Fishing Guide in Newburyport

The Merrimack River mouth is a natural highway for striped bass moving up and down the coast, and the jetties, sandbars, and drop-offs around Plum Island create ambush points where stripers stack up to feed. In spring, we target schoolie stripers and early-season bluefish as the water warms into the 50s. By June, bigger stripers are pushing into the river on the flood tide, and we work the current seams with streamers and poppers. Summer brings bluefish in numbers, and when the false albacore show up in late August and September, the fishing gets fast and technical. Fall is prime time—big stripers feed aggressively before heading south, and the bite stays strong into November if the weather holds.

A typical charter out of Newburyport means launching early to catch the tide right. We fish the jetties when the current is moving, then shift to the flats or the river depending on what the fish are doing. The water here changes hour by hour with the tide, so reading the flow and adjusting your presentation is part of the game. I keep my groups small so everyone gets time on the water and hands-on instruction if you want it. Whether you're new to saltwater fly fishing or you've been chasing stripers for years, Newburyport offers the kind of variety that keeps every trip different.

This is working water—commercial boats, recreational traffic, and strong tidal currents mean you need to know the area to fish it safely and effectively. I've spent years learning how the fish use this system, and that local knowledge is what puts clients on fish consistently. We're not just blind casting. We're fishing structure, reading bait, and timing the tides to be in the right place when the bite turns on.