Massachusetts Fishing Report - October 29, 2015

You don’t have to be a weather junkie to appreciate the rain. There’s a cadre of casters who know that currents sweep striper goodies from the upstream sanctuary of riparian nurseries into the hungry mouths of bass on the move. If you’ve made the switch from the salt to sweetwater, you probably know that the torrents open up a world of new possibilities for those who have trout on the brain also.

Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast Fishing Forecast

With water temps dipping below the mid-50s, Buzzards Bay blackfish around the Westport side of the bay are on the bite! You definitely would not want to be a crab in these parts at the moment. Captain Jason Colby of Little Sister Charters has found it so easy to limit out on keepers that he’s been self-regulating at a baseline of 4 to 5 pounds! Top tautog have been tipping the scales at 9 pounds and it’s only a matter of time before that double-digit white chin results in a cry of “get the net”! While I’m an avowed “jigger”, when the seas are a washing machine of waves, a bait rig presents the crab to the tautog in a more natural fashion and it also makes it easier to thwart bait stealers. Personally I can’t remember the last time I used a bait rig but it does make sense to have rods available with both types of terminal gear to suit prevalent conditions

Few are fishing for stripers according to Pete Belsan from Belsans Bait. But I did hear of a recent brisk big bass bite from a Boston beach that had me thinking I veered left when I should have went right. The skilled surfcaster was all by his lonesome and tallied very impressive numbers of fish up to 33 pounds! The fish were all caught and released and along with their school mates could be cruising by the South Shore right now. Pete recommends Peggotty Beach as well as Second and Fourth Cliffs. Other potential spots are Plymouth’s Manomet Point, Long Beach, Duxbury Beach and Humarock Beach. Sweetwater prospects are Little and Long Ponds in Plymouth where some beautiful rainbows are swimming.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Significant rainfall this time of the year shakes river herring fry free of the relative security of their upstream nurseries and washes them downstream and striped bass know it! Lisa from Fore River recommends Worlds End, Bare Cove Park and the Commander Shea Boulevard section of the Neponset River as spots where this explosive union is likely to take place. Soft plastic stick baits rule here such as the Fin-S-Fish, Bill Hurley’s jerk bait and the Gulp Jerk Shad. For a shot at a truly big bass you have to give the beaches there due! A friend of a friend has been putting a lot of time this October toeing the Revere and Winthrop surf lines with plugs and has achieved eye-popping numbers of fish up to 33 pounds as recently as this past week! Other than stripers, not another creature was stirring and reportedly he’s not complaining of being lonely.

Smelt fishing remains sensational at all the usual haunts with Fore River B&T in Quincy remaining smelt central as Lisa and Maria double down their efforts to keep live and frozen grass shrimp in stock. There even are a few patrons targeting tautog and flounder. While reticent the fact that these folks are repeat customers for sea worms speaks about their success. Paul from Bob’s in Winthrop said that there have been plenty of striper blitzes off Deer Island and some have been close enough that shore anglers were able to get in on the fun. Spectacle has been best for schoolie bass for the few boaters who still have their rigs at the ready. Apparently some of the southern smelt success has been spilling over into Winthrop Harbor. Some of the shops patrons have been catching by the dozens most anywhere there is a lit pier throughout the harbor.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Mixed sizes of mackerel are swarming throughout the Salem/Beverly area according to Noel from Bridge Street Sports in Salem. Piers throughout the North Shore are offering pickings easier than candy on Halloween. Boaters are especially making a killing almost as soon as they clear the shoreline but especially near Misery Island and Halfway Rock. Some who are fishing from the Beverly Pier and Salem Willows are designating a “flounder” rod and catching a few flatties while soaking seaworms. The most consistent local linesider location seems to be Devereux Beach in Marblehead.

Finally some smelt scuttlebutt on the North Shore according to Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle! He hasn’t heard of limits but the fact that at least some are being caught is a start! Some historic smelt spots to consider are: the Commercial Street Pier in Marblehead, the Beverly Pier, Salem Willows, Pickering Wharf, the State Pier in Gloucester and the Granite Pier in Rockport. Find a lit pier preferably outside of strong current and you just may find your own little smelt honey hole! Mackerel are practically child’s play with Children’s Island mentioned as one of the sweet spots. For a sure-fire shore spot, Tomo suggests Salem Willows. Striper news has been quiet as is typical of late October but they are definitely out there. Kay from Surfland suggests seaworms off Parking Lot 3 in the Parker River Wildlife Reservation. While you are there you may be treated to a minke whale show, they have been observed frolicking close to shore which is an indication that there are mackerel or sea herring present. The only thing Skip from Three Lantern Marine has heard is that the tuna bite at Southern Jeffrey’s has remained strong with live bait, be it mackerel or whiting, as the best choice.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

The rain drops have sounded like the sweetest of melodies to those who target salmonids throughout the Wachusett Reservoir tributaries according to Eddie from B&A in West Boylston. Salmon, 3 pound class rainbows and even wily brown trout are heeding the call of the current and cruising upstream. The best bait is dillies and salmon egg sacks which Eddie hand ties at the shop. This time of the year Wachusett has a lot to offer and if rivers aren’t your cup of tea than consider the smallies and lakers from the “Resi”. Last week two 4 pound bronzebacks were bested from the Cellar Holes, this week the top fish was a 5-2 that took a young yellow from Jim Innocent. Gates 8, 13, 22 and 35 have been standouts for lake trout.

The season may have ended for the Quabbin Reservoir but that doesn’t mean fishing in the area has. Rod from Flagg’s whistled when he described some of the brown trout which have been stocked in the Miller River as well as Lake Mattawa. The fish have been falling for everything from Wooly Buggers to “garden hackle”. For something a bit on the wild side, try traipsing through the woods not far from Rod’s shop in Orange for a shot at a native brook trout or three. There are more of these colorful indigenous “char” then most fisherman realize and it wouldn’t take much prodding to pry the whereabouts from Rod. Crappie continue to cooperate at the “Spec” and the walleye remain an unexpected winner in the Connecticut River.

If you still haven’t scratched that striper itch, you should check out Westport as well as that section of Buzzards Bay. It’s been blitz city there, but who knows how long it will last. For a terrific tandem, top off the bass “breakfast” with a little togging. Captain Jason Colby has been finding them in about 20’ of water. Sadly, the harbor’s best bass days for the season are in the rearview mirror, but occasional “feeds” are not out of the question. A better bet may be to jig up the ubiquitous mackerel and hit the herring runs in the rivers. For that one last cow quest on the North Shore, jig up some mackerel outside of Tinkers Island or Thatcher Island and troll or cast them close to the rocks of Gloucester and Rockport. If you’re thinking freshwater may be a greatly needed breath of fresh air, then consider walleye from the Connecticut or wild brookies from the tributaries of Wachusett.

Fishing Forecast

If the balmy Thursday weather has your mind wandering to thoughts of striped bass on the South Shore than just maybe bass which were holed up in the Harbor are cruising by your coast now. Beaches such as those in Plymouth, Duxbury and Scituate are a best bet. The Cliffs of Scituate deserve a shout too. For sterling smelt fishing and scrumptious post-catching “eats” grab a gill of grass shrimp from Fore River and hit Hull, Hingham or the Town River – by many accounts this is a solid year for smelt. For something bigger toss some plugs into the wash of Greater Boston Beaches such as Nantasket, Wollaston, Winthrop and Revere. The North Shore is in the grips of mackerel mania with Salem Willows the most special of spots at the moment.