Name: Great Marsh Outfitters
Brand: Great Marsh Outfitters
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

Great Marsh Outfitters is a fly and light tackle guide service targeting primarily Striped Bass, mainly in Ipswich Bay and Plum Island Sound.&nbsp; Explore marsh channels tossing flies at eager schoolies, or run out to the bay to fish big flies, live bunker, and big topwater plugs for pelagic Stripers up to 50 inches. Your guide specializes both in teaching new anglers and pursuing trophy fish . Low pressure, high excitement, high reward! You’ll be treated with respect, courtesy, and patience. Success in fishing is 90% confidence, and should always be fun! Trips usually depart around dawn. At this time, you will have the Great Marsh, Plum Island Sound, and Ipswich Bay largely or entirely to yourself. We can usually find feeding fish within minutes of getting on the boat. Return by 9 or 10 am, when the bite slows down, and the weekend crowds are just finishing their coffee. There are unique and action-packed fishing opportunities year round. Feisty schoolies arrive in late April or early May, invading the great marsh. Things heat up in May and into June with slot-sized fish feeding on Herring in the sound and rivers. July brings abundance to Ipswich Bay, with the arrival of the bunker schools, and the cow-sized Stripers, schoolie Bluefin, and even whales that come right up to the beachfront to feed. This is world class Striper fishing! If you’re lucky, you might even get a shot at hooking a Bluefin Tuna. August brings the sand eels in thick on the sandbars and beach fronts of Ipswich Bay. Come September, we take our show on the road and target False Albacore and Bonito. These pint-sized Tunas provide intense action on fly rods and light tackle. Through the end of October, we’ll be chasing Bass as they move south in their fall run.

EPSG:4269

Great For Top Anglers

Best Spots

Best Boat

Great For Novices

Great Guide

Good with Kids

Majestic snow-capped mountain peaks rising behind dense evergreen forest with calm reflective water in foreground during golden hour lighting

Mountain peaks with orange alpenglow reflected in calm water surrounded by evergreen forest

Angler holding freshly caught black drum fish on boat with ocean backdrop

Angler holding large black drum fish on boat with ocean and blue sky in background

A fisherman with a big catch at an unknown location

Four anglers with a small fish during a fishing trip

Captain

Patient Teacher

Local Expert

Family Favorite

Fly Fishing Pro

Hard Worker

Captain Erik consistently delivers exceptional striped bass fishing experiences, with customers regularly landing impressive catches including 40+ inch stripers. His deep knowledge of local waters helps him locate productive fishing spots and boils, while his expertise with live mackerel bait and fly fishing techniques creates exciting action on the water. Erik takes time to explain fishing strategies, proper bait selection for conditions, and even teaches fish filleting skills to help anglers improve their technique.

Customers consistently praise Erik's friendly, patient teaching approach that works perfectly for all experience levels. He provides thoughtful touches like coolers with drinks and works tirelessly to find fish even when conditions are challenging. Families especially appreciate how Erik keeps kids engaged and enthusiastic throughout the trip, with one 12-year-old rating him "15 out of 10." Many customers book repeat trips and enthusiastically recommend Erik to other anglers.

Striped bass caught while fishing in Ipswich

Two fishermen caught striped bass in Ipswich

Two striped bass caught by anglers in Ipswich

Striped bass caught in Ipswich during fishing

Three anglers with striped bass in Ipswich, Massachusetts

Image of a striped bass, a big 32-inch fish caught while fishing in Ipswich

A photo of a 29-inch striped bass caught while fishing in Ipswich

Great Marsh Outfitters is a premiere fly and light tackle guide service, fishing the North Shore from Gloucester to Newburyport.

Great Marsh Outfitters is a fly and light tackle guide service specializing in Striped Bass in Ipswich Bay, Plum Island Sound, and the Great Marsh. Whether you want to explore winding marsh channels tossing flies at eager schoolies, sight fish the flats, or run out into Ipswich Bay throwing big flies, live bunker, and topwater plugs for trophy bass, we tailor trips to the season and conditions. We also specialize in night trips targeting trophy Stripers with live eels—one of the most exciting ways to connect with truly big fish. Trips typically depart early, though start times are flexible. One of the best parts of fishing this area is getting on the water before the crowds, often finding active fish shortly after leaving the dock, and returning as everyone else is just pouring their first coffee. The fishery changes dramatically through the season: May–June: Herring runs bring aggressive slot fish into the rivers and sound.July: Ipswich Bay comes alive with bunker schools, big migratory bass, occasional Bluefin activity offshore, and incredible surface feeds.August: Sand eels stack up along beaches and bars, creating excellent light tackle opportunities.September–October: The fall migration is on, with bass feeding hard as they push south.This is a highly seasonal, highly dynamic fishery—and when conditions line up, it can be exceptional. We run a custom 19 foot Aquasport center console which is a purpose built skinny water striper fishing machine. It is equipped with a Yamaha four stroke, trolling motor with spot lock, livewell, and Raymarine electronics with side scan sonar. Flush decks and folding cleats make it a fly anglers dream. We fish top of the line tackle by St Croix, Shimano, Sage, Orvis, and GLoomis. Rods, tackle and flies are covered in the cost of your trip.

About Captain Erik Christiansen:Captain Erik's passion for fishing began in his childhood days, growing up overlooking the bay in Ipswich. Having grown up on the bay, he knows it's waters and shoals like the back of his hand. He acquired his USCG Captains License in 2019 and has been running charters since. Equal measures of experience and skill are needed to run the tidal rivers, shoals, and oceanfront we fish. He is the proud father of two young daughters, who proclaim "When I grow up, I'm going to be a fisher and a boater". Outside of guide season, he works as a mechanical engineer.

The map shows where we fish. The red area is our primary fishing area depending on time of year and fishing conditions. The pins represent guest meeting locations.

Where we fish

Captain Erik Christiansen 

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Top-Rated Night Trip for Trophy Striped Bass

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Fishing License Included!

Questions? Call 978-457-6683

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Ipswich Bay Fishing Charters Operate Year-Round

DEPOSIT: A deposit is required for all bookings and will be applied at checkout BALANCE: The remaining balance is due on the trip date as either Credit or Cash.

GUEST CANCELLATION: In the event that you must cancel your booking, you must do so 1 day prior to your trip date to receive a refund on your deposit. Rescheduling is encouraged and dependent on guide availability.

GUIDE CANCELLATION: In the rare event that your guide must cancel due to inclement weather, health, or equipment issues, you will have the option to reschedule your charter for a later date or receive a refund on your deposit.

TIPPING: Tips to your guide are greatly appreciated for your quality trip.

Great Marsh Outfitters Customer Reviews

5/5

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