Feeding fish seem to be more influenced by the calendar than the mercury as reluctance gives way to recklessness. Odds are good that no matter where you wet a line, there’s a blitz not far away. While blues and bass continue to get most of the attention, the reappearance of smelt on the South Shore is really good news for those who have a warm spot for a quintessentially New England staple and for those hoping for something to fish for in the salt in late Fall/early Winter.
Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast
“Sal limited out on smelt!” was an account from Pete of Belsans Bait in Scituate that I considered music to my ears. With the cod calamity and the haddock season closed, for those who like to remain busy during the “offseason”, we can only hope for a strong smelt season. The scene was the Scituate Harbormaster Dock, and the tally was 50 fish, which is the limit set by the DMF. Coupled with some smelt taken out of Hull, just maybe this will be a good one. Mid-20” stripers continue to rule as they gorge on peanut bunker in the bays of Plymouth/Kingston and Duxbury, and feed on juvenile sea herring in Scituate. Eels are accounting for 30-inch-plus stripers at “the Cliffs,” the Glades, and Egypt Beach. Blues are usually out a bit, but these brutes are double-digit-plus drag pullers, and those searching just-offshore ledges with trolling plugs or a keen-eye for surface feeds are usually finding them! “Stand-up” tuna of under 200 pounds are busting bait on the bank, especially the SW corner.
The best indicator that the time of the year rules over water temperatures is what’s happening in Westport. Despite 70 degree water temperatures, it’s apparent that stripers are “running” from Buzzards Bay into the river. Aboard Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister, we’ve been finding fish up to 25 pounds willing to take eels, plugs, and clams. There are times that Westport Harbor looks like one big bait ball/blitz. Tog can be found among rockpiles, but until temperatures dip to below 60 degrees, they will be scattered and territorial. Sometime next month expect them to school up and the whitechin bite will be on!
Greater Boston Fishing Report
The thousands of schoolies which have been the boater’s constant companion throughout Boston Harbor since May show no signs of abating and should be with us at least another month. Latest consistent locations are Hull, Spectacle Island, Castle Island and the Lower Middle. The tube-and-worm continues to be a winner according to Lisa from Fore River. Black seems to be best, and some 40-inch fish are being taken with them by Bumpkin Island, Raccoon Island, Wessagusset Beach, Hangman Island and Sunken Ledge. The shop is getting requests for grass shrimp, but sadly that ended with the passing of the self-described “Shrimp King” Rick Newcomb. Remarkably the shop still has a handful of flash-frozen gills of grass shrimp from last season’s effort. Smelt have been turning up off the piers of Hull and Nut Island. If they are there, they just might be at Hewitts Cove as well as off the Summer Street Bridge.
The bigger bass are still being culled out of the schoolies with mackerel. But more than at any time this season, mackerel acquisition appears to be light sensitive. In fact one sharpie has recommended that anglers be on site before dawn, the window has been that slim! Closer spots such as Flip Rock and the East Point of Nahant hold mackerel early while deeper spots such as the BG Buoy and Martin’s Ledge are more productive once the sun is up.
Increasingly harbor pollock are showing up in the mix. While not as valued as mackerel, pollock are fine bait on their own. Just keep in mind that they are “groundfish” and will seek sanctuary in structure if given the chance. It is important to keep tension on the pollock either by trolling, usually without a sinker, or live-lining under a float. Green Island, Calf, Little Calf, Popes Rock and the Brewsters are all proven places for live pollock. Closer to the coast there has been action off Revere Beach, Short Beach and Nahant Beach. Bluefish still remain a factor and are usually found from the North Channel eastward but occasionally cruise into the harbor.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Neal from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester said that bluefish are showing the uncanny ability of striking when anglers least expect it, namely when they are not using steel leaders. The conundrum, however, is that in the clear waters on the North Shore, mono or fluorocarbon is often more productive! No one ever said it was going to be easy! Most of the action is taking place outside of the Groaner. You’ll have to work for mackerel, with chumming and an early start an advantage, but they remain the magic bullet for bass. It’s been good at Ipswich Bay for those trolling mackerel while the same bait off Halibut Point could result in a mixed bag of blues and bass. The shop is still selling squid jigs so they must still be present off lit piers in the harbor.
Kay from Surfland used the phrase “Here today, gone tomorrow” to describe the inconsistent bluefish and bass fishing! The good news is that when anglers are hooking into blues they are big! And even surf anglers have been getting into the bluefish good times on chunk mackerel on the southern end of Plum Island. Kay feels that anglers should spend less time concerned with tide and pay more attention to time of day, namely first light. Boaters have also been having better luck on the southern end of the island for both bass and blues. While trolling plugs are working, some are scoring at least as well vertically jigging Hopkins spoons over marked fish.
Dave Waldrip of Relentless Charters Reports:
Captain Dave Waldrip of RELENTLESS CHARTERS has now moved down to Green Harbor, MA for rest of the 2015 season. The reason for the move is to be closer to the school bluefin tuna action. This is the time of year to fish to put fresh tuna steaks in the freezer after landing fish to 200 lbs. Capt Dave reported there is a ton of bait on Stellwagen Bank in the form of sand lance and mackerel with anglers hooking up both on spinning rods jigging and drifting live mackerel with 50 class stand up tackle. With the run to the grounds less than an hour to hook a big fish it is the time of year anglers dream of. There is also an abundance of big blues and some striped bass nearby giving anglers many choices during the fall run. Dave expects the tuna action to last right through November just like last season.
Fishing Forecast
Peanut bunker in Plymouth as well as small sea herring in Scituate are resulting in stellar striped bass surface feeds. Going deeper while vertical jigging or trolling plugs could give you a case of the blues. The beat goes on with bass blitzes in Boston the norm. Smelt fishing in Scituate and Hull is so far very encouraging compared to the previous few years. First light is best for mackerel off Nahant with Revere Beach, Nahant Beach and Swampscott good places to fish with them. Schoolie surface feeds are the norm in Salem and Beverly Harbors with blues crushing plugs outside of Salem Sound. Ipswich Bay and Halibut Point have been hot for those putting in the time to acquire mackerel. The south end of Plum Island has been fishing best for bass and blues with even surf anglers getting in on the fun.
Beverly area
Plenty of 20 to 25inch schoolies in the skinny watter in front of independence park. Best fly has been Surf Candy. SHALLOW draft hull needed to get in close.
Thank You for adding my Picture. Very Appreciated. Hope to get on to some CowPigs in the morning. Thanks again.
Brian
big bunker busting first light at the mouth of Plymouth Harbor .Weighted trebs better be in your box! The seals were all over them. Tight-lines
43 inch 35 pounder on live squid – the squid had attached himself to a hunk of Mack and would not let go so I reeled him in, switched him with the Mack, tied on a float with a 6 ft drop and WHAM! My blessing, his despair.
I fish Plymouth Harbor once a week from spring to fall in a small center console. In yesterdays breezy North East wind I witnessed the largest Blitz I have ever seen by any fish in any location. I caught 55 Bass ranging from 26-35 inches in a two hour span. The bass were chasing silver sides right onto shore. Knuckle Heads and Spooks were the top producers.
Fall Run looks to be alive.
An unbelievable amount of bait, fish and birds in that area. I was out there with you yesterday. Craziest fishing I’ve ever experienced
Three bays blowing up! Tight-Limes!
Fantastic! What are you seeing out there?
Boston Harbor has been HOT! blitzes like clockwork from castle island out to Deer Island and further into Broad Sound, the shoals of 20″ schoolies have started producing mid to high 30″ fish with blues in the mix as of the last week. Because of the surplus of bait around the fish are picky outside the blitz’s but if you’re lucky enough to be in the middle of a blitz fish of both species have been hitting the topwater (they’d bite a coke can if you rigged it up!) – throwing a superstrike little neck popper, but a 1 1/2 oz greenback deadly dick has been the trophy winner.