May 17 2013 — Striped bass, an invaluable commercial fish in summer in Massachusetts, as well as a magnet for recreational anglers, are the inshore light tackle game fish of choice from the Canadian Maritimes through the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Smiles were spread across the faces of about a dozen fishermen who were strung along the northern bank of the Little River Thursday morning just before and after the 10:20 a.m. low tide at what to some is known as the “candy house flats” due to the presence of Nichols Candies above the saltmarsh.
And why not?
They were catching stripers on flies, plugs and squigglies, those rubbery things that seem to remind stripers of bait fish or squid, which are reported to have arrived in Gloucester Harbor and, along with the herring in the river, announce the sure beginning of the season.
The arrivals Thursday included the first little stripers and a sprinkling of babysitters, fish of more than two feet and less than the keeper length of 28 inches.
Paul Dredge and Gregory Ekirt of Arlington said they took and released 15 schoolies, and Tony Sydorko of Beverly said he caught and released about 30 in the “couple” of hours before dead low tide at 10:20 a.m.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times