| The striper fishing has remained good in the flats as well as out on the back bars of the Merrimack.
Large pods of medium to large fish are still showing on Joppa about 1 hr before the top of the tide and remaining in the flats for 2 to 3 hours after the turn. The bass and blues can be found at the river mouth near the bottom of the tide and for 1 to 2 hours after the turn into the incoming. Blues are also showing on the southside beachfront, look for the charter boats. The bass in the flats are spooky but become more aggressive with a properly presented fly or plug and especially as the light dims; first light, dusk and overcast. The bass are taking well into the evening (when present) up to as late as 10 P.M. Best bet is a large fly of 6 to 9 inches that moves (undulates) well in the water. Orientation of presentation and boat positioning can be a crucial factor. Determine, for given water current and wind direction, the direction the fish are looking. Make your presentation in front of and across of the direction the fish are heading or holding; it will make a difference. Good luck and preparation.
|  Last week displayed a mixed bag of action. We had a few good days with as many off days. The stripers are beginning their summer pattern. We found sizeable pods of 20-25 inch fish on the surface feeding (slurping) crab and lobster larva, while we found many other pods holed up in various shoreline structures. Most of the anglers I spoke with thought the striper action was on par with other seasons. Dan at Winchester Fishing reports the action on large stripers heated up last week. They weighed in a 39 pounder that fell for a herring chunk at Smiths Cove and a 43 pounder taken at the mouth of the Ipswich River (not sure how it was taken). Dan will be providing regular tournament info next week. We are still getting reports of large stripers out at Stellwagon. Tuna anglers are hooking up a fair number of incidental stripers. Be aware that it is illegal to target stripers beyond the 3 mile line. (An Environmental Police officer told us it is illegal to even bring an incental striper aboard your boat outside the line). Sizable schools of bluefish are present from Cape Ann up to at least the NH border. As the water warms up, look for more blues in close at Halibut Point. Expect the summer pattern to continue with increasing numbers of stripers feeding on top. Best bets for getting these fish to take is using small soft plastics (sluggos), un-weighted fished near the surface or small flies fished on or just below the surface. Our favorite patterns are; toads fished with an intermediate line or “gurglers” fished with floating lines. Best bet colors are white or combos including yellow and chartreuse. Hooking up these “slurpers” can be very exciting.
 Tuna action offshore is getting hot. Lots of 50-100 pound fish are hitting trolled spreads and at times, poppers and submerged metal jigging lures. The most consistent area is the NW corner of Stellwagon. Best bite occurs at dawn. Other reports have tuna being spotted a few miles off and to the south of Thatcher. We expect to be out in those areas this week.
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