The “good things come in small packages” expression doesn’t often apply to fishing but there are a few exceptions. The push of peanut bunker throughout Massbay has been an elixir to some impressive feeds involving both bass and blues. River herring fry are beginning to trickle into bays and striped bass have taken notice. When it comes to tuna, small is a relative term and not many are likely to describe the fight of any tuna as – small!
Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast Fishing Report
The northward push of peanut bunker continues and according to Pete Belsan of Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate bass and blue blitzes have been popping up with regularity with Peggotty Beach and the mouth of the North River two noteworthy spots. Surf and kayak anglers have also been crowing about the South River. You’ll have to travel a few miles out to pick up mackerel but trolling them by Minot Ledge is one of the easier ways to pick up a big bass.
Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters told me that with few fishing east of Stellwagen he decided to give it a go and found major players out there. “Jumper” tuna that looked to be averaging about 50 pounds seemed to be everywhere. Limits of haddock can be found in 240-260 feet of water and the skipper reported more porbeagles than he has ever seen before. A recent charter left with enough haddock to last them for quite a while. Additionally, the patrons requested harvesting a porbeagle which the crew obliged. The skipper ensured that only a male was dispatched. The charter left with memories and enough fresh fish to last months but what was not left was a tip! The job of a mate is tough and hardly lucrative making tips essential to their livelihood! Don’t be stingy, tip those hard-working mates generously!
Despite the throes of the dreaded dog day heat, Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister is still finding one-stop shopping for striped bass in the Westport River. Schoolies to drag-pullers, including slot-stripers for selective harvest continue to be available. Black sea bass limits, tautog and cod round out the options. The tog limit was bumped up as of August to 3 fish at a minimum of 16”.
Captain Rich Antonio of Black Rose Charters has found a nice little pile of keeper fluke on the eastern side of Nantucket. The fish have been averaging around 5 pounds, have been found in 35-50’ of water and can be fished with 4-ounce bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp Swimming Mullets. The Buzzards Bay black sea bass bite continues with limits no problem.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing is assembling an album of bluefish pictures which look as if they came from a bygone era when blues ruled! Recently a couple of my buddies jumped aboard his boat and in spite of having decades of combined experience on the ocean learned a thing or two from Captain Coombs. Brian’s sophisticated side-imaging Hummin’bird sonar allowed him to pin-point holding fish to which the anglers would cast and invariably hook up. A nearby buddy boat that did not posses those electronics didn’t catch anything! Mid-bay in Nahant in about 20’ of water has been the holding spot for blues and picky striped bass. The captain feels that the krill-gorging bass are focusing so intently on that small forage they aren’t inclined to prey on anything else. The latest bluefish bite occurred on Thursday morning off Seal Harbor and reports are that the fish were gators!
Captain Sam from Boston Saltwater said that charters desiring a fresh striper fillet are leaving happy thanks to hordes of harbor pogies and slot stripers shadowing the schools. Of course, blues remain an intermittent interloper.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett said that transitioning herring fry which are moving from upstream nurseries to river mouths are getting blasted by bass. The Encore Casino side of the Mystic River is a standout example. Anglers are catching fish up to 35 pounds on topwaters!
Not everyone is totally on board with bluefish love. Captain Paul Diggins’ hands are getting tired of replacing tattered shads from the custom umbrella rigs you’ll find aboard Reel Pursuit Charters! Charters are hardly complaining as the crew is catching well from Spectacle Island out to the Anchorage.
Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy said mackerel are making the difference for those who are constantly coaxing the cows to hit. Three-and-One-Half-Fathom Ledge has macks but I’m also hearing of schools among inshore ledges such as Finns Ledge, Flipp Rock, and the 2 Can. The schools are not sticking around for long after sun-up, striking quickly is imperative and chumming matters.
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Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Sam from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem has been catching North Shore from-shore blues until he’s arm weary! Some of the fish are double-digit choppers too. The fishing has been pretty easy: just toss out a pencil popper and hang on! Cooler offshore water temperatures post-Henri have livened up the striped bass bite from Swampscott through Cape Ann. Peanut bunker schools are drawing fire from bass and blues resulting in some impressive surface feeds off Marblehead, Salem, Beverly and Manchester.
Garret from Three Lantern Marine told me that eel slingers at Wingaersheek Beach are catching good bass at night. The same can be said for Thatcher Island. Peanut bunker schools in Gloucester Harbor have resulted in surface feeds, primarily from schoolies but bigger bass and occasionally blues are joining in now and then. For more consistent chopper action, troll those blues up off Halibut Point, Plum Island or most anywhere in Ipswich Bay. In the “believe it or not” category a giant bluefin was spotted by multiple observers in the Mill River; it’s been theorized that the big Charlie pushed a school of bluefish in there and got trapped. Almost as unusual is the consistent winter flounder bite in Gloucester Harbor. Garret’s tip is to find sandy/muddy bottom as far upstream as the Annisquam River and you stand a good chance at catching a blackback. This is special since I haven’t heard of flounder caught anywhere else in over a month!
Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle last week lamented that at the time, the bluefish bedlam was restricted to the boat brigade as the fish seemed to stage in 30’ plus of water, but boy did that change! The storm seems to have blown those blues in with surfcasters reporting steady action from the suds! Peanut bunker are present making the shop favorite Charlie Graves Butterfish the perfect lure! The roiling seas have also made bait acquisition easier as mackerel have been found again by the Speckled Apron.
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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Peanut bunker continue to draw fire from both blues and bass from Plymouth to Plum Island. The Three Bays were extremely hot before Henri and with all that bait still in play, it is a tinder box that most certainly will go off again. Stripers are holding their own in the Westport River in spite of summer temperatures peaking. Boston Harbor continues to hold the bulk of Massbay pogies and live-lining them near the schools is the closest thing to a sure thing for slot stripers. The big bluefish bonanza shows no signs of abating with both shore anglers and boaters getting in on the action off Seal Harbor, Nahant and Cape Ann. Plum Island surf sharpies no longer have to play spectator to the boat guys as blues plus peanut bunker equals – success!
Best time of the season is upon us! Check those drags bucko! Tight lines.
Nice fishing
The three B’s were out front from the Gurnet to Sandwich south! Bass, Blues, and Bonita!. Tight lines.
That’s some bad behavior, not tipping the mate (especially after doing something out of the normal playbook like harvesting and dealing with a shark) back in my first mate days I’d have been tempted at the dock to take a wander up to the parking lot and fillet some tires belonging to stingy fishermen.