Massachusetts Fishing Report 5-29-14

As we learned from the tortoise and the hare fable, something can be said for slow and steady. Finally and thankfully there is talk of striped bass big enough to put a bend in your rod and a crimp in your trebles if you’re not careful. Flounder fishing borders on fantastic, but you’ll have to poke around to find them: chum at anchor and keep the drifting option at hand. But once you find them, you’ll agree that the effort was worth it because those flatties are real fatties!

South Shore Massachusetts Fishing Report

Dave from The Fisherman’s Outfitter in Plymouth said that the most steady striper action, for fish up to 37 inches, is right off Long Beach (Plymouth Beach). Bait is always a safe bet but those on the go who are tossing Rapala X-Raps, SP Minnows and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows are doing quite well by the turnaround section of the beach. Action for bass is better inside the bays where the water is warmer and it attracts the bait, as opposed to offshore. Some are jigging up mackerel by the 1 Can and tossing them up against inshore structure and doing quite well on stripers. There are also a few random surface feeds which flare up from Plymouth through Duxbury.

Bob from Green Harbor in Marshfield said that many are enjoying a solid year this season for winter flounder. While the harbor has been hot those that are poking around off the beaches are often finding their own batch of blackbacks. If you want mackerel, there is no problem finding them just outside of Green Harbor from 30’ to 80’ of water. Starting points to consider are by The Gurnet, Farnham Bell, and Scituate Harbor. So far, sticking with the mackerel and live-lining will not score you striped bass. You’ll fare better fishing them toward Beetle Rocks or inside of the South River. Surfcasters are catching well by simply wading and casting among the wash of Duxbury Beach and Rexhame Beach. While no one is likely to describe groundfishing as great, recent results have shown a glimmer of hope. Pollock, which have been among the missing for many, are pounding jigs on the outer edge of the NW Corner of Stellwagen Bank. It could be the sand eels, which could be described as swarms, which are attracting the pollock. The whales have certainly noticed and there have even been numerous tuna sightings, the timing of which couldn’t be better since the “season” begins on June 1st.

Finally some “real” striped bass have been caught on the South Shore according to Pete from Belsan’s in Scituate. Fish of 25 to 30 pounds have fallen for live mackerel, most of which have been fished in the North River between the bridges of Union Street and Route 3A. The Cliffs and The Glades have been good also with keeper-plus fish figuring in the mix. The South Shore is not lacking in bait with sea herring, blueback herring, silversides, mackerel, harbor pollock and sand eels making for a near limitless palette of prey, Pete Belsan is betting that the area is ready to “blow up”. Hopefully this is the weekend when it will happen. If you are wondering how the flounder fishing is, proof is in the 27 flats of seaworms that were moved at Belsan’s over the weekend! Scituate is good, but I bet if you poked around off the beaches such as Peggotty or Egypt you’d find flounder of your own.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Recently I was aboard Captain Colby’s Little Sister in Quincy for a few hours of Grade-A flounder fishing when I remarked at the onset to a young angler that he was about to experience the best Boston has to offer. After hours of bailing big blackbacks up to 18 ½”, you could say that the proof was in the catching. This is a great year for flounder after a dismal 2013 and we have reason to be optimistic that it will continue because Captain Colby and I along with support from partners/friends who own local tackle shops convinced the director of the DMF last July that there was a problem. While we wished change was enacted earlier, we are happy to embrace it now. Previously boats with federal permits had no trip limits for flounder – they could net each and every one they found. Now they must abide by state regulations while in state waters which caps the trips to 500 pounds. Late summer when the flounder migrate to offshore waters and again when they return in the spring to spawn they will have a chance to make it and odds are good we’ll have flounder again next year!

Lisa from Fore River Bait & Tackle in Quincy echoed our flounder results and said that the bite was good by Georges Island, Rainsford, Hospital Shoals and Deer Island Flats. Always steam out there with a bucket of chum and be prepared to drift until you find them. A 40” striper was recently taken on clams by Watson Park in the Fore River. Avalon Beach has had some action lately for those tossing Queen Cocahoes and soaking bait. Actually the entire Town River is worth a look-see. Chunking below the Fore River Bridge has been productive and I can only imagine how it would fish under low light with eels.

Lauren from Hull Bait and Tackle said that anglers are crowing about catching 18-inch flatties right from the shore! Pemberton Pier has given up a few as has the shoreline behind the Hull High School. Other spots where they are catching flounder by shore and by boat is Cohasset Harbor, Little Harbor, Sunset Point and the Shoals. A customer of the shop has been doing really well on stripers to 41” from the shore of World’s End on the Hingham side. The bite has been on bait and plugs.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem has been touting Red Rock in Lynn as a busy bass place on most nights. Regulars camp out there and swear that the fish, up to 38” so far, will not touch anything but seaworms on a three-way rig. How I would like to slip an eel into that wash some night! “Micros” are swarming on krill among most any local river. Salem Willows is especially good this year for mackerel but the only one’s hooking stripers with those mackerel are the boat and kayak crew who pitch the macks up against the suds of the rocky shoreline. They’re catching a few flounder off Beverly Pier and in Beverly Harbor, the former of which is giving up a few squid but not many yet. Noel from Bridge Street Sports in Salem said that Marblehead has been hot for keepers especially the section around Tinkers Island with the tube and worm working well.

Peter from Fin and Feather in Essex had to look no farther than truck-filled lot across the street from his shop to confirm that the striper action was still good in the Essex River. While most are schoolies an occasional drag-singer wakes everyone up. Boaters are finding mackerel out by the first nun-buoy past the river and are catching bass by live-lining them upstream. The backshore of Gloucester has had a few surface feeds of keeper-sized bass. Flounder fishing has been fine at Lanesville Cove, Niles Beach and Manchester Harbor. You should have no problem finding mackerel by the Groaner as well as bass in the inner Gloucester Harbor provided that you keep the macks tight to structure.

Bass in the upper 30-inch range are falling for eels fished along the beachfront of Plum Island at night, according to Liz from Surfland in Newburyport. For big numbers albeit smaller fish, try sand eel imitators by the charter boats toward the mouth of the Merrimack River. Now is the time for Joppa Flats as herring spent from spawning drop back and are slammed by stripers. Dawn is often really good here with an oversized popper such as the NTA Custom pencil! Shad continue to course the Merrimack but in smaller numbers than a few weeks ago.

Fishing Forecast for Massachusetts

Stripers are hugging the coast in search of river herring and most any river that supports alewives/bluebacks will have striped bass right now. On the South Shore, look for those linesiders among the South River and North River. All manner of soft plastics will lure them in as will live mackerel, which are easy pickings from The Gurnet through Scituate. Closer to the Hub, flounder fishing is bordering on fantastic among Hospital Shoals, Deer Island Flats, Rainsford Island and Peddock Island. Red Rock in Lynn is red hot with seaworms the preferred bait, nights are crowded so you better get there early. Eels at night are producing some of Plum Island’s better bass while the mouth of the Merrimack is a better bet for a lot of smaller fish.