Even if you never get out there, it should matter to you how the offshore mackerel fleet is catching. I’m referring to those who have boats big enough and the experience to target deepwater migrating bass as they skirt the boundary of Massbay. Over the weekend those guys just started picking off bigger fish which with a little luck should be in close right about now!
Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report
The word among the regulars who troll macks among deeper ledges from Scituate through outer Boston Harbor is that there are now 40” striped bass out there. Of course the million dollar question is when will those fish cruise in closer to give the rest of us a shot. The answer could be now, the next tide or possibly this weekend – they are all in play as we near the end of May.
Captain Mark Petitt of Fire Escape Charters said that in addition to schoolie and small keepers in the Three Bays there are a few pogies in Plymouth. They were fast moving fish that the skipper couldn’t get his cast net on but it bodes well for big bass in the near future. Mark has a new ride that he’s just now shaking the dust off and expects to have more in-depth reports by this weekend.
If you’re not catching mackerel, then take a good look at your sabiki as there is no shortage of macks between the harbors and the bank. Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish said that stripers up to 25” along with the occasional keeper are plentiful in Scituate Harbor. The mackerel generally are too big, and the bass a little too small, making bait acquisition superfluous – stick to soft shad baits instead. If you’d like to fly cast your way to something other than schoolies – aggressive, acrobatic hickory shad are in resident and make a fine alternative.
Tautog probably aren’t the first fish you think of on the South Shore, but Pete Belsan of Belsan of Belsan Bait in Scituate said that he has a few customers who do catch them with seaworms and crabs. Cedar Point is a good place to intercept a few as they migrate to and fro Scituate Harbor to spawn. Should you catch an egg-laden female consider releasing her to make other tautog.
Flounder are now being targeted successively in Scituate Harbor as well as Green Harbor and Cohassett Harbor. For a shot at a bigger, emphasize flat edges which border drop-offs. The North and South Rivers are loaded with schoolie to small keeper stripers with the former also delivering a solid shad bite.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
Just a few days removed from news of mid-thirty inch offshore stripers, Lisa from Fore River B&T in Quincy told me of two patrons who have now been catching similar fish from the shore of Nantasket Beach. It looks as if some of those fish from the Hull Ledges have spun off and come within shore. Mackerel chunk has been the key for those guys.
On Wednesday Captain Anthony of Chasin’ Tail Fisheries began finding low 30” stripers hunkering down among the schoolies. His ticket to the better fish is to troll umbrella rigs under surface feeds or through marked fish. The shads on those rigs are especially timely because of the influx of sea herring in our midst.
While the weather has been less than cooperative, flounder fortunes for the most part have made up for it aboard the Little Sister! Captain Jason Colby has even been finding a few blackfish among the blackbacks when targeting rockpiles, musclebeds and seams in the lobster pot jungle. The skipper has a policy of suggesting that patrons put back the big breeders and only keep the smaller males.
Regarding breeding fish, Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing has been hopping between the harbor and Vineyard Sound because he just can’t shake the insane humphead black sea bass action. On his boat the standard for keeper has been ratcheted up to the baseline of 20” fish! To cull out the trophies he’s bouncing 9” Hogy Pro Tail Eels into their lairs; you’re not likely going to worry about short fish with such a big offering. His time in the harbor has been productive for flatfish among the flats and plenty of schoolies roaming among the inner harbor.
Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters is also doing well with flounder with one eye on the easy acquisition of mackerel and the prospects of better bass. In addition to offshore reports of larger stripers, I did just get word of a new slug of fish over at the Nahant side.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that the presence of pogies are a nice surprise this early in the season! They’ve been spotted among the mooring field in Salem Harbor as well as Manchester Harbor. Increasingly keeper stripers are part of the catch at the mouth of the Danvers River, Forest River, Bass River and North River. It looks as if you could do worse than target a river on the North Shore.
Near-limits to limits of flounder are being achieved on the Salem side of the Danvers River mouth as well as Salem and Beverly Harbors. For a shore thing, focus on Salem Willows locally while those not shy about the making a drive are heading to Nut Island in Quincy and Deer Island in Winthrop. Noel Leslie from Bridge Street Sports in Salem told me of a 21” flounder that was taken by one of his regular customers while anchoring in Salem Harbor! Those that know their stuff are reaching their limits of flounder among the mud flats there as well.
Tina from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester said that the herring boats in the harbor have been docked due to the weather resulting in a lot more bait and bass in the harbor! Some of that bait is our beloved pogy! Pogies can also be found in many of the other North Shore harbors. The Annisquam River has been giving up keepers for those drifting/casting mackerel and herring. Some of the bigger bass, however, have been caught from Ipswich Bay!
Martha of Surfland described a Plum Island that really is a “surf land” with conditions perfect for the wading gang and not so much for the boater. Anglers fishing high tide off the oceanfront have been running out of sea worms, however, with ideal low tide/daybreak conditions this weekend the mouth of the Merrimack should be hot! A few herring-eating slab stripers have been caught by the Lawrence Dam but that fishery is awaiting a wave of bigger bass. Bycatch blackback flounder have also been caught off the beach with a few folks successively targeting them.
Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report
The folks who frequent Mike Didonna’s Deerfield Fly Shop speak the language of finesse, nuance, matching-the-hatch and reading a river. It’s cathartic and contagious and pretty cool that there is just such a realm in Massachusetts! According to Mike, fishing is good with good flows throughout the entire river. As always make sure to check before you head out and keep an eye on landmarks to gauge rising water. They are starting to see March Browns hatching and they have some big sized 12-14 Tan Caddis coming off throughout the day and into the evening. The CFS rate has dropped in the Westfield and Swift rivers making for comfortable flow and fishing. The shop has fly tying, guiding trips and float trips available.
Patrick Barone of Charter the Berkshires said that finally water levels in the Connecticut River have simmered down to normal levels. Shad are still present but with stripers and pike up to 10 pounds now a factor, the angling love has been spread around. Just in case that’s not enough, smallies are in spawn mode now and in some cases guarding their beds.
Fishing Forecast for Massachusetts
A buddy of mine just sent me a picture of a 36-pound c&r canal striper he caught – they are on the way! Additionally a wave of off-shore migrating bigger bass are starting to trickle into the coast. A Plymouth pogy could be your ticket to that first serious bass or a live mackerel off High Pine Ledge off Duxbury. Minot Ledge is historically a good early season spot for a cow and regarding inshore consider Farnham Rock, the Glades or off Point Allerton. Flounder among Deer Island flats, Hospital Shoals and Salem Harbor continue to draw a lot of attention. Farther north, all the bait in Gloucester Harbor is leading to great striper fishing along while for surf sharpies the mouth of the Merrimack this weekend will be hard to top.
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The three bays was lit up with schoolies up to 26” the other morn, with most feeding on shad. The fly guys had a blast! Tight lines!
Cows off Plymouth beach on the incoming, mac’s out front thick. Tight lines!