Massachusetts Fishing Report - October 8, 2015

You don’t have to transition from a rod to a rifle to set your sites on a new target come October. For some, that target is sub-60-degree water temperatures, which is the magic number when the mighty tautog start stirring. You’ll find that temperature on the Westport side of Buzzards Bay, and not surprisingly you’ll find tackle-testing tautog right now! Elsewhere, you’ll find some of the best striper fishing of the year, and in many cases you won’t have to share your honey hole.

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

It isn’t often that you are in the midst of a blistering bass bite, yet view it as a mere appetizer. Such is the allure of tautog, and they have begun to feed aggressively. My friend Captain Jason Colby and I had a solid striper plan in the Westport River Tuesday morning. The tide was cooking in a proven place, and we were prepared to serve those bass their favorite entrée – eels. If we had left after the pathetic first half hour, we would have been convinced that the bass had moved on. After all, what self-respecting striper would pass on an eel?

But then, I swapped the eel for one of the most effective artificials I know of – a Gulp Jerk Shad. For the next hour, it was nearly a fish-per-cast outing for stripers between 10 and 22 pounds! What makes the Jerk Shad superior to typical soft plastics is its scent, feel and rigidity. That stiffness especially matters during those conditions when you should be fishing for striped bass, when there is current and low light. The Gulp material is not susceptible to bending unnaturally in flowing water and tracks true with action, accurately mimicking an angler’s rod movements. It works best with a steady, slow retrieve punctuated with gentle rod “pulses.” Stripers feed at night more effectively when they can get a bead on something, track it down, and hit it. This is the same principle behind needlefish plugs, and that’s why they are standard issue among many striper sharpies.

And then, it was tog time, and once again jigs ruled! In this case it was the Tidaltails Jig’z. Since I flipped to jigs, I can’t remember the last time I used a bait rig. The advantages of tying a 1-ounce jig on the line verses a triple-dropper loop, double-hooked monstrosity anchored by a 4-ounce hunk of lead are numerous. Bean-style jigs allow anglers to probe every nook and cranny in wrecks, rockpiles, musselbeds and shelves where the often-territorial tog lurk. Try that with a bait rig and prepare to retie – a lot! The Tidaltails Jig seldom hangs up, and in the end is a lot more fun to fish with. I prefer whole silver-dollar-sized crabs. Break off the claws right to the body cavity and run the hook of the jig from one side through the body and out the opposite leg-opening, and then cave in the top of the shell with a sinker.

It takes a bit of a learned touch to hook tog. Do not set the hook on the first “crunch” unless it’s a rod-bending “CHONK!” But be prepared for the second take; if you don’t set up on that fish with purpose on the second bite, odds are really good you’ll need another crab.

Pete from Belsans in Scituate commented that he could have closed the shop from Sunday to last Sunday and it wouldn’t have mattered a bit, there was so little business due to the incessant nor’easter. All that rain was not necessarily a bad thing since it whisked river herring fry from their upstream nursery to waiting striped bass. It was as if the herring had mini GPS units on them—you could track their downstream movements as anglers caught aggressive bass feeding on them. There are plenty more herring still in the rivers, and odds are that the bite will be good again during and slightly after the next rainstorm. Make it a point to be there when the next significant rains hit. In addition to the rivers, anglers are catching teen-sized fish on eels off Sand Hill Beach as well as Humarock Beach. The Cliffs, the mouth of Scituate Harbor, and Peggotty Beach are other options. Duxbury Bay has had an infusion of peanut bunker resulting in bass and blue blitzes especially by Clark Island. Smelt sleuths are reporting good results from Scituate Harbor and great results from Hull.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

The sustained nor’easter kept most boats at port, or in many cases lead to mothballing for the year. A few in kayaks, small boats as well as shore anglers struck among rivers, estuaries and marshes – especially those with a river herring population – and did quite well. Some, such as Leon Schaeffer from Medford, slammed small keepers with Tsunami Holographic Sand Eels. Red tubes with worms was the magic bullet for kayakers such as Steve Langton Sr. as well as tin-boaters such as Carl Vining and Dave Panarello. These guys have been catching respectable teen-sized fish by trolling that tube-and-worm among various marshes, estuaries and rivers throughout Greater Boston.

Tubes work best when they are trolled only a few feet off the bottom so bring along an assortment of sinkers to keep it in the strike zone. Carl Vining slips Dipsy sinkers onto his swivel he attaches to his tube. It’s convenient, serviceable and effective! While the roiled seas have kept reports to a minimum, Dave and Carl – the Harbor’s unofficial eyes on the sea – did get into fish with frozen mackerel off Revere Beach. They also knew of Captain Lou Abate doing particularly well in Broad Sound with chartreuse umbrella rigs. There’s been some action off Graves Light as well as Boston Light. There’s also been a roving melee of birds and busting fish between Flip Rock and the East Point of Nahant.

Thank goodness this is shaping up to be a good year for smelt! Fore River B&T is doing a brisk business outfitting folks who relish the camaraderie, catching and culinary reward from pursing these quintessentially New England fish. Lisa is a big fan of the Triple H and it has nothing to do with wrestling, rather the bite has been best at Hull, Hingham and Hewitt’s Cove. I bet there in the Reserve Channel as well. Last year the whiting were a wintertime winner off the Summer Street Bridge, but we did find smelt when we moved out of the main channel into quieter, shallower eddies.

The shop’s top tube tandem, Bobby and Donny, are at it again slamming stripers throughout Quincy Bay and Bumpkin Island. A few have been finding fall flounder reminiscent of a bygone era off Rainsford Island, Hospital Shoals, Sculpin Ledge and Deer Island Flats. Tog are stirring big time at the Westport side of Buzzards Bay, and while Boston numbers don’t compare, we still have them here! Try a Tidaltails Jig’z/green crab combination and poke around the ribbon of wharves throughout the inner harbor to see if you can’t find a few. Another option is bridges which border estuaries. Tog are schooling now and move inshore looking to crunch some crabs around reefs, bridge pilings, mussel beds and rockpiles. They will remain inshore until sometime next month when dropping temperatures will spur them to migrate toward deepwater wintertime slumber spots.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Tomo from Tomos Tackle in Salem said that buoyed by the glowing reports of smelt from the South Shore, some have been snooping around for the silver streakers off Pickering Wharf, but so far all they have is tommycod to show for their efforts. The piers off Gloucester might be a worthwhile option, especially the state pier. The Dogbar Breakwater is a possibility, too. Patrons of the shop have been picking up stripers up to 41 inches from Red Rock in Lynn. Other anglers report encouraging news from Salem Sound and off Swampscott. Flounder continue to be a fall alternative off Fishermans Beach in Swampscott.

Tomo and I talked of tog a bite as he has customers who are interested in these brutes. If you folks have a trailer/boat at the ready, consider the Westport side of Buzzards Bay which is catching fire. May notwithstanding, October is the best moth for tog locally. While we have but a fraction of the tog more southern spots have, we do have them and now they’re schooling, inshore and hungry! If you know of places they’ve been caught by “accident” before, try them again. Historically the Kernwood Bridge has been a place to catch tog. Seaworms will work but the ubiquitous green crab is far better.

Like a gopher raising its head out of its hole after a pack of coyotes has passed, anglers are just beginning to venture out again on the North Shore. Martha from Surfland said that most of the activity is happening in the Merrimack River, Parker River Wildlife Reservation and Plum Island Sound. The lucky few who won the “lottery” and have over-sand permits to the reservation are reporting schoolie action on seaworms off Parking Lot 3. Of course those who are more access-challenged can work the same area they just have to hoof it a bit. For a best local bet, Martha suggests Nelson Island, which can be reached by shore for those who hike in from the Rowley side of the sound. This is a good place to toss some eels at night. Regarding the eel/night combo, consider the Route 1A Bridge on the Parker River. I recall hearing solid reports from Kay about this spot. I do well with eels from bridges at the top/turn of the tide. Just make sure you have stout gear to dissuade a determined striper that they can’t have their way.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

Eddie of B&A in West Boylston reminded me that the salt-obsessed were missing a lot by ignoring sweetwater possibilities. Wachusett has been solid for lakers up to 4 pounds for those such as Jimmy D’Angelo who jig pockets of deepwater with ¾- to 1-ounce blue/chrome Kastmasters. Smaller red/gold Kastmasters have been the trick for Quinapoxet salmon and rainbows up to 3 ¾ pounds! There’s even been a few native brookies taken by the pier. The river is running low at the moment, but if volume picks up, look for brown trout to move from downstream locations up towards the Oakdale Dam. This was a trophy fishery last year for those using salmon egg sacks. Smallies should still be a mere cast away with swim baits a best bet for a big bronzie.

Fishing Forecast

While the Nor’easter was anything but, the fishing scene was quiet. Cautiously, anglers are starting to poke their heads out from shelter and are finding tautog starting to crunch up crabs in the Westport side of Buzzards Bay. While you’re there, consider casting eels or Gulp Jerk Shads for stripers in the river. On the South Shore, there have been surface feeds from Duxbury through Hull with fish ranging from schoolies to teen-sized fish. The big news might have to do with small fish, since the smelt season in Hull and Hingham thus far has been better than in years. Closer to Boston, try Revere Beach and Red Rock; to short circuit your search bring mackerel or seaworms for bait. Nelson Island in Plum Island Sound gets the nod for a spot for boaters and booters alike, while the latter may want to consider the 1A Bridge on the Parker River with eels.