Massachusetts Fishing Report – June 30, 2022

The modern day striped bass fisher uses catch phrases that a generation ago would have seemed like a foreign language! One example is the expression “slots” which has bumped “keeper” from vernacular used to describe a striper which can be harvested. Another one that is being used way too often is “ I got sealed” which is usually combined with expletives after a seal snatches a fish from an anglers line. However, the latter is not all bad since the thievery has been usually taking place in the middle of a pogy school!

Yes, somehow, someway, pogies have reappeared in a big way and finding them is the key to catching cows!
 

Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast Fishing Report

A few weeks ago Captain Mark Rowell had to haul his Legit Fish to Boston Harbor in the hopes of putting his charter into the big bass but that effort is no longer required since the South Shore is now at least as hot as any place in the Bay State. Schools of pogies estimated at 200/300 yards long have been congregating within a mile of the shoreline and they are holding impressive striped bass. The bait has also attracted tuna and whales; it’s quite the show out there right now! With the bait under so much duress the panoply of predator/prey has been on the move between Plymouth and Cohasset and back again. Slots and schoolies aren’t going anywhere near that mass of giants but instead can be found among inshore rock/ledge. Ironically just as the pogies have reappeared, mackerel have disappeared! I suppose we can’t have everything!

Pete Belsan of Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate summed up the slaughter in 50-120’ of water as “stupid fishing” – apparently it’s that easy once you find the pogy schools. Shore jockeys are having a harder go of it; such is the rub with pogies, if you’re on them it’s the best of times if you’re not it’s a bust!

Captain Jason Colby is increasingly bringing the Little Sister to Westport/Buzzards Bay earlier and earlier every season. If nothing else it’s an indicator of how much the environment has changed. Fifteen years ago in Boston Harbor there was a summer long winter flounder bite, anglers could catch and keep loads of inshore cod as well – but sadly those fisheries are but a specter of what they once were so if you’re not fishing for stripers in the Hub, you pretty much have to be content with a boat ride! Comparatively speaking the South Coast is like the Garden of Eden! Cruising through the Westport River he has opportunity of stripers, hickory shad, fluke, blues and tautog. Once clearing the mouth of the river, the skipper often sets his sights on black sea bass, scup, fluke, tautog as well as deepwater cod! Later in the season mahi mahi, bonito, false albacore and possibly Spanish and king mackerel will be in the offing! It takes a jack of all trades to have the skill to target them all but all are an option aboard the Little Sister!

Greater Boston Fishing Report

I had the good fortune of jumping aboard Captain Brian Coombs Get Tight Sportfishing center console, thanks to my friend Steve Langton who chartered him with his sons and had a last minute opening. The skipper and the crew all thought alike – go big or go home! So we sailed out to the Boston Humps in the teeth of the fog, filled the livewell with mackerel and soon began catching stripers between 40” and 47”! The ante went up considerably thanks to a surface bite and we whacked them with Al Gag’s Skirted Whip-it Fish! I’ve done my share of striper fishing through the years but wasn’t prepared for Brian to instruct me to burn the lure back to the boat as fast as i could. Stubbornly I resisted for the first few casts until I relented and soon hooked repeated big, drag-pulling bass. It was awesome and a lesson on listening to the captain because more often that not – the skipper knows best! Since that day Brian has been putting patrons into bunker-eating-big Boston bass. Things have taken a turn for the better since somehow the void of pogies has been filled with fresh fish and the bass have taken notice!

Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy told me that the swath from Boston Light to Martin’s Ledge to Point Allerton has been filled with pogies that are getting pummeled by big bass! The other option for inshore anglers is the venerable tube and worm at the mouth of the Fore River, Wold’s End, Sunken Ledge, Hangman’s Island and Quarantine Rocks. Pogies have also filled in Wollaston Beach and throughout the inner harbor. The beat goes on – find the pogies and the rest is easy!

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Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem told me that pogies have shown up from Nahant Bay through Phillips Beach and out to Castle Rock off Marblehead. There have been a number of 50” fish taken on chunk as well as live pogies off Devereux Beach and around Marblehead Neck. Tinkers Island through Misery and out to Halfway Rock are holding pods of pogies with stripers shadowing the schools. As for how Tomo’s spending his time, when he’s not enabling others angling dreams, he’s loading up on squid! It’s a good year for them off Swampscott, Marblehead, Beverly and in Gloucester Harbor!

Regarding Gloucester, Matt from Three Lantern Marine said that pogy schools have been present off Manchester, by the Sea, Magnolia, Gloucester Harbor and Ipswich Bay. The backshore of Gloucester has been kind to surf fishers as has Long Beach and Pebble Beach. Tuna tamers are finding them off Jeffrey’s Ledge as well as the northern section of Stellwagen. Martha from Surfland told me that so far it has been a phenomenal year on Plum Island. While anglers all around the island are catching, the biggest bass are coming one or two ways – pogy schools by day and eels at night! The Breaking Rocks area has been good as has the “flats”. Mackerel continue to be hit-or-miss with the latest report encouraging as the shops supplier came in recently with a tote full! I fully expect the first fluke report to come in from Plum Island Sound or the mouth of the Merrimack River soon but meanwhile the “other” flounder still has a few diehards who are scratching together a few in those same spots.

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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Someone must have broken out their bunker dance and Neptune was paying attention since pogies have come storming back and stripers have been paying attention! Deep water along the South Shore remains the big striper slam dunk but with tuna and whales crashing the bunker bait balls the mayhem may move in closer! Along the Southcoast, black sea bass in Buzzards Bay have been joined by big bluefish with Coxes Ledge cod a real possibility. In the harbor Hull through Boston Light has been hot with big Bass crashing pogy schools. Marblehead is holding pogy schools from Castle Rock through Tinkers Island with reports of 50” stripers almost commonplace! Squid are in interesting alternative with lit piers off Swampscott, Marblehead, Beverly and Glouester all producing. Plum Island is popping as well especially for eel slingers among the flats at night and pogy prowlers by day.