| The blues are still out and heavy but they’re moving around chasing the baitfish. One day there off Pebble Beach in Rockport, the next day they’re off Singing Beach in Manchester. You’ll have to look and ask around to find them on any given day. Kirk Weterbee took first place in the Lanes Cove Bluefish Tournament this past weekend with a 10 ½ pound Blue. The are signs that the big stripers are starting to make their run, we had two 34 pound stripers weighed in this past week. The football Tuna action remains hot and crazy out in the Bay off Thatcher’s and outside the Breakwall. Anglers are throwing Yo-Zuri Hydro Poppers, Deadly Dicks and Crippled Herring Spoons. |
| Bluefish,bluefish, bluefish......thats all I hear about the last few days. From Halibut Point to the Eastern Point Lighthouse, the bluefish are thick, so thick in fact, you could probably walk on them!
I got reports of fisherman landing 200-300 lbs in a matter of hours. If you don't know what to use, it doesn't matter, when they are this thick, most anything you throw at them will catch them. The striper action continues to be solid, however, no really large fish have been weighed this past week. Lots of medium size fish though. The late summer fishing will become hot as the fish that are down in Maine will start coming back this way. So get ready, you never know who might land a striper that tops the tournament (51.85 lbs). Expect to see the mackerel back in close and the flouder fishing remains solid as well. Seaworms on a sandy bottom will get them. |
| One of the areas veteran fishermen weighed another large striper, a 45.05 pounder! The fish will occupy second place in the adult tournament division. No info on where the fish was caught. The bluefish action continues to be fantastic, with fish being caught from Manchester, clear around the Cape to the Essex River. Most are being caught trolling Rapalas, tubes and Storms . The Rhumb Line Restaurant held a successful one-day striper tournament on Saturday the 13th with a cookout after the action. Paul Story took 1st place in the adult category weith a 26 pounder and Ross Clayton and Kacie O’Mally tied for 1st in the under 16 category with a 15 pounder each. |
| The big stripers are still coming in and the good news is there not all in the deep water. You already know about the the 51.85 pounder caught last week at the mouth of the Annisquam River. We had another large fish come in this week, a 41.8 pounder, caught off Long Beach with a live eel. There is still good fishing in the deep water off the breakwater, but there are lots of dogfish to contend with. Some of the fisherman have swithced off to the great flounder fishing. Consider using flounder spreaders and seaworms and you will catch some nice sized flounder. |
| It seems like every week the fish keep getting bigger. On Wednesday, veteran angler John Bingle took the lead in the adult striper tournament with an impressive 51.85 lb giant. He hooked and landed the fish out in the bay off Wingaersheek beach. John said he had spent a long morning catching 9 or so smaller stripers and out of nowhere the big fish took the bait.
What great fish!
Most of the guys I have talked with this past week are still fishing and catching sizeable fish in the deep water out off the breakwater. Herring chunks are the bait of choice. If you can’t get out there, the blues and smaller stripers remain plentiful along the shore line. The back shore along Atlantic avenue has been getting plenty of action as well as in many harbor locations including the back side of Ten Pound Island. The “football size” bluefin tuna, 45-100 lb, have been spotted in good numbers offshore on Jefferies. Look for these fish to move closer in as we get toward September. Using surface plugs, Crippled Herring spoons, Deadly Dicks and Storm lures are good bets for the tuna. I have also been told that using the Norwegian cod jigs down deep will catch them as well. Be careful setting the drag on the reel or you will be saying a quick goodbye to your line and fish!!! |
| There was a lot of action this week when past tournament winner David Dennis took the lead in the adult division with a 42.15lb striper. He was out at Saturday Night Ledge, near by to Half Way Rock when he hooked and landed his fish. David held the lead for 5 days before longtime angler Steve Corbett edged him out with a 43.2 lb striper. Just an hour
later, one of the kids division champs from last year, Kellen O'Maley out did them all with a 47.85 lb monster! I got a picture of him holding the fish thats as big as he is! Both Steve and Kellen were fishing the deep water out at the Groaner. If you don't mind fighting your way through the "dogfish" thats where the big fish are. The shoreline action continues to be good with lots of blues and smaller keeper size stripers. The hot spots have been Halibut Point , Ray's Casium and Kettle Island. Thye flounder fishing continues to be strong on the sandy bottom areas. |
| It's about time we heard from last years derby champ Larry Biondo and the always sentimental favorite, Jerry "Lucky" Ciolino. Larry came in with with a nice hefty 37.6 pound striper. This catch puts him in fourth place behind this years big guns Tom and Sam Lupo. Larry was fishing out at the Groaner fishing on "top" when he spotted the brute. Larry said the fish hit viciously! Jerry Ciolino came in with a nice 35.1 pounder. I didn't get a chance to talk with Jerry, but I know he fishes the same area out at the Groaner. With the water warming up, you might want to try fishing the deeper water if you want those big stripers. Along the coast in the shallower water, the 25-35" stripers and bluefish have provided great action of late. The mackerel remain spotty with few fish being caught here and there. |
| Yesterday afternoon we had a 35 1/2 pound striper weighed in. It was the first large striper in a week or so.
The big one's are out there at the Groaner but so are large numbers of dogfish. It takes a bit of skill, patience and persistance to get the bait down under the dogs to the stripers.
Some of the skippers have told me that good striper action can be had along the Manchester and Magnolia shoreline as well around Kettle Island. The Blues are still around in good numbers, off Halibut point as well as the "Flat Ground" off Rockport. Mackerel fishing has been spotty with the large school moving out offshore. The flounder fishing continues to be good, so come on down and get some seaworms, hooks and sinkers and give it a try! |
| Time to breakout the wire leaders, the bluefish are in and in heavy and a little larger. We had a few fish in the 10 pound range out in the bay and you could see schools of them chasing the baitfish. I suggest hookouts or a good pair of long nosed pliers to remove hooks, you don't want to get your fingers or hand anywhere near their mouth! The stripers are still coming in but they are a bit spotty since the blues have taken over. It's funny but the kids seem to be out fishing the adults. I had more youngster's weighing in fish. Kid's like Ian Fulford, Jonathan DiMaio and Nick Cucuru are here so often you'd swear they worked here!
The flounder fishing continues to be hot, with fish being caught wherever you find a sandy bottom. The mackerel are still around but harder to find. You'll need some luck to find the school. |
| The big stripers are still coming in. Young Kevin Lupo took the lead in the "Kids Tournament" with a 43.1 pound striper
while his grandfather, Sam Lupo, took the lead in the "Adult Tourament" with a 39.55 pounder. We not sure where the stripers were caught, but we think the Lupo's were fishing outside the breakwater. There have been quite a few 30-38" striper caught inside the harbor at various locations. Susprisingly, there have been a lot of Bluefish around for this early in the season. Nothing really big, but nice fish up to 9 pounds. The mackerel are still hitting strong, and if you find the right school, you can fill a bucket in a 1/2 hour. |
| The BIG Striper's are finally starting to roll in. Winchester Fishing Company weighed in
three fish this week all over 30 pounds, the largest being 38.35 pounds. We can not say exactly where the fish were caught, but there has been a lot of action around Halibut Point and the Groaner is starting to heating up.
Founder fishing has been great(!) with quantities being caught at Dunbar Breakwater and Ten Pound Island. Anglers are still landing Mackerel in and outside the harbor. |
