Newburyport Fishing Charters -- Covid -- 19 Update

Good Morning,

To start, I hope that everyone and their families are safe and healthy. Last week, Gov. Charlie Baker issued an order that prohibits MA Charter Boats and Captains from operating until May 18th. We are hopeful that in the coming weeks the number of new COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts will begin to decrease, and that with that decline and other positive indicators the Governor will allow the for-hire fleet to resume operations.

Should we be allowed to operate, I am confident that Manolin Charters can adhere to the
directives from both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts to inhibit further spread of COVID-19.

Examples of preventative actions that we are prepared to take to ensure the safety of our sports include:

 Requiring completion of a COVID-19 pre-screening questionnaire 24 hours prior to
charter departure, and maintaining these records for state collection and audit

 Requesting that all clients who are feeling ill or showing any signs of being infected
cancel the trip prior to arrival with
NO PENALTY FOR CANCELLATION DUE TO ILLNESS!!!

 Limiting the number of clients on board so as to maintain recommended social distancing
guidelines (Manolin is 24 ft long. Fished on the side of the rail will give 4 people 6 ft of room or when casting plugs we have room all over the place)

 Requiring clients to provide their own food and drink stored in personal containers rather
than a communal cooler

 Wearing approved face coverings and gloves

 Carrying cleaning and disinfecting materials, soap, water, and hand sanitizer on board

 Regularly cleaning and disinfecting all areas of the vessel at the beginning and end of
each trip
 Cleaning frequently touched surfaces such as handrails and fishing equipment over the
course of each trip.

As soon as we as able to, and we feel it is safe to do so, we will be running our MA fishing charters. Unless plans from the Governor change, we will not be running charters until after the May 18th deadline.

Due to my new teaching schedule, we have some cool, new options once the ban is lifted. Here are the options to mull over. Of course, this is all if we feel it is safe during these time periods (I’m just trying to help you plan!). They include

• Spring Haddock — Best time of year to fish is April /May. These have limited availability on Weekends in May. I have May 24th, 30th, and 31st ($1000)

• Early Season Stripers - May 19th - May 29th ONLY - Fast paced, light tackle striped bass action fishing the Merrimack River ($70 per person)

• Early Morning June Topwater Trips - Month of June , early morning sunrise trips. I am able to sneak out everyday with my new work schedule and can run 3 hour fishing trips or our typical 4.5 hour trips. I have added a new early morning special. These would leave the dock at 5/6 AM. We will not use bait on these shortened trips, strictly casting lures. ($100 per person)

• Normal 4.5 Hour and 6.5 Hour Striped Bass Charters - Lots of openings in the first half of June in the morning for 4.5 hour trips at the moment as I didn’t book them because of my original work schedule. Take advantage and get in during this prime period. My favorite time of year to fish for striped bass in the Merrimack River. June is a time for a lot of action! ($500 for 4,5 hours and $700 for 6.5 hours)

NEW LOCATION - Private Dock on Savory St in Newburyport, MA

We moved to a new location just a 5 minute boat ride upriver. We are on a private dock with just two other boats in a nice, quiet, and secluded part of the river. Although I will encourage to carpool, there is plenty parking at the marina. I’m very excited about the move as I have spent 15 years at my previous marina.

2020 Striped Bass Regulations

It has been in the making for a few years now, but the eastern states have collectively created new striped bass regulations that all states will follow. We will now employ a slot limit. A “keeper” striper now has to fall between 28” and less than 35”. It is still a one fish per person limit. Please let me know before your trip if you want to get a couple for the table or if you want to target trophy sized fish that will be released. Sometimes we may able to do both, sometimes it may be more “fun” or advantageous to just target one or the other given the conditions.

New Gear

Every year fishing technologies are improving and tactics are changing. Here at Manolin Charters, we take pride in the gear we have for our customers. You just won’t find a charter boat with a combination of high quality gear that is sought out to perfectly suit our fishery. We are going lighter and smoother than ever before! Here is our new lineup this year.

• Shimano Thunnus Baitrunners on Star Rods for snag and drop pogies and livelining

• Okuma Metaloids on Tsunami Slow Pitch Acid Wrap rods

• Shimano Stradics FL on Temple Fork Outfitter rods for tossing plugs (This honestly is the best feeling combo I have ever picked up!)

We have also undergone some boat upgrades

• Replaced the windshield on the CC to a full window top to bottom to keep us dry and warm

• More storage solutions

• Toadfish Stick on Coozies — Wait till you see these cool products!

• Bean Bag for offshore runs to the sharking/haddock grounds

• Loud Speaker/ Hailer — Fun stuff and automatic fog horn patterns (awesome feature for those foggy days that will make us even more safe on the water)

If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding a charter please don't hesitate to reach out and ask.

Stay Safe and Tight Lines

2018 Striper Season in Newburyport is here! Big News - We are adding a second boat and Captain to the fleet!

Well yesterday was my favorite day of the year...the day when "Manolin" goes back into the water and the official start of the fishing season in Newburport, MA. This time of year is a great look into how nature works. Increasing light levels, changes in wind patterns, moon cycles, and the warming of the ocean water trigger mass migrations of fish up the coast into our home waters of Ipswich Bay, the Merrimack River, and Hampton Harbors. We have sand eels, rain bait, shad, winter flounder, herring, and striped bass coming up through the coast. Not to mention our incredible spring haddock fishery with the chance of catching a cold water porbeagle shark! Please enjoy the following post with all the new announcements for Manolin Charters in Newburyport this year! 

The feedback of the herring runs has been outstanding so far this year with the alewives returning first, which were followed by the blue back herring. The stripers will not be far behind! Last year my first fish was on May 4th, but that was more the exception than the rule. Generally, we get into good number of schoolie stripers around the 10th - 15th and I plan my early trips accordingly. The last three season have given us super fast paced action where 100 - 200 fish days were not uncommon. With ocean temps creeping up on 50 degrees (the magic number), they should be here any day. This afternoon I will take my first stab at it for 2018. 

The Minn Kota Ulterra Trolling Motor is going to be a Deadly Addition to Manolin! The stripers, mackerel, and sharks don't stand a chance now! 

Some updates to the boat this year will greatly increase your enjoyment while fishing on Manolin Charters. We paired up with Johnson Outdoors, who owns Minn Kota Motors and Humminbird electronics, and now have some new goodies to play with. I'm telling you guys, this Ulterra trolling motor will be a GAME CHANGER allowing us to fish away from the fleet in more secluded spots and to allow great bait presentations to put a fat striper on the end of your line! Paired up with the Humminbird Solix 12" screen and its amazing MEGA Side Imaging, the Merrimack Striped Bass will have no place to hide!

Big order came in from Okuma! Highest quality gear for the clients of Manolin Charters!

We are revamping our reel line up as well as we have partnered with Okuma Fishing Tackle to pair with our custom rods. For those in the know, Okuma's conventional reels are the best around with the greatest engineering minds, excellent machining, and use of top shelf materials. I'm very proud to outfit the boat with Okuma equipment. My returning customers are going to love the new reels when tussling with big stripers, angry sharks, and winching in haddock! 

Okuma Metaloid 5-S all spooled up and ready to tackle some striped bass! We also added Cortez rod/reel combos for haddock and Makaira 50's for sharks!

Now for our biggest announcement to date, we are expanding as a company! My very close friend and fishing partner, Capt. Mike Fallon is joining the team with his new 21 ft Parker Center Console. Mike has been a charter captain for over 10 years, but spent the last 5 fishing every morning recreationally for stripers in his 16 ft Alumacraft. This dude knows the river as well as anyone out there. He will specialize in light tackle and fly fishing, but is also a ninja live bait fisherman. 

Manolin Charters is proud to introduce a second captain to the fleet! Capt. Mike Fallon is a BEAST and will specialize in Early Morning Trips on his new 21 FT Parker! $350 for up to 3 People for 5 AM - 8:30 AM Weekday mornings. He will also help out on some weekends as well.

Mike will run some special trips for those guys who love getting out at first light. He will be running early morning trips from 5 AM - 8:30 AM during the weekdays and take some overflow for myself on the weekends! The price with be $350 for the early morning weekdays and the $450/$600 for a 4.5/6.5 hour trip on the weekends. Keep a look out on FB and Instagram for some possible shared early morning trips as well. 

It's never too early for Capt Mike who is as good with a camera as a fishing rod! 

Until Capt. Mike figures out a new name for his boat...I'm referring to it as "Mini Manolin!". It is a 21 ft Parker with special features to allow for plenty of casting room for fly fisherman!

A few more important notes before I let you go. Due to the extra weight of the trolling motor and batteries, this year we are maxing out at 4 anglers (Other than the couple groups that already booked with 5) for our trips. Also, if you are interest I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you book your trips for the summer within a week or two as we are running out of morning dates especially. Capt. Mike will be able to take on some weekend trips and will definitely specialize in the early morning weekday stuff, but please don't wait for reports. Last year I was too busy to post reports frequently, my last report for the season was June 8th. So give me text, email, or call to set up a date as soon as possible. 

Thank you everyone and here is to a great start to the 2018 season!

Tight Lines, 

Capt Chris 

Another Nor'Easter BUT...Newburyport Fishing Season is Right Around the Corner!

Sitting through our second Nor'easter within a week, I can't stop thinking about fishing! With school cancelled today (again...), I think its a great opportunity to update my Merrimack River Fishing Report Page. I'm sorry I haven't contributed anything since June 8th, but we a superb season this year. Millions of light tackle schoolies, all the striped bass you could stand to catch and limits nearly every trip, some truly world class big stripers, and a ton of fun were the highlights of the year. Below this post there is a little slideshow gallery of most of the trips this year. You can also find them under out pics page. 

Before we move on to 2018, lets talk about the highlight of 2017

• 37 stripers caught over 40 inches!
• 2 over 50 inches!
• Form June to mid July an AVERAGE 4.5 hour trip was 35-40 stripers. Some days we had near that in just keeper size fish!
• Pogies! Pogies! Pogies!
• An almost Mako! 
• Some huge record size blue sharks 
• Schoolie Mania! 
• Whales, tuna, and porpoises just 0.25 miles off the beach

As great at 2017 was, the feeling here is 2018 will be even better. For the third straight year we had an incredibly strong "Schoolie Striper" run. Most (re: all) of the fish we were catching in June were in the 27.5" - 31" range, which means they will all be keepers next year. And if the pogies come back, lets hope the cow stripers follow them up again! 

The boat is going to have some really cool additions as well...but I will save those for when the cover comes off and we get everything installed.

We are upgrading all our conventional live bait reels as well to go with our custom fishing rods (which were a huge success ...everyone loved them!). When they get shipped out, I will unveil them here. My clients will be fishing with the perfect set ups for Merrimack River and Newburyport fishing. Our gear is better than most people's personal rod and reel combos. 

If you are interested in a Newburyport Striped Bass Charter, I suggest you give me a call soon. I already have a lot of days booked, but the sooner you call we can ensure your date. Last year at times there was a 4 week waiting list once mid June hit and nothing available come August. Striped Bass from May - October and Sharks from end of July - September. Don't wait for the reports, make the reports! 

Striped Bass Fishing the Merrimack River is on Fire!

So fishing the Merrimack River has been stellar since the last report! Thank you to everyone who has come out thus far and have future trips booked! Since the last report, we had some great schoolie striper action and the keeper bass have moved in! It's been as good as an early June as I can remember the past 4 years. Mackerel have been in thick when you can find them, it has been a little challenging at times, but they are quickly turning into stripers. Some times you have to be a little patient and wait for the tide to do its thing, but when it has turned on it has been world class fishing. 

The 2011 year class is continuing to make a strong appearance. Most all the fish are between 27.5" and 32" so plenty of keepers around for early June! Action has been great throughout the trips, but when it turns on, it has been epic. We had lots of keepers the past two weeks and with the June moon up this Friday, the really big 35+" fish will be more abundant! 

Check out my Facebook page (Click HERE) for some opening for shared group charters. I'll post openings for the weekahead and just let me know if you are interested. It will be $110 per head and we need at least 3 to go! We have done a couple already and people have made some great friends and new fishing buddies! 

I still have some weekday afternoon charters available the next few weeks. This is my favorite trip in June!!! It can be great, great striped bass fishing charter. Call to make a reservation now!

Ok...Here are some of the pics!

Tight Lines, 

Chris

Henry and Jake out for their second trip on Manolin this year! They brought their buddies Mike and Chris and all 4 were reward with fun fishing and 4 Keepers!

Liam from Backwoods Graphics with his FIRST ever striper and it was a keeper to boot! 

Chris Ford tight on one of the 150+ schoolies his group caught this on Manolin Charters!

Walter loves his stripers! 

I even got in the action when Newburyport striper fishing was hot one day! 

The English Boys Double up on keepers in the Merrimack River in Newburyport!

Beth from Backwoods here with her first keeper striper on Manolin Charters!

Henry's first Newburyport Charter of the year with a nice 26" striper on light tackle spinning gear! 

Chris out for the second time already with his first keeper of the year. See you on Manolin on Saturday...and Sunday...and again in a few weeks! He is hooked!

Jason almost beat his dad on the last drift with this healthy 32" Striped bass!

Kay back from last year and slaying striped bass in Newburyport again! See you soon bud! 

Allen out for the first time this year on a schoolie trip with a nice 26" surprise. The striper fishing was insance this afternoon with feeds over three hours long! 

Louis is tight on a schoolie at Sunset to cap off a great charter trip!

Caroline shied away from touching this schoolie with her hands, but had no problem licking it! I guess when you boat 30 - 40 yourself its time to get intimate!

Jake on his first trip on Manolin this year with an after work schoolie special! He put a hurting on striped bass and has already been back again where he got his keeper. Although, this one was close!

Newburyport Striper and Haddock Fishing Report

Cool pic of a light tackle striped bass!

Dan coming up to a Newburyport Charter to put a hurting on schoolies! 

Jeff here with the first striped bass to fall to a mackerel on Manolin in 2017. He also caught the first keeper last year!

You must have a beard apparently to fish on Manolin Charters in Newburyport! 

Gregg with a nice 27" one of the first casts of the day!!!

Martin coming all the way from England to pull on Merrimack River striped bass!

The fish finder has been lit up like this for days when fishing Newburyport, Plum Island and Salisbury.

The first keeper to fall to a live mackerel while fishing in the Merrimack River. 

Nick with his first Newburyport striper of 2017!

As the pictures and videos show it has been a great past two weeks!  We have been putting a beat down on small stripers (literally caught 600 this week), catching big numbers of enormous cod, and feeding families with haddock! We have also managed to find some time to go get the first mackerel of the year and find the first keeper striped bass! 

The schoolie trips are coming to an end this week and we will start to venture out to target more quality striped bass using live bait. Thank you to everyone who has came thus far! Even though they are small, catching fish every time you cast is a riot! It has been a lot of fun, great way to start off the season, and as always I have made new friends!

Now is the time to book your Newburyport Charter Fishing Boat people, do not wait as I have only a few (morning) dates available from now through mid July. 

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris 

Stripers back in the Merrimack!

We have finally reached the beginning of the 2017 fishing season! I was able to splash the boat Thursday afternoon (May 4th) and despite the typical early season cold and wind, was able to wet a line for 10 minutes and picked up our first Merrimack River Striped Bass! Last year, we caught our first fish on May 10th and it had been the earliest I had ever caught a striper. We beat that by 6 days this year!

I wished we stayed longer, but after a shake down cruise and playing with the new Lowrance Multfunction Display, we decided to wet a line before it got dark. We fished 2 hours before the top of the tide and the water temp was reading 56 degrees inside the river. I had hoped there were fish around as my buddy Scott got his first couple in the morning and I heard reports that the Plum Island beachfront has given was to a few here and there the past few days. 

We did one drift and I got a hit on my third cast, but missed it. A few casts later, my new CHIRP fish finder was lighting up with fish! Right as we drifted over I connected with the first striped bass of the year! We tried a few more casts while we were still marking but got no love. The wind was cranking and cold, so we decided that breaking the ice was good enough! 

Super excited to get this Newburyport charter fishing season rolling. Reports from a little down south is that they are starting to get low 28" - 30" keeper stripers. Hopefully the weather started cooperating and pushing them north! 

Newburyport Striper Charters About to Begin

I hope everybody had a great weekend with friends and family while enjoying this amazing weather! Water temps have shot up this past week with the consistent SW winds and we are nearing that magic 50 degree water temp that signals the beginning of Merrimack River striper season. The past week has allowed me to get my spring prep going! Always a fun time! Shooting for the first week of May to splash.

Getting ready for Newburyport Charters!

A face only a mother could love!

But necessary to keep the rig looking like this! (If only you can imagine what this looked like a couple days ago...Barnacles suck!)

Manolin looking pretty for 2017! Ready to get some stripers on the deck!

T Shirts! Finally!

Anyhoo, I am finally proud to announce we now have T shirts for sale! I am offering an intro price this week only for cost! I finally found a company that can get me a great product, fast shipping, and numerous colors so I present to you:

Men's Artic Blue... Order a size up for a loose fit! Go fishing in style!

Here’s the deal...These shirts:

Womens Pale Yellow

• Chest logo same as back w/o the info

• Men and Women

• Long Sleeve and Short Sleeve

• 4.1 oz polyester microfiber

• 50+ Sunscreen Protection

• Moisture Wicking (You don’t sweat!)

• Anti Microbial (You don’t stink)

• Super Lightweight

• Think Under Armour type of fabric...Athletic fit order a size up for a looser fit

• $33 for short sleeve (If ordered and paid for by 4/21)

• $35 for long sleeve (If ordered and paid for by 4/21)

Here are the available colors and sizes

Here’s how you order:

• Pick Color, Size, LS/SS, and Color of Writing

• Send me an email

• I’ll send you an invoice via email. You can pay with a card

• I should receive you shirt by the 28th and I’ll ship to you!

• Intro price ends the 21st (This is my cost)

New Gear

• Custom Striper Rods are built and ready to fish!

• One more mackerel rod to go!

• New spinning outfits for our preseason schoolie specials!

• New Lowrance Fishfinder/Chartplotter/Radar being installed this week

New Daiwa BG Reels on Okuma Shadow Stalker Rods....Super light and super fun for topwater stripers and bluefish!

Trips and Specials - Early Season Stripers and Haddock!

It’s that time of season and I am booking up very quickly already. If you plan on coming out, having some laughs, and catching fish send me a date or two and we will get you on the water. It’s best not to wait for the Facebook or website reports. I always say Make the Reports, don’t Chase’em!

Just a reminder of the Schoolie Specials -  $50 a head weekday afternoons in May. Those are already a hot ticket item right now. Shake off the cobwebs and have a blast catching and releasing our future keepers!

Also, weekends in May I would like to put together a couple haddock trips and throw a line or two our for Porbeagle Sharks, We had a fantastic haddock year last spring. I usually don’t charter these early season trips out but have had many requests. I have four dates available:

• Sat May 20th

• Sunday May 21st

• Sat May 27th

• Sunday May 28th

After that we are full on striper mode until we do the shark thing.

News

In my last newsletter, I spoke about a company I found this winter named Backwoods Graphics (Click HERE or on the Picture for their website). In addition to stickers, car magnets, banners and vinyl wrap (If you have a company and looking to do these things let me know! He has GREAT prices) he makes awesome “Memory Mounts.” I bought two for my house and will be getting one on the boat for the summer. It’s short money ($35 including the mounts) to remember that fish of a lifetime or a great day on the water.

Backwoods Graphics at the Fishing Flea Market in Newburyport! Check them out guys you will not be disappointed!

Striped Bass Memory Mount. Looks even better in person!

Memory Mount of Manolin Approaching a school of pogies at Sunset!

Catch of the Week

Once the season gets rolling around, check out Manolin Charter’s website for the Catch of the Week and see if you made the cut!

Instagram Pic of the Month

If your picture that either you or I took gets the most likes on my Instagram account (@manolin_charters) at the end of the month, I will send you a picture on a Memory Mount Free of charge! Share your photos for more exposure and earn this awesome gift!

To wrap up, the season is around the corner and excitement is in the air! Time to get to work!

Tight Lines,

Captain Chris