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Merrimack River Report >
Thank You Class of 2011
Thank You Class of 2011
Jul 2, 2017
We have to thank the Class of 2011 for such fantastic fishing during the month of June! Yes, these are the fish that were spawned in the Hudson River, Delaware or Chesapeake Bays six years ago and are the striped bass we are catching today! Last years frustration of most fish being "just under" legal sized bass are the 27" to 30" stripers we are seeing today. The 2011 year class, plus the moderate water temps and the good herring run (and mackerel) have combined for some very good catching and releasing in our waters! In a year over year comparison of 2016 VS 2017 Summer Job clients have seen almost 3 times the fish and over five times the legal sized (keepers) stripers they caught last June!! These fish are fat, healthy and sure are making me look good!!
The bait situation has been a roller coaster this June with fantastic mackerel catches one day and then "where the heck did they go" the next! We had 2 bluefish "raids" in our area that I can confirm but they seem to have moved on. Interestingly, the current challenge is avoiding where the Minkie Whales are feeding! They are within a mile of the beach too! I was in one of my favorite bait spots the other day, looked up and a small whale was coming at me! I have seen 1 to 2 a day for the past 4 days now!!
Yesterday (July 1st) I found plenty of macks a mile off the beach. I heard that Captain George of the Captains Ladies Party Boats got into a few hundred macks yesterday morning and mackerel were also out on the 3 mile line!! These are also a mixed bunch from tinkers to "ponies" (almost big enough to ride on) that would make great tuna bait.
It's been an out going tide in the mornings so I've spent most of my time at the mouth of the Merrimack. It has been a windy, bumpy ride but there are plenty of hungry stripers there to make it worth your while. I also have passed a lot of casters on or near Joppa Flats so I'm sure there are fish there too.
So there is plenty of good news and no excuse to not get out & fish! My June marathon is over, the first 2 weeks of July are busy but if anyone is interested in a charter check out the calendar on my web site www.summerjobcharters.com or call me at 978-465-2307.
Good fishing
Capt. Scott
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