Ordinarily, an additional case of the “blues” would be the last thing most would want during trying times. But when the blues are bluefish and bluefin tuna, for anglers there’s a lot to love. The mid-June deep water big bass bite has arrived right on time and harbors remain awash with schoolies.
Massachusetts South Shore Fishing Report
Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters was an especially good mood when we spoke. Firstly he was fresh from picking up his new Southport 28’ Tournament Edition ride and the second was because there is now a legitimate chance to break it on a tuna! Friends who are dragging squid bars around the edges of Stellwagen Bank have recently been rewarded with 80” fish which they have been catching and releasing. If you’re looking for bait for the tuna that should be simple as mackerel can be found as soon as you clear Scituate Harbor. Regarding Scituate Harbor, that place remains stacked with schoolies as well as the occasional slot fish. As you’d expect in mid-June, haddock are earning their summertime groundfish stripes or in this case – stripe – as they have pushed off the bank into 200’ of water plus.
Pete Belsan of Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that small blues have just shown up on the South Shore, especially by the Fourth Cliff. The most predominate bait in the area according to Pete is tinker mackerel which anglers are having a hard time escaping.
A bigger bait substitute if the tiny mackerel aren’t cutting it for you is harbor pollock so says Captain Mark Petitt of Fire Escape Charters who has been finding better bass mixed in with the schoolies between the Three Bays and Cape Cod Bay. Steer clear of the Race Point/Wood Island swath where the bass are small and instead focus on the deeper water ledges from Minot through Hull preferably with pollock or mackerel for bait if you want a drag-puller.
Captain Rich Antonio of Black Rose Charters is still sticking with “option B” as in Buzzards Bay black sea bass but he’s hearing of blue shark stirrings just south and expects them to take up residence east of Stellwagen. When that happens he’ll be offering patrons a pelagic/haddock combo!
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts
Greater Boston Fishing Report
The timing of Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing’s excellent piece in On The Water “Pelagic Stripers” couldn’t have been better because it is happening – now! Not surprisingly Captain Coombs was among the first to pick up on this. This deep water/open water and often top water phenomenon occurs when the paths of big bait and big migratory bass cross. In this case that big bait consists of pogies, adult sea herring and mackerel. As the story illustrates artificials will work but hedge your bets by procuring choice baits and when it comes to culling out the cows size does matter. The skipper has been skipping out on macks and slow trolling pogies and finding bigger fish than nearby anglers deploying the smaller mackerel. Check out the area by Graves Light, the BG Buoy and the NC Buoy. Sooner than later a slug of those stripers will spin off and wind up in Winthrop/Revere/Lynn and Nahant for the shore caster/kayak angler. In fact there are signs that this is already the case!
Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters has been pursing a different yet still productive tact by trolling Santini tubes along inner harbor surface feeds and catching plenty of schoolies. The other option which is working well is trolling umbrella rigs with small shads to emulate the bait the schoolies are feeding on. When asked for the scoop on his tube, Pete Santini said that the Honey Mustard color has been hot as has lead-core trolling by Long Island, Nixes Mate and the Triangle. Johnny Hoffman who runs the Fishing Academy trolled up a 48” on a Santini tube off Long Island.
Blitzes have been commonplace throughout the Quincy through Boston area. Captain Jason Colby’s last day aboard the Little Sister in Boston Harbor will be June 30th when he will pull his ride and then dump it into the Westport River to continue his reign of terror on tautog, black sea bass and Coxes Ledge cod. As temperatures surge flounder are now heading off to deep water and he’s finding them now by Boston Light. Green Island, the Calfs as well as the Brewsters are all late inning options for flounder on the way out.
Increasingly black sea bass are figuring into the Boston Harbor mix and according to Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy, anglers are catching more than a few keepers off Hull. Squid are numerous as well with Nut Island Pier the epicenter.
Captain Anthony Ahrens of Chasin Tail Fisheries has now added Charlie to his current groundfish/striped bass repertoire as mediums to giants are now in the offing. Good bait choices for the tuna are sea herring or pogies which have become numerous in Boston Harbor. For equal opportunity kicks it’s hard to top a topwater harbor bite and Anthony has been kicking it off Spectacle Island, the Lower Middle and out through Castle Island.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Liam who has been lending a hand at Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that Egg Rock through Tinkers Island and out through Salem Sound is beginning to heat up as it did last year at about this time. Pogies are the key to the culling the cows out from the schoolies and slot fish. While waiting for the herd to arrive, the better bet for action remains the smaller fish surface feeds, the forage of which is “rain bait” making smaller profile lures better than the larger stuff.
Cape Ann Shore casters are bringing with them a rod with a Sabiki rig, catching pollock/mackerel and then transferring the bait to a “meat stick” and live lining this bait. There is no better method than offering a bass what they are eating!
Matt from Three Lantern Marine said that with the volume of pogies from Gloucester Harbor through Ipswich Bay it is a tinder box ready to go off! Flounder can be found inside the harbor as well as the mouth of the rivers and finally mackerel have moved in, in appreciable numbers from the Groaner out to the Salvages.
Martha form Surfland Bait and Tackle said that there are plenty of pogies off the ocean front but no word on stripers big enough to make a meal out of them. A best bet for a big bass is eels at night off Sandy Point or throughout Plum Island Sound. Joppa continues to attract plenty of attention from the kayak crowd with the impending New Moon highly anticipated. Mackerel have finally moved in and can be found by Breaking Rocks, Hampton Shoal Ledge and the Speckled Apron. The impressive flounder season continues inside the Merrimack River as well as the Annisquam River.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
On the South Shore live pollock or mackerel trolled off the Gurnet, High Pine Ledge or Minot Light is a good bet for a bigger bass. A few small blues have appeared in the Scituate area. Tuna talk is now quickening the pulses of Charlie chasers on Stellwagen Bank with squid bars and live herring both working well. Some solid stripers have now moved into deep water haunts just outside of Boston Harbor with some coming within shore casting and kayak distance. Tinkers Island through Salem Sound has been showing life with a push from big bass on pogies pending. Flounder are cooperating among the rivers on the North Shore and with the arrival of decent numbers of mackerel the mouth of the Merrimack River as well as Joppa Flats should be hopping.
As an added bonus, it’s “Free Saltwater Fishing Weekend” in Massachusetts. That means you can introduce a friend or family member to fishing without them having to purchase a saltwater fishing license. And if you haven’t yet bought your license, you can do so online. Your purchase of a Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit directly funds improvements to saltwater fishing access projects and other programs that support marine recreational fishing in the Commonwealth.
“Steer clear of the the Race Point and Wood Island swath”. Where is Wood Island?