Massachusetts Fishing Report - August 30, 2018

Erudite anglers are counting on the impending Northeast wind to bring relief on two fronts. The first of course, is a break from the sweats, but the second and more important from a striped bass perspective is that the onshore wind is almost always the trigger to a better bite. Even better is that the “bite” has become more varied with bluefish and even cod cooperating.

Massachusetts South Coast Fishing Report

It’s borderline sacrilegious in these times of striper saturation to suggest that not all that long ago, cod was king in these parts, but that was the reality. After all it’s not a striped bass which sits atop the state house, and of course we know full well which fish that certain peninsula on the southeastern section of the Bay State was named for.

During my formative years it was the cod that caused more of a stir in these parts than striped bass. Stripers required more “skill” and technique, while cod responded to little more than a clump of clams dropped in front of their toothy maws. And there was nothing like the shock factor of hooking a 10-pound cod in the middle of 12-inch flounder and pollock in Quincy Bay or Boston’s inner harbor!

On Tuesday, while aboard my friend Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister, it felt as if I stepped into a time machine as he put us on cod as numerous and as big as the good old days! Even more shocking was that we were not fishing in the Gulf of Maine but a 30-mile steam from Westport into Rhode Island Sound. For hours, the catching of 20-pound cod was non-stop and the only interruptions was when a jumbo black sea bass (often doubles) or solid pollock somehow muscled their way past the aggressive cod. As if that wasn’t enough, the bite was in only 100 feet of water and there were mahi smashing bait fish on top!

One significant improvement over yesteryear was the deployment of braid and lightweight rods and reels. It was something to be stopped mid-crank by a big brown bomber which refused to give up the bottom without a fight. One more thing which certainly matters is that unlike in the GOM, anglers can actually keep cod here to the tune of 10 fish at a 23-inch minimum size, but odds are, your cooler will not hold nearly that much.  If you’re looking for a break from bass, here’s one worth considering.

Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report

I had to laugh when Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters began our weekly conversation about the monster cod he’s catching east of Stellwagen in 260 feet of water! Of course, these fish must be released but it’s encouraging to see what just might be a resurgence in the Bay State’s most iconic fish! The skipper is also finding haddock still among the skinny water of the bank.

There is no shortage of sharks on the bank and the Legit Fish crew are now into mixed sizes of tuna!

Every bit as big as the other reports is that finally there are big blues in Cape Cod Bay! Mackerel are still hanging in there as well as pogies close to the Scituate shoreline and despite sizzling temperatures striped bass are beginning to behave as if the calendar is ready to flip and they are feeding with purpose! Captain Mark Petitt of Fire Escape Charters has been into a solid striper and bluefish bite off Scorton Ledge. That was not a typo—big bluefish are here! There have also been some blues pounding pogies (peanuts too!) off Plymouth, especially by the power plant. The commercial guys are struggling but still catching at night with eels. The Fire Escape crew found plenty of haddock around Stellwagen Bank.

Pete Belsan of Belsan Bait said that swarms of peanut bunker from Green Harbor through Cohasset have lit a fuse under stripers of various sizes and it is now blitz city. Finally, not all the protagonists are stripers as increasing accounts of blues trickle in! As local water temperatures sizzle, the South Shore is getting more visits from southern species such as bonito. For a chance at cow, hedge your bet by sticking to the Second, Third and Fourth Cliffs. The bait choices are varied with eels, mackerel and pogies all having their fans.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing continues to find big bass lying in ambush among the jungle of wharf pilings throughout Boston Harbor. Some of these beasts simply cannot be tamed before they make it to the barnacle-covered structure and chafe through the leader.  The scorching water temperatures are also bringing unusual species to the harbor such as banded rudderfish and small bonito!

For run-and-gun blitzes, toss soft plastics into the surface feeds as schoolies tee off on the peanut bunker. Bring plenty of lures with you as bluefish are now a factor. Lisa from Fore River echoed what I’ve heard from many others—there’s a whale show going on in the harbor! Apparently the pogies have lured in humpbacks and possibly minkes. Some of these sightings are taking place as close as Castle Island.

While most are caught up in pogy hysteria, some such as the tube-and-worm duo of Bobby and Donny are doing well giving the bass a different look in the midst of all those pogies.

One of the better bass bites came courtesy of an angler who stumbled upon a big school of pogies on the way to Minot Ledge off the ledges of Hull. Under the bait were big bass with over a dozen taken, the smallest being a 38-inch specimen! Darlene from Bobs Bait Shack said that she is selling a lot of eels to the beach patrol keeping nighttime hours. The inner and outer beaches of Winthrop have been good as has been Point of Pines. If you work at it, you can find mackerel out in deeper water and for many the effort is paying off. Sometimes a mackerel fished in the middle of all those pogies is just too much for a striped bass to pass on. We also finally have a bluefish presence in the harbor! It wouldn’t hurt to troll a gaudy deep diver by the outer Brewsters and out towards Graves Light.

North Shore Fishing Report

Jack from Tomo’s in Salem had mixed reactions to the inshore whales. He said that the issue is that when these behemoths breach in a pogy school it sends nearby stripers packing for more tranquil waters. Still, in the Salem/Beverly area if you can find a pogy school which is not under siege from the giants than that remains your best chance at catching a cow or three.

There has been a topwater bite for schoolies at the mouth of the Danvers River. According to Captain Tom Ciulla there has been no problem catching mackerel almost as soon as you clear Gloucester Harbor. And aboard the T Sea, he and his family have had no issue finding stripers up to 34 inches. A good place to start is most anywhere you find a frothy surf throughout Cape Ann; there seems to be a new batch of fish there. Mike from Surfland said that the recently opened Parking Lot 3 in the reservation paid off quickly in the form of fish up to 44 inches! The beach crowd is catching by simply soaking seaworms and then spiking their rods in the sand. Topwater plugs have also been catching there, especially at dawn and dusk. Many are anticipating the kicked up northeast surf as a catalyst to better bass fishing! There are still pogies from Ipswich Bay out towards Salisbury.

Fishing Forecast for Massachusetts

Sharks are not the only fish with “teeth” which are causing a stir! Cape Cod Bay finally has big bluefish! Some of those as well as solid stripers have made their way throughout the South Shore and up to Cohasset. For those who were afraid they would never be able to catch let alone keep a cod again, redemption awaits in shallow water in Rhode Island Sound. All those pogies in Boston Harbor are resulting in an almost unprecedented visit from whales! Still those who are sticking with a live or chunk pogy among schools which are tight to structure are catching big striped bass. On the North Shore, there are schoolies at the mouth of the Danvers River and bigger shadowing mackerel schools off Tinkers Island and Halfway Rock. Farther north some are taking advantage of the loosening of parking restrictions at the Parker River Wildlife Reservation. The combination of solid stripers while chilling with family and friends at the beach makes the place sound a little like the Bay State version of Margaritaville!