Fish Finder
Frank Dwyer
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I had the pleasure of heading out of Cape Ann to Stellwagen with Captain Danny Lynch this week and was treated to all that Mother Nature has to offer. Changing weather patterns, whales and tuna all left me daydreaming in amazement at what an awesome fishery we have here in the Northeast. The heat continues to push larger bass to deep waters, so dusk to dawn is your best times to fish. Mackerel, peanut bunker and pogies remain in local waters, so bluefish are still running rampant.
Marblehead: (3 hooks) Pogies and mackerel remain around Marblehead. By day, you'll find plenty of bluefish; at night, some bass are venturing in closer to shore in search of larger mackerel. Surfcasters have found good-sized bass from beaches in the very early morning hours with chunk bait and eels.
Salem: (3 hooks) Pogies and some mackerel, remain around the harbor and Salem Sound, and bass fishing has been decent for late July. Live lined pogies or mackerel or even cut bait are catching keeper bass in the harbor and by the islands. Some bigger bass have also been taken near the power plant. Big bluefish are also in the area.
Beverly: (3 hooks) Some days have not seemed so bad around Beverly, as bass have been surface feeding from the harbor down the coast toward Salem. Bass were keying in mostly on top-water plugs and unweighted Sluggos. The area around West Beach has seen similar behavior. It seems the harbormaster in Beverly is enforcing a little-known law of shutting the pier down at 10 p.m., so clean up after yourself, and maybe things will get back to normal. A few "bad eggs" can really hurt us all.
Cape Ann: (4 hooks) Mackerel remain around Manchester, Magnolia and Gloucester, and big bass are being tempted back toward the rocky coast in low-light conditions in pursuit of the bait. Top-water plugs and big flies have been taking some big bass from the rocks. Some bass have been taken just inside the breakwater in Gloucester Harbor, and some big bass have been taken in deeper water off Thacher's and Halibut Point. Bluefish remain plentiful, and dogfish may also attack your bait. Off shore, spike mackerel are being chased by tuna from Ipswich Bay to Stellwagen and anglers with heavy casting gear and live-lined mackerel on balloon rigs are doing best. Cod fishing from the party boats remains good.
Ipswich: (3 hooks) Crane Beach has been fishing more like June than July with decent bass action most of the week and some bluefish activity. Pavilion Beach surfcasters have found a mix of bluefish and striped bass. Tuna have been jumping as close as 6 miles from the mouth of the Ipswich, so get your heavy gear ready and get out there!
Newbury: (3 hooks) Parking Lots 1, 6 and 7 remain your best bets for bass. It's best to get there just before sunset and set up with chunk bait, eels or clams. Plum Island Sound has seen an influx of bluefish and a decrease in striped bass. Some bass are still hanging around in the Parker River and taking small flies stripped fast.
Newburyport/Plum Island: (4 hooks) Fishermen fishing from Deer Island to the Gillis Bridge have found bass more active this week, especially at night. Eels and chunk bait have been working well. Joppa is still holding some finicky fish, but sometimes the switch flips and surface-feeding bass are taking most offerings. Plum Island Point has been fishing well, with big bass taking mostly bait offered from anglers fishing at night. The oceanfront has been yielding some bluefish and bass, but it has been somewhat hit and miss. Flounder continue to be caught outside the mouth in 20 to 30 feet of water. Anglers heading out to Tillies and Jeffrey's ledges have found good amounts of mackerel and some sand eels with tuna in pursuit.
Salisbury: (3 hooks) Bait dunking and plugging has attracted both bass and bluefish this week from Salisbury's oceanfront. Just pick a spot and give it a try. The state reservation side of the river has been packed this week, and some decent bass are being pulled near Badger's Rocks and the Toothpick.
Seacoast New Hampshire: (3 hooks) Tube-and-worm rigs have been attracting big bass around Navy Yard, while farther offshore, big stripers are chasing bait around the Isles of Shoals. Flounder fishing off Rye has cooled, but striped bass fishing has been heating up this week around the harbor and jetties. Tuna have been chasing mackerel off Hampton Shoal Ledge, and Ocean Lures' Halfbeak Surface Darters have been the ticket.
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Frank Dwyer is a freelance fishing and outdoors columnist. Contact him at dwyer.f@gmail.com or www.frankdwyeroutdoors.blogspot.com. Facebook users search for Frank Dwyer Outdoors.
Tip of the week: When to go to the light
Lure color certainly has a major impact on when and what you catch. In murky water, use light colors like white, yellow or pink. In clear waters, dark colors will usually work better.
