North Coast Angler Report From Skip Montello
Fishing Report: 5-17-2013
Brad Sudbay with a freshly caught keeper 5/12/13
With warming temperatures finally here, the striper migration continues to build in both size and numbers throughout the greater Cape Ann area and to the north at Plum Island and the Merrimack estuary. The stripers are ranging in size from as small as 10 inches to some over 30 inches. The stripers are hitting just about any type of bait including flies, metals, jigs, soft plastics, swimming plugs and topwater twitch baits. The Little River at the Candy House has been producing stripers throughout the tide cycle, but best at the tide top and drop. The Essex River backwaters are also producing stripers for those who know their way around. There is tons of bait in the area that include herring, peanut bunker, alewife in the backwaters. Some squid and mackerel are also showing up in Gloucester Harbor. And by all reports, the fishing should steadily improve throughout the remainder of the month as lots of positive reports continue to come in from many locations to the south of Cape Ann. Stripers are also showing in good numbers at the mouth of the Merrimack and are also pushing upstream in hot pursuit of herring and shad; I won’t be surprised if they begin to be caught at the Great Stone Dam in Lawrence. Also the shad run is off the charts excellent with more and more fish entering the river; I heard one report of catching as many as 20 fish per hour just below the dam at Lawrence.
If you haven’t already heard, the past week has produced a few fifty plus pound stripers at RI and New Jersey. If you are a FB fan, be sure and "like" the On The Water page for daily fishing posts.
Skip provides Guide Services contact him for a fantastic fishing experience-
(508)395-5871 Rockport
Good Morning Gloucester 