Pictured above: Captain Tom Ciulla of the T-Sea
The winds of change have been blowing and it has nothing to do with Dorian. The seemingly endless schools of pogies are now appearing finite. With less bait, striped bass are more likely to be on the move as we begin losing “resident” fish. The good news is that as we lose “our” fish, they should be supplanted by bass from up north – the run has begun.
Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report
The General Category for bluefin tuna is now open and a lot of anglers are focusing exclusively on giants. Reports are that those giants are living up to their name with battles of attrition occasionally leading to the heartbreak of chafed leaders. The fish that are out there are bigger than average and require a multi-person crew to subdue. Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters said that the edges of Stellwagen Bank are holding the most big bluefin while the top portion is home to footballs to medium sized fish.
What’s interesting is the volume of market sized cod in 150 feet of water just east of the bank in addition to keeper haddock. Those cod can enjoy their sanctuary for the next week and a half but beginning September 15th and ending September 30th, the GOM cod season for recreational anglers will open up with a one fish/person/day limit.
As for stripers, pogy numbers have plummeted making schools which are found more likely to have fish on them. Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate said that anglers tossing yellow Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows among South Shore rockpiles are catching plenty of 20-24” fish. Anglers fishing eels at night in the same spots are obviously catching larger fish up to 35 pounds. River herring fry are aggregating throughout the natal water sheds making areas around the Plymouth Town River, as well as Scituate’s North River potentially prolific. With the black sea bass season dwindling down, Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister will be fishing almost exclusively for stripers at night and tautog and cod by day. The same Buzzards Bay rockpiles which hold tautog will also hold cod in increasing numbers as temperatures dip.
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Greater Boston Fishing Report
With pogy numbers plummeting, the focus for some is now more upstream, especially where river herring fry are beginning to stage. The Weymouth Back, the Charles River, Mystic River and Saugus Rivers are experiencing an uptick in striper numbers. Red and Honey Mustard Santini Tubes have been doing a lot of damage from as diverse a group as kayakers, tin-boaters, center consoles and even shore folks!
Regarding the latter, I know of a woman on the North Shore who throws an orange Santini tube from the rocks and kills them! A tip from Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing regarding the tube is to go light on the worm. Just a taste is often all that’s required with the tube ultimately being what seals the deal and the seaworm just an appetizer.
Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters is not sweating the lack of pogies in the least, as long as the mackerel hold up! Paul chums more than most and with that is able to pluck out racks of macks more effectively than many. The section between Nahant and the BG is still holding mackerel. Locations to consider for live-lining mackerel are Hull Gut, West Gut and the North Channel – all on an outgoing tide!
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Patrons of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem are singing the blues or more accurately bemoaning them from chomp-offs. The Lynnway has been the scene of some bluefish attacks as has Kettle Island and Kettle Cove.
The lack of pogies seems to have brought mackerel back as they are now finding them in bigger numbers off piers such as Salem Willows. Squid appear in waves and then leave with little rhyme or reason off all the usual North Shore piers, especially those which are lit at night.
Skip from Three Lantern Marine said that while pogy numbers are dwindling they can still be found just east of the Dogbar Breakwater. Anglers tossing chunks off that jetty have been rewarded with blues and bass.
The Groundfishing in the shallows of Jeffrey’s Ledge has been great for haddock and cod can be found just outside of The Groaner. A tip as to why the cod are so close could be courtesy of lobster fisherman who feel that the bottom temperatures are cooler than usual for this time of the year. Lobsters usually move around now but the chillier temperatures are keeping them at bay and apparently those same conditions are favorable for inshore cod!
Martha form Surfland said that the Beach Buggy brigade off the refuge are having a blast running and gunning and chasing all kinds of stripers. Eel slingers at night near Breaking Rocks have been getting better bass. There have been some blues caught right from the jetty at the mouth of the Merrimack. Some are beginning to transition to more upstream locations such as the Parker River, Plum Island Sound and the Chain Bridge section of the Merrimack River. As the season wanes, fish often find a more reliable bait source in rivers.
Fishing Forecast for Massachusetts
There’s no denying the calendar and bait, bass, bluefish and bluefin are on the move! On the South Shore, the effluence where the Town River empties in Plymouth Harbor should hold herring and hungry stripers. Rocky sections such as The Glades and Minot have been best bets in the Scituate area. Hull has been among the hottest in the harbor, while herring fry in rivers are attracting a lot of striper interest. On the North Shore blues are still hanging in there while the Parker River Wildlife Reservation is just about perfect for spiking a rod, relaxing with friends and family and catching a few bass.
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Fall run is on baby, Steelers suck!!!!
^ He’s right you know…
AS Bill said in his interview on sports TV, “I l love football and everything that goes with it. The Pats are up for a BIG year with a lot of weapons, possibility of a #7 ring, perfect to rest a dynasty on, and Tom’s impending greatness and rising to it’s highest level ever. Such a great run on Thursday night for a first down. WOW! In preseason are you kidding me. That’s called leadership. I’m glad AB found himself on coach Chuckie’s team that’s where the $$ is. AS far as fishing goes, it’s non stop everyday now. That’s what we live on the south shore for. Lot’s of schoolie bass every high tide in marshfield on the bottom, chasing bait on the top on freshwater SWIMMING plugs (change the hooks to SINGLE 4-5), SOFT PLASTICS, LIVE EELS, MACKERAL, POGIES, FROZEN HERRING, CLAMS, anything, fresh or old. Fisherman’s Park in COHO harbor has not been productive this year, all the fly fisherman killed the really small babies in the channel back n the spring and continuing. No action fishing the channels at FORE River yet but my old friend Rick from Neponset Bait at the rotary always swore by the Fore River channel from shore spots for big bass weighed in at the shop. Cunningham’s Bridge in COHO was really bad this summer with all the construction and new bridge. Maybe next year. Beautiful bridge though! I have seen striped bass in the ocean while swimming at Sandy Beach alongside seals after them. Pemberton Pier and Hull Gut was not productive for bait snagging using Sabikis or fishing for bass. 20 years ago you could catch bass and blues from shore and sometimes a halibut, flounder, tommy cod, not any more. Lot’s of bait balls swimming in the water if you’re standing in it you can see them go by. The rocks outside were really productive for stripers back in May- June-July. I talked to the Environmental Police and they said Boston Harbor is loaded with large stripers and they stay there up through November-December with the warm water and bait. People stop fishing for them. The canal has been like the southern border control with fishermen with no license, from New Bedford, Fall River, etc taking lots of short stripers, and larger numbers, and passing them off to guys with cars, to drive them to market. Personally, as much as I love fishing the Big Ditch there has been so much controversy and fighting and problems down there I’m staying away, even though it is where I caught my personal best, 47 lb bass in October 10 years ago. It’s a Bellichek – Brady moment in time if you love fishing for striped bass and have the time to chase them and enjoy everything that goes with it, sleeping in your van, riding your bike all night, having a big breakfast, smelling like POGIES_MACKS_CLAMS_FISH GUTS (yeah baby!)