Merrimack/PI Action 5/31/07?

[NE Sportsman]

Anybody been out in the Merrimack/ PI beachfront in the last day or so? I was out Monday night and the terns were working some small bait and the fish were boiling the surface from the South Jetty all along the beach front. They were about 150 - 200 yards out -- around the newly expanded sandbar.

I am taking my buddy's 9 year old out on Friday evening, and I am curious if the action is still on the beachfront. I'd love for him to get into some surface action! He has a new umbrella rig that he is dying to try out too, so wish us luck!

-Ed

[dirty boots]

No help here, I was looking to see if anyone is wading/ fly fishing up there?
Need to get the bride some schoolies on her fly rod.

Thanks

[in_the_water]

Yes it was very fishy this morning. Lots of smalls but did manage this nice one.......--127-3-

[capemike88]

Theres some nice fish in the river, think star wars..
But to answer your question about the beachfront, I just got back, there were twinks on top busting TINY sandeels, I caught a few schoolies on a 9" sluggo w/ jighead hoping for something bigger. I guess the river was better earlier in the tide.

[NE Sportsman]

Yes it was very fishy this morning. Lots of smalls but did manage this nice one.......--127-3-


I wouldn't mind meeting up with this one's sister tonight :) Nice fish!

[capemike88]

Onthewater, did you weigh that in at surfland? My buddy works there said a 22lber was weighed in yesterday, caught on a sluggo. You might slay with the umbrella rig by the way, if its rigged with small rubbers imitating sandeels which they seem to be on. I'll be out this afternoon livelining with my Dad, the boat says oasis on the side in small letters, or hail on channel 10. good luck,

Mike

[albacized]

I fished near the mouth of the Merrimac from shore yesterday from the late afternoon into the evening. The first several hours were brutal as I only tallied one fish. Then as the tide started to bottom out, many smalls showed up and it became a schoolie fest. I was switching back and forth between throwing plastic on the spinning rod and flyfishing a clouser minnow (white did better for me than chartruese over white). While fly fishing, it seemed like a slow long retrieve was the most productive. Overall, I tallied more than 30 fish (I stopped counting at 30;)).

There was one keeper caught by someone slinging bait (clams). Also a few shad were caught by some of the fly guys (I personally didn't get any of those).

One thing of note is that there were plenty of fish rolling around-not a concentrated school, but rather scattered around as you looked across the river. They were on small bait and at times the fish were very picky. But towards the end of the outgoing, they litterally started hitting on every cast. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably add a small (sandeel sized) dropper fly on both my spinning and fly rod. There were also clouds of 1" sandeels hugging the shoreline, especially after the fish started hitting better.

Good luck

[in_the_water]

Mike yes that was my fish. I got her from shore on a sluggo early in the AM. I really need to change my name to "in the water" because I don't own a boat. Good luck. Ton of sand eels in the water and I got it on a sluggo that was similar in color grren/silver.



Onthewater, did you weigh that in at surfland? My buddy works there said a 22lber was weighed in yesterday, caught on a sluggo. You might slay with the umbrella rig by the way, if its rigged with small rubbers imitating sandeels which they seem to be on. I'll be out this afternoon livelining with my Dad, the boat says oasis on the side in small letters, or hail on channel 10. good luck,

Mike