My MAJOR Grumpage - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

outfished · 08-01-2005, 12:10 PM

Okay folks, here it is. This is to be read in a loud tone of voice. My buddy and I head to the mouth of the merrimack Satuday night for for some surf fishing during high tide. We arrive about an hour before high, do the death march to the jetty where we're met with enough people fishing making it look like a head boat just dumped them off there, people fishing shoulder to shoulder. After speaking to one individual there I find out they are all from the Lawrence/Lowell area. Need I say more? I normally don't have a problem with ANYONE fishing as long as people have some etiquette and common sense, which there was none here. So we say "no big deal" and move a short distance away to fish figuring most will probably leave once it's dark out. WRONG! I'm launching live eels out when one "individual" walks into my spot literally 3 feet from me. I asked him "do you want to wisper in my ear or something"? He gives me a blank look and proceeds to cast over my line. He brings it in and untangles my line, never says a word. Five minutes later, same thing again. I told him next time I'm keeping his $15.00 lure. Sure enough, a few minutes later he cross's my line again. So now I'm reeling in as fast as I can and get his lure up to my pole, I cut him loose and stick his lure into my tackle box. I thank him graciously and he's not happy. He finally walks away and gathers with his friends as they stare at us. Doesn't bother me, I have a nice new lure. It's now near high tide and a few people have left opening up 2 spots against the jetty on the river side to which my buddy and I grab. After a few minutes one of the kids who's there with his "fishing" parents begins to break corona beer bottles on a rock on the beach! I'm like WTF? I approach his father and alert him as to what his son is doing and he totally ignores me, like he can't understand me. I go back to fishing. After a short while my eel finally gets off my hook so I head out of the surf to reload. When I return to my spot, there are now two "individuals" in my freakin spot! One of them has already crossed my buddies line twice and my bud is letting his feelings known. It's now become a one sided yelling match, all the while they just look and say nothing(playing stupid). I walk up to them shine my million candle power light straight into his face from a foot away and say "movimiento" (move away)! I think they were beggining to understand our lament. Gradually some begin to leave the area and we fish until near midnight in pouring rain. As we start packing the gear we notice the beach is a disaster with tons of trash strewn all over the place. Plastic Baitbags, cups, garbage, diapers, glass bottles, you name it, it was there. I said to my buddy, I usually pick other peoples trash on the way out but we would literally need a BFI truck to haul this out. Well folks, I'm done with that area. I've been going there on and off for 15 years and its sad to see the condition it's in now. I'll be reporting this grump to the proper authorities but somehow I think it will be all for nothing.

SAD SAD SAD....

HighTide · 08-01-2005, 12:18 PM

How many shorts did they take?

Just think how crowded it would have been if they brought the whole family

Raven · 08-01-2005, 12:21 PM

but the only thing i can visualize is cars burning and fire engines.

outfished · 08-01-2005, 12:27 PM

Oh trust me, the entire familie's were there. I didn't see them keep any shorts but the few that were caught were dragged onto the beach about 50ft. then either kicked or thrown back into the water. One funny note here: As they would leave I witnessed all of them dunking their rods into the ocean to clean the sand off.

The Dad Fisherman · 08-01-2005, 12:44 PM

That place is a friggin zoo on the weekends. I didn't fish there that much this year because of it. If I do I get there real early in the AM on a weekday as its not that crowded, and if it is the majority of people there know what they're doing. Its a shame too because it can be beautiful place there on a summers night.

outfished · 08-01-2005, 01:14 PM

I can't begin to tell you the countless quiet nights I've spent there in the past. It's such a shame to see such a prestine place go down the crapper. The public urinating was disgusting, pi$$ing right into the ocean! And since when are sleeping bags allowed on the beach there so they can sleep? Is this allowed now? You won't see me there again anytime soon. I've emailed my concerns to the cheif of police in Newburyport, lets see if he gets back to me. $5.00 he doesn't.

HighTide · 08-01-2005, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outfished

I can't begin to tell you the countless quiet nights I've spent there in the past. It's such a shame to see such a prestine place go down the crapper. The public urinating was disgusting, pi$$ing right into the ocean! And since when are sleeping bags allowed on the beach there so they can sleep? Is this allowed now? You won't see me there again anytime soon. I've emailed my concerns to the cheif of police in Newburyport, lets see if he gets back to me. $5.00 he doesn't.

If the phone doesn't ring, it's him.