The Candy House at Little River continues to provide local anglers with fair action using small topwaters, metals and soft plastics. Most of the stripers are of the dink variety, but a few up to 25 inches are being taken. If you plan to fish there this weekend, bring along the bug spray as the "no-seeums" are also biting and especially fierce when the wind is light. The oceanside action is also picking up with catches being reported from the boat and shore anglers alike. Brian O'C reported taking (and releasing) a 40+ inch striper at mid-week in an undisclosed shore location along the Gloucester shoreline. He also reported consistent action still happening in the Essex River backwaters. The local water temps are still running cold so I expect the stripers to continue providing some fairly good fishing this weekend in the backwaters and out front.

My nephew James catching and releasing a schoolie at Candy House

The Merrimack River flats and the Plum Island beachfront continue to produce some excellent striper action for fisherman using all sort of tackle and techniques. The anglers fishing up on the flats are taking stripers by way of the fly, soft plastics and plugging. Joe W. also reported that the shad and striper fishing up at the dam continues to be very good; it may be a good place to fish this weekend if you want to avoid the crowds.

Joe W at the below the Lawrence dam

Out at the river mouth the bait and trolling boats are taking good numbers of stripers and putting far too many in the their coolers---just saying! While the light tackle anglers are having way more fun catching and "releasing" their stripers on flies, soft plastic tipped jigs, and plugs. Last Sunday Capt Al did quite well along the beachfront with flies and topwaters as the stripers continue to gorge on tons of sandeels.

Capt Al with Carrisa and Jason

I got out on Monday and Wednesday and did well both up on the flats and out at the river mouth catching and releasing a good number of keeper sized stripers using jig head soft plastics and flies.

Skip and Todd H

With good weather forecast for the weekend, you will have a ton of company out on the flats and especially at the river mouth, so be careful and practice more catch and release- please!