MERRIMACK RIVER BASS: FROM HAVERHILL UP

People often stop into the shop looking for new places to cast a line. Bass fishermen are always looking for a new challenge with the potential for catching a lunker, the catch of a lifetime. My advise to them is to try one of my favorite locations, the Merrimack River. Over the past couple of decades a massive clean up effort have transformed the Merrimack from a dumping ground to a clean and productive river. Although salmon restoration was the target, all species benefited from the clean-up.

Haverhill to the Concord River: Largemouth bass fishing is productive throughout the entire river from it’s headwaters to it’s lower reaches. The twenty mile stretch of river that runs from the Rt. 125 connector bridge in Haverhill to just below the mouth of the Concord River has held my interest for years. Although the fishing can be better than fantastic it can also challenge the most experienced angler. In all the years that I have cast baits, searched out new areas, experiments with new techniques and tested new lures, I have never been skunked. I may not have caught the numbers or size of the fish I was looking for but I always managed to catch bass.

Although the whole twenty mile stretch of river continues to hold my interest, the five miles from Haverhill to the Ward Hill Section of the river has to be rated as one of my favorite bass waters of all times. This section of the river is not only productive but it is picturesque and well protected. One of the reasons that this section of river is so productive is that it is somewhat difficult to fish from shore. Some of the area is posted and requires landowner permission to fish.

Just above the Rt. 125 bridge there is a fifteen foot pool that is very productive when fished with plastic worms, jigs and soft baits. This is also a good area to fish with live bait. Although the tide makes little difference in water depth, during the top of the tidewater currents tend to shift and become less pronounced. Take this into consideration when working artificial baits, especially when working deep diving plugs along the edges of the deeper water. Another good pool is located just about a mile above this location and also is fifteen feet.

Moving up the river, we come to the next productive location. This section of the river runs from the Rt. 495 bridge to the Methuen line. This section of the river provides some of the best bass fishing as well as some of the most difficult waters to fish and navigate. Rocks, submerged structure and numerous obstructions are numerous throughout this area.

Within this five mile section, the river bottom consists of mostly rock with a few areas of muck. Vegetation along the river bank is abundant with plenty of submerges and partially submerged structure. The large number of fallen trees along the river bank quickly become a bass fisherman’s dream. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, poppers and stickbaits are extremely effective along this section of river.

Section By Section: The "Graveyards", a deadly section of the river that has claimed many lower end units and propellers, remains one of the most productive sections of the river for bass fishermen. Not only are there good numbers of largemouth bass in this section of the river but plenty of smallmouth are also present. This seems to be one of the few bodies of water where both largemouth and smallmouth bass can be caught and often times will take the same baits.

Located just above the graveyards is the Farmer’s Island. During the high water of spring the island is completely surrounded by water. As the high waters of spring start to recede, there is a roadway that connects the island to shore that will become evident. This roadway will create two coves on the back side of the island. Both of these coves are very productive as the bass will hold tight to the roadway and move out to the points to feed. Other species of fish also call these coves home. By late summer these coves turn dry and the fish will have moved into the main river channels.

The Ward Hill section of the river is most always a great bass fishing area. It was so named because it runs next to the Ward Hill Industrial Park. Shore access to the river can be gained from the area. A large section of the river is fenced off and a bit of hiking is required but the trip is worth the aggravation. Located within this area is a spot nicknamed Peter’s Point. This small point juts out into the main river channel and it’s backside consists of shallow water ledges. By working the river channel up to the ledges, fishermen have scored big in a short period of time. I have seen the day when a friend of mine and I have worked the area with both jigs and bait and tallied a catch of over two hundred pounds. Many of these fish tipped the scales at between four and six pounds with the largest weighing in at just under eight pounds. Keep in mind that this is the exception rather than the rule. By the way, that day was during the fall.

The next section of the river runs from the mouth of the Shawsheen River tp the base of the Essex Dam in Lawrence. Although many different species of fish can be caught in this part of the river, it attracts good numbers of bass fishermen because the structure is so plentiful. The structure consists of downed trees, rock piles, bridge abutments, vegetation, sluiceway and what is commonly called "city structure", shopping carts etc.

Bridges, Pools and Inlets: Not only is this section good for largemouth bass but god numbers of small-mouth bass also inhabit this section of river. As you work your way towards the dam, there are numerous sluice ways on both sides of the river. Presenting small and medium sized shiners at the mouth of any one o f these culverts will generally produce good numbers of small-mouth bass.

There are numerous bridges along the river and they are great locations for bass waiting in ambush. Working the downriver side of the abutments with artificials such as the Zara Spook is very effective.

The large pool created by the dam is a good area and can be fished from shore. Just above the pool is a launching facility with parking. For the next few miles upriver the bottom consists of mostly muck with a few areas of sand. Many anglers proclaim this as the most successful section of the river for bass fishermen. In fact there are numerous bass tournaments held in this section throughout the year.

The many inlets and small cover that dot this section of the river make it popular among fishermen. Large tracts of shoreline are accessible adding to the draw of this section of river. The banks and shallows around pine Island are very productive. Sawyer Brook, Fish Brook and Griffin Brook are also popular.

Trull Brook to the Concord River:   At the mouth of Trull Brook a mucky bottom supports an excess of vegetation making it great bass waters. Duck Island is generally better for small-mouth but largemouth are also caught here. The mouth of the Concord River provide for good bass fishing but much better fishing takes place just within the Concord.

The Merrimack River has to be one of the best fishing locations within the state. Numerous species of fish inhabit the river and more than one fisherman has fished the river looking for one species of fish only to catch another. This experience has opened up a new fishing experience for him.

The Merrimack River is truly a jewel to be treasured and enjoyed by all fishermen.