Simply enjoying the experience and camaraderie don’t cut it in mid-November. If you’re not catching than it’s easy to succumb to the chill as the mind wanders toward wondering what “normal” people are doing at that moment. Fortunately there are still opportunities to not only catch but catch considerably.
Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Report
For some undetermined reason there are swarms of cod-cousins gathering inshore. For those who have put in some years in these parts it’s reminiscent of many decades ago. Rick from Fore River told me that Nut Island regulars are hauling in harbor pollock. Bob from Green Harbor Bait and Tackle said that those with boats at the ready are encountering a lot of whiting a short cruise from the coast. Buoyed by positive reports of catching whiting and possibly smelt from points on the Harborwalk and Summer Street area in South Boston, my friend Rick Paone and I decided to take advantage of the balmy weather of last evening and gave it a go ourselves. We used tackle commensurate with trout, sabikis shorn with frozen grass shrimp and caught silver hake (whiting), white hake as well as the occasional perch (sea) party crasher. The catching was non-stop and we caught wherever we wet a line! Most of the fish are under a foot-long but when you’re still catching when most others are on the couch, its one heck of a tonic!
Get your grass shrimp fix at Fore River Bait and Tackle in Quincy. Rick “the shrimp king” Newcomb was just back from netting a fresh gallon and one-half of the fish-candy when we spoke on Thursday morning. For those who believe grass shrimp and November equals smelt, they are catching smelt by Monument Park in Hingham, including the public pier on out to Barnes Wharf. Hull Yacht Club has also been productive. For smelt on the North Shore, Noel from Bridge Street Sports said anglers catching smelt from Pickering Wharf are keeping his seaworm diggers busy. With Halloween in our rearview mirror parking is infinitely easier in Salem now.
Noel also told me that mackerel are still being taken off Salem Willows. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few whiting added to the mix come dark here. There could be similar action off Deer Island or shore access points off Cape Ann such as the Dogbar Breakwater and the Gloucester State Pier.
Some are theorizing that because there is less directed commercial fishing in the GOM, due to the lethal combo of lack of fish and restrictive regulations, groundfish that would not be able to swim past the gauntlet of nets are able to actually make it inshore. Regardless of the reason, it’s a badly needed shot in the arm for the angler who never says die. Although cod stocks are greatly diminished with other groundfish so close it might be time to try for cod off Castle Island, Nut Island or Deer Island. If you have a boat, President Roads was money this time of year as recently as a few years ago. While there is a moratorium in effect in federal waters you can keep up to two cod per person, 19” minimum and 75 pound max per vessel in Massachusetts waters north of Cape Cod.
While most have resigned themselves to about six months without striped bass there have been recent bass blowups off Hull as well as Duxbury Beach. The few who are targeting tuna are still finding plenty of fish among the southern sector of Stellwagen Bank.
Freshwater Fishing Report
It’s refreshing to hear Eddie of B&A in West Boylston busy during the weekdays; it’s a sure indicator that Wachusett remains hot. Exhibit one is the 4-pound 12-ounce rainbow trout taken on a worm off Gate 6 in Boylston. Similar sized lake trout are walloping shiners and spoons off of Gate 8, 22, 30 and 35. The trained eye should be able to spot plenty of salmon among the Stillwater River but cajoling them to hit is a different story. One patron of the shop spotted 8 fish, got one swipe, which he missed and that was that. The Quinapoxet is cooking with the best fishing taking place between the pier and the dam. Try to place your offering as close to the undercut, far bank as possible. When available Eddie is making egg sacks which rainbows, browns and even salmon relish. Dillies are good too. There’s talk of a monster brown trout of 7 to 8 pounds lurking around the pier that won’t touch anything.
Speaking of brown trout, now should be prime time for prowling brown trout at South Pond in the Brookfield area. With a forage base consisting of landlocked alewives, these wily salmonids achieve trophy status here. Keep it simple, troll shiners behind an egg sinker and hit points and depth edges. Should you have electronics it wouldn’t hurt either to drop a shiner into view of marked fish.
Fishing Forecast
It may be time to break out the winter wear, but I bet it’ll feel like spring once you connect with a fish. Tuna fishing remains terrific on the southern side of Stellwagen Bank. If you’d rather not make such an investment, then steam just outside of Green Harbor for whiting or maybe mackerel. In the Hub, Hingham is hottest for smelt while whiting and white hake have been feeding aggressively at access points along the Harborwalk, Summer Street and the Reserve Channel. Pickering wharf has featured pretty good smelt fishing with the bite best on the incoming tide day or night regardless. Something can be said for sweetwater this time of the year with salmon in the Stillwater, lakers in Wachusett and rainbows in the Quinapoxet all best bets!
I didn’t see any changes to the MA state regulations for cod. Any word on changes to cod in state waters or is it still 2 fish for now? Before the cold snap, the in shore cod bite was on!
Hey Slappy, I’m certain that the regs are still 2 fish, 19″ 75 pound boat limit in state waters north of the cape. It’s awesome to see that along with a bump in whiting, silver hake and pollock, cod are coming closer to shore. I’m thinking it’s a direct result of a less draggers scooping them all up as bycatch and then shoveling the dead fish overboard as discards. Cod are one fecund fish and if given a chance will rebound. This moratorium may be just the ticket for fishermen who catch fish for FUN and not for profit at the stock’s expense. I’m sold, I’m going to grab a flat of seaworms from Bridge Street Sports in Salem (the only shop standing which still digs all year) and poke around shoreline spots which used to hold cod and see if a few brown bombers are lurking there. Castle Island is a give-me but we always caught anywhere we could access at the entrance to the Reserve Channel. For some reason seaworms always out-fished other baits and nighttime was always better than the day. Historically the bite lingered up until about Christmas and then would pick up again beginning in March. Boaters, however, need to ensure they steer clear of the Cod Conservation Zone which fortunately does not include most of Boston Harbor!
Tried whiting fishing in the harbor near Summer Street; caught three fish at one time on a Sabiki, then nothing else. I think they were actually pollock though. Went over to Castle Island and fished for a while with clams and sabiki, nada. Did my best fishing on the way home at the C-mart, where I scored sheepshead, white perch, and some scup for the price of a few hi-lo rigs and sinkers.
If that sucker has a big mouth full of teeth it’s a whiting! They also have a slimmer build than pollock.
are those whiting ok to keep at that size? I been catching them mixed in with smelt…