Big Bass Defying the “Summer Doldrums”

There is nothing better than a slug of super-sized stripers to snap anglers out of a summer slumber, and from Scituate to Southern Maine that’s exactly what’s happened. It’s uplifting to hear from friends/bait shop owners and have the conversation based on fish from 30 to almost 50 pounds and to learn that some “shore sharpies” are also getting in on the fun.

To a “fishaholic” the Cape is like Disney World to kids, a place of boundless fun and almost limitless possibilities. This week I decided to awaken the surf-kid in me and along with pal Jason Colby accepted an invitation to do a little rock hopping/plug popping with my friend Steve Pappows in the Gloucester/Rockport area. I’m sorry…were you thinking I was referring to the “other” Cape?

We didn’t need much prodding, Steve plucked a 40-pounder out of the wash just last Friday on a “chicken scratch” wooden Tsunami Round Nose Swimmer! Typical of the really good, Steve’s efficacy at his craft is seamless and he’s nothing if not modest, but as I paid rapt attention there were lessons to be learned every step of the way. And beginning with steps, to make sure each step is planted firmly amidst bubble weed and slick ledge, Steve straps on Korkers Hyjack Water Shoes and eschews waders; opting for a shorts-and-shoes outfit since staying dry is less of a priority on rocky promontories than staying upright. He avoids braid like a minefield of lobster pots, opting for 14-pound-test tried and true Stren monofilament in high-vis yellow with a 50-pound fluorocarbon shock leader. The color of the line allows Steve to see where his line is in relation to sharp rocks so he knows whether to apply pressure to a fish or back off. Monofilament is chosen over braid because Steve feels that it’s more abrasion resistant and its inherent “springiness” that some fault is less prone to wrapping around rocks, weed, equipment and even low flying birds – all of which is a distinct possibility when fishing in a washing machine at false dawn.

And jammed in the tubes of his surf bag is a potpourri of wooden plugs crafted by many of the skilled artisans that turn dowels into magic all across New England. However, to complement these prized plugs, which during fishing season can be in short supply for obvious reasons, Steve has been supplementing his stash with wares from Tsunami’s Timber Series collection, especially versions of the Round Nose Swimmer. On this day we would catch a heck of a sunrise but the fish would not be cooperating. I did have two swings and misses as an unseen gamester bumped my bunker Round Nose, and I had a brief, drag-pulling episode when a fish slammed a 9-inch blue althea Sebile Magic Swimmer amidst the maelstrom of the shoreline. Ironically, I had just removed the rear hook of that plug to make it “Ditch ready” for the Cape Cod Canal as many regulars do to enable it to withstand the unique challenge of all that current. In retrospect, it was not a very good idea!

South Shore Fishing Report

My there are some big fish in the Scituate area! In the last week, Pete from Belsan’s patrons have been into stripers up to 51 inches! In fact there were two slabs of that size, one of which was taken on a 9-inch Slug-Go (Pete suspects the color was Arkansas shiner) at the mouth of the North River and the other on a mackerel chunk at Cedar Point. An influx of mackerel, some of which are 10-11 inches, might be the impetus behind the appearance of these big bass. Minots Light has also been hot for mobies on live and chunk mackerel.

Increasing numbers of fluke continue to be taken among the Duxbury flats and also at the mouths of the North and South Rivers. Fluke are being targeted in the Duxbury location, but in the latter spots the errant fluke are usually caught while anglers are drifting bucktails, live bait or the tube-and-worm for stripers. Pogies remain in Duxbury Bay and are one of your surer bets to encounter a real nice striper. It’s a good year on the South Shore for black sea bass according to Bob Pronk of Green Harbor B&T. Anglers are picking up both black sea bass and blackback flounder in Green Harbor; clams are good bait for both. I’d be surprised if you didn’t pick up some humphead sea bass while “squidding” jigs and jigging spoons on an outgoing tide from Bug Light out along Brown’s Bank and out to Gurnet Point.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

On any given tide, you’re apt to be in the midst of a blitz in Boston Harbor. The inner harbor has been home to surface eruptions most mornings, and while the fish aren’t usually Striper Cup contenders, the mid-20-inch fish chasing sea herring are fun. Some of the blitzes that are taking place farther out by the Boston Light area have a bigger batch of fish of up to 15 pounds, with the occasional cow thrown in the mix. These fish are being taken on live mackerel along with swim shads, bucktails and a smattering of artificials of 5 inches or less. A neat wildcard is to troll along the outer edge of the outer Boston Harbor Islands and out toward the B-Buoy. MSBA’S Pat Kearney hauled in a 38-3 this way recently while aboard Julie Silvis’ boat.

Our most valuable baitfish, the beloved bunker or pogy, is off Wollaston Beach and throughout the harbor, and schools have popped up almost anywhere between Snake Island in Winthrop and the North Channel. Odds are that there are 40-inch-plus linesiders lurking near the pogies. Not many are targeting black sea bass, but you can find them off West Gut, Hull Gut, Pemberton Pier and Rainsford Island. Fish for them when the tide is cooking; chumming them up with clams is proven but a more fun approach that is also better for bigger fish is squidding, which is a means of fluidly and rapidly free-spooling a jig to the bottom and quickly cranking it up 4 or 5 revolutions and repeating the process among the entire drift.  Shimano’s Lucanus is excellent for black sea bass as are Luhr Jensen Crippled Herrings. You’ll want a selection of versions weighted between 3 and 5 ounces in order to tend bottom.

North Shore Fishing Report

It’s a good thing a law enforcement official didn’t spot my friend Dave Flaherty of Nahant Tuesday morning as he commuted to work along Lynn Shore Drive, he may have made the erroneous assumption by his erratic behavior that he was tweeting, text-messaging, and engaged in countless other social media preoccupations at the same time.  But nothing could have been farther from the truth – it was that all-out football-field-long blitz just off Red Rock that had Dave hopelessly distracted. Similar surface ruckus has flared up there again occasionally and it appears to be the handywork of low 30-inch stripers. Occasionally these fish push up against the shoreline at night and are extremely picky as they key in on tiny bait. I have found that a small black darter, such as Yo-Zuri’s 5/8 ounce Mag Darter, will fool these fish. A darter is meant to work with very little water so shoreline feeds are their forte.

Noel from Darts Bridge Street Bait and Tackle told me that squid are still present among the piers of Salem and Beverly but the ink-trail they leave behind is making for some contention among fishermen and town officials. Municipalities have given to power-washing the piers down often. Black sea bass are usually taken as bycatch for those targeting flounder and stripers by the mouth of the Danvers River by Jubilee Yacht Club and Kernwood Park, but the problem is that most fall below the minimum 14” size limit.  As I mentioned in the Greater Boston section, you’ll cull out the better black sea bass if you’re squidding or jigging the bottom.

The commercial guys can be seen on permitted days hugging the back shore coast of Gloucester while trolling, live-lining or chunking pogies.  For the recreational guy that has a hard time acquiring bait, an easier catch may be pollock, which are ubiquitous in these parts. When pollock are prevalent I’ve caught bass on bronze Yo-Zuri Mag Minnows, rainbow trout hued Magic Swimmers and GRS BigWater Lures bunker junior pikes. Casey of Elm Street Tackle told me that Salisbury has been hot; in fact an extraordinarily fat 47-pounder was recently weighed into the shop. What’s working is drifting pogies at the mouth of the Merrimack River, trolling pogies along Salisbury Beach and chunking pogies and mackerel from the sands of the beach, especially from dusk to dawn.

New Hampshire and Southern Maine

Finally Granite State anglers have bass big enough to boast about according to Fred from Suds ‘N Soda. On Wednesday Fred made the felonious mistake of bringing gear for squid but leaving the bass stuff at home. While catching some calamari off the 1B Bridge, he saw mackerel move in on silversides. It wasn’t long before bass, big enough to boil the water and leave huge wakes in their paths, lit into the mackerel and the bedlam seemed to stretch from Newcastle to Portsmouth. When we spoke, Fred was counting the hours until it was time to launch; he had a date with some stripers and was not about to be stood up this time. Hampton River has had some stripers and there has been some bigger bait present which just might be pogies. Chunkers and eel casters are catching the occasional cow off Wallis Sands Beach.

Now might be the time to cruise on out to Jeffreys Ledge if you’d like to tangle with our rarest and most glamorous of flatfishes – the Atlantic halibut. I got word and saw pictures of two juvenile halibut up to 24 inches that were taken by Richard of SeaWolfe tackle and his buddy Marty.  The fish took SeaWolfe Norwegians, gave good accounts and were promptly released after a quick photo-op.

Even Downeasterners are getting their cow chops! Zach from Saco Bay said that a 50-inch beast scoffed down bait, either sandworms or clam, by the Ferry Beach section of Old Orchard. Dusk is fishing best all across the area. The big fish may be attracted by all the bait which includes sea herring and jack macks, some of the latter all of 18” long! Zach loaded up the other day on mackerel that he jigged up by Ram Island, which is just outside of the jetty of Saco Bay. Groudfishing is good, especially if you’d like to tough it out with a bruiser pollock, which are slamming jigs and aching arms off Tanta’s Ledge.

Best Bets

Even though we are in the peak of the “summer doldrums,” at any given moment from the South Shore to Southern Maine you could be tied to a monster of a striper. In Plymouth, a live pogy under a balloon or drifted along the channel edges from Bug Light to The Gurnet could result in a real nice fish. In Scituate the bait of choice is mackerel with lucky locations varying as much as the mouth of the North River out to Minot’s Light. Honing in on the Hub, the inner harbor is just the thing for schoolie action and surface mayhem. But a better tact from bigger fish is a live pogy, mackerel or diving plug from Boston Light to the B-Buoy. Squid is keeping them sated at Salem Willows and the Beverly Pier, with blackback flounder a pleasant surprise from the shore and black sea bass near the Danvers River mouth. Salisbury is sizzling, especially if you have a pogy on the hook. Anglers north of the border no longer have to go on southern field trips to catch cows as Hampton and Portsmouth Harbors are hot as is Old Orchard Beach in Maine where linesiders are taping out at 50 inches long!