Tuna, tuna, tuna…doesn’t anyone striper fish anymore?
Yup, reports from all over about tuna fishing.
Capt. Charlie Crue at Channel Edge reports:
Merrimack River Report #11 August 4, 2005
The fishing has drifted into the August mode. The water is warm with morning skies that are bright. Most large stripers have moved out side or further north. There are exceptions, of course, and some big fish are being caught, but not many on flies or artificials. There are still pods of very big stripers moving onto Joppa Flats on some high tides. I had a client out there on Tuesday and we saw some of those big fish but were only able to get one to hit and it threw the sluggo after a short hard fight.
Blue fish can be found all over the area. On that same trip, Tuesday, my client latched onto a big bluefish that gave an acrobatic display before getting off.
I have seen what appear to be schools of pogies near the marina in the early morning. A fisherman, who was fueling his boat, said that they weren’t pogies but very small stripers. He said they were so small, 8 to 10 inches that he wondered if they were spawned in the Merrimack. I wonder. I think I will make an effort to get a small fly into their midst to find out if they are, indeed, all small stripers.
I have open dates in August and September so if you want to give it a try give me a call.
My number is 978-462-9212.
BigK had this on the striper action, which kind of sums up a lot of the Northshore…keep trying until you find them…
Got out of kernwood at 11:00 peak tide. water temp 65 and 5-10 knt wind(forgot the direction). Trolled a T&W(using a saltwater frontmount trolling motor for the slow and low combined with some stealth) all day first past the first two beaches in 12-15 ft, nada. Went out to a couple of the Salem Islands and trolled , again nada.
Went just north of Manchester Harbor to Lobster cove, nada. Kept going north and started to get some bites. First bite seemed a snag and as I moved the boat back to get it on the opposite side of the snag in hopes of getting free I tightened and can swear I got a couple of minor head shakes. By now I drifted past were the line went down and when I brought her tight and she popped. Was I halucinating or would a big fish just sit there? I had just started letting line out the back and when I went forward the line got so tight I thought it was a snag. Thing is a lazy huge striper would hit it when it was not moving I know the big fish are lazy so my question to the veterans……do you think I had a lazy cow or I imagined the head shakes? When you drift with a snag the line peels steady, not with a jerk which I got several small ones. What would just sit there with the hook in its mouth?
After that kept north tight to the rock, so tight I had to worry about the waves tossing me in to them. Some stolen worms then a 30 something fish(only ruler was the cooler cover at 24"). It weighed 16.5 lbs and it was about the fattest striper I’ve ever caught. Trolled a little more and was getting bites but had to go to work on the second shift.
I know a lot of guys post loads of fish, blah blah blah, but it was nice not getting skunked because I just would not give up, keep the faith.
Capt. Barry Clemson posted this:
First North Shore bluefin in my boat!
First North Shore bluefin in my boat (7/29), caught on a sage RPLX # 12.
I bought a new 14 weight at First Light Anglers today (they have four or five rods left in stock), the 12 weight was a tad light.Capt. Barry Clemson
Rowley MA
For more (lots more…more than you could read before the end of work today…) check out the RT Forums.
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Mark N. Cahill has been writing and editing for Reel-Time.com since 1995. He started fishing in the mid-1960's and caught his first striper off World's End in Hingham in 1966. From there on in it was an obsession. He loves fishing for tuna, and fly fishing for striped bass. In a pinch, anything with fins will do...
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