As a child, and even a young man, I used to curse out loud if I heard someone talking about “Burke Lake.” The place just always seemed to leave me frustrated, and the only fish I could ever catch were small bluegills. Even that was rare, as usually I came home completely empty, and getting a tug on the fishing line was actually a good day. I’m not sure if it was due to being a terrible fisherman, too much pressure on the lake, or a combination of both. However, the past five years have provided some outstanding fishing at this lake, whether its spring, summer, or fall. Sorry, I don’t fish in the winter, because that’s when hunting occurs.

Spring has so many opportunities for Bass, Bluegill, and Crappie, but summer isn’t a joke either. The keys to success at Burke Lake are, show up really early in the …

Saltwater fishing is popular around the world. Some people fish for work and others fish for fun. Most fish caught in salt water can be eaten. Others are caught for the sport, these fish include the sailfish, marlin and sharks. Basic saltwater fishing equipment includes rods and reels, line, bait and lures. Most fishermen use fishing rods made from graphite or fiberglass. These rods are between five and twelve feet long. Make sure you use fishing line that is strong. Keep a good hold on the line when your fish is hooked. Too much tension can break the line. Once the fish is hooked you can reel it in or use other devices to bring the fish up. Those consist of nets, leaders and gaffs. If the fish is large it is better to use one of these devices to pull in a large fish.

Their are several different types …

The spring fishing season brings flounder into inshore waters, and anglers pursue them in many different ways. Quite a few traditional flounder fishermen are content to drift or troll the inlets dragging live bait on the bottom and letting the boat do the work for them. But for those anglers seeking larger flatfish, anchoring up and casting to structure is a better tactic.

Big flounder love to orientate themselves around hard structure inshore. Docks, bridges, piers, jetties, and oyster beds near marsh grass are great places to find them. These larger female fish are a bit lazier than their smaller male cousins and prefer to lie in wait around some sort of baitfish-attracting structure (like pilings or rocks) that will bring a steady flow of straggling small fish (mullet, pogies, spot, croaker, pinfish, etc) when the tide really starts moving either in or out.

Here are some tips for catching …

I’ve kayak fished the western shores of Gloucester, Ma. for ten years and for pretty good reason other than being a native: place has plenty of advantages: not much in the way of on-water congestion, or what anglers call pressure, an ample supply of fish, and countless ledges and outcroppings and coves and inlets that attract numerous species of fish, chief among them striped bass and bluefish, and for those with deeper interests, bottomfish like cod, pollock and the occasional wolf fish.

Kayak fishing here is also a fast way to become familiar with the endless variety of habitat favored by stripers. Chunk one area – say Halibut Point’s rocky shelves and drop-offs – then troll or jig sandy Coffins, Wingaersheek, or Cranes Beaches four miles distant, and you’ll soon get an idea of the pretty-much-anywhere-there’s-water haunts of striped bass.

Paddle from one area to another, eye on the …