6/8 - 6/15 Merrimack River Fishing Report

Here is a brief synopsis of the Merrimack River Fishing Reports the past week.

Johnson with a nice 38" striper caught on a live mackerel on Manolin Charters

Tight on a striper in the Merrimack River!

Sunday 6/8, Manolin Charters welcomed aboard Kyle's group. Great bunch of guys and we got into some fish. Still much slower than we'd like, but we got mackerel pretty easily and then proceeded to get a half dozen fish just under the legal limit. We did manage a keeper sized fish that pulled hook just as I was about to leader him. Great bunch of guys with a lot of laughs and good times. Action was spotty, but we managed a few to make a day out of it. 

View fullsize

A cooler filled with keeper stripers!

Saturday 6/14 the Merrimack River Fishing finally turned on! I had an afternoon charter to catch the tide and it did not disappoint our crew of seasoned Maine commercial lobster fishermen. The river was very wild, but the fishing was spectacular as we landed 15 keepers, a half dozen shorts, and a few misses. By far the best trip to date! Sunday afternoon from information I have gather thus far was also fantastic! Next weekend is setting up to be incredible with the AM outgoing tide. I have charter trips booked on Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. I have been trying to fill out the Sunday the 22nd and its going to be an awesome tide! Somebody please book this now!!!

The Maine Crew with 8 of the 15 Keepers!

Sunday 6/15 - Tough conditions with a stiff NW blow. We did well on the bait, but had to work for them. After some time, we managed 40 or so and were on our way. We picked two keepers on a double hook up by daughter Jessie and dad Steve on Father's Day! We tried a few more drifts but the tide was slacking and the traffic and wind made it difficult. After checking out some other drifts, I went to troll the beach front under some working birds. Fish were there, but man it was tough to stay tight! We came tight and dropped 5 fish in a row out there. Don't know why, each fish was fought for around 30 seconds before the hook just seemed to pop. No fault to the anglers. I'm going to stick with treble hooks from now on on the troll. 

Jessie and her dad Steve with a nice pair of keepers on a double hook up on Father's day

All in all, the fish are hear with the outgoing tide being your best bet (Again, Sunday June 22nd is setting up to be spectacular). There are fish on the incoming, but you really have to convert opportunities to put fish in the box.

Starting Thursday June 19th I will be on the water full time until late August so if you are around during the week or weekends give us a call and let us take you out on your own private fishing charter for striped bass out of Newburyport, MA.

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris

6/6 and 6/7 - Mark and Jeremy Return

Two day report here....

Dan with a pair of Keepah's!

Stripers are in for sure but have been moving around the past couple days. Not the early June fishing we have been accustomed too, but pretty decent never the less. Mackerel continue to be very reliable in big numbers and good sizes as well. Still waiting for the day when everything goes Ape S***,  which can be at any moment now. 

24 5 -6 Inch Whiting in a 30" Bass' Stomach!

Friday was a decent day drifting the mouth. We managed a few keepers all around the 30 inch mark along with a half dozen schoolies. It wasn't crazy action, but a fish or two each drift. Fishing reports from guys around the fleet were pretty solid and had me itching for my for the first charter of the year. What was amazing was what I found in the bass' stomach when I cut them open: one bass had 24 juvenile whiting in his gut which means he came in from offshore! 

Jeremy's Sweet 18# Striper Caught on a Live Mackerel in the Merrimack River

Today (Saturday) was a bit of a different story. Had repeat customers Mark and Jeremy out who brought along their buddies Jerome and Garret. We started off the day getting the macs pretty good and out to the mouth for some stripers.

Jerome with a schoolie to start us off. 

Mark's Keeper!

Yesterday, I figured out you just had to grind and pound out drift after drift to get the fish. Jerome started us off with the first two fish of the day that we just a tad under the keeper mark. Then, after another schoolie or two, Jeremy landed the first keeper! After grinding out some more drifts, Jeremy came tight again to a fat 38 inch fish! A real beauty that put up a fantastic fight. Another couple drifts, Mark finally gets on board with a schoolie followed by another nice keeper! Not to be outdone, on the last drift Garrett thought he had a fish, but ended up being a ball of weeds; but with a line attached! I handlined about 100 yards of braid back into the boat and up came a 25 inch striper! We got him unhooked and saved his life!

Reports from the fleet and radio chatter were abysmal. For the number of boats fishing the Merrimac River today, I didn't see many bent rods. After talking around, our group were the studs of the day. When fishing isn't hot and heavy, I have to give credit to these guys for their ability to hook and land nearly every bite they got! 

Thanks guys for coming on Manolin Charters. Had a bunch of laughs, caught some fish, and enjoy the first real beautiful day on the water.

Back at it tomorrow!

Capt. Chris Valaskatgis

6/1 Mackerel Mackerel Mackerel

Mackerel fishing has been nothing short of outstanding the past week. I have been able to find them on structure, tide lines, under birds, and less than a mile off the beach! They have come in all sizes, but mostly tinkers with some MONSTERS in the mix. I love when mackerel pull drag! 

Capt. Gary holding MY keeper striper to impress his girlfriend LOL

Striper fishing has been great for those who are into light tackle schoolie action. They are literally everywhere! Buddies have mine have been taking their tin skiffs way up river and hitting on some keepers. I think right now there just hasn't been a body of bigger fish than have moved in yet. Some may be way up river chasing herring to Lawrence and another pocket offshore feeding on mackerel. We have a week coming up with good morning tides and a prediction of Southernly winds that we have been longing for. When it does happen, it will be epic. Meanwhile, I took a busman's holiday with Capt. Gary Morin of Ring's Island Charters today to fill a cooler of macks and I managed to catch this guy before calling it a day!

Going out Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday before the first two charters of the season on the weekend. Can't wait!

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris

5/24 - Macs and Keepers are Here!

Manolin Charters First Keeper 2014!

What a fantastic solo trip I had today. Just about everything you can imagine! I literally could not get myself to leave the water today as I fished from 7 AM - 4 PM! A little chilly in the morning, but never the less a gorgeous day on the water! This is going to be a long a report, but so many cool things happened today the fishing geeks out there will enjoy it....

I guess I will spit out the story chronologically. Left the docks at 7 AM to catch the last hour of the incoming. Pretty confident of the fishing upriver for schoolies, but my goals for today included Joppa, Mackerel, and Keeper Stripers. As soon as I crossed the Ice Breaker, I saw birds working on the Salisbury flat. I swung over and saw fish busting! Yes! I throw out the light green RonZ and come tight to a nice 24 inch striper. With no wind and fish breaking at the boat, I switched to my lighter set up and went 9 for 9 on my next casts with fish ranging from very 12 - 23 inches. A blast on light tackle - Joppa fishing! I ended up with a bakers dozen when in the blink of an eye when the OFF switch flipped. 

The tide was slacking out so I went on a hunting mission. I checked all the usual suspect inside and then ventured out to the beach front in front of Plum Island to check the bottom changes from the winter. To be honest, I was just cruising around looking for something to set up on, but I just kind of drove around and got intimate with the new boat and electronics. Felt so good to be out there and hanging out while still getting used to it...but man is she great!

Releasing a Keeper Bass to Fight Again!

From there, I shot out and started drifting for mackerel. After what felt like a long 10 minutes, I started to load up on fish of all sizes. Some very large, some nice medium ones, but mostly tinkers! We didn't get many tinkers last year so this was sweet! They are striper candy. Got around 35 or so then the tide line I was fishing dispersed and the bite died, but I still tried for another 30 minutes waiting for the tide to get moving in the river.

With bait in hand, I wanted to try my luck at Joppa. Never made to where I wanted to fish as I encountered yet another blitz by the Toothpick. Smaller class schoolies this time, but I had to stop and get on the action and I'm glad I did. They were very aggressive on top and wanted nothing to do with my trusty green RonZ, so I switched to white. No takes. "Ok I'll go smaller" switch to a small Savage Sand Eel the killed it for me in the AM. The wind had picked up and the current was moving, which made it difficult to cast and retrieve and still no bite yet. Hmm...bucktail..One cast and I decided that was a stupid idea. Ohhh ok my favorite topwater is perfect for this situation: A white Rebel Jumpin Minnow! First cast ...Tight! Successive casts I learned they were only hitting if I gave them a super fast retrieve, but they kept swinging and missing it! So now I am thinking I need something small, but casts far, can't be reeled in quick, and preferably subsurface....Shimano Wax Wing in Pink! THAT was the ticket...picked 6 for 6 my next set of casting. People were anchored and chumming, trolling umbrellas/tube and worm, casting, and I was even drifting a livie the whole time, but no one was catching until that Wax Wing hit the water. (This was a long blitz...seriously)

Another Keeper!

It was starting to get claustrophobic and took my macs to the river. A couple drifts and a couple sings and misses! I had to get my timing back, but the first are there so I stick with it. I catch a couple fish in the 24 - 26 range, while Capt. Scott of Summer Job Charters and Capt. Pete of Obsessed Charters start busting my balls that they just caught keepers. I see some bird activity yet again a little more inside the Jetties. I sneak in there and again fish everywhere! I wanted a keeper so I stuck to the bait as opposed to casting. Picked up and dropped a couple fish (damn was I googan today), but no keepers yet. I had one at the boat that probably would have kept, but it spit the hook boat side and those don't count! 

Finally, I was able to connect on three keepers to finish off the day!  Nice fish in the 28" - 29.5''. Happened a little later in the tide that I thought it would be, but I'm not complaining!

So in summary...everything is here...on schedule.

Let's Get'em!

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris

5/23 Weekly Report and Memorial Weekend Outlook

Mike on the Fly

Ahh finally back into the swing of things. Feels great just to be back on the water and catching stripers in Newburyport again! Went out a couple times this week after work and the fishing was great. Tons of schoolies and non stop action. 

Getting Bigger

Got out Tuesday with my buddy Mike on his boat and caught fish out in front of Plum Island and Salisbury Ocean side, then went up river for the tide change and smoked about 50 fish in an hour on light tackle (RonZ and Paddle tails) and the fly. He went back out again Thursday afternoon/night and dialed in with close to 80 fish once the tide started moving! Awesome! 

I got back out it after it for an hour today with my buddy Pat and we picked up a dozen (a couple @ 25 - 26 inches) with a lot of near misses between the islands up the Merrimack River on the tail end of the incoming. The NE wind kept us chilly and we were hungry so we wrapped it up and headed in the Newburyport for dinner. 

Will be at it the next three days primarily looking for mackerel and targeting some keepers on the beach front, the mouth , and Joppa Flats. I know the up river fish are definitely there, so I'm looking for quality over quantity. Word on the street today was there were a few keepers brought in this morning's outgoing tide. We have a great morning tide for the weekend so it should be good! Have a great Memorial Day everybody!

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris Valaskatgis

5/18 - More Schoolie Stripers

Went out again Sunday afternoon for more of a recon mission than Saturday with my buddy Capt. Scott of Summer Job Charters on his boat. First order of business was to find some mackerel as we headed out of the Merrimack River. We tried two spots and did manage a few, but nothing to write home about just yet. The water seems to be just a tad too cold, but should improve by the end of the week. 

We took our macks in front of Plum Island and saw birds working hard but no stripers under them. When the bigger fish do get here it is going to be an epic show! There's so much bait from the ocean front, to the mouth, to Joppa Flats, to up river. 

We left Plum Island and drifted the mouth for two drifts on the incoming - nothing happening. Then went to flats to troll our mackerel and again, other then a ton of bait, there were no stripers to show. Finally, we went up river for the last hour of the tide to fish around the islands. We managed around another 15 plus schoolies on light tackle until the tide slacked out and the bite dropped. 

The good news is that the fish are here and actually back on a typical pattern from a few years ago. With the warm winters the past few years we have enjoyed a nice early season run of keeper fish, seems everything is a week or so off this year. 

If light tackle casting and schoolie action is your game, then I am going to run special 3 Hour After Work Charters out of Newburyport on Tuesdays and Thursdays the next two weeks @ $250 specifically targeting stripers casting lures with light tackle!

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris

5/17 - Stripers are Back!

Finally, the stripers have arrived! Was able to get a break in the weather and go poke around for some life. Since it was a little too windy to hit the mouth, we went up river and found a nice pocket of schoolies in the 12 - 20 inch range. Soft plastics were the bait of choice. Although, my buddy landed 2 on the fly.

We ended up with 15 schoolies for the day and headed to Joppa to see what was happening. Played around there for about an hour and nothing was doin'. It will probably turn on within the next week as bigger fish arrive!

Capt. Pete with his first of the year!

If you are interested in a charter call soon, the fish are here and they are hungry! 

978 314 9397

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Chris

NIce Striper on the Fly

A True Monster

2014 Season Long Striper Tourney!

51" Inch Striper Caught in the Merrimack by Nick at age 7

Manolin Charters is offering a season long striper tournament to its guests! The winner with the biggest striper (Per Weight) will win a 2015 inshore trip at half price! This will last the entire season and we will post regular updates on our Facebook Page with the current leader. All you need to do to enter the tournament is show up for your charter!

The only rules are you have to be fishing on a Manolin Inshore Charter and the striper must be weighed by Capt. Chris. The tourney will start mid May and last through Mid October.

Winners will be given a 2015 Inshore Charter at Half Price and a T shirt for the entire crew that came that day!

Book a trip soon to catch the best dates and tides to get that fish of a lifetime!