Plum Island 8/27AM

[jhajjar1]

Headed out of the Merrimack at around 6AM. Saw some terns diving at the mouth - stopped and threw a few casts, but didn't see a thing. Strange, birds were diving, but no signs of bait or fish.

Headed out about a mile then turned north towards breaking rock. Nada.

Turned around and head back south towards plum island at the 100 ft depth line. Didn't see a bird or mark a thing.

Reached half way down the island towards Sandy Point and found at least 4 party boats anchored in 50ft of water. They were chumming and dropping bait for blues. Saw a few small ones taken so we started trolling the Rapala's and the umbrella rigs. Scored only one blue - about 7lbs. Incredible....spent at least two hours trolling and didn't get another blue.

Not sure what I am doing wrong, but we spent from 6 - 11 and only boated one fish. Also thought it was strange that every party boat from Rye to Gloucester had to settle for small blues of the beach of Plum Island.

Oh well, maybe back out tonight - I did get about 5 or 6 schoolies by the marina. Maybe that's the secret, don't start the motor and fish from the dock!

[DaleH]

I was out fishing with our own local "Lefty" last night and it was dead, dead, dead. Started at Steep Hill and worked up the Parker River estuary with the rising tide. Nothing to be seen on the surface, nothing on the depthfinder ... almost like the machine was broken. Last week I was nailing small fish on the top of the tide as the bait moved over the various flats, while bigger fish were around and catchable on t&w's.

Last night ... nothing for bass. 3 guys fishing, 2 with plugs, 1 with flies. The sole "action" came from hickory shad about 14" long taken way up river near the mooring areas, caught on really small flies. They were leaping out of the water, hooked or not, and when hooked, were out of the water more than in. It was hilarious! They were a deep bronze color on their backs but looked and leaped like small tarpon.

Looks like an early Fall though ... as the marsh was turning brown/gold, birds were flying in "V" formations, the river waters sparkled a deep blue, and I had a sweatshirt on by 6pm.

[mdglaw]

we decided to do some surf casting on the river 8/27 PM and did nothing. Did see some guys with gutted small keeper on beach. I was told by some guys that about 6pm fish were being caught on each cast from end of jetty, but they did not do it and had been chased off the jetty twice by "patrol boat". I was surprised but tide was coming up quite high and I am guessing harbormaster did not want to fish anybody off the river. I had 2 hits, and one swirl, but no fish. I also saw and fished diving terns and concluded while they might have been diving on bait they were not diving over fish. I saw no fish action during this time. Didn't see anybody doing much on boats either.
However, can highly recommend the seared scallops and sticky rice crab cake special at Michael's Harborside. There are worse things than quitting for cold beer, Red Sox on the tube, and good food.
Mike

[FireFly]

Geez- guess I did not miss much today. Been in bed all day with a darn migraine headache. Several injections of imitrex has at least allowed me to power up the laptop and send a few email messages out.

I had the car packed last night so looks like the beach is a definite go for tomorrow unless this darn headache returns...

[PeteV]

For daytime...Nothing on flies, nothing on lures & nothing rubber stuff ... only fish we've been getting are with sea worms. depending on the tide we find a flat, stop the boat up current and then drift across the flat. The fish have been hard to find but a good drift helps cover a lot of ground. After we drift across the bar or flat we simply start over again and just shift over a little bit. Unfortunaetly we haven't been finding anything bigger than schoolie class.... night time has been giving up a few OK fish but nothing close to a jumbo.

[djpritchard]

jhafjar1 - the terns you saw at the mouth were taking shrimp - there were a ton of them in the water. The gulls were just sitting there pecking away - eating one shrimp after another.

Only caught one schoolie on the boat I was on and that was picked up on a Storm Shad. Hit the mouth, trolled the island and went up in to Parker's - nada.

Dave

[jhajjar1]

Dave,

I saw them the other night further up river near he marina....millions of them. They look like brine shrimp...better known (and sold in comic books of old) as "Sea Monkeys"

The kids were catching them in cups and feeding them cracker crumbs.

Got skunked tonight - more of a family cruise than fishing trip. Went out to MR1 and back in. Didn't spot a thing. Marking something on the fish finder - small groups though...probably some sort of bait or more shrimp.