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The weather promises to be perfect, the fish are here and have been cooperaring and everyone appears to be in a party mood. If all holds true and fishing pressure is strong be prepared for spot shortages of bait. Weekend hours will be in effect. We hope everyone enjoys a great weekend with tight lines!
Local anglers have been working the rocky shore and rivers with gusto in search of hungry stripers. Their efforts are generally rewarded by a striper of keeper sized proportions, Chunks of mackerel and herring work along the rocks, tube and worms work well for anglers that like to troll and poppers have been working when cast c lose to structure. Night time striper fishermen score along Marblehead, Manchester and Magnolia. Satan Rock produces well if you get in tight. The Gooseberries and the Breakers have produced good sized bass for anglers working tubes. The White Fuel Bridge continues to give up god numbers of stripers, although most are schoolies. Try drifting sea worms along thye edge of the current and be prepared for a hard strike.
Larger numbers of bluefish continued to enter local waters terrorizing schools of mackerel and herring. Bluefish will quickly attack any bait thay comes within striking distance. These aggressive feeding machines will chase a bait to satisfy its hunger. Anglers have scored between Halfway Rock and the Graves and between Nahant and the Dumping Grounds. Look for bluefish to be cruising in offshore waters around dead givaways such as slicks. Deep diving Rapalas and Yozuri plugs have been favorites among bluefish anglers. Most of the first arrivals have weighed less than ten pounds but put up a great battle.
The nukmbers of mackerel that can be fiund within the harbor and the surrounding island have declined. It appears the the warmer water and the arrival of bluefish have chased schools of mackerel into the cooler and safer waters up north. Limited numbers of mackerel can still be found around the islands during the early morning before the boat traffic picks up, Use herring rigs instead of mackerel trees. Productivity should increase with the smaller rig.
ontinued to catch good numbers of haddock to about fifteen pounds. The most productive bait continues to be generous portions of sea clams. Sea clams offered on a haddock rig, which is a variation of a cod rig, is a popular method used by haddock fishermen. Successful haddock anglers have scored along Stellwagon Bank, Tillies and Jefferies. Limited Numbers of haddock have been caught in as close as Halfway Rock.
The cod bite has somewhat slowed during the past week but anglers still report good catches. The large cod have seemed to have mover offshore into deeper and cooler waters. Market sized cod have been tallied throughout inshore waters from Tinker;s Ledge to Cole Ridge and from Saturday Night Ledge to Hill 47. Inshore fishermen seem to prefer bait over jigs while offshore anglers like the jigs sweetened with a strip of sea clam. Offshore fishermen have found it difficult to find cod weighing greater than fifteen to twenty pounds.
Flounder fishermen have scored from Marblehead to Magnolis and from Beverly to
Manchester. Drifting generous portions of sea worms works well and working an area that has been heavily chummed yields the best catches. A few flounder have even been caught from the Salem Willows Pier and the Beverly fishing pier. Just inside the mouth of Marblehead Harbor has also treated anglers well. Make sure you chum for the best results. Double Strike flounder chum, though somewhat pricey, is a great product.
rgemouth bass have "put on the feed hag" and are cruising local waters to find enough bait in order to satisfy thyeir huge appetites. Hungry bass can be found cruising the shallows during the middle part of the day being careful to stay in the cover of overhanging trees and bushes. They are quick to strike anything that resembles lunch. This can include small rodents and birds. A secondary spike in the feeding action takes place during the evening when explosive hits can disturb the still of the period around dusk. This is the period that surface baits receive the most attention. Drift an inflated crawler along any emergent weed lines or overhanging brush. Try fishing Chebacco Lake, Hood's Pond and the Merrimack River above the Essex Dam.
Trout fishermen, in order to be successful, must be on the water during the pre dawn hours. For trout fishermen, the action is generally over for the day by breakfast. Sometimes there is a slight burst of activity during dusk but these periods are far from steady and are short lived. Most fishermen report that the best action seems to take place when they present grubs, floated by a marshmallow and served up on a sliding sinker rig. Power bait, salmon eggs, small spoons and worms have all taken trout at numerous trout waters Try fishing Sluice Pond, Horn Pond and Pleasant Pond.
Pickerel have been quick to ambush any bait that dares to move too close to its ambush digs. A quick move by a hungry pickerel makes a quick lunch of an unsuspecting baitfish. Over the past week, many fishermen have reported that medium sized shiners have triggered the greatest number of strikes. Spoons and plugs have enticed some action but shiners have been best. The action from spoons increased somewhat when dressed with a pork strip or a strip of fresh bait. Try Longham Reservoir,Bart's Pond and Beaver Pond.
With well above average temperatures, local lakes and ponds have risen into the sixties. Warm waters have triggered plenty of panfish action with feeding frenzies a common occurrence. Young anglers have scored steadily on good numbers of perch, sunnies and calico bass. Armed with little more than a couple of hooks, sinkers and floats anglers score big on local species of panfish. A can of worms can supply a kid and his fishing partner with enough action to be able to feed the family with a good old fashioned fish fry. The kids also catch enough fish to give them bragging rights. Try fishing Pillings Pond, Brown's Pond and Lake Quannapowit.
During the past week, we have seen local waters explode with activity. Bluefish have arrived in respectable numbers, stripers have been active, cod and haddock have been on a feeding binge and flounder have pleased most anglers. Fresh water fish have increased their activity. It looks to be another great week.
Bluefish were making their way up the coast last week and finally arrived in local waters this week. Good numbers of blues have already been scored by anxious fishermen looking for a hard fought battle. Blues, up to ten pounds have fallen victim to deep diving swimming plugs and numerous baits meant for stripers. It appears that this will be a good season for these reputable fighters. Blues were caught just outside the harbor islands and just off Marblehead. Drifting bait has also been productive.
Striper fishermen find it difficult to go out and not score on numbers of stripers. Although the bulk of the catch still consists of schoolies, there have been more numbers of keepers tallied during the past couple of weeks. Bait draws stripers of all sizes but live bait demands the attention of the largest of the bass. Proper preparation of the bait helps to catch the attention of stripers of all sizes and makes it easier for the striper to strike the presented bait. Anglers must have their bait in the rocks. If they are just a short distance away from the rocks, they are sure to miss attracting hungry stripers.
The numbers of Mackerel have started to dwindle but their are still enough big schools of mackerel in local waters to make a mackerel trip worth the effort. Successful anglers will heavily chum the water when a school of mackerel in located. This helps to keep the school around the boat. The heaviest concentrations of mackerel have continued to be around the mouth of Gloucester Harbor. Schools have also been located around Marblehead and inside Salem Harbor during the early morning periods. Herring Rigs out fished mackerel trees by a wide margin.
Good numbers of haddock fill fish boxes of anglers dropping offerings of sea clams to the bottom. Often times, it has been reported that greater numbers of haddock have been counted in the days catch than cod. With the price of cod and haddock fillets being what it is, it does not take long to pay for a trip out to the offshore fishing grounds with a return trip of a cooler full of fillets. This has been a tremendous spring for offshore cod and haddock fishermen.
Offshore fishermen have been scoring nicely on heavy cod. Although many of the cod that have been caught have tipped the scales at around twenty pounds, a few cod have impressed anglers and weighed in at over forty pounds. Most of the larger cod have been taken from the productive waters just east of the Middlebank. Cod have also been productive along Jefferies Ledge and Tillies. Good numbers of cod between ten and fifteen pounds have been scored along Newcomb's Ledge and Cole Ridge. The preferred bait among the inshore fishing community has been generous portions of sea clams. Offshore fishermen seem to do best with large Norwegian Jigs.
Flounder fishermen continued to score on near limit and limit catches of fat winter flounder. Some individual flounder tipped the scales at better than two pounds. Fishermen scored best on flats along the Manchester and Magnolia shore as well as along House Island, A few summer flounder were caught along the ocean side of Marblehead. Anglers brought some fluke into the shop for identification as they did not know what they had because of the mouthful teeth that were so prominate.
As we are now in the beginning of the summer season, waters are warming and Largemouth Bass action on the surface is getting better. The most productive period for scoring a good sized bass as he breaks water feeding on surface bugs is during the period around dusk. Anglers have been reporting increased success when using poppers during the early evening period. Spinnerbaits have attracted bass during the day when they are presented along the edges of the shady areas of most bass holes. One technique that has been proven more than once is to inflate a night crawler and present it on the surface right around dusk. Be prepared for an explosive strike!
Trout fishermen have scored on numbers of trout during the early part of the day with a secondary period of activity during dusk. Successful anglers have presented numerous baits with meal worms and dillies among the favorites. The period just before sun up appears to be one of the most active of the day. Fishermen working trout waters during the period around dusk have been reporting plenty of action when they present flies. Anglers using spinning gear will make use of the bubble. This rig has been successful in both ponds and the Ipswich River. Also, try using salmon eggs and power bait on the bubble rig.
Pickerel activity has been strong throughout the day with the mid day period appearing the strongest. Hungry pickerel will position themselves along the edges of weedbeds and grassy areas laying in wait ready to ambush any bait that dares to enter their territory. Shiners presented along these areas have been responsible for attracting pickerel up to five pounds. It has been very important to get your baits close to the edges of weeds and grass.
As water temperatures rise, the perch activity during this warming period has kept anglers of all ages bust casting crawlers and shiners to aggressive perch. Worms and shiners stand little chance for survival when placed within striking distance of a hungry yellow or white perch. Hungry yellow perch have been caught in all warm water bodies of water and some individual perch have weighed as much as two pounds. Limited numbers of white perch have been caught in the Parker River by anglers casting bits of sea worms to the edges of the currents and to points and the edges of deeper pools. When a school of perch is located the action can be fast and furious.
The weather may have been cold during the past week but the fishing has been hot. Good numbers of stripers continued to be brought to net, cod catches remained heavy, Haddock numbers stayed high and mackerel catches were solid. You may have been reminded of fall temperaturewise but the fishing brought you back to summer. Summer officially starts on Tuesday, ring in the new season by wetting a line!
Striper anglers continue to be rewarded for their attention paid to scoring on stripers. Good numbers of striper continued to be caught from around the rocky shorelines of Marblehead, Manchester and Magnolia. Not only are the obvious spots giving up good numbers of stripers, but so are the less popular areas like the Breakers, Cutthroat Shoals and Satan Rock. The Danvers River Fishermen that faithfully work the White Fuel Bridge have been rewarded for their efforts. Numbers of legal stripers have been caught on both sides of the tide by anglers drifting strips and chunks of bait. Many times successful anglers will get creative when cutting their baits.
Serious schools of Bluefish are making their way back from the Cape and are expected to make an appearance in local waters within the next couple of weeks. We could actually see the first bluefish caught on Stellwagen Bank as early as this weekend. The first blues of the season will be caught on deep diving plugs. Some fish could be caught on bait meant for stripers. Are you prepared?
Good numbers of horse mackerel continued to infest local waters providing plenty of action for happy anglers. Fishermen scramble to keep up with fast moving schools trying to hold them close to the boat by chumming around the boat. Dropping herring rigs into the slick of the chum creates frenzied fish that mangle the herring rigs. Most often captured mackerel are destined for the freezer for later use as bluefish and striper bait. Some mackerel are held back as tablefare. It appeared that the best concentrations of mackerel schools continued to be along the mouth of Gloucester Harbor. Schools of mackerel were spotted inside the Salem Harbor Islands during the early morning hours.
The numbers of Haddock that have been caught this season remind many "old timers" of the good ol' day when haddock was plentiful and a primary catch of the weekend angler. So far this season there have been times when cod fishermen have actually complained about the numbers of haddock that have been caught at the expense of cod catches. What a complaint! But the most surprising thing that has brought back pleasant memories of years past has been catching haddock along inshore waters. Happy anglers have scored haddock in limited numbers along Halfway Rock, Saturday Night Ledge and Cole Ridge. All the haddock has been caught on generous offerings of sea clams meant for cod.
Cod fishermen continued to place the cod on top of the "Most wanted" list. Fishermen continued to travel to the offshore fishing grounds in search of rod bending cod. Often times fishermen will score on numbers of cod that will tip the scales in excess of thirty pounds. If prepared carefully for the freezer, the fillets will provide a delicious meal later on this fall when served with home made Boston Baked Beans. Inshore fishermen have scored on smaller, market sized cod around the inshore ledges, the Dumping Grounds and the "B" buoy. A mix of bait and jigs have been the baits of choice for inshore anglers.
Flounder fishermen have been reporting near limit and limit catches for the past couple of weeks. Despite the unseasonable cold temperatures we have experienced this week, fishermen bundled up as though it was mid winter, drift sea worms along the bottom at the mouth of Marblehead Harbor and along House Island. Manchester and Magnolia have also produced well if you can get by all the skate. Often times you have to put up with a ratio of ten to one, skate to flounder, in order to score a decent flounder catch. The key is to not get disappointed. Often times a ratio of ten to one must be experienced in order to make a near limit catch.
Now that the spawning season is over, largemouth bass have started to roam the shallows in search of a meal that would satisfy a hefty appetite. Anglers that present shiners will generally attract hungry bass that have some girth to them. Shiners have not been the only baits to attract hungry bass. Many artificial baits have a successful record for drawing the attention of hungry bass. Spinnerbaits and swimming plugs also do well. Try fishing the structure and points of Chebacco Lake, Putnamville Reservoir, Field's Pond and Chadwick Pond.
As the old saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm.", this saying holds true for fishermen as the early angler scores on trout. Successful trout fishermen have hit the waters of local trout ponds and rivers before sunrise and are finished and heading home to enjoy a breakfast of fresh trout. Trout anglers have scored with near limit and limit catches before the sun reaches the tree tops. Successful baits included trout worms, dillies, crawlers, trout bait and salmon eggs. Meal worms worked well when combined with marshmallows, trout bait and salmon eggs. The moist effective strike zone was just off the bottom. Ipswich River fishermen scored along the Danvers and Topsfield sections of the river. The easy access points of the river proved to be without fish.
Pickerel fishermen have experienced some fast action during the past week. More than one angler has been surprised by the explosive hit of an aggressive pickerel lying in wait along a quiet weedline waiting to ambush an unsuspecting bait. Pickerel have been quick to take advantage of any acceptable bait that comes within striking range. Some pickerel weighing as much as four pounds have been landed with the average pickerel caught being about two pounds. Some of the better pickerel waters have been Pillings Pond, the Weedy Pond and Brown's Pond.
Young anglers have had a great week chasing schools of yellow perch. Good numbers of perch have been caught by worm dunkers of all ages. Some of the larger perch have fallen victim to offerings of small and medium sized shiners. Even small plugs amd spoons have attracted fair numbers of perch during the late day periods. The best perch catches have been made by drifting dillies and night crawlers along the edges of weed patches and most emergent vegetation. Perch have been active throughout most of the day with the late afternoon periods the most active. It appears that morning and mid day anglers have better luck presenting small spoons and spinners, again along the weedlines.
Both the weather and the local fishing has sizzled this week. Temperatures this week have hit ninety degrees and fishing has steadily improved. More species have been caught and increased numbers of favorite species have been common. Fishing is HOT, get out and enjoy it!
Stripers continued to draw the greatest numbers of anglers again this week. Good numbers of fishermen have been working the rocky shores all along the North Shore in the hopes of hooking into a prized striper. Chunks of mackerel and herring have been the baits of choice for most shore fishermen. Anglers at the White Fuel Bridge in Danversport have caught stripers drifting bait and a wide numbers of artificial baits at the edges of the swift moving current. Tsunami shads and Storm shads have worked well in this area. Drifting sea worms has been deadly and some anglers success by working small plugs in the current. Don't overlook drifting strips of bait at the edges of the current, the have succeeded in attracting bass to the mid twenties. Trolling soft plastic lures in the Danvers River yielded some decent fish this week. Best action took place during the evening when boat traffic slowed. Boat fishermen caught numbers of stripers from Marblehead Neck when they payed attention to the waters around Ram Island and the Pigs. Stripers were also caught from the Gooseberries and the Breakers. It has been a great week.
During the past couple of weeks flounder catches have improved greatly with good numbers of doormats tallied. Increased numbers of flounder have been tallied at the mouth of Marblehead Harbor, along Manchester Harbor and House Island. Fishermen must work their bait instead of just dunking worms. Chumming the area greatly increases your chances of scoring fat flounder. A few flounder have even been caught from the Willows Pier.
As has been the rule for most of the spring, haddock catches have out numbered cod catches for most anglers fishing the offshore banks and ledges. Offering generous portions of sea clams on bait rigs often yields good numbers of haddock. Many times fishermen have been somewhat upset because they could not attract any cod. The haddock rebuilding has been a great success and a feather in Marine Fisheries cap. Let's hope they do not loosen regs to the point that haddock numbers decline. Meanwhile, make the trip offshore and take advantage of the great fishing.
Cod fishermen have been rewarded by great catches from inshore to offshore waters. Big cod continue to take "steaker" sized cod from the offshore fishing grounds of Stellwagen, Jefferies and Tillies. It appears the bait fishermen score as well as jig fishermen. Jig fishermen that use a slow jigging technique have been far more successful that those anglers that prefer a faster technique. Fresh Bait teasers seem to be far more successful attracting cod that artificial bait teasers although shrimp tail and amazing worm teasers will attract good numbers of cod. Inshore cod fishermen have attracted fair numbers, although smaller, of cod than their offshore counterparts. Bait has been much better at attracting cod at Cole's Ridge, Saturday Night Ledge, the Dumping Grounds and the "B" buoy.
Huge numbers of mackerel continue to be caught throughout the area from Boston to Gloucester. Many a herring rig has been destroyed by numerous mackerel hook-ups. The best action around Salem seems to have been around Baker's and Misery Islands during the morning hours before boat traffic picks up. The heaviest concentrations of mackerel have been around the mouth of Gloucester Harbor. Most of these mackerel have bee "horse" mackerel tipping the scales at between two and three pounds. Now is the time to stock the freezer before the mackerel move north. To avoid flesh deterioration pack your mackerel in freezer, zip lock bags with water. The water will protect the fish from freezer burn and you will be assured of fresh bait throughout the summer.
Along with the hot weather comes another sign of summer. Bluefish have started to show up more consistently along Cape Cod. Numerous anglers have been surprised to find a bluefish at the end of their line while they were live lining for stripers. Bluefish have been quick to respond to numerous plugs trolled at deeper depths. Look for the first bluefish to enter our area in a couple of weeks.
With waters rapidly warming and the beginning of the post spawn period underway, largemouth bass are hungry and cruising the shallows and structure in search of a meal. They will also rise to the surface for the promise of a meal. Shiner fishermen do well during most times of the day provided they follow a few simple rules like fishing structure and under overhanging trees and banks. Night fishermen put a hurt on bass when they present poppers along weedlines, stickups and emergent structure. Jigs and jig n' pig combination work well along deeper water, channels and ledges. A moderate to quick retrieve has been showing increased promise during the past week.
Early morning trout fishermen continued to score in local trout ponds from prior to daybreak until the sun rises above the tree tops. A wide assortment of baits have been successfully presented at most local trout ponds. Fly fishermen have also scored during the early morning hours and again during the period around dusk. Small spinners and spoons seem to work well at Sluice Pond when trolled at the end of four to five colors of leaded line. Long and lite leaders are a necessity for both trollers and bait anglers. Ipswich River fishermen have enjoyed many successful trips when they allow small worm to drift from upriver along the deeper pools. Some of the better sections of the river have included the sections around the Topsfield Fair Grounds, West Peabody and North Reading. Remember, it is those hard to get to areas that are generally the most productive.
With water temperatures on the rise, weedbeds are increasing in the shallows of many local ponds. These are prime pickerel areas that can not be overlooked by serious pickerel, anglers. Often avoided by novice anglers for fear of getting tangled up, these beds provide cover for predators waiting in ambush. Casting live shiners to the edges of the weedbeds is a prescription for success. Mid day success for pickerel anglers has been strong. Popular pickerel haunts are shaded by heavy weed cover.
Panfish anglers have been kept busy baiting hooks, fighting perch, crappie and sunnies and later enjoying panfish feeds. Armed with a can of worms, a few hooks and sinkers, young anglers lined the banks of the popular Red's Pond scoring nicely. Nothing excites a young angler more than a tug on their fishing rod. Tried serving a platter of freshly caught panfish, fried to a crisp, golden brown , fresh baked Boston Baked beans and a cold crisp salad. This is living!
The weathermen have promised us a near perfect weekend weatherwise. We have had near perfect fishing. This is the weekend to get out and start this seasons fishing challenge. Enjoy the weather and stock the freezer!
We have a 6 1/2 or 7 foot Tsunami graphite rod with a Daiwa Kastor Reel with 5 ball bearings and unlimited anti-reverse and spooled with 14# test line. That's not all, we also include a spare spool loaded with line, ball bearing snap swivel(65# test), fish finder, mackerel tree and a package of striper hooks. This complete fishing system is a sell-out at $159.99 but we have the complete fishing system for $99.99. This is an outstanding system for schoolie stripers and mackerel. Shad fishermen also rave about this system. Supplies are limited and this special will not be repeated. Get in to the shop and score this fantastic deal!
The number of stripers that continue to arrive in local numbers have surprised many anglers. It appears that just about every striper that is caught has an abundance of sea lice on them indicating that the fish is a new arrival. Schoolies continued to dominate the catch but increased numbers of legal fish have been reported. Numerous techniques have succeeded in attracting hungry bass. Trolling umbrella rigs has been successful from Gloucester to Boston with side trolls into local harbors drawing fish. Tube n' worm combinations have been both successful and popular among the fishing community. Plastic shads have been one of the most popular offerings and have worked well for both boat and shore fishermen. The smaller shads have been working best. Increased numbers of stripers have been scored by beach fishermen and fishermen using bait from boats. Both chunks and strips of bait have attracted hungry bass. Casting bait to the shorelines of Marblehead, Manchester and Magnolia have proven to be very successful as proven by the numbers and sizes of the bass that have been brought to gaff. Fishermen have been catching schoolies along with some legal fish at the White Fuel Bridge in Danversport. The bridge is often shoulder to shoulder during high tide. Don't overlook this popular bridge during low water. Many big fish have been caught at low tide.
Cod fishermen have scored on good numbers of cod and many of the cod have been "steakers". Pleasure boats fishermen have caught good numbers of cod from the hills, bumps and ledges from Boston to Gloucester. The wrecks were also a good location to score big cod when anglers presented both jigs and sea clams. Cod have moved in as close as Halfway Rock, Gales Ledge, Tinker's Ledge and the Brimbles. Bait seems to do best in the inshore waters. Offshore fishermen and Party Boat fishermen have scored big and often fill their limits with steaker sized cod. Numerous fifty plus pound have been brought over the rails. Take advantage of the upcoming great weather promised for this weekend and get out fishing!
Flounder fishermen have put in a pretty good week with a fair number of doormats landed throughout Salem Harbor, at the mouth of Marblehead and along Manchester. Generous offerings of sea worms dragged along the bottom seems to attract the greatest number of flats. Often times fishermen will report limit catches of flounder caught between waves of skate.
Huge schools of herring have been drawing good sized stripers and the stripers draw big numbers of fishermen. Good sized stripers have been traveling below schools of herring. Hungry bass feed on the herring and fishermen will cast a snag hook into a school, snag a herring and live line it. Herring have been spotted all over the North Shore but it seems as though the heaviest concentrations of herring have been around Boston. The Charles River locks have been a prime location for these schools. Even people that don't fish stop by to see the huge numbers of herring congregated there.
Mackerel fishermen have been scoring big and taking advantage of the numbers of fish by stocking their freezers for later use. Huge school of mackerel have been encountered from Boston to Gloucester. Herring rigs and mackerel trees are responsible for anglers hauling in two, three and four mackerel at a time. It has not been uncommon for anglers to score catches into the hundreds. Some limited action has taken place at the Salem Willows during the early morning hours before boat traffic breaks up the schools. Pier fishermen leave the pier with five gallon buckets full of freshly caught mackerel. Most pier fishermen use single and tandem riggeed mackerel jigs.
The Merrimack River is alive with fish just waiting for your offerings. Both fresh and salt water species are actively search out food. The sections of the river will Usually indicate which fish you are apt to catch. In the lower reaches of the river, the waters are teeming with hungry stripers. The heaviest concentrations of stripers are found in the lower reaches of the river but stripers have been caught right up to the Essex Dam. Largemouth ass have been active from Haverhill on up the river. Catfish action has been reported as good for anglers fishing night crawlers on the bottom. Carp fishermen score best above the dam and some carp are caught in the quiet water just below the dam. The Merrimack is alive!
Most bass are now off the spawning bed and actively searching for food. Bass have been aggressive and seems willing to strike out at most anything that seems edible. Anglers that use artificials have found cooperative fish along drop-offs, cuts and overhangs. Most all structure produces nice catches but not all trophies. Spinnerbaits,jigs, jig n' pigs and surface bait produce fish along weedlines while jigs, deep diving plugs and baits produced fish along underwater structure. Bass fishermen have scored at Chebacco Lake, Hood's Pond and Chadwick Pond. Live shiners did very well at attracting hungry bass.
Trout fishermen have been reporting success all over the North Shore from the lakes and ponds to the Ipswich River. The constant rains of this spring are now starting to pay off in big dividends. The rains kept most fishermen at home and that has left plenty of trout in local waters for anglers to enjoy now. Successful anglers have scored on a wide variety of baits including worms, flies, spinners and trout baits. Fly fishermen have done well along the Ipswich River when they work the rifles during the early morning hours. Worm fishermen do well when they drift worms in the river along cuts and the edges of currents. The Middleton and North Reading sections of the river have been good.
Panfish have been a staple of the American fisherman since fishing began. Panfish which include perch, sunnies and calico bass, not only provide anglers with hours of fun and entertainment but are great tablefare. Panfish were active throughout the week pleasing anglers of all ages. A can of dillies or night crawlers was enough to keep an angler busy for a couple of hours. Great fishing took place at Pillings Pond, Brown's Pond and Putnamville Reservoir. Best action seemed to take place during the afternoon period when the water warmed slightly.
Fishermen have been lining the banks of the Merrimack River, many times shoulder to shoulder, in the hopes of hooking up with a "tackle bustin'" shad. When anglers hook up with one of these extreme fighters, they are generally in for a long and hard fight. Hooked shad will head for the currents and position themselves in the current so that a maximum strain is places on the angler and his tackle. Lines are stretched, drags sing and the end results are usually parted lines. During the past week, shad fishermen have scored from Rock Village to the Essex Dam with some of the best action taking place along Spero's restaurant. Tandem rigged darts work well.
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