Essex River Fishing Charters LLC
Enjoy a great fishing charter for big Striped Bass in historic Essex, Massachusetts on the beautiful Essex River and nearby Cape Ann waters of Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, and Plum Island with Captain Eric Nelson.
Captain Eric Nelson has more than 45 years of experience fishing and catching stripers in the Essex River and surrounding waters of Ipswich, Cranes Beach, Plum Island, Gloucester, and Rockport. He has 14 years of professional experience conducting fishing charters, since becoming Coast Guard licensed (Master - 50 ton).
He is considered by most who know him to be an expert Striper fisherman who knows where to find fish and how to catch them. Captain Eric is known for his patient style and for being a great fishing instructor. You can be sure he will do whatever he can to make sure his customers have fun and catch fish!
Enjoy views of the river, marsh, Cranes Beach, and wildlife while fishing. The Essex River is pristine and mostly surrounded by conservation land. It is described by many as one of the most beautiful areas on the East Coast. The captain specializes in live bait fishing for Stripers (there is nothing more exciting than catching a big Striper on a live Mackerel).
His boat Striper is a Parker 18’ with a 115 Yamaha four-stroke, with a tee top and forward casting platform - perfect for the river as handling any chop in the bay. He has the latest in fishing electronics technology. New in 2023 - Garmin GPSMAP 943XSV, with advanced fish-finding capability including side-looking sonar in addition to traditional sonar.
Capt. Eric caters to fishing pros as well as families wanting to have a fun day on the water.
Trip prices do not include optional gratuity, customary for good service, good fishing, or fish cleaning.
Enjoy a great fishing charter for big Striped Bass in historic Essex, Massachusetts on the beautiful Essex River and nearby Cape Ann waters of Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, and Plum Island with Captain Eric Nelson.
Captain Eric Nelson has more than 45 years of experience fishing and catching stripers in the Essex River and surrounding waters of Ipswich, Cranes Beach, Plum Island, Gloucester, and Rockport. He has 14 years of professional experience conducting fishing charters, since becoming Coast Guard licensed (Master - 50 ton).
He is considered by most who know him to be an expert Striper fisherman who knows where to find fish and how to catch them. Captain Eric is known for his patient style and for being a great fishing instructor. You can be sure he will do whatever he can to make sure his customers have fun and catch fish!
Enjoy views of the river, marsh, Cranes Beach, and wildlife while fishing. The Essex River is pristine and mostly surrounded by conservation land. It is described by many as one of the most beautiful areas on the East Coast. The captain specializes in live bait fishing for Stripers (there is nothing more exciting than catching a big Striper on a live Mackerel).
His boat Striper is a Parker 18’ with a 115 Yamaha four-stroke, with a tee top and forward casting platform - perfect for the river as handling any chop in the bay. He has the latest in fishing electronics technology. New in 2023 - Garmin GPSMAP 943XSV, with advanced fish-finding capability including side-looking sonar in addition to traditional sonar.
Capt. Eric caters to fishing pros as well as families wanting to have a fun day on the water.
Trip prices do not include optional gratuity, customary for good service, good fishing, or fish cleaning.

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Eric was very knowledgeable of the area, fishing techniques and helped us with everything each step of the way. Kids enjoyed it, and we caught fish!
Captain Eric is a true professional and knows the Essex river like the back of his hand. Me and my 8 year old son had an amazing day, we caught a few Stripers including a 44 inch Monsta! The river is beautiful, very calm waters compared to the deep ocean, with plenty of fish and spectacular views. I highly recommend this charter for anyone looking to hook some large fish.
I’ll start by saying that I can’t say enough great things about our 4hr trip with Eric. Eric was on point with communication before and during the trip, he made everything easy and extremely pleasant for us! He was happy to take us out despite the cold and breezy conditions today and put us directly on the bite!! We caught fish all morning and had an absolute blast!! Captain Eric treats his customers like his friends and is a professional when it comes to catching people big fish!! My fiancé caught her biggest fish ever at 42” and we caught countless keepers and a 38” also!!

The boat was a little cramped with a group of four, so at first we weren't expecting much action. But the captain was very efficient at getting us right on top of fish. So we took turns two at a time fishing and the other two taking pictures, and everyone who dropped a line caught something fun. Those stripers are no joke either, none of us had ever caught anything bigger than about two feet long so when the first striper battled it's way into the deck, we were all blown away and the energy was electric. We spent about half the time in the mouth of the Essex and the second half out in the bay chasing schoolies at the surface! Definitely a good trip for 2-3 people, but 4 should expect to fish half the time. Even half time though, he was so good at finding the fish that you can also expect that everyone will catch something to talk about. Overall a fun and very exciting trip for my son's 16th birthday, and all of us were happy to leave with filets for dinner. Thanks again, we will be back I'm sure!
This was our third year out with Captain Eric and maybe our best trip yet! We brought two friends this time and we all still caught fish with several in the 35-39” range. Book a trip with Eric you won’t regret it!

A buddy and me did a half day with captain Eric and it was amazing. Best charter we have ever been on, captain eric took us out and immediately put us on fish. We caught a total of over 30 striper. This included a 37 and a 47 inch monster. Captain Eric was amazing and we would highly recommend using his services. We will most definitely be back!
Our fishing trip was nothing short of fantastic! The capitain was incredibly knowledgeable and provided great tips that really enhanced the adventure. We managed to catch a many stripped bass, which made the day even more exciting. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience! We highly recommend this fishing experience !!

Capt Eric did a great job of finding us fish in different spots of the Essex river and staying on them to keep us hooking up with healthy stripers. Water is relatively calm on the river and protected from the swells of the open ocean, so it’s a pretty comfortable fishing setup on the boat.
We booked last minute for an end of season striper trip and honestly never expected to catch anything but were hopeful. Captain Eric knew exactly where the fish were and even went out the evening before (right after I booked) to confirm the fish were still there. We all caught fish and made some wonderful family memories! The boat was very nice and more than enough room for the 4 of us. Everything we needed to fish was provided. Perfect trip!!
What started off as a slow morning turned in to a great day! We had a great time on our second annual trip with Eric. Even though the fish seemed to have lock jaw today Captain Eric did not give up until he put us on the fish!! Thank you again we can’t wait for next year!!

rough day with few fish, but not the captains fault. he worked all the tricks and we got into a few stripers. will definitely get back out there with them.

Jon, thank you!

Thank you!


Thanks Matt. You all got some great fish today!
Eric was very knowledgeable of the area, fishing techniques and helped us with everything each step of the way. Kids enjoyed it, and we caught fish!

Thank you!
Captain Eric is a true professional and knows the Essex river like the back of his hand. Me and my 8 year old son had an amazing day, we caught a few Stripers including a 44 inch Monsta! The river is beautiful, very calm waters compared to the deep ocean, with plenty of fish and spectacular views. I highly recommend this charter for anyone looking to hook some large fish.

Thanks Kenny. It was my pleasure taking you and your son out. You did great! I think he is hooked.
Essex, Massachusetts, United States
Captain Eric Nelson has more than 45 years of experience fishing and catching Stripers in the Essex River and surrounding waters of Ipswich, Cranes Beach, Plum Island, Gloucester, and Rockport. He has been Coast Guard licensed (Master - 50 ton) since 2010. Captain Eric is considered, by most who know him, to be an expert Striper fisherman who knows where to find fish and how to catch them. He is known for his patient style and for being a great fishing instructor. You can be sure he will do whatever he can to make sure his customers have fun and catch fish! He has a master's degree in Oceanography and has spent his career as an Environmental Consultant, currently working on climate change, sea level rise, and coastal restoration issues. He is well-versed in the Essex River estuary and the rich local history of Essex and Cape Ann.
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 3 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.
Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.
The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:
Cash
Checks
