There are doubly reasons to wish for the winds to lie down: anglers will no longer struggle to find a lee and should they set their sites on inshore haddock there’s a good chance of finally finding them! There’s also encouraging news regarding a certain favorite flatfish. Meanwhile the wait is on for the imminent arrival of that first wave of schoolies which could be a tide away!
Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Report
To my way of thinking, if anyone could find them it would be Captain Colby of Little Sister Charters! Four weeks into the much-hyped haddock season it wasn’t looking very good! Anglers making the trip to Tillies Ledge or dropping a jig on top of Jeffrey’s were doing well but in more southerly environs they were having little more than sculpins to show for their efforts. An indicator of how bad things had gotten was the discussion I had with a prominent charter captain who commented about the above-average size of the sculpins – “really?”! The crew on Monday was back at the dock mid-morning after limiting out and even the captain hauled a bag of fillets on home. Did I mention that I was invited on this busman’s holiday buddy trip but had to pass, oh the pain! While that news is good, what’s even better is that the haddock harvest was accomplished only a few miles as the gull flies from state waters!
An interesting harbinger of things to come came courtesy of my weekly conversation with Pete Belsan of Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate. While not widely targeted we have a pretty healthy population of tautog north of the cape. Between now and June as well as again in the fall is prime time to catch these crab-crunching members of the wrasse family. Soon they will move into estuaries to spawn while in the fall they school up and strap on the feed bag in anticipation of the eventual offshore migration. One angler knowing this, found his first tautog while targeting them off the jetty at Cedar Point in Scituate! As of Wednesday Pete couldn’t verify any fresh schoolies but that could change in an instant! Rainbow trout have finally been stocked on the South Shore with anglers reporting good action from First Herring Brook and Norris Reservation. Lisa from Fore River Bait and Tackle in Quincy told me of a flounder score just outside of Quincy Yacht Club and one of the fish was a respectable 16” specimen! She’s also hearing of hot haddock fishing not far from the B Buoy!
If they could, haddock would breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing will be focused on them only until the schoolies return! However, until then, his haddock trips look promising and I have a feeling he’s sharing intel with Captain Colby. That’s what cooperative captains do! Brian has a bead on haddock by the B Buoy, the Weather Buoy and maybe the Dumping Ground. Also on the agenda will be Buzzards Bay black sea bass as well as stripers. It only stands to reason that before quality fish show up here, they move onto the Cape/South Coast.
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Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett told me that more “interesting” trout have been stocked locally in Jamaica Pond and Walden Pond among others. One angler who sampled the goods was Johnny “Plankton” Hoffman who on weaved his way towards the freshly stocked Jamaica Pond shoreline on Wednesday’s “media day” and had an epic outing! The stocking included real trophy browns, brookies, tigers and rainbows! Johnny heads the Fishing Academy which does a lot of good for inner-city kids by exposing them to the great outdoors! The first flounder are being reported from Lynn Harbor. Deer Island Flats as well as the Deer Island Pier should be next!
Fresh with news of inshore haddock, John from Three Lantern Marine felt that Saturday Night Ledge, Hill 47 and Hill 101 would be likely inshore spots to search out haddock. However Tillies and Jeffrey’s are still surer bets. Blackback flounder are a good bet also and several anglers are catching them in Gloucester Harbor. Proven places are Ten Pound Island, the Beauport Hotel beach, Niles Beach, the Dogbar Breakwater and Loblolly Cove.
For such a lively shop, “dead” things were the big news recently at Surfland Bait and Tackle when I spoke to Martha! While walking her dog on the beach, Martha spotted the head of a schoolie right there on the sand! Additionally, a gull was seen making off with a small flounder in it’s clutches! While not very fortunate for those fish, that’s encouraging news for anglers! Most likely the small bass was a holdover, but you never know! Herring runs on the north shore are chock full with the Parker and Merrimack Rivers getting special mentions.
Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report
There were no reports of 20-pound lake trout this week from Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston but great news for those who are fond of Wachusett Resevoir’s landlocked salmon fishery! Efforts to remove the obsolete Oakdale Station dam which spans the Quinapoxet River by the aqueduct appear to be moving from planning to production! Should that cooperative project between the MWRA, DF&G, and DCR come to fruition then it will free up an additional 35 miles of prime spawning habitat for landlocked salmon and other cold-water species. The already awesome Chu’ could become even better! Meanwhile, those salmon are hitting well off the causeway as well as off the peninsula accessed from Gate 25. I’ll always be fond of that spot, it being the first place on the Chu’ where I connected with a salmon! Smallies now on the reservoir are hitting fast and furiously as are lakers. Smelt sightings continue as well!
Rod from Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in Orange told me of a lady who recently caught a 10-pound laker on a streamer from Gate 8! Salmon remain in close and on top at Gates 31 and 43 with streamers the go-to offering. Soaking a shiner most anywhere you can find access to the Q’ shoreline is a safe bet for lake trout and smallmouth bass! Lake Mattawa continues to give up broodstock brown trout which have been “educated” by brushes with sharp hooks!
The multi-species fish-bowl that is the “Mack” continues to give up everything from shad to smallies to channel cats, according to David from Merrimack Sports. The ribbon of parks that dot the Merrimack River make for ideal spot-hopping for smallies that are increasingly getting active. Small paddletails, jerk baits and chatter baits are all working well. For shad, the area between the Route 495 bridge and the Chippendale Dance Studio seems to be the hottest. Lake Attitash seems to be an example of subtraction equaling addiction! Pike are no longer a factor there and in their place smallmouth bass have rebounded big time. White perch remain on the prowl in the Parker and Exeter Rivers.
The Seekonk Lions Tenth Annual Doug Allan Memorial Fishing Tournament
The Seekonk Lions Tenth Annual Doug Allan Memorial Fishing Tournament proved again to be as strong as ever. A beautiful morning and great turnout of over 80 kids and parents battling it out for the top prize at the prestigious American Legion Post 311 awards banquet.
For the boys, veteran angler Luke Peltz drove it home again this year with the largest trout caught at 15”. His longtime adversary Kaiden Mades made a run at it but he came away with the most trout caught in two hours at seven. Runners up included Evan Sylvia with a 13” catch, and Brody Sylvester with a 13” as well.
For the girls, Arianna Barlow hit it big with two trout the largest being 12 ¾”. Right behind her Abigail Sylvester, Ebony Carly and Julia Ando, all pulling in a few beauties.
These anglers received the best prizes of any youth fishing tournament in the area comprising of 40 different awards from local businesses in the area with values totaling almost $1000.
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
It’s last call to take advantage of many of our special fisheries because odds are really good that by the time next week’s forecast hits your inbox, you’ll be all-in on fresh striped bass! Meanwhile, inshore haddock have finally made a showing making Stone Ledge, the B Buoy and Saturday Night Ledge worth a look before hauling out to the offshore ledges. A few flounder from Quincy Bay, Lynn Harbor and Gloucester Harbor bodes well for May once water temperatures top 50 degrees! Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoir are living up to their reputations as pinnacles of Bay State cold water fishing. There’s a whole lot of leaping going on in the Merrimack River thanks to shad and smallies!
Buttermilk bay, get’er done son!
Walleye,
Been a great bite that we’ve had and the fish are getting bigger, quick!
Tight Lines
From shore, the Mack seems to be this weeks draw and who knows next week, too many options as we wait for the water too warm.