Massachusetts Fishing Report – May 28, 2015

Waves of stripers continue to fill in throughout the bays and harbors of Massachusetts making the potential of a big bass bite the very next day or even the next tide more probable than not. Flounder continue to be the default fish for those hoping for a relaxing day and few fish for the cooler.

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

Scotty from Green Harbor B&T told me of a 27-pound striper taken aboard the boat Fish Tales on live mackerel by the Power Plant in Plymouth. Which begs the question, “Can choppers be that far off from this early-season bluefish spot?” You’ll have to work for your mackerel fix since they’ve been roaming between The Gurnet and the mouth of the North River. The ferocious winds have kept many from steaming to Race Point, but the pre-blow fishing was quite good and it is expected to be hot again when anglers can reach it. There could conceivably be bluefish in the mix there by now also. The search for tuna will begin next week in earnest and Scotty hopes to give me the scoop on these tackle-testers. The freezers of the shop are crammed with Charlie cravings such as ballyhoo, squid and mackerel.

The scuttlebutt around Scituate has shifted from schoolies to 20-something-pounders, according to Pete from Belsan’s in Scituate. The herring in the North and South Rivers continue to be magnets to mobies-in-the-making and anglers are getting them in a number of different ways. “Serpent” stalkers emerge around dusk with a small cooler full of eels, chilled a bit with a frozen water bottle so that they’ll behave. The graveyard gang sloshes through marshy areas waiting for the mudflats to flood bringing along green water and silvery stripers. Familiarize yourself with channels or cuts in the mud flats during low tide. Come back under cover of darkness and slither those eels from those bottom breaks right to the edge of sod banks. A spook-style plug weaved along the surface at daybreak in those same spots will often elicit an explosive response.

Sea herring are feeding ravenously and a Sabiki rig dropped randomly from the Inlet Buoy out to Collamore Ledge out to Flat Ledge and Davis Ledge should be mobbed by sea herring. Just make sure you familiarize yourself with the difference between sea herring and the very-much-prohibited river herring.

Good bass are often just under the sea herring. Not as consistent are mackerel. An early start helps in the procurement of this striper candy, chumming is important too and your odds improve if you cruise out to the 21 Can, Flatt Ledge and Davis Ledge.

The few looking to tempt a tog are finding fish on green crabs by Cedar Point. Now are the waning moments for tog from the shore; come June they are usually done with spawning and will take up in their summer haunts within 20 to 30 feet of water among inshore rockpiles. The breakwater off Manomet Point in Plymouth has been a producer of tog through the years. Flounder talk has turned from a few to “limits” in Scituate Harbor and Cohasset Harbor.

Greater Boston Harbor Fishing Report

Laurel from Hull Bait and Tackle told me that the flounder faithful are finding their favorite fish inside and just outside of Cohasset Harbor. Gunrock Beach has also been good. Clams are getting the nod over seaworms. Chunk mackerel among those same spots has resulted in stripers with keeper fish mixing in now with the schoolies. It seems as if the significance of late May has not dawned on many anglers as relatively few are fishing. I can tell you unequivocally that the striper fishing at this juncture is far better than it was last year, so what are you waiting for?

Lisa from Fore River B&T in Quincy said that stripers are mauling herring in many of the rivers such as the Weymouth Back River. She suggests Stoddard Neck Park at higher tides, Abigail Adams Park, Great Esker Park and Bare Cove Park. Try soaking a chunk at Avalon Beach or troll a Cape Cod Spinner with seaworms along the Town River. The nearby Harborwalk is a ribbon of access which stretches from the mouth of the Neponset River to Castle Island and beyond. Having a bike at the ready, Canal style, and keeping on the move looking for busting gives this place real potential for the surf fishermen. There’s been a lot of activity for the boat guys at Thompson Island and the Harborwalk gives the shore set a casters chance at those fish.

A change in the lighting at Nut Island Pier has pulled the plug on squid fishing there! The resultant decrease in luminescence has had a negative effect on the fishing. Calmari cravers have switched their base to Pemberton Pier and many are reporting good catches. Pemberton Pier is privately owned and the quickest way to put that place off limits to fishing is to make a mess of the place. Make it your mission to leave the pier cleaner than you found it and access should continue. Not surprisingly those who are live-lining squid are catching the “squid hounds” AKA stripers.

The Charles River locks has been the scene of a striper-on-herring massacre. One way to catch the outgoing/incoming bass is to troll as Santini tube-and-worm at the shadow edge of the Rutherford Street Bridge. Speaking of Santini: The 17th Annual Boston Harbor Striper Shootout will be held on June 16th this year. Some of the bigger bass you will ever see are brought into this event, which is the longest running Boston Harbor striper tournament. In addition to great prizes and camaraderie, typically of a tournament sponsored by Mr. Santini, a nice check gets cut every year to support our heroes at the Soldier’s Home in Chelsea!

Look for fresh stripers to be filling into the harbor with almost every tide along long-established migratory corridors. Many of Boston’s best firmly believe their migration takes place offshore and when they cruise in, they do so on shipping lanes such as Nantasket Roads, the North and South Channels and President Roads. Bass have been busting up the surface recently from Rainsford Island to Wollaston Beach, Thompson Island, Deer Island, Yirrell Beach, the Five Sisters and Seal Harbor. If you’re catching mid-20s and want bigger, drop a jig below junior and the gang; a few over 40” have been caught that way.

Captain Jason Colby continues to crush winter flounder and the blackbacks are beginning to bulk up! Top fish on his boat so stands at 4-pound 1-ounce balloon but that won’t last! With more aggressive and larger fish, clams are often a better choice than seaworms. In addition to Hospital Shoals, Peddock Island and Deer Island Flats, Paul from Bob’s Bait Shack said they are finding flounder off Yirrell Beach, Revere Beach and Lynn Harbor. For stripers, seaworms off the Belle Isle Bridge and Deer Island are the ticket. There’s even been a few tog taken with worms among the bubble weed off the railing by the ocean front of DI.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Laura from Ippi’s in Lynn said the flounder fishing among the flats off Lynn Harbor has been hot. Mackerel are easily found of the 2 Can of Nahant and out toward the BG Buoy. Anglers trolling macks by Bailey’s Hill are marking fish but the bass aren’t always in the feeding mood. You may find better luck by Forty Steps in Nahant as well as Short Beach. For the occasional surface blow-ups Laura recommends Admiral Al’s poppers, with dark colors working best.

Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem told me of a 23” big tog that was caught on a seaworm off the Beverly Pier. While not the targeted fish, the grateful angler did not complain. More often is stripers that are taken here with seaworms free-drifted in the current. The Danvers River has had solid schoolie action with the best bite taking place where the river meets up with inlets. Flounder can be found from shore behind the Walmart on the Lynnway. For those who have logged a few years in these parts, that is no surprise. When flounder were more numerous than starlings, that entire shoreline was THE best place to catch flounder from the shore and now that flounder have rebounded it apparently still is. Other successful shore spots for stripers are Obear Park, the Salem Harbor Boat Ramp and Devereux Beach as well as Marblehead Harbor.

Joey from The Fisherman’s Outfitter said that Gloucester has suddenly lit up. The problem sometimes is that the fish become persnickety when the forage is as small as silversides. However fish can be found anywhere from Stage Fort Park to the Dogbar Breakwater with the birds tipping their whereabouts. Mackerel searches sometimes end right in Gloucester Harbor but they can be found more consistently outside of The Groaner. Jig up some mackerel and you may find some stripers off the backshore of Gloucester, off Milk Island, Straitsmouth Island and Andrews Point. There are south shore anglers heading up to the North Shore and they are catching squid. You may have to poke around proven spots to find them but they are around.

Martha is expecting the outstanding fishing of last week at the mouth of the Merrimack River to reload with favorable tides approaching. Combine the last few hours of an outgoing tide with first light and you have the potential that has many from Plum Island pumped up! Meanwhile those who are running and gunning the shoreline from the beachfront throughout the Parker River Wildlife Reservation are slamming stripers on SP Minnows. Joppa Flats was jumping on Thursday morning when we spoke with the tube-and-worm along with Slug-Gos the go-to baits. They are also getting fish in the Parker River as well as Plum Island Sound. There are even reports of some flounder finally from Plum Island Sound, past the jetties at the mouth of the Merrimack and the beachfront.

Fishing Forecast

A livewell of mackerel as well as a course for Race Point, the Plymouth Power Plant and the mouth of the North River is one solid game plan. For something a little more laid back but no less fun, check out the flounder fishing in Cohasset Harbor as well as Scituate Harbor. From Hull through the Harbor, look for striper surface activity along migration routes such as by Rainsford Island, Long Island and Hangman Island. If you find mackerel, try live-lining them by Hypocrite Channel or Quarantine Rocks. Those doubling down among the Danvers River are catching stripers. Gloucester, including the backshore has gotten good. If you long for the awesome fishing at the mouth of the Merrimack of last week than cheer up early morning tides are turning favorable once again!