Massachusetts Fishing Report - May 24, 2018

Bigger bass are now in the mix with the South Shore rivers and Boston ledges giving up mid-30-inch stripers. However, there is one notable North Shore river where it takes a fish a good deal larger to cause a stir!

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

Captain Mark Petit of Fire Escape Charters out of Plymouth has been finding stripers up to 30 inches inside the “three bays” of Plymouth through Duxbury. As is the case with most along the striper coast, the majority of fish are falling into two categories thanks to plentiful year classes – 18” stripers and 30” stripers. Mackerel are a cinch to catch just outside of the bays, but the fish are aggressive enough to make the bait acquisition superfluous. The skipper is doing quite nicely on shad baits.

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters in Scituate was fresh from a 600 mile odyssey to port aboard his new Cabo cruiser. Far from peaked, the skipper was energized by how smooth and efficient his new ride was. He’s planning on setting sail soon for haddock which have been swarming among the shallower sections of Stellwagen Bank. The skipper’s mate hopped aboard another boat to report that the haddock are averaging 4 to 5 pounds with bigger still! And best of all, the crew were downsizing to 1 ½-ounce diamond jigs and light outfits and limiting out in about an hour and a half. Another advantage with this presentation as opposed to bait is that interlopers such as sculpin will not be as much of a factor. Scituate Harbor as well as the South and North Rivers have plenty of stripers up to 30” long and the flounder fishing is fine within just a few feet of Captain Rowell’s slip!

Pete of Belsan’s Bait And Tackle in Scituate said that Boston Harbor has a flounder rival this year, namely Scituate Harbor! The fish are plentiful, well-proportioned and up to 20 inches long. Fat flounder speak well of the health of a harbor. When a bottom fish that grovels for a benthic breakfast is doing well, it bodes well for the overall environment. Kids have been catching mackerel right from shore off The Glades. Bass up to 36” have been pushing herring up into the feeder creeks of the North and South Rivers. In the still of Wednesday night, Scituate Harbor was “lit up” with stripers slurping some unforeseen tidbits (a worm spawn?) from the surface! Pete expects the first 20-pounder to be bested this week and it will happen while drifting or trolling mackerel over inshore ledges or perhaps upstream among a river herring run.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

The annual Zobo/Boston Harbor Flounder tournament on Saturday was a big success in spite of challenging weather conditions. An east wind, with clouds, the threat of rain and dropping water temperatures do not make for the most best blackback bite. Still, participation was high and it was nice to see families with kids getting involved. Our Team Little Sister placed 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th. Naturally during subsequent trips Captain Jason Colby caught bigger flounder on each and every outing! You can find fish, but you can’t force them to eat and when that sun is shining and water temperatures are on the rise flounder become aggressive. When the inverse happens, not so much!

Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing has been spending so much time bouncing back and forth between Buzzards Bay and Boston, he must be wearing out his GPS. He has good news for those locals waiting for bigger bass, having a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in Buzzards Bay, he knows of better bass that have moved through the Canal and are on the way up here, so get ready! In anticipation of that surge of stripers, Brian’s planning on spending more time in the harbor. He’s also been finding good flounder off the coves of Peddock Island. Brian also knows of some schoolie surface action between the Deer Island wharf and the Deer Island light.

In the Saugus River a couple of adroit spin fishermen got their comeuppance at the hands of a skilled fly fisherman, namely Paul Cuzzuppe. His chartreuse Clousers put a hex on bass up to 30 inches while the soft-plastic guys could do little more than watch in wonder. It’s the herring that are making the Saugus River a better fishery with better chance now of a bigger bass.

Carl Vinning and Dave Panarello found all the mackerel they wanted recently at the BG Buoy and on a hunch drifted over Boston Ledge where they found a few wiling 34” fish. Dead macks wound up to be more effective than live. Lisa from Fore River said that stripers so far are maxing out at about 30” and anglers are catching them on chunk mackerel. Mackerel have been moving in and out of Nantasket Roads and shore fishermen have been finding a few off Pemberton Pier. For flounder from the shore, give Nut Island a try as well as the Sugar Bowl and Deer Island.

Laurel from Hull told me that stripers up to 32” have moved into the Weirs River/World End area. In Hull Bay through Hingham Harbor, there are occasional schoolie feeds with anglers doing well with shad baits. Gunrock Beach and Peddock Island have been good for flounder.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

My friend Dave Flaherty from Nahant has been seeing roving bait, birds, and bass moving throughout Lynn Harbor. He also saw a number of anglers lined up on the pier of Fisherman’s Beach in Salem catching flounder. Noel from Bridge Street Sports said that some kids brought him in 60 mackerel they caught from the Beverly Pier. They also found a few squid. Most who are searching for flounder in Salem and Beverly Harbors are picking up a few fish with experienced anglers limiting out.

Jack from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that he heard of a 32” striper taken off the rocky shoreline of Lynn’s Red Rock area. There have been schoolies feeding on the surface among inner Salem Harbor and fish up to the mid-20” range can be found throughout the Danvers River. And then – there’s the Lawrence Dam on the Merrimack River. Not surprisingly there are already huge bass pinning river herring up against all that structure. It’s a mystery why those fish seem to bypass everywhere else and just appear here as if they are air-lifted in. The hot lure is Al Gag’s Whip-It Fish. My friend Steve Pappows told me that schoolies have been pushing swarms of juvenile silver hake up against Niles Beach. A biologist who examined the little toothy critters was amazed at the find.

Skip from Three Lantern Marine also commented on all the smaller forage in the harbor with small stripers in tow. Mackerel can be found outside of the harbor, but they are mostly tinkers. Sandy/muddy patches of bottom in the harbor hold winter flounder. Outgoing tide at the mouth of the Merrimack River is increasingly getting fishy as more stripers begin to migrate into the river. A few fish are also falling for seaworms along the Plum Island ocean front.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

Patrick Barone of Charter the Berkshires outfitters is offering for the summer a teaching excursion for kids that will equip them with more than just memories, but with knowledge and gear. Catches and photos are nice, but if after a trip a kid gets to leave with the same rod/reel and tackle he/she used to catch, then odds are that child will practice their newfound skill on their own. Timing is good for just such a venture with Patrick spending a lot of time in multi-species water bodies such as Pontoosuc and Onota. Water temperatures are at that brief, ideal state where everything from bass to trout to pike are aggressive and if you know the where, you can find them all but a short distance from each other.

If you fly fish, then Mike Didonna of the Deerfield Fly Shop talks your language! He’s reporting that they are still seeing some Hendricksons in the afternoon with sporadic Tan Caddis hatches throughout the day. Some Olive/Brown Caddis have been popping late afternoon into the evening. Dry fly action is slowly improving, and nymphs and buggers are producing strong results. Water flows have been good with times of low flows (130cfs) in the catch and release areas. The lower stretches have been good with flows in the 600-900cfs range. If you’re wondering what to bring with you if you desire to fish the Deerfield or its tributaries consider an 8’6” – 10’ 4,5 or 6 weight. Floating line is fine for all around use but sinking tip is preferred during high water levels.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Groundfishing is going like gangbusters, whether it’s Stellwagen haddock or Scituate Harbor flounder! If stripes are more your style, Plymouth Bay through Duxbury Bay should be on your South Shore list. Boston blackbacks are on the feed and the biggest flounder of the year are cooperating. Farther north some of the biggest bass in the state are stacked up against the Lawrence Dam while downstream at the mouth outgoing tide is best for schoolie to keeper-sized stripers.