Mouth of the Merrimack - Page 2

Yettie1 · #16 09-29-2008, 05:28 PM

LOL! That he is!

I've tried a few different methods, maybe just not the right thing in the right situation yet.

Yeah, not taking that boat out THERE anymore! lol
(Would have made a great video clip for a scary movie!LOL)

I drifted at night last Thursday with Eel's, no luck again.

I may do one more trip and that's that for this year.
I will take your advice and give that a whirl. Thanks!

(I've been freshwater in Swain's Lake twice and bagged 3 bass each trip)

Yettie1 · #17 07-11-2009, 11:31 AM

6 trips so far this year, one 3lb schoolie!

Almost hung it up for good last weekend and after thinking about it, i've got time and money into it and there's no way in hell i'm giving up that easy.

Thursday was my birthday and I went up the Mack., had a strange feeling I was gonna get a keeper finally. didn't happen.

If I have to go 10 more times or more this year, I'm going!

Just wanted to post something, hate just lurking around here all the time and not having anything to post.

It IS my mission to finally post a pic of a keeper here this year!

Good luck to all!

jasonsnova · #18 07-11-2009, 11:41 AM

yettie....try anchoring up, hit a outgoing tide find a decent rip in the current cast into it....fish will wait on the other side of current waiting for bait to come to them.......yu should atleast be able to pick up tons of schoolies.... good luck

Roccus · #19 07-11-2009, 05:00 PM

Anchors SHOULD be against the law for fishing for bass.. they are the LEAST effetive method.. location.. location... location.

Yettie1 · #20 07-11-2009, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonsnova

yettie....try anchoring up, hit a outgoing tide find a decent rip in the current cast into it....fish will wait on the other side of current waiting for bait to come to them.......yu should atleast be able to pick up tons of schoolies.... good luck

I was anchored out there the other day with 5-6 boats within 100 yds of me and 3 of the boats were pulling in schoolies, the guy closest to me was BUMMED, he measure one up and it was a 27"!

I did get 2-3 hits on chunk Mack, that's it.

Yettie1 · #21 07-11-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roccus

Anchors SHOULD be against the law for fishing for bass.. they are the LEAST effetive method.. location.. location... location.

I agree, 25 years ago I fished with a guy named "Frenchie" in the river and ALWAYS drifted with worms. We always caught a TON of fish.
Just a little easier with my little 14'er to anchor, especially always out there solo.
I'm still trying to find a location or two, eventually I will find one that works.

I would love to try it at night with eel's, but, not with this little boat solo.

jasonsnova · #22 07-13-2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roccus

Anchors SHOULD be against the law for fishing for bass.. they are the LEAST effetive method.. location.. location... location.

agreed! but usually its ok for schoolies in the right spot. drifting s usually more effective, but i do anchor in times of way to busy boat traffic...
that said i fished the merrimack 2x last week.....it was a very slow week compared to usual, both day and night ....atleast for me.

Rickski · #23 07-13-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roccus

Anchors SHOULD be against the law for fishing for bass.. they are the LEAST effetive method.. location.. location... location.

Agree 110% with that.

newt · #24 07-13-2009, 02:29 PM

I actually enjoy anchoring up and chunking bait - it's a relaxing way to fish. Don't get me wrong, I've spent plenty of time trolling, drifting, and casting, but don't think you can't catch nice fish while anchored up!

This year has been great in the Merrimack including my personal best 38 lb 47" caught while anchored and just this past Saturday I caught my third best fish -40" +/- along with a couple other keepers - again anchored up.

Drifting the mouth with live or chunk mackerel always seems to produce, but man it can get way too crowded and out there, and too dangerous in my mind when we have kids on the boat.

Rickski · #25 07-13-2009, 03:37 PM

My only problem with anchored boats is that they usually end up in someone's drift path. This turns into a safety issue. Even if you start at a different spot up current, you usually end up ending in close to the same spot. When you are trying to fish, watching out for the green cans, other drifting boats, boats entering and exiting the channel, and then anchored boats, it turns into a fire drill espeically when you have a fish on and are fishing by yourself on a weekend. You are not only watching the anchored boat but also the anchor line. When you have a fish on, most, but the green cans and the anchored boats will give you some room.

I'm not going to tell anyone how to fish. My opinion is that anchored boats in a extremely busy area of any river is a safety concern. Not to mention, I need to start my motor and get out of the way. I hope my motor starts quick,or there will be a collision that is the last thing I want to happen out there. Being familiar with the mouth of the Merimack, I know where the green cans are, and know to avoid them, even when I have a fish on. Anchored boats can pop up anywhere and their position changes every time they pull anchor to get back into the rip. Many times you don't know whether a boat is anchored until you are almost on top of it.

Any place on the water needs to be treated with respect because if you end up in the water, the results can be very unforgiving.

If you need to anchor, please anchor in an area that will least likely cause a collision with a drifting boat. You do have the right to anchor. It's not against the law yet, but think before you drop it.

I don't want this to turn into a anchor versus drift fishing debate. I've said my piece and I'm done. I am not calling anyone out here. I'm sure that the guys who frequent this board are smart enough to pick their anchor spots.

jasonsnova · #26 07-13-2009, 04:07 PM

i agree and as far as the merrimack i think it really should be against the law to anchor in the mouth or anywhere between the jettys or in the channel....my .02

newt · #27 07-13-2009, 04:35 PM

My post above was simply to point out that drift fishing isn't the only way to catch nice fish.

Since the safety aspect has been brought up, I will say that I agree with most of what has been mentioned about anchoring in certain spots. For the record, I don't anchor at the mouth or near the jetties or in the channel. On the other hand, if nobody is drifting an area and I decide to anchor up, then it's not my problem if the next guy wants to drift the area where I am already established. First come first serve. Likewise, if someone is anchored up and I decide to drift fish, then it's my responsibility to avoid them - not the other way around.

Personally, I think there should be a portion of the river mouth where drift fishing is not allowed - say adjacent to the north jetty or some other established path so that boats can safely enter and return through the mouth. I am amazed that more boats don't go down out there especially with some of the large commercial boats throwing huge wakes as they try and navigate through the mass of drifters in the mouth who have left almost no way in and out of the river.

To each their own. I have and will drift the mouth again, but on busy days, it's hardly fun. I'll anchor up in my spots and relax and some days catch more and bigger fish than the guys at the mouth. Other days I may go home empty handed. :)

Roccus · #28 07-14-2009, 08:24 AM

there is a reason why 10 percent of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish...

there is a time and a place for every method...no one said you couldnt catch fish while on anchor.. it was simply stated that it is not the most EFFECTIVE method...when the fishing is easy.. everyones an expert.

But anchoring where the majority are drifting is just plain ignorant..

Drifting allows mobility..and can be done ANYWHERE...it also allows for the best presentation....

I'm done giving advise here, it's obvoiusly not needed.. I'm tired of wasting my time... happy anchoring...

newt · #29 07-14-2009, 02:35 PM

"Anchors SHOULD be against the law for fishing for bass..'

Ah yes, excellent advice. Thank you for sharing and sorry you wasted so much time writing it. Happy non-anchoring to you.

Mike M. · #30 07-15-2009, 12:59 AM

When my dad first started fishing the river in the 50's if anyone had the gall to drop anchor where the majority were drifting they were harassed until they picked up and started drifting. In those days a 14' boat wouldn't have been considered small on the river either. There were a lot of 14-16' dory's on the water then. Of course today it's different. I don't understand why you don't just go and fish the same way you did 25 years ago in the same spots? I guarantee you drifting worms in the river will work if there are any fish around. The fishing hasn't changed that drastically. Fish are still fish and striped bass love eating worms. Like I said earlier you might not always catch the biggest fish this way all the time but you will almost always catch some.