Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

Stan,

The tidal swell at the mouth of the Merrimack depends a lot on the wind direction 
and the outgoing tidal surge.  If the wind is a brisk onshore into the mouth with a 
strong outgoing tide, it can get R-E-A-L bad!  At other times, it can be as smooth as 
a baby's ahhh .... bottom!   I've taken my little 14' w/25hp tiller Merc through with 
no problems.  Other times I wouldn't get within 100 yards of it.

Of course... depends on how "brave" you are ... and how much insurance you've 
got!  ;-)

Waitin' for the first schoolies...

Joe

    I heard that the docks at Cashman's Landing are not in the water yet.
    Does anyone know if this is true and if so, when do they put the docks
    in?
    
    stan
    

	Not sure about Cashman's but the new state ramps on the Salisbury
	side are supposedly ready...  

	As for the mouth of the Merrimac, I actually saw a guy canoing
	there on a calm day.  Another time, the 65' head boat I was on
	had doubts they'd make it through the mouth on a return trip
	with an easterly wind and outgoing tide.  We made it in, but 
	the capt'n said it's impossible sometimes and you just gotta wait
	it out.
	
	/Ken

    Last friday morning the Capt lady (a 75' charter boat) tried for almost
    40 minutes to get out past the mouth to go deep sea fishing but could
    not get out. A buddy of mine was on the boat that day. Word from him
    were "the mouth looked like a toilet bowl that just got flushed"..
    
    	Other times My buddy and myself have gone out the mouth in our
    14' rowboat with 25hp motor..
    
    

    
    The docks were not in at Cashman's last weekend. We used the new
    Salisbury ramp. The State did a real nice job there. Not much in the
    way of schoolies on Saturday. There is few small ones but that's about
    it. We went outside for Cod but only took one small throw-back. Water
    is still mighty nippy (44 degrees).
    
    Jim 

    HOw far outside the mouth did you go looking for cod?? Are there any
    humps/bumps nearby?

    re: .5
    
    So did the State put any tieups/dockage next to the ramp - or is it
    essentially the same concrete runway - just rebuilt?
    

    re 5.
    We went out eight to ten miles into about 200ft of water just looking
    for some bumps. We saw what looked like a group of boats fishing an
    area so we headed for that spot. As we arrived we noticed they were
    draggers not bottom bouncers. We moved back to a bump at about 160 ft
    depth. Did nothing there so we went up to Hampton Ledge--one small Cod
    there and a few Scalpin. We tried a few other spots on the way back to
    the Merrimack. We needed to be in early as the tied would be running
    out into a developing easterly. As far as the new ramp in Salisbury, it
    has docks on both sides just like Cashmans. There is a current at Black
    creek but not anything like the MR up at Cashmans when the tied is
    ebbing.

    Great! The State did something right for a change!

I've seen 15-20' seas on a strong outgoing tide with an easterly chop.  I've
been told it can get worse.

I've been in Joe's 14' tin boat with the 25hp Merc for stripers, and we've gone
outside for flounder.  Depends on the weather.  It is listed in Chapmans as one
of the most dangerous ports on the east coast.

Tim

    Anyone doing anything, as far as Stripers, around the Merrimack yet? My
    buddies went to the Vineyard this weekend while I had to stay home :(
    They ended up doing very well on the schoolies right in front of the
    coast guard station on the other side of the Island. Schools of
    Herring, Diving Seagulls and the schoolies whacking anything you threw
    in front of them.......
    
    Just Wondering.......
    Bob M.

    I'll let you know next tuesday as we plan to be fishing the MR this
    weekend.. :-)