Massachusetts Fishing Report – August 3, 2017

Pictured above: Captain Chris Valaskatgis has been putting charters into nice bass aboard the Manolin!

The combustible mix of moisture and unstable air often produces thunderstorms. If ever there were a comparable fishing metaphor for thunder and lightning, it would be tackle-busting ‘gator blues. Thanks to rising water temperatures and a seemingly endless stream of bait, anglers are singing the blues once again.

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

As maiden voyages go, the Westport splashdown of the Little Sister on Tuesday was impressive on the black sea bass front. The jig bite was so-so but once Captain Colby began doling out his patented clam chum, the knotheads came calling and they just wouldn’t stop. We experienced frequent double headers as well as 18” plus fish piled among rockpiles almost as soon as we cleared the Westport River. Expect to catch a lot of sea robins but leave the croakin’ to them. Instead keep a few and slice them up into strips for fluke. We did just that and found keepers off Horseneck Beach.

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish called it recently when he when he predicted that the “whale show” off Stellwagen would bully the bass in towards the shoreline. Stripers on the South Shore are now living up to their “rockfish” moniker and big ones can now be found close to structure and in surprisingly shallow water. As usual mackerel are the magic bullet although increasingly pogies are becoming a player in the bait equation.

Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate sang the same song when we spoke. He even got more specific and said that a lot of good fish, 15- to 28-pounders, are frequenting crunchy structure in only 6’ to 8’ of water. Patrons have been pulling them in from Enos Ledge, Tobias Ledge, The Glades, the Cliffs and off Black Rock Beach. A 9-pound tautog was tugged in by a shop regular the other day off the Cedar Point Jetty. Far from a fluke, this guy targets tog with green crabs. There are more ‘chinners north of the Cape than most realize.

Greater Boston Harbor Fishing Report

Green crab chatter continued when I called Bob’s Bait Shack in Winthrop. But the requests for those buggers had nothing to do with tautog, but rather, striped bass. It seems anglers who are poking around the wharf pillings of Deer Island as well as the seawall have discovered that stripers cannot pass up a live green crab and there are no shortage of them throughout the harbor. The demand has Mike from the shop even considering carrying them.

For a more conventional striper bait, pogies can usually be spotted by early risers who have a trained eye. Recent sightings have occurred between Deer Island to Castle Island and through Winthrop Harbor. Increasingly double-digit blues are figuring into the equation. On Saturday, Rick Paone of Medford and his Dad, Rick Sr., spotted a “wolfpack” of big blues just off the Five Sisters waking towards their boat from about 100 yards away. They cut the engine and just stared, transfixed as about two dozen ‘gators exploded under their hull and belted the pogies at boatside. As much as some may malign bluefish, there’s no substitute for the mayhem when they turn on the jets and massacre a pogy.

Lisa from Fore River Bait And Tackle told me that pogies are no problem at Wollaston Beach provided you’re looking between false dawn and daybreak. Once the sun is up, the pogies begin to roam. If bass aren’t with the bait, try Long Island and Moonhead Island, Hypocrite Channel and Toddy Rocks. Shore anglers are having success off Wessagussett Beach, Bare Cove Park and Great Esker Park. Wollaston Beach has been productive also.

Surging water temperatures are luring in black sea bass in increasing numbers also. One of the better places is Peddock Island (Hull side) as well as Rainsford Island and Pig Rock. The flounder faithful are still hanging in there but they are targeting them in deeper water such as by Green Island, Toddy Rocks and Strawberry Ledge. Although Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters did tell me he’s still pulling them in from Perry Cove off Peddock’s Island.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

I didn’t anticipate this tip from Tomo of Tomos Tackle in Salem but he said that a massive school of pogies is present in Boston Harbor from Castle Island out to Deer Island. Closer to his court in Salem, he said that there are mackerel in Misery Channel. That could all change if the blues in Nahant Bay move just a little northward. For stripers, the mackerel are money off Browns Island and Peaches Point in Marblehead. A few fluke and black sea bass are being caught in Lynn Harbor.

Skip from Three Lantern Marine said that Gloucester Harbor is the place if you’d like fast action with schoolie bass peppered with the occasional much nicer fish. A better bet for bigger bass is with a live mackerel most anywhere you find sudsy, striper-hiding wash around shorelines, ledges, upwellings and islands. Mackerel remain child’s pay almost as soon as you clear the Groaner, by Thachers Island and the Salvages. Pogies are not nearly as plentiful as they were thanks to purse seiners putting a major hurt on the schools.

As the recent Bluefin Blowout tournament proved, the hottest tuna spot at the moment is Platts Bank where the bottom drops to 240-250 feet deep. Live bait matters and the results of the tournament proved that you cannot beat a live sea herring.

Liz from Surfland told me that there are plenty of pogies on the Salisbury side of the Merrimack River out through Salisbury beach. The school was described as nearly a mile long and there were even tuna busting on them in 15’ of water. Some are snagging the pogies and drifting them along the Merrimack River and doing quite well. Others are trolling them along the Parker River Wildlife Reservation and into Plum Island Sound. For numbers of fish, albeit mainly schoolies, the outgoing tide of the Merrimack between the Captains Fishing Charters dock and the sandbar is a best local bet. Joppa Flats continues to frustrate as complacent cows continue to confound as they cruise by seemingly oblivious to all offerings.

Captain Chris from Manolin Charters is on a roll. In just the last few days, he has been putting patrons into piles of nice bass between 38” to 42”. He’s topping off the livewell with mackerel as well as pogies. The one-two punch of teasing them up with a pogy and then “punching them in the face” with a mackerel is positively deadly throughout the Merrimack River as well the ocean front.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

Guide Pat Barone of Early Rise Outfitters said that shad fry are staging for an inevitable massacre in his home waters of the Connecticut River in South Hadley. The tiny shad along with young river herring are a lit fuse for most everything which swims in this huge fish bowl from smallmouth bass to stripers. Pat is equally adept at fly fishing and spinning and has a bead on most everything which lives here. And if you’re suspecting stripers in fresh water don’t grow that big, Pat and pals have caught cows in the Connecticut up to nearly 50”.

Eddie of B&A in West Boylston said that the few who are still having at the ‘Chu are catching largemouth bass up to nearly 6 pounds off the causeway. Some guys are saving a few hours after work and catching lakers with spoons off the causeway nearly into dark. The recent heat has kept most away, but smallmouth sharpies should take notice. Wachusett has an almost unrivaled population of slab smallies which sulk during oppressive days, only to cruise into the shadows to feed aggressively as the sun sets. A topwater enticingly worked along points has worked really well for me through the years. Rod from Flagg’s has been weighing in better salmon from Quabbin than in quite a while. The difference is an improving smelt population. A 5½-pound salmon was caught recently by Curtis Pond in 40’ of water on a dodger/streamer combination. A 3½-pound rainbow was taken in the same general area in 30’ of water on a spoon. For boat rentals, business is brisk during the weekends but mostly for sight-seers. Plan on a weekday and chances are you’ll have this pristine place all to yourself.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

The appearance of big blues off the Bay State coast has rekindled interest in this world class fighter. Get your toothy fix with a gaudy trolling plug just off the Plymouth Power Plant. Swim a mackerel or sink a pogy chunk close in among rocky structure from Scituate to Cohasset for big bass which have just moved in. Pogies are plentiful off Wollaston Beach for early risers. If bass and blues are not with the bait check out Long Island or Toddy Rocks. The Winthrop Shoreline out through Revere has been as consistent for choppers as anywhere along our coast. On the North Shore a huge swath of pogies is just begging for attention and they are getting it – from tuna no less.