Live Bait

[Fish On]

Gonna be fishing the mouth of the Merrimac this weekend in my 22' Hydrosports. I typically troll or plug but really want to get in on all this action I'm hearing about with live bait (other than eels which I already use as well). Does anyone know where I can purchase (legally obtained) live herring or other live baitfish (pogies, mackerel, etc.) in that area?

Tight lines!

[JohnR]

Very few if any places will sell you live bait unless you are a regular and are willing to pay thru the teeth for it. There is also some questionable legality stuff on it...

Best thing is to go get your own. Plenty of threads here on how to get / store / where for live herring but basically buy a Keepalive 35 Gal Tank / 700+GPH infuser, a long handled dip net (25" wide) and go to a herring run and legally take them.

You must get them from the net to the running bait tank fast or they'll die and when in the tank, you need an ammonia kicker to keep those levels down or they'll die, you need to keep the water cool so get some ice or they'll die - get the picture ? Lot of work but the results can be worth it...

[fishsmith]

Live macs work great too, they've been everywhere, so you should be able to jig them outside the river.

[Sweetieface]

Not to sound like a squeamish wuss here but... how do you hook a live herring???

[fishweewee]

You know, there is a bar about two blocks from a building in NYC I used to work near.

It was called "Live Bait."

I went in there looking for...you guessed it...live bait but was bitterly disappointed when it turned out to be a bar and not a tackle shop.

-WW

[JohnR]

Originally posted by Sweetieface
Not to sound like a squeamish wuss here but... how do you hook a live herring???

If you are dropping it into a current running away from you, hook it thru the nostrils. If you are lobbing into other wash / open swim, hook it just behind the doral fin. I've heard of a couple other devious methods to impart different action on them though

[STEVE IN MASS]

Originally posted by fishweewee
You know, there is a bar about two blocks from a building in NYC I used to work near.

It was called "Live Bait."

I went in there looking for...you guessed it...live bait but was bitterly disappointed when it turned out to be a bar and not a tackle shop.

-WW

WeeWee....LOL....which reminds me of....last Saturday Ed and I stopped by the Andrea in Westerly just to have a look out at the surf....there were two guys there sharing a blanket on the beach......yeah, both Ed and I thought the same thing.........

Anyway, while Ed was inside, they came off the beach, and asked if I had caught anything....when I said "no", the one guy said to me "Come back here at about 9:30 tonight, and rig up with a big pink rubber Dil**, and toss it across the bar room floor inside....you're bound to catch SOMETHING!".......

[redlite]

[JohnR]

Really - the Andrea is just too close to the Pink House, eh?

Seriously - OK place to fish (on the beach - not inside ), often overated, but you can find fish when it's snotty and the lights have all that bait in there.

[chris L]

I wonder if my parrot colored one will work . I hate to get it dirty dragging it on the floor . the something you might catch could kill you ! safety is the way to go use rubbah !

[STEVE IN MASS]

Actually, John.....I often stop there and look (at the surf, at the surf.....), but have never fished there.....I got other spots in the area that I prefer.....

But have gone into the bar, albeit during mid-day, for lunch....nice view, and the waitresses enhance the, um, view, as do the tables over looking the beach with the, um, (cough cough) scenery on a warm sunny afternoon....

[Goose]

YUP, what fish smith said

[shore manic]

so i'm thinking cool this looks like a good place to stay on a weekend, nice bar, great spot,5 boats sitting out front fishing.no wonder they let me use the mens room. then last year at the ma.leg the 6'6 he/she black dress and high heels with the white van at the ditch. think john and g.s.and a few others saw him/her too.

[backlasher]

I sometimes resent boaters (unless I'm boating or...)...unless they snag a bunch of live bait and sit out there patiently waiting for Mr. Big. That's tough, but rewardingdif fishing. Good luck.

Pogies do not last long, so a live well is a must. Easily snagged if you can find them (light gear and weighted treble). Once you have your pogie hooked on, you have to be real patient on setting the hook when Stripes come by.

But, hey, if the macks are in then that might be the ticket (they last longer and you can jig em up and use the leftovers for cut bait).

Good luck.
B.L.

[Fish On]

So here's what happened... Let me start by saying the advice given on this board is right on, fantastic! So I went outside the mouth on Saturday, about 1/2 mile, to a small rock outcropping by the last red marker (I'm sure the regulars know where I was). I cut up some fresh herring into really small pieces and chummed with that for about 10 minutes while simultaneously jigging a small diamond jig with a series of small hooks on the leader. My first success was a full 5 mackerel at once, very small (about 6 inches) but 1 on every hook. All toll I caught about 40. The deeper I jigges the bigger the mackerel got. I caught 2 that were probably about a foot. I fished them live in the mouth of the river until they died (my livewell pump is down), but then continued to fish them dead, all hooked in the snout. When I did get a hit I let him take a good 15 or 20 yds, then set the hook, and realed in a 9 lb, 30 inch striper! Caught him by the #13 can outside the flats while drifting. I took 2 quick pictures and released him. Thanks for all the help! I had a blast and can't wait for the next trip.