Photo by Ken Freel

Massachusetts fishermen covet big stripers -- those elusive 50-pounders that lure anglers from their warm beds to ply the surf in the dark of night. Some guys want a big trophy for the bragging rights or just the pure excitement of landing a giant striper.

Other anglers target keepers (over 28 inches) for the table because they taste so good, while still others just want to catch lots of fish. We all want stripers and, though catching them in July has challenges, there are plenty of places to find these fish.

Gary Nelson and Paul Caruso, marine fisheries biologists for the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries, said that last year was a good year for striper angles, with steady action all season. There were lots of smaller fish (from 14 to 20 inches) from the 2002 and 2003 spawning season, and good numbers of sub-legal fish from the 2001 class that should be keepers this year.

As for the bigger fish, there were good and bad news. There were more very big fish -- 40- and 50-pounders -- but apparently fewer big bass.

If last year was any indication, Bay State anglers should see plenty of sub-legal and just-legal stripers in 2007, along with some true monsters.

The Marine Fisheries Department practices an “adaptive management strategy. As the condition of the stock changes, harvest limits will be adjusted. With luck and appropriate planning, there will be great seasons and not-so-great seasons. But never again will populations crash.

The Massachusetts coastline offers countless opportunities to catch stripers from the beach or rocks, from large sea-worthy boats and from small craft. Striped bass are literally all over the place, from the deep near-shore waters to the shallow shorelines and even far up our tidal rivers. But they are not everywhere. Fishing without a plan or without knowledge of their habitual hangouts curses anglers to slim pickings.

To catch stripers consistently, it’s important to know where and how. Here, organized from north to south, are some good spots to get you started. We’ve also thrown in some proven techniques that should help:

MERRIMACK RIVER
Where the Merrimack River meets the ocean at Newburyport is a consistent shoreline hotspot for stripers. It’s popular and easily accessed, with all possible venues for shoreline fishing -- wading the flats, casting along the beach and working the rocks.

Anglers targeting stripers from the beach or rocks generally cast into the surf with plugs, plastics or tins (metal lures that mimic baitfish) or dunk bait. Fly-fishermen represent a growing portion of this group.

Father’s Day falls around the changing point from spring to summer conditions, when beach fishermen switch to bait and target keepers, rather than the hordes of smaller schoolies of spring. Sea worms and sliced clams are productive, though most anglers do well tossing chunks of herring or mackerel.

PLUM ISLAND
Summer surf fishing from the Salisbury or Plum Island ocean beaches is hit or miss, so most anglers concentrate on the channel at Plum Island Point out to the end of the south jetty.

When the Parker River Wildlife Refuge opens to fishermen (it is closed early in the season to protect piping plover nesting areas), the meeting of sand and sea stretching from the Plum Island Point south to Sandy Point offers miles of uncluttered habitat to the walking angler.

At dawn and dusk, look for swooping and diving birds. The smaller terns’ swooping action means that bait is in the area. But diving gulls and cormorants signal party time.

Plum Island and the Parker River Refuge are adjacent to Newburyport. Refuge information is available on the Web or at (978) 465-5753.