Massachusetts Fishing Report - August 6, 2015

It’s all relative and all fun but when talk turns to the Canyons, everything else becomes second tier. And right now, tuna along with other pelagics are pounding anglers nearly into submission. If you’re more likely to take a trip to the moon than to “The Edge” than there’s also some utilitarian news you can wrap your mind around – cooler temps have resulted in a hotter striper bite.

South Shore

Scotty Sinclair of Green Harbor B&T had riveting stories from “The Edge” when we spoke. The edge of course meaning the canyons off our coast. Stories of 280 pound bigeye and 100 pound plus yellowfin tuna, 50 pound albacore, mahi mahi and “air” marlin quickly make you realize that we have some world class fishing out there on par with most anything.  Top rod anglers such as Damon Sacco and his Castafari crew are finding the fishing phenomenal at Oceanographer and the west wall of West Atlantis. Trolling Joe Shute heads shorn with ballyhoo has been one of the winning methods. If trolling is not your cup of tea than take a cue from my friend Russ Eastman of Monahan Marine who recently jigged and popped the same water with some Shimano wares to awesome effect. This is stand-up fishing and the quarry has been bull mahi, albacore and yellowfin. Russ said that the new Shimano popping Orca is an edge terminator and the Coltsniper Jigs are tuna tamers. Russ is also hearing glowing reviews of these lures from patrons for stripers and black sea bass in the smaller sizes.

Scotty of Green Harbor said that closer to home, tuna have been on a tear within 10 miles of Nauset. The catching has been courtesy of kites/live bait as well as Fuku Squid bars and Carlson Birds. Closer still, the most consistent striped bass fishing is taking place after dark with eels and chunk mackerel off Burke’s Beach and Humarock.

According to Pete from Belsan’s mackerel remain the key to striper success and despite bluefish raids the bait can be found between Minot’s Ledge and the 21 Can. Those placing a jig on the bottom of the Sabiki are catching and releasing 10-pound rock cod! For stripers Pete recommends fishing the “dark side” of structure. More specifically whether it be Minot’s Light, Beetle Rocks or as close as The Glades or the North and South Rivers, troll or live-line the baitfish in the shadows or sudsy sides of the structure where larger and less wary linesiders lurk waiting in ambush. Pete had no news about squid in the South Shore but they are such big news up north, I can’t help but wonder if they aren’t lurking near lit piers and docks at night in Plymouth or Scituate Harbors.

Greater Boston

If you were put off by the insane boat show that was the harbor over the weekend, reconsider. Cooler water temperatures have brought in some better bass from deeper water and combined with the relatively inclement weather predicted this weekend odds are good you’ll fare better than the last. Mackerel remain the MVB (most valuable bait) and if you keep your eyes peeled the aggregation of boats should point where they are. However, it is never too early in your bait search to drop down an exploratory Sabiki. Full racks have recently been as close as The Anchorage! Don’t be fooled by bird shows they are often the result of mackerel pushing brit herring to the surface and not necessarily the handiwork of stripers.

Laurel from Hull has been pushing patrons into targeting Doctor’s Island, Gunrock Beach and Pig Rock with chunk and live mackerel as well as the tube and worm and some have been catching bass to 18 pounds. Deeper, farther offshore water out by the Brewster Islands as well as Harding Ledge should reward with bigger fish as well as the possibility of bluefish. For something big in the fun department a slug of 18” snapper blues has recently arrived by the Hull Harbor side of Peddocks Island. About now is when we usually get schools of 5” snappers around marinas. Should you find some, for something different try drifting them just off the bottom by the Pemberton Pier area where occasionally a big bycatch fluke is caught by those targeting stripers.  If there are any around you’ll know, a snapper blue on the line is a meal fluke cannot pass up. Some of the steadier surf fishing action has been off James Ave on clams.

Lisa from Fore River said that squid fishing remains one of the best local bets. Finding a lit pier at night such as Pemberton Pier or Nut Island helps, but those bringing their own light source are catching in greater numbers. Some are using those squid for bait and catching black sea bass, especially at Hull Gut.  Anglers are singing the blues as close in as the Town River. The shops two tube and worm pros – Bobby and Donny – have been catching keepers by trolling out to Sunken Ledge and Quarantine Rocks. Other guys are doing well with the tube by Bumpkin Island and World’s End. Surf fisherman should keep watch on Winthrop by the jetty, a local has been having luck on lures and he’s been all by his lonesome.

North Shore

Seldom aren’t there a gaggle of boats in the Nahant/Lynn area and it’s more about the cows and less about camaraderie. The 2 Can remains a must stop search for mackerel. Some are trolling/live lining mackerel and getting bass at Flip Rock, Bailey’s Hill, East Point, Short Beach and Lynn Beach. Egg Rock is always worth exploring as well. Not surprisingly considering the squid numbers here, a lot of squid have been found in harvested striped bass. It wouldn’t hurt to pack some purplish, pink and amber colored soft plastic stick baits in your tackle bag. This is also great water to troll a tube and worm, especially for kayakers.

Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that cooler temperatures have made the fishing in Salem Sound hotter. Early risers are having no time mixing it up with surface feeds. Increasingly the fish are not all composed of cookie-cutter schoolies as fish up to 40” long are more frequently found. The hot lure remains the bone 247 Mully, which is most alluring when walked like a dog. A bigger batch of squid, up to 18”, have up the ante for the cephalopod crowd off the piers of Beverly, Salem and Cape Ann. Squid not destined for squid Fra Diavolo make excellent bait for bass right where they are caught.

Joey from The Fisherman’s Outfitter in Gloucester said that those trolling deep diving plugs between 4 and 5 miles from shore are encountering double-digit bluefish! He mentioned Saturday Night Ledge as worth noting. The usual suspects such as brightly colored X-Raps and Rapala CD18s are doing yeoman work. Tuna occasionally blow up on bait in close but a better bet for a bluefin is the Middlebank and Southwest Corner of Stellwagen with kites and live bait effective methods. Mackerel are plentiful in Gloucester Harbor as well as just outside. Chunking mackerel by the Ice House has been good as has live-lining and trolling over uneven bottom/depth edges in the harbor. Shore anglers have been picking off keeper sized fish off Good Harbor Beach and Bass Rocks.

Fishing Forecast

Hearing the yarns from those who cruise out to the canyons can lead to a malady known as Edge Envy. If you have the right ride or are interested in chartering one, now is a great time as the pelagics are hitting ferociously at Oceanographer and West Atlantis. Cooler water temps seem to have turned on stripers on the South Shore, try trolling a live mackerel off Minot or as close as the North and South Rivers. In Boston Harbor, work a tube and worm for a striper around Sunken Ledge. Shore guys should give the Winthrop shoreline a shot. On the north shore many are nearly apoplectic over squid which are swarming from Salem through Cape Ann.