The boat is all cleaned, waxed, and almost ready to roll. This last week we finally installed our new trolling motor set up and will be installing the autopilot next week. I can't wait to try out the new toys! They will certainly put us on even more stripers on your Newburyport fishing charter! Fresh schoolies are making their way up the coast with most recent reports coming from Rhode Island! The water temp has steadily rose from 40 degree to 46 in a matter of 8 days. Another 4 degrees and we will be ready to to start targeting stripers for 2015! The herring run in the Parker River has been strong and things are shaping up right for us to be on fish by the first or second week of May. For you light tackle striper enthusiasts, keep an out here, Facebook, and Instagram for up to date Newburyport fishing reports and come aboard for an afterwork special when the fishing is hot!
On Saturday May 2, I will be giving an hour long presentation on fishing for Merrimack River Stripers at the Phoenix Room in Newburyport. Unfortunately, this is limited to 100 people and only available to members who belong to Newburyport Harbor Marinas, which some of you are! So if you're around please stop in and say hi and check it out as I expose roughly 83% of my secrets!
Manolin Charters will be targeting the schoolies and even bigger fish for the early run of Merrimack River stripers this year with an assortment of Gibbs Lures. We recently picked up Gibbs as a sponsor and will continue to fish these awesome, classic wooden plugs to score some nice fish! Gibbs has a long history with northeast striper fishermen and have built many famous plugs that have been copied but never replicated. Add to the fact they outfit their lures with high quality components and paint jobs, these lures will catch and land the baddest of all fish, even tuna!
We have also picked another sponsor VSN who makes the V.360 camera! This thing is super cool as it films a 360 picture you can scroll through (Click their image on the right bar to check out their website!). I already have outfitted the boat with multiple mounts to provide clients with the highest quality video to share with your friends and family. VSN is a relatively new company that will compete with the GoPro brining on a fresh, new idea to the world of action camera. You guys are going to love what this product puts out.
Over the winter, I had been selected as the Secretary of the Northeast Charterboat Captains Association. Our next meeting is in May to cap off the 2014 - 2015 meetings. Our next meeting will be held in September and open to the public. We had some great speakers the past few months from local Plum Island surfcasting guide Steve Gallant to our member Mauro DiBacco from "Wicked Tuna!" If you are not a captain, you can join for $25 as an associate member and reap all the benefits by joining the association.
Manolin Charters has also created a new Instagram account. You can follow us @ manolin_charters. We are slowly building an audience, but will be adding way more real time photos as the season progress. If you have an account please follow, like, share, and comment on our photos!
Gear wise this year we upgraded our light tackle/spinning outfits with brand new Fin Nor Lethal 40's and 20 pound Power Pro Superslick line. We will also be adding two Shimano Baitrunner spinning set ups to fish live bait as some people feel more comfortable with a spinning rod! Not to be outdone, all our conventional outfits are now upgraded to a full set of Shimano Teremar rods of the highest quality.
I still have some weekends open in June. If you are looking to get out with friends, family, or coworkers June is typically a fantastic month! Get the date YOU want now for a Merrimack River Charter before things fill up.
On the offshore note, I'm pretty excited to have 6 sharking trips already booked including the Newburyport Shark/Tuna Tournament in August. It's the 2nd year of the tournament and I had to miss last year's tourney due to football obligations. This year, I will be there and I couldn't be more excited to have a local big game tournament. I have fished tournaments before in Long Island and the Cape and its super, super fun!
Come back here every now and again and check out real reports of when our buddies start showing up! The water temp is on the cusp and any day those stripers will catch up to the herring that are already here!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Chris Valaskatgis