by Dave Miele
Tom Dunphy & I have fished together for over twenty years, and this was not unlike any other Saturday that we might venture out for a late afternoon / early evening of striper fishing. Or so we thought. With gear loaded up and lines cast off, our course was east to the mouth of the Merrimack to troll wire between the jetties.
It was a bit slow so we decided to head south of the “cans” out in front of Plum Island. I saw the strike as Tom loudly stated that he was on. His excitement quickly turned into concerns over being spooled.
“I’m crankin in as fast as I can Tom!” he yelled as I slowed the boat to idle to keep tension on his line.
“I think I have the bottom, this thing isn’t moving,” he said frantically.
“But your rod tip is moving Tom, it’s got to be something,” I responded.
“It must be a log, there’s only sand over here.”
“Maybe it’s a sea monster?”
“Dave I see my spool!”
We were fishing with 150 feet of 50-pound wire and 100 yards of 50-pound Dacron backing, but in only about 2 minutes the fish had nearly spooled Tom’s line! I quickly threw the boat into reverse with some throttle and that saved the day. Since my line was in, I was able to run the boat, take direction from Tom during what would become a 25 minute battle.
Near the end of the fight, up from the shadowy depths, the form slowly took shape. “Shark!” we both shouted simultaneously! In the same breath, we corrected ourselves — “Sturgeon!”
The fish was a monster. We estimated it at about 9½ feet with the tail still swishing at the stern and an estimated at 300+ pounds based on its length by MA Fish & Wildlife. Truly the catch of a lifetime, and I could not have been happier for the friend of a lifetime! Since these fish are protected, we took great care in the removal of the hook. Once done, the beast instantly began undulating and slowly submerged as it appeared into the depths.
The On The Water staff is made up of experienced anglers from across the Northeast who fish local waters year-round. The team brings firsthand, on-the-water experience and regional knowledge to coverage of Northeast fisheries, techniques, seasonal patterns, regulations, and conservation.
A couple summers ago I was fishing the flats at Plumb Island in my Kayak. nothing was biting and it was very hot so I decided to paddled up river to the Rt.1 bridge to catch some shade and drink a cold one. as I relaxed just out of the sun light, something rose from the depths just to the left of the bow of my boat. it was about 3 feet below the surface and swimming up river. the head of the creature dissolved into the shadowed water but the rest of the body continued to follow. as each foot of fish slid by the cockpit of my very low to the water, “yum yum” yellow 11 1/2′ kayak, I got a little nervous. as finally the tail sailed by, maybe 10′ in all, and disappeared into the blackness I had a sudden urge to ground my fishing lure shaped piece of plastic and go order a few martinis at Michale’s Harbor Side.
Yikes… Maybe a sturgeon… but sounds like a shark.
It was hard to tell. the water was cloudy and it tends to distort size somewhat. however two days latter I was putting in at the flats again and two women were dragging there boast out. one looked at me and said “something rammed my three times am I am outa here!. thought it was a bull shark.
My fishing buddy and I caught 2 sturgeon yesterday while trolling wire in the Merrimack River. I estimated the first at about 100 pounds and the second at about 75#
The description is being nearly spooled in about 2 minutes is very accurate. My buddy had to back down on the fish as I recovered line. I also believed that I had caught bottom initially.
What an experience.
Ed Hudon
Byfield, MA
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While fishing this spring for shad at Rocks village Bridge I hooked a fish which given the take was the usual way a shad inhales a flutterspoon,we are talking a 6’6 Rod spooled with 4lb test.Nonetheless having realized it was hooked and showing himself I was into perhaps a 5 to 6 ft sturgeon my first ever, a battle I lost. Two days later same spot foul hooked another same rod set up .I won this battle. Thanks to the fisherman who released this one for me. I don’t know his name but Im sure he will remember this fish as it left him with a sore hand upon thrashing and connecting with his hand on his boney spine.
Good thing they are protected up here because there are 20,000 of them in the river. There’s one jumping now
Was drifting along deer island today and had three jump straight out of the water within 20 yards. One was about 4-5 feet, the other about 3
My buddy caught a 6footer at the mouth of Merrimack a cpl season about and we got a 4footer last year
Back in the summer of 1971 along The Garland Rd.,in Maine across from an old dairy farm is a small creek,on South side of Rd.,that summer my friend and I were following the creek East from a rented farm house his Dad had invited me to share with his children,as Tom and I waded into a pole around 4′ wide,3′ deep,and maybe 15′ to 25′ long,all of a sudden the water erupted as we raced to get out of this pool,we had spooked maybe a 7′ or 8′ sturgeon which seemed as though it may have been,”land-locked”,their for most of it’s life,we were young and scared and never reported this to anyone,that was 47 yrs.ago,the brook was full of brook trout and plenty of bullfrog’s which drew us into it’s water’s to begin with,all I remember it was black on it’s top with a leather like exterior and those spikes on it’s back and a powerful body,like an alligator! Norm in NH.
I’m on the Merrimack River myself, came down today to check on my boat and found a 22″ sturgeon sitting inside my dinghy dead !
Was on the Merrimack River by Plum Island yesterday 06/15/2020. No less than 40 fish jumping clear out of the water. What a sight to behold. A few of them were monsters.