If you liken the arrival of striped bass to a roller-coaster ride that lasts until November, then it’s time to buckle up and hang on because they are here! While no one I know of has reported fish-a-cast frenzies, the first few stripers shorn with the much-hyped beloved sea lice have shown in the forecast area. That’s not to say that all is forgotten in freshwater, with smallies and white perch hitting furiously, and there’s even some post-spawn pike chatter.

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

Bob of Green Harbor Bait and Tackle said that some teen-sized stripers were smacking river herring at the mouth of the Town River recently. Could these be holdovers that have hung out all winter by the warm water discharge of the Pilgrim Power? He did say that patrons of the shop definitely got into smaller striped bass on the east end of the Canal that are likely migrant fish. Speaking of the east end of the Canal, it’s time to unleash those Sabiki rigs because the mackerel are most definitely out there now! Bob has a hunch you might be able to find some as close as Farnham Bell. Inside the harbor, there are plenty of river herring balled up against the dike and it shouldn’t be long before stripers are pouncing on them. Flounder can be found right from the docks of Green Harbor; in response to the demand, the shop is now stocking seaworms. Groundfishing is akin to rolling the dice, with the house usually “winning.” The few who are catching are steaming north toward Jeffreys Ledge.

Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate said that shad savants are finally finding a few leapers in the Indian Head River. The small water of this place makes it necessary to fish once the sun sets, when the fish are less leery. The first confirmed flounder catches are occurring in Scituate Harbor; if they are here, they most likely are stirring in Cohasset Harbor as well and just maybe off Peggotty Beach. A few striped bass have been picked up in the South River, North River and Cohasset Harbor. Is it a case of a higher catch rate because more anglers are out fishing for holdovers? Sometime over the next week, that will be academic because waves of fish will invigorate the entire South Shore!

Greater Boston Harbor Fishing Report

No one is a bigger fan or better at finding blackbacks than Captain Jason Colby, and after numerous attempts there are reassuring results. On Tuesday, 10 fish were taken aboard the Little Sister; no contenders yet for the state Saltwater Fishing Derby, but this news is encouraging. The skipper has had to work for them as he’s found flounder among the coves of Peddock Island, Rainsford Island and Deer Island Flats. There was even a mini-flurry among Perry Cove where they chummed up a quick five flounder. On Thursday, the volume of fish doubled. Interestingly Deer Island Flats had the warmest water we could find in the harbor – 49 degrees. Not surprisingly, the fish were most active there!

Charter Captains good naturedly chide each other, it’s just part of the camaraderie they of the same ilk share, so it was last week that Jason joked about fellow skipper Captain Lou Abate spotting marks off Deer Island which he said looked like stripers – that is until Jason marked the same fish! A short while and distance later, Surfland’s Joe Merillo trolled up his first striper of the year with one of the shop’s wine red tubes topped with a sea worm. Joe’s good fortune was being at the right place at the right time, as Boston’s dynamic duo of Carl Vining and Dave Panarello were visiting with Kay and crew at Plum Island and tipped Joe off about the inner Boston Harbor holdover bass bite. The result was that the next morning Joe was into fish! Dave also just received news of a five-striper outing at the Saugus River! It’s hard to say whether these were fresh fish or holdovers amped up by the arrival of alewives.

Mackerel are in just beyond the outer harbor islands with confirmed catches coming in at the BG Buoy. Live-lining a mack at the mouths of the harbor rivers where the river herring are stacked could produce a holdover striper right now.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

I received a text and photo last night from my friend Joe Holey of a striped bass that was so fresh it looked to be dripping wet and still wiggling. A pal of Joe’s saw a bird and bait show go off in Lynn and hoped there were bass in the mix. A short while later he held the proof: a sea-lice covered linesider on the North Shore! Noel of Bridge Street Sports in Salem confirmed a few flounder taken among the Salem/Beverly stretch – hardly a feeding frenzy, but if you work at it you’ll wind up with a winter flounder or three.

Peter from Fin and Feather in Essex said that the Essex River is chock full of alewives and blueback herring. All that is missing are striped bass. I’ve heard of mackerel outside of Gloucester Harbor and Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem suspects they may be present by Halfway Rock and maybe Satans Rock. Small sea herring have been present in Salem Harbor. Speaking of sea herring, a bird/bait show was recently put on just off Plum Island and the source looked to be brit or immature sea herring. One sea-lice shorn low-20-inch striper was reportedly caught not far from Surfland in Newburyport. The shop is doubling-down on shad stuff as the run throughout the Merrimack is purportedly the best in years. I gave it a go recently and got my clocked clean by shad sharpies who fished oh-so slightly different than I did and on that day it made the difference.They employed gold/orange flutter spoons, long 4-pound fluorocarbon leaders, and pegged freshwater bass-style weights just ahead of their leaders heavy enough to sink to the bottom quickly in the current. I opted for 6-pound-test, shad darts and smaller split shot and didn’t do nearly as well. Sometimes, it’s all in the details.

Freshwater Fishing Report

Eddie of B&A in West Boylston told me of a Wachusett 10-pound laker which was taken by Al Beavais. The fat forktail fell for a shiner behind the West Boylston Fire Station. Joshua Bavosi, who helps make those Gut-A-Bites, which are standard issue strike indicators on Wachusett, took a terrific 2-8 white perch. Eddie believes the fish was caught near the Masswildlife Headquarters on a shiner. Another trophy white perch of 1-10 was caught by Terry Glines on a crawler by the Stone Church.

Most around here think in terms of Sir Toothy, AKA northern pike, as hardwater quarry. But you might want to reconsider. David of Merrimac Sports told me of a recent 17-pound pike that was taken out of the Merrimack River. And there have been other big pike bested by the few who fish for them now. Try an oversized swimbait, spinnerbait or minnowbait wherever tributaries meet up with the Merrimack, and chances are the only company you’ll have are big northerns.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Odds are that for the rest of the season you are not likely to look at the ocean the same again now that striped bass have arrived. Check out the Town Brook on an outgoing tide or the South and North rivers. If you’re out as the light fades on the North, travel upstream toward the Indian Head River where the shad are stirring. Closer to Boston, blackbacks are getting active now that water temps are nearing 50 degrees. White perch are a winner whether you’re fishing Wachusett Reservoir, Lake Winnipesauke or the tributaries of Great Bay. While most trips aren’t awesome in the Gulf of Maine, the top of Jeffreys Ledge is showing promise for haddock and with the drop-offs yielding redfish.