Stripers on Mackerel Outside Plymouth and Boston

Flounder Fishing Fine in Boston Harbor

North Shore Rivers Fishing Well

The Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick-off of summer and as the ditty goes it should resonate with “Soda, hotdogs and beer” – all to be consumed in moderation of course. But for the angling-afflicted, the lyrics could include, “Stripers, flounder and groundfish.” And while you’ll find ample opportunity to indulge in all of the above, it looks as if foul weather gear will be part of the celebration.

 

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

Dave from The Fishermans Outfitter in Plymouth told me that the striper action is a bit spotty as most have to work for their fish. A best bet is to jig up some mackerel by the 1 Can off the Gurnet and either live-line the bait on site or drift the macks among channel edges or at the mouth of rivers. Dave caught a few keepers recently at Warren Cove on a Shimano Orca. And he knows of a few anglers who have done well at the mouths of the Eel River and Town River.

The first decent bass of the year was caught on a live mackerel by Jim Hudgins in the Scituate area. The 45-inch, 40-pounder mauled the mack in 70 feet of water, so said Pete from Belsans Bait and Tackle. Historically this has been the formula for late May/early June: find the macks and live-line, drift or troll this cow candy in deep spots such as Stone Ledge or near Minot Ledge. While the rivers are still producing, the beaches, such as Peggotty, Mann Hill and Egypt Beach, now all have bass. Mackerel sure help, but you’ll help yourself if you launch early as macks can often be seen on the surface at daybreak but tend to plummet as the day lengthens. Fran Gunville was filling up on seaworms as I spoke to Pete and he informed us that he has been finding fat flounder from his kayak among the islands between Hull and Quincy.

Bob Pronk of Green Harbor Bait and Tackle told me of a patron who jigged Farnham Rock and was rewarded with black sea bass and 8-pound rock cod! Folks are catching flounder without even having to move their boats from their slips in Green Harbor and according to Bob some of the fish are nice 16- to 17-inch fatties. Early risers are finding rising mackerel. A good option for the macks is to drift them throughout the South and North Rivers as well as near The Cliffs. The groundfish game is good east of Stellwagen with limits of cod and pollock making up the catch.

 

Greater Boston Harbor Fishing Report

The Annual Zobo Boston Harbor Flounder Fishing Tournament took place last Saturday. It was good to see families participating and anglers in general partaking of what for generations has been the quintessential pastime of Boston Harbor – fishing for flounder. The highlight has to be that the tournaments founder – Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics – set aside $1000.00 as a donation to The One Fund to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. The bad news is that the flounder were far smaller than in past years, with a mere 2.75-pounder taking first place. It has been little more than six months since the Division of Marine Fisheries saw fit to double the trip limits for the commercial fleet for winter flounder and we are seeing smaller and less numerous fish! This is definitely something that needs to be monitored; it would be a travesty to lose a fish that has just recently begun to recover.

First-light fishermen should have no problem finding mackerel between Thompson Island and Deer Island. Keep watch of your electronics, staging stripers have been spotted belly to the bottom almost as if they are resting after a big meal. Slip on an egg sinker and drop a live mack down there to see exactly “who” is home. Late May and live mackerel add up to big striped bass. Chuck a mack off Point Allerton, Boston Light, Graves Light and Bob’s Bass Triangle.

Or do as Lisa from Fore River Bait and Tackle in Quincy recommends, try the rivers. Fish up to 38 inches have been taken among the Town River, Weymouth Fore, Weymouth Back and Neponset Rivers recently. Avalon Beach is a favorite for mackerel chunking. A few customers of the shop have also been doing well off Hull; from Pemberton Pier through The Gut out to behind the high school. Patrons of the shop are finding flounder among Perry and Portuguese Coves at Peddock Island as well as Hospital Shoals. Some squid are in residence throughout the Quincy area.

 

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Laura from Ippi’s Bait and Tackle told me that Preston Beach in Swampscott as well as Devereux Beach and Marblehead Harbor have received a slug of stripers up to 31” that are shorn in sea lice. Lower tides in Lynn Harbor are good for flounder right from the shore. Flounder fans are also finding flatties in Swampscott, Salem Harbor, Beverly Harbor and Gloucester Harbor. They’re also catching squid. Gas Light Park and Lynn Heritage Park may reward for those looking for a little Loligo love.

Tomo from Tomos Tackle in Salem told of some honest-to-goodness blitzes that were recently taking place just outside of the jetty by Pickering Wharf. The bass appeared to be binging on brit herring. Mackerel have appeared by Misery and Bakers Island and there are often stripers with the schools. Some are opting to live line the macks upstream of the Kernwood Bridge on the Danvers River and finding bass. Most nights find squid fishermen off the Beverly Pier. Tomo recommends drifting seaworms throughout Salem, Beverly and Manchester Harbors for flounder.

Peter from Fin and Feather said that anglers targeting the Ipswich, Essex and Annisquam Rivers are having no problem catching striped bass. While there has been no verification of any cows, the keepers are making most happy. Mackerel are plentiful throughout Gloucester Harbor and out to the Spindle and the Groaner. Kay from Surfland said that the Merrimack, Plum Island and Parker Rivers are all fishing well on an outgoing tide. Daiwa SP Minnows continue to be the hot ticket. Anglers who prefer casting the ocean front should be prepared to spike their rods as bait such as clams or seaworms is out-fishing artificials. A dark horse is the shad in the Merrimack River. From Rock’s Village up to the Lawrence Dam fishing for shad is fantastic and with everyone caught in the grips of striper-mania, you’ll have the river all to yourself.

 

New Hampshire and Southern Maine Fishing Report

The big news from Suds ‘N Soda is that finally Fred found fish as Slug-Gos were the ticket to busting bass in Newcastle. Squawking gulls gave way to pandemonium on the Piscataqua River and some of the fish were 35 inches long. The tributaries of Great Bay are still full of herring with no shortage of stripers in pursuit. Tim has been trying a different tack as he has been tackling white perch in the Squamscott and blackback flounder in Hampton and Rye Harbors. Groundfishing remains good on Jeffreys, where haddock are part of the cod catch, unlike Stellwagen which so far has been devoid of haddock. Increasingly anglers are coming in contact with halibut! While certainly not a certainty, guys are jigging up whiting, mackerel or pollock and dropping them on a three-way rig to the bottom and increasingly catching these leviathans! It seems as if we are in the midst of a minor recovery.

Peter from Saco Bay said that a 40-inch striper was taken on a Yo-Zuri Magnum Crystal Minnow at the Saco River Dam. There are plenty of shad in the river also. The rivers remain your best bass bet still in Maine. A few other good riparian options are the Mousam River and Nonesuch River. The cod catch is so good in Jeffreys that some are self-imposing a limit of 24 inches even though 19 inches is the GOM legal limit. Plenty of pollock and haddock fill out the mix with the bite taking place in only 160 to 190 feet of water.

 

Fishing Forecast

Find the mackerel, find the big bass! First light just outside of Scituate and Green Harbor is the best time to spot macks on the surface; try live-lining where you find them or seek off-shore ledge or the rivers. You’ll find flounder in Scituate Harbor, the islands of Quincy and off the coves of Peddock. Mackerel should be easy to find by Boston Light, the BG Buoy and maybe as close in as Long Island. Drift, troll or live-line the macks off Point Allerton or Bob’s Bass Triangle for that first cow catch of the season. Try squidding up some fresh calamari from Beverly or Gloucester; other North Shore options are the Essex, Annisquam, Parker and Merrimack Rivers where bass are on the feed. They are talking in terms of mid-thirty inch stripers blitzing bait in the Newcastle section of the Piscatagua River. Crystal Minnows are taking 20-pound stripers in the Saco River but for something far more menacing live-line a whiting off Jeffreys Ledge where halibut have been prowling.