring nicely on keeper sized bass. Fishermen troling tube n' worm combinations continued to be top dogs in the striper community. At times, large spoons rigged with strips of bait atracted goodsized bass. Popular spoons were bunker spoons and pet spoons. Hardware worked much better when alowed to move slowly. Bait fishermen continued to be most successful when rigged and cut so that the chunk has a flap f skin moving in the current. Sofy plastic shads cast into the rocks remained one of te best offerings for getting the atention of a hungry bass. These popular lures almost guaranteed a strike. The Teunami and Storm Golden Eye shads proved to be the best choices. Fisherenhave started to report successful nights fishing te Deer Island Rip. Nigt fishing has seen increased numbers of anglers on the beaces from Boston to Plum Island.
During the past week, bluefish anglers hve been reporting strong action with bluefish "blitzes" shoing more frequently. Fishermen have reported working a small pod of blues with bait and poppers when all of a sudden the waters around their boats was boiling with fish. Casting poppers to the bluefish of your choice is an exciting experience for all anglers. This is what has been reported at numerous locations between Salem and Plum Island. Most of the bluefish that have been landed have tipped the scales at between ten and fifteen pounds with a good percentage of the fish weighing between twelve and fifteen pounds. A limited number of bluefish have been caught at local beaches. Devereux Beach, Singing Beach, Good Harbor Beach and Plum Island have al seen bluefishaction.
Cod fishermenhave been reporting constant catches from the offshore fishing banks. Jefferies Ledge fishermn caught good numbers of cod and haddock with the numbers of haddock often times greater than cod. Many of the cod that were caught at Jefferies tipped the scales at better than twenty pounds with some individuals reaching the thirty pound mark. Jig fishermen did well as long as they used a teaser just above the jig. Fishermen useing sea clams found good numbers of cod but were sometimes bothered by dogfish. Fishermen at Tillies scored nicely on Big cod. Sometimes it would only take three or fout cod to fill a box, yielding enough cod fillets to stock the freezer for winter. Just a reminder to freeze your fillets in a container filed with salt waer for the best results. Your fillets wil defrost without freezerburn and retain their fresh taste. Stellwagen Bank fishermen foundthe best catches on he eastern side of te bank. Inshore cod grounds were somewhat productive but there were a lot of slow periods. Productiveinshore fishing took place along the Dumping Grounds, the "B" buoy and many of the wrecks that can be found between Boston and Nahant. The best cod fishing of th season is just about here. Are you ready?
Flounder fishermen ave reported a spike in the action during the past week with bigger fish and increased numbers of flats on the increase. Flounder have been caught in fair numbers along the mouth of Marblehead Harbor, the Middleground of the harbor, along Monument Bar, the Beverly shoreline and the Manchester shoreline to House Island. Although some fishermen have caught flounder with strips of sea clams, sea worms remain th best bait for flounder success. When using worms, make sure you leave a "tail" on the worm that will help to atract flounder. Good numbers of flounderhave een caught along the mouth of Manchester Harbor and House Island. The best catches have been reported byfishermen that have been drifting rather than still fishing. There are still many skate caught for each flounder but the aggrevation seems to be worth the reward.
The Mighty Merrimack continues to be one of the best fishing rivers in New England. It's strong reputation for fast action and big fish draws a steady stream of fishermen looking to score in both fresh and salt watr. The lower reaches of the river play host to some ofthe best salt water fishing around. Striper fishrmen have scored nicely from the mouth of the river p into Groveland. Jopa Flats, the islands and the Chain Bridge catch the attention of fishermen because of the relatively steady ction and the size of the fish that are common to these areas. During the past week bas and bluefish have beenj raising the devil with anglers tackle, often times causing fshermen to go through lots of terminal tackle as the try to over power these feisty fish. In the upper reaches of the river, from hverhill to Lowell, anglers score on bass, carp and catfish. Drifting night crawlers allow fishermen to catch wide variety of species with every hook-up a surprise.
Early morning trout fishing looking for action at local ponds during the early morning hours generally find few or no activity. Water tempratures eed to drop a bit more before trout start moving again. tockings will most probably start by the end of themonth. During the past weef trout fishermen havefound hungry trout in the shaded and protective pools of local rivers. The pools along the Ipswich, Shawsheen and Concord Rivers have rewarded early morning fishermen with impressive trout catches. Althoughsome fishermen will be successful when using hardware, the most productive baits remain night crawlers, dillies and trout worms.
Largemouth bass fishermn have been busy enjoying the start to the fallfshing season. As local pond and lake waters start to cool, bass are becoming more active with each passing day. God numbers of bass have been caught by anglers presenting medium and large shiners along the weeds. Fishermen have successfully scored when using plugs, spons, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Night fishermen do best and score on some of the largest fish when they cast poppers along the weeds. Spinnerbaits worked alng ridges and weed lines produced fish during he mid day period. Jigs were effective when "sweetened" with a strip of bait or a "pig". Some fishermen hav successfully drifted pork strips in a medium to fast moving curent. Any surface plug proved productive from dusk into dark. One trick that proved to work well was to inflate a nigt eawler and drift it on the surface during dusk. Explosive hits werethe results.
Pickerel fisherme have bee enjoying some pretty active periods during he past week. Aggrressive pickerel will aggressively attack any hgait fish the nears the amkbush area of a hungry pickerel. Bait traveling close to weedlines and weedbeds do not stand a chance at sucessfully passing theeeds unscathed. A hungry pickere will make a quick lunch of thepassing fish. Pickerel have been very aggressve as they have started to feed heavily in order to put on weight to get through the upcoming winter season when food supplies will riminish. Besides scoring on live bait, fishermen have atracted good numbers of pickerel when thy present plugs and spoons. Mid day action apears to be the best for hooking into big pickerel. Some of the better bodies of water in the area have been Longham Reservoir in Beverly, Brown's Pond in Peabody and Stearns Pond in Harold Parker. Lake Attatish fishermen hve tallied catches with individual fish weighing as much as four pounds.
Young anglers from all overthe North Shore had a great week casting to large schools of panfish and tallying good numbers of perch, calico bass and sunfish. Bits of worms and small shiners atracted panfish of all sizes andproved to work ell in the sller ponds as well as the larger bodies of water. Small shiners worked wllat attracting larger yellow perch and crappie. As it turned out the most active period for crappie fishermen was right around dusk. Chebacco Lake and Putnamville Reservoir were good spots for crapie. The best body of water for catching numbers of panfish was Red's Pond in Marblehead. Young anglers tallied impressive numbers of panfish. They filled buckets and feasted on a fantastic fish fry at theend of the day. There is nothing like fast panfish action to keep youngsters happy and solidify the fishing experince.
Here we are at the Labor Day Holiday weekend regarded as the termination of the summer fishing season. But in reality this weekend signifies the start to the best two months of fishing Mother Nature has to offer. Waters cool dowm game fish prepare for their southern migration, fish become aggressive and some of the largest fish of the season are caught. Within a short time there will be more boats on North St. than in some local harbors. Don't give up yet, the best is yet to come.
Striper action described as tremendous by alglers all along the coast. Shore fishermen score along rocky shores from Boston to Plum Island. Stripers have been caught along the Castle Island pier in fair to good numbers. The Red Rock area has given up some good stripers. Drifting live eels and chunks trigger strikes throughout the area, Devereux Beach and Neck fishermen have scored well from the beach to castle rock, Stripers are attracted to offerings made by shore fishermen as well as boat fishermen. Anglers working the Ram Island area have attracted hits on the Boston side of the Island. The Pigs have rewarded fishermen for their hard work. The Breakers often surprise bass fishermen with powerful strikes. Satan Rock, often overlooked by anglers gave up fair numbers of stripers. The gut between Cat Island and Comm orant Rock holds good numbers of big stripers. Divers will often reveal this fact. Night fishermen score along the pilings of the salem/Beverly Bridge. Fishermen continued to catch stripers at the White Fuel Bridge anhd the Lead Mills. Chandler Hovey Park fishermen take stripers of all sizes. This weekend promises to be a terriffic holiday weekend.
More flounder catches have been reported during the past week with increased numbers in each catch. The best flounder catches have been made along the Manchester shoreline. Good catches continue to be made along the area made popular by the house with the red tiled roof. The mouth of Manchester Harbor yields good numbers of fl
More bluefish blitzes have taken place as surface water temperatures have reached the mid to high sixties. All of a sudden fishermen can find themselves in the middle of fast breaking action. Boat fishermen are more likely to find pods of bluefish rather than acre sized schools. At times bluefish have moved into the beach areas cornering schools of bait. Reports of bluefish have been reported from Devereux Beach, Lynn Beach, Nahant and Singing Beach. Fishermen score at Castle Rock, Castle Island and along Boston Harbor. Trolling Rapala Magnums, Rebel Jawbreakers and Yozuri plugs remain favorites among trollers.
The best cod fishing remains along the offshore ledges and banks. Bait and jig fishermen do well presenting their baits along the edges of Tillies, Jefferies and Stellwagen. Fishing the eastern edge of Stellwagen has proven to be the most productive for jig fishermen when they rig their jigs with teasers. Teasers can consist of soft plastice, flies or bait strips. All seem to work well. Jefferies Ledge fishermen continue to catch numbers of haddock with their cod. Jigs seem to do best with cod while bait attracts more haddock. Tillies remains the best for cod fishermen but can be difficult to effectively drift. Some of the locations that are more inshore have produced a limited number of cod. Fishermen can usually take a fish or two from the 101 hill, Newcomb's Ledge, Saturday Night Ledge and Tinker's Ledge. Some fishermen have reported taking cod from around the "B" buoy and Boston Light.
The Merrimack River maintains its reputation for being prime fishing waters in eastern Massachusetts. Along the mouth of the river and up into Groveland, fishermen continously score on good numbers of stripers and bluefish. Casting chunks of mackerel and herring , drifting eels and working live bait keeps anglers b busy fighting fish. Good sized bass have been caught off the ro9cks with twenty pound bass a common catch. In the fresh water sections of the river fishermen continue to attract catfish, carp, and bass. Carp have been caught by fishermen presenting worms, and doughballs along the quiet waters. Carp to twenty pounds have been landed in the quiet pools above the dam. White catfish and bullheads have fallen victim to doughballs, worms and stinkbaits. Largemouth bass fishermen have done well working the structure both above and below the dam. Smallmouth bass fishermen still take an occassional fish from the culverts below the dam. Water levels are down somewhat making fishing tuff at times.
The search for trout continues among the die-hard trout angler. Bait fishermen still score on limited numbers of trout during the predawn hours. Persistent trout fishermen seem to tally the best scores along the area's rivers and streams. Casting a dillie or trout worm above a known and shaded pool and allowing the bait to slowly drift down stream into the pool remains the best technique for triggering a strike. If the current is light just the bait will probably be enough to hold close to the bottom. If the current is running a bit stronger it may be necessary to add a small split shot to keep the bait down. A secondary period of activity seems to take place during dusk with fly fishermen and spin fishermen using "bubbles" score on a consistent basis. Fly fishermen seem to have the best luck when they present dry flies with the misquito being the best offering.
During the past week cooler temperatures and declining nighttime water temperatures have caused bass action to go through the roof. Anglers proclaim this to be some of the best bass action observed so far this year. Bass action has remained subdued during the day but as soon as the sun drops below the horizon the action increases greatly. During the period just before dark and into dawn is when the bass become the most active and have readily attacked any surface plug. Poppers have been very effective along weed lines and weed patches. Passing a popper close to surface structure like stick-ups and pillings proved very effective. Presenting inflated worms on the surface during dusk also proved to be a productive technique for attracting hungry bass. Buzzbait started to regain popularity as they were very effective during this period. Spinnerbait were effective around most structure that wasspositioned closer to the bottom. Allowing a spinnerbait to periodically bounce along the bottom was another productive technique.
Pickerel prevailed as the pond and lake bully as they persistently attacked most live offerings presented by anglers. Pickerel proved to be a formmidable predator as bait neared weed lines and weed patches, seldom letting baits pass without paying the ultimate price. AQlthough medium sized shiners did well at attracting pickerel, larger shiners did a better job at catching the attention of the largest pickerel. Pickerel action was reported as good at many of the smaller, weed choked bodies of water. Anglers did well at Leggs Hill POnd, Chebacco Lake and Lake Attitach. Most fishermen told of the best action at many ponds and lakes taking place during the mid day periods. Sometimes spoons like the Dare Devil and the Johnson Minnow did extremely well, especially when sweetened with a strip of fresh bait.
Kids have enjoyed plenty of action during the past week as panfish activity has been strong. Presenting bits of worms or small shiners is a sure fire way to hook up with a feisty perch or calico bass(crappie). Even though bait is generally best at attracting panfish, young anglers insist upon casting small hardware to waiting fish. Small spoons and spinners have also been effective at attracting panfish and give youngsters plenty of practive at accurate casting. With warm water present at all ponds, panfish activity is at a seasonal high. Perch and crappie action has been strong at Chebbaco Lake and Putnamville Reservoir. Of all the local ponds, Red's Pond in Marblehead has to rank as the best local pond for kids to score on panfish. Head out to Red's with a good supply of worms and return home with elated kids that will be hooked on fishing.
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