While air temperatures have not changed appreciably, water temperatures have dipped from the boiling zone to more striped bass friendly degrees. That change has evened the playing field drawing fish in close making big bass no longer the sole province of only those with big boats.
Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report
The species count on Coxes Ledge on a recent trip for the Little Sister Charters crew was dizzying. Haddock, red hake, pollock, black sea bass, scup, ocean pout and most importantly cod up to 20 pounds all came out to play. Because it was such a big group we gave short shrift to mahi mahi due to the complexity of six anglers all tossing spoons towards high liner lobster pots. But considering surface water temperatures were 74 degrees with the money zone being 72, if those pelagics are not there yet they will soon! If you do go, fish as Captain Jason Colby does – bring a lot of clams – you’re going to need them!
Captain Mark Petitt of Fire Escape Charters reported that big “horeshead” blues are wrecking havoc among the Three Bays. Some ‘gators are 35” fish! Bait is easy and you have your pick of pogies or mackerel in CCB. As usual you have to sniff around and find a balled-up rushed school of pogies to find the stripers. Captain Pettit says that The Race has a lot of small blues and a few striped bass. Out among deeper water there are plenty of blue sharks with a few thresher sharks mixed in.
From Pete Belsan Bait in Scituate came news of a Sunday-surge of pogy from Third Cliff to Cowens Rock and Mann Hill Beach. Shoals of mackerel have made an appearance as well from the Three Mile Mark to Stone Ledge. Just maybe the biggest, baddest bass in the area – up to 47 pounds – are being caught on live pogies off Minot Beach. South Shore sharpies are licking their chops on a stellar weekend thanks to the expected big tides.
Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters had an impressive week at The Race with a heady mix of bass and blues. Unfortunately a dragger from Cape Ann hit the place like a bomb and traumatized both fish and fishermen. Once the mud settles it is hoped that the good fishing picks right up where it left off. Clouds of sand eels and fields of mackerel are what’s drawing in the gamesters there. Mackerel-colored X-Raps have been doing a job on those fish. Next up on the agenda for the Legit Fish crew is an inshore mahi-mahi quest. For the biggest bass around the skipper suggests a live mackerel fished near Stone Ledge.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts
Greater Boston Fishing Report
According to Captain Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing the drop in water temperatures has brought in bass closer to shore to take advantage of all the inshore bait. Deer Island, Revere Beach, Point of Pines and Lynn Harbor have all been hot. What’s also refreshing is that the Santini Tube in orange and red has been doing the yeoman’s work in a lot of cases and finally giving anglers an alternative to the laborious snag-and-drop pogy method. That’s not to say that big bass aren’t out among the deeper sections of Broad Sound out towards the BG Buoy, they certainly are and your chances of getting your personal best most likely still exists out there, it’s just that for the first time in quite a while there are inshore options.
Captain Dave Panarello has a new ride which he calls “Baxter”. He’s been tooling around in his spanking new Lund and targeting close to shore spots that others are ignoring and racking up some serious stripers. He’s rotating between the Santini Tube and the Surfland Special and killing them throughout Crystal Cove, Snake Island and into East Boston.
Captain Paul Diggins summed up his recent trips by saying that there’s “A lot of big stuff around”! Aboard the Reel Pursuit Charters umbrella rigs and small mojo rigs are working well in addition to live mackerel. The captain recently had a group of ladies from “Save The Harbor, Save The Bay” and they left with yet another reason to love the harbor thanks to catching so many striped bass!
Lisa from Fore River B&T in Quincy took a Busman’s Holiday recently and along with her daughter Emily found willing striped bass off Wollaston Beach while live-lining pogies aboard the Slapshot. There’s all kinds of striper action throughout the “south” side of the harbor with mixed-size schoolie feeds to 30 pounders prowling around the pogy schools.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle said that some are complaining that the striped bass fishing is spotty but then you have the “other guys” who are too busy buying more snag hooks, Docs and leader material. The “rocks” off Marblehead Neck, Tinker Island and Baker Island remain a local best bet for eels at night as well as tube-and-worm and live pogy by day. Blues are a random player and can’t be counted on with the exception usually occurring when an angler ties on new gear and loses everything to the toothy blues.
While pogies elsewhere are numerous, the volume in the Gloucester area is staggering. Captain Tom Ciulla has been ignoring all but the most frenzied schools aboard the T Sea and finding big bass among those harassed fish. Gloucester Harbor, the Backshore, Ipswich Bay all seem to have their moments.
With a dip in water temperatures beaches such as Long, Cape Hedge and Pebble should be prime for surf fishing according to Skip from Three Lantern Marine. The feeling among the tuna fleet is that the quota will at least temporarily be filled and harvesting of giants will end by this weekend. This is always subject to change but exercise due diligence if you decide to go out. Haddock during the last week have moved in surprisingly and unusually close to shore! Skip is floating the theory that all the pogies are attracting the haddock. Squid fishing remains great in the harbor with the shop having a hard time keeping jigs in stock! Dropping water temperatures have also brought better bass back into Plum Island Sound as well as off the Parker River Wildlife Reservation.
Fishing Forecast for Massachusetts
If you’re looking for a mixed bag your best bet for a bass and bluefish bonanza is off The Race while trolling deep divers such as Rapala’s X Rap. If you don’t mind the haul, Coxes Ledge offers cod and a panoply of species all looking for a clam dinner. For a South Shore shot at a big bass, a live mackerel off Stone Ledge may do it with a closer to shore option being a live pogy off Minot Beach. The Hull/Quincy side of the harbor is not lacking pogies or big bass, you just have to find the right school. Farther north Revere and Lynn are in for a tube-and-worm trophy. If it’s all about the bait than Cape Ann is king for pogies and bass with talk of a unique inshore haddock bite adding real spice to the equation.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts
Hey how about filling us shore fisher persons in on where to go! Thank you.
Sure why not they spot burn everything else
…on a boat.