Massachusetts Fishing Report - May 9, 2019

Pictured Above: Patrick Mceachen of Quincy with a fine flattie taken on Thursday aboard the Little Sister.

Stripers continue to shine a spotlight on the Bay State as the run reaches farther north. Greater Boston’s favorite flatfish are finally feeding with a certain “flounder whispering” captain putting 21 blackbacks in his boat on Thursday morning! Regarding the other targeted groundfish, haddock have moved in so close there’s a rumor of a kayak that was actually catching!

South Shore

Matt from Monahan Marine in Weymouth said that his customers are catching plenty of schoolies in the Three Bays of Plymouth, Kingston and Duxbury. Not surprisingly, most of the fish are under 20” but occasionally one just under keeper-size is caught. Years ago, I used to take a trip down there to fish with my friend, the late Captain Charlie Lemieux, and we used to croak them following the incoming tide as it covered mud flats and ledge all the way into the shoreline. Half-ounce yellow/white bucktail jigs were always the most effective offering.

For many, mackerel will be the key to larger bass and according to Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters macks have moved all the way into the entrance buoy of Scituate Harbor. If macks are there, I would imagine they are also farther south off The Gurnet. Mark’s first planned charter will be this weekend and he expects to hit the haddock grounds. Reports are that the fish have not only moved onto the bank but into Cape Cod Bay within a few miles of the shoreline! In fact, I heard a reliable account of fish so close there was at least one kayak fishing for them! Pete Belsan said that the North River has a steady pick of stripers now with some nearing keeper size! No news on South Shore flounder but considering that Boston just kicked in their southern counterparts have to be feeding!

Greater Boston

It was only a matter of time before Captain Jason Colby, from Little Sister Charters our of Quincy, found hungry flounder! After a dismal start to the season, a combination of rising water temperatures and perhaps a recent wave of migrant flatties added up to a 21 count catch on the Little Sister with Patrick Mceachen scoring an especially nice one. According to the skipper every time Patrick mumbled a Santana song, he caught – go figure! Instead of flowers for Mom on her special day, give the gift of flounder! Drop a Zobo Rig off Deer Island Flats, Sculpin Ledge, Hospital Shoals or Peddock’s Island and see if you can’t put a few flounder in the cooler for Mom.

Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics took time out from tying those deadly Zobo flounder rigs to tell me that he’s hearing steady reports of flounder and schoolies throughout the harbor. He reminded me or the annual Zobo Flounder Derby which will be held on May 18th – as if I’d ever miss that one! Regarding stripers, where aren’t they? Sub-keeper sized fish can be caught not just in estuaries/rivers but also off beaches such as Nantasket and Wollaston according to Maria from Fore River! Webb Park has been good so has Wessagusset Beach. Soft plastics/jigheads of all sorts are working, as are topwaters.

Even though it’s early never discount the possibility of plucking a cow from the mix. During another era when live lining river herring was striper fishing 101, we used to skip out completely on the upstream schoolie thing and as early as late April hit Greater Boston beaches with live alewives, and – we occasionally found fish as big as 20 pounds in early May! It’s a lonely pursuit not joining your buddies in a marsh or river as everyone is regaling in catching junior and the gang but hang a 36” striper before mid-May and you’ll almost feel as if you were cheating! While obviously river herring are no longer on the menu, a well-placed artificial could catch you that May cow earlier than you would think.

North Shore

Tomo of Tomo’s in Salem said that customers are chunking sea worms from the shore of Deer Island and catching flounder! There has been a few caught off kayaks in Lynn and Marblehead harbors. I happened to be casting for schoolies in the Lynn area Thursday morning and saw short flounder moving about in the shallows, in fact one 8” was struggling on the shoreline. I’m hoping my gentle release is rewarded in that she tugs on my line when she’s 5 pounds!

Behind Tomo’s shop, there’s been Pickering Wharf pilgrim stripers putting on quite the surface show as they pummel small bait. Skip from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester wasn’t sure the reports of stripers in the rivers/harbors in Cape Ann were fresh fish or not but considering that they are in the Merrimack, I’d lean towards a yes! What is more definite is that tinker to medium sized mackerel can be found from the State Pier out to the Groaner.

The haddock cadre has learned of a better bite on top of Stellwagen as opposed to southern Jeffrey’s Ledge. However, I’m hearing that bigger fish are in deeper water with 180’ remaining the sweet spot. For the Plum Island posse now is the time to hit the mouth of the Merrimack River on an outgoing tide with your favorite jig/soft plastic. Captain “Bite Me” Panarello informed me that in addition to shad action at Rocks Village, he also had fresh schoolie action. Obviously they can’t get there without passing the ocean front and the mouth of the river first!

Freshwater

Paul and Tracey Cuzzuppe along with their trusty pooch, Rosco, put on hold the building insanity of striper-mania and fly fished some very special salmonoids at a pretty little pond nestled in the Berkshires. The photos of brilliantly colored tiger trout, brookies, brown trout and rainbows were enough to make one want to hit the pause button on the striped bass contagion. The trick however which is solely the province of a fly fisher was matching the midge hatch, in this case size 26 patterns! Had you been casting Little Cleos or floating Power Eggs it would have been a far different story. The ‘Chu is beginning to see smaller crowds now that the word on striped bass is out. Smallie action is getting better off Gates 6,7,8,13,19, 30 and 35 and the lakers are still hanging in there. News at the Q’ is that the salmon are still on top off Gates 31 and 8 and the fish are fat from a robust rainbow smelt forage base!

Fishing Forecast

It’s getting to be that wondrous time of the year when there is almost option-overload! Most of you will be looking to scratch that first striper itch. On the South Shore cast a bucktail jig at the mouth of rivers or as close to the shoreline on a rising tide as you can get in Plymouth, Duxbury or Green Harbor. Mackerel have moved into the mouth of Scituate Harbor and if you take a few upstream into the North River you may check off the keeper-box already. Boston blackbacks are finally stirring, but before you launch make sure you swing in Fishing FINatics and pick up a Zobo rig before drifting Governor’s Flats, Deer Island Flats and the coves of Peddock’s Island. Farther north, bass are busting bait just off Pickering Wharf and with news of interloping stripers crashing the shad party in the Merrimack River, Plum Island should be prime!