Schoolie Stripers Begin to Show

Shad Arrive in Merrimack River

Flounder Finally Biting!

 

For those of you who hold your breath every time you see a hovering gull or a surface swirl in the hope that the source is a striped bass, redemption is at hand! The few who have fought the fickle weather have been experiencing linesider love from South Shore rivers to Boston Harbor. And there is even reason for those who fish the North Shore to get excited.

 

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

Hopefully you’ve read Kevin Blinkoff’s account of a recent morning at Wachusett Reservoir. He summed up nicely that thanks to scads of smelt, the fun factor at the ‘Chu has been ramped up to the nth degree. Odds are good that if you spend time out there, you’ll catch 3- to 4-pound lakers, maybe a similar-size landlocked salmon, and as the season progresses, equally impressive smallies. But the tale that has most impressed me came from an angler Monday morning, who told me that last fall he tallied a 4-pound rainbow trout. I don’t mean to put the cart ahead of the horse, but fall for some in Wachusett means rainbow trout as historically some of the most colorful and hearty ‘bows in the state become active then.  And while it’s hard to knock a 2-pound bow, it’s been rare to hear of a trophy in recent times—and a 4-pounder in Massachusetts certainly qualifies! Again, this is directly attributable to the burgeoning smelt population. File this one away for a fall favorite. Meanwhile, there has been no word of a double-digit laker from Wachusett yet. I may sound like a broken record, but if you know a source for stunted yellow perch, 5” to 7”, it would be time well spent procuring a few. I know a few of the players who habitually crack the 10-pound bracket, and they use baby yellows almost exclusively. Also, for super-sized smallies they are pure dynamite.

Quabbin is hottest for salmon along the Gate 8 section, where a number of 5-pound landlocked salmon have been taken. The sleeper method has been to troll streamers on the surface right along the shoreline. Look for inlets of any kind; salmonids are suckers for moving water. Rod from Flagg’s in Orange has been tying Winnie Squids, Maynard Marvels and Canopaches to meet the demands of the salmon sharpies that are doing most of the catching. Word is that you may troll for 2 miles without a sniff and then lay into a load of landlockeds! Shore slingers are catching plenty of lakers on tin and shiners from Gate 35. They are also catching 5-pound slab smallies. More to the northeast, a few tight-lipped toothy hunters are tapping into a growing pike fishery in the Merrimack River. Fish of over 10 pounds have been taken recently on swimbaits, spinnerbaits and chubs. Find an inlet and you’ll find the fish.

 

South Shore Massachusetts Fishing Report

Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate was pumped when we spoke and proud to proclaim that the striped bass are back! The South and North rivers have fish up to the mid-20-inch mark chasing river herring. Upstream has been best, especially in places where structure thwarts the herring’s push to migrate farther upriver. Combine this with an incoming tide and low-light conditions and you may have your first banner day of the season. Pete suggests you target the North River in the Norwell/Hanover stretch.

Shad are showing up in increasing numbers in the Indian Head River in Pembroke. The cod catching is good, but Stellwagen has been barren. Charter captains such as Rob Green on his Elizabeth Marie have had to steam out to 250-foot depths to find the fish. Should you hook up, make sure you crank in that cod as quickly as possible, Kevin Scolia of Bluewater Charters recently landed a 254-pound porbeagle on a pollock!

Bob Pronk of Green Harbor B&T found out indirectly that Rexhame Beach has some inshore flounder. A patron told Bob of two unfortunate blackback flounder that were dragged onto the beach by blackback gulls. It night be worth your while to spike a rod there and soak some seaworms in the surf. Tog are bound to be waking up and will willingly scoff down a hook full of seaworms or crab at Blackman’s Point, Cedar Point or Manomet Point. And just in from Dave from The Fisherman’s Outfitter in Plymouth, schoolies are swarming by Warren’s Cove and guys are getting them with Slug-Gos!

 

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Rick from Fore River B&T in Quincy told me that Captain Lou Abate of Good Times Charters has spotted busting fish nearly every morning from the Constitution Marina to the Charles River locks as what must be schoolie stripers chase river herring. Rick expects fish to also be among the Weir River, Weymouth Fore River and Weymouth Back River. There should also be an uptick in stripers in the Neponset. A few are poking around for flounder, and some are being taken near Rainsford Island and Deer Island Flats. The fish will not put the feed bag completely on until water temperatures breach 50 degrees; meanwhile you can expect a few but probably won’t be worrying about bag limits (8 at 12”) until then.

This Sunday I’m jumping aboard Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister and hope to catch some rays, haul in a few flounder and shoot some photos of April blackbacks; for the flounder faithful, this is a highly anticipated event.

Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics is predicting that the full moon tides will bring cod in close as the increased flow calls them in along the North and South Channels of the harbor. If you have a boat at the ready, it might be time to drift and jig those channels or President Roads. Shore slingers may be able to cull out a keeper cod from Deer Island, Castle Island or anywhere they can wet a line off the matrix of wharves along the inner harbor.

 

North Shore Massachusetts Fishing Report

A recent text from Joe Holey, who pens that informative fishing report for the Lynn Item, announced that gannets were exploding into the rollers off the East Point of Nahant on Wednesday. It was enough to make poor Joe nearly choke on his ham and rye during his lunch break! The million dollar question is: what was the target of those feathered torpedoes, perhaps sea herring or just maybe mackerel? If it is the latter, you can bet bass will not be far behind. A friend of mine does not preach it, and it doesn’t happen every year, but there have been periods in late April when he has found macks in this North Shore bailiwick and there is often bass on them!

For a higher percentage bet, take it from Lauri of Ippi’s in Lynn, who has patrons catching some stripers in the Saugus River. Cormorants and gulls have been observed feeding around high tide by Spuds restaurant. If the Saugus is giving up stripers, there could be some action in its sister river, the Pines. The Pines is also worth a shot for flounder from the sod banks on an outgoing tide.

Noel from Dart’s Bridge Street B&T in Salem said that some are just now beginning to catch flounder from the Jubilee Yacht Club in Beverly. There has been no news of schoolies yet, but their arrival may be days away.

At last there is some shad activity in the Merrimack River according to Kay from Surfland. Eric Roche has been casting gold/chartreuse willow leaf spinners and finding them off Rocks Village as well as upstream at the site of the old Spiro’s restaurant. Small white perch have moved upstream in the Parker River and this has gotten the attention of a certain 7-striped predator. A regular of Surfland spotted what looked to be about a 15-pound striped bass prowling in the Byefield area.

 

New Hampshire and Southern Maine Fishing Report

Many in New Hampshire are excited because Saturday marks the opening day for Designated Trout Lakes and Ponds. Consult the New Hampshire F&G website for details. Tim of Suds ‘N Soda is excited about the Exeter River off Great Bay, where the white perch are running. These feisty fish are a cousin to the striped bass and are arguably the best-fighting panfish that swims in New England. They’re being taken on seaworms, chubs and grass shrimp. The Swayze Park is one of the spots where you can catch them. Some are searching for that first flounder of the year, and Tim is expecting that flattie to come from the shoreline of Newcastle or Pepperell Cove in Kittery, Maine.

The salmon bite is hot in Lake Winnipesauke and anglers are hooking up in Alton Bay and Wolfeboro Bay among other bays. Trolling smelt and shiners appears to be the hot ticket; just make sure you are working your wares within 15 feet of the surface, and if you downsize your leader to 6-pound test fluorocarbon and you let out at least 20 feet, you’ll get more action.

Jamie from Dover Marine said that the haddock haul and cod catch from The Curl on Jeffreys Ledge has improved. Teasers in blue, green or purple are the trick. A sliver of clam or squid helps but bait judiciously since there are a few doggies already around.

Ken from Saco Bay has been touting the terrific trout action for native brookies. Nonesuch River in Scarborough along with Cascade Falls has been good for these colorful, indigenous char. Consider releasing most brookies you catch; you’re looking at a slice of unspoiled New England in your palm when you catch one. Only the pickerel, yellow perch and brook trout are native to all six New England states.

Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Those who want to connect to a striper from the shore should frequent First Herring Brook in Scituate—there’s ample parking across from the Widow Walk Golf Course. Arrive at Paul Revere Park at the mouth of the Charles River to take a crack at some of those busting stripers that have been reported. Cod should be cruising into the inner harbor right about now, past the entrance to the Reserve Channel, Castle Island and maybe Piers Park in East Boston. Drop a chum-bag full of clams over the side on an outgoing tide and top off your tackle with a lively seaworm, which are in good supply at most shops now. If your boat is at the ready, you may find flounder off Peddock’s Island, Rainsford Island or Deer Island Flats. Farther north, drop a Sabiki rig down a few feet off Nahant and see if it is mackerel that is getting all the gannet attention. And if so, try live-lining one, and who knows what could be lurking? In Great Bay, the estuaries are beginning to fill up with white perch, and on Lake Winnipesauke, the salmon are gorging on smelt. Maine is slow to start but those who are drifting nymphs for native brookies are hardly complaining.