Massachusetts Fishing Report – July 13, 2023

Without much of a pogy presence, striped bass and bluefish are aggregating near structure in close proximity to mackerel. The size of the fish is often commensurate with the volume of bait, with cows tending to be found offshore and slots more prevalent inshore. Lest you think that the key to catching is a sabiki rig – guess again – some sharpies are steering completely clear of bait!

The list of lures that are catching stripers and bluefish is dizzying and indicative of what opportunistic feeders those fish are. Deepwater trollers are swearing by Rapala’s dynamic duo – the Magnum CD-18 and X-Rap. But then there are the inshore tube and umbrella draggers who are convinced they have it figured out. Not everyone lives and dies by the troll however, and for them, Al Gag’s Whip-it-Fish, Drifter Tackle Docs, Berkley Magic Swimmers, Daiwa SP Minnows and various flutter spoons are part of their arsenal. If they only knew, pogies, mackerel and sea herring might be breathing a sigh of relief as there is less interest in putting them into the livewell.
 
Knowing where the highest concentration of mackerel is matters greatly. For years Boston Harbor lived up to it’s moniker as the Hub in striper circles because of a density of pogies and cows chasing them. Things are different this year with mackerel the primary forage, and to reliably find those mackerel, you need deepwater nearby. At least for the moment, the big bass bite remains best on the South Shore and the North Shore.

Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast Fishing Report

Big concentrations of mackerel among deepwater ledges on the South Shore had been holding very impressive striped bass! That bite, which took place primarily between Minot and Hull, cooled down but it could reload on the very next tide. Many of those feeds have been taking place on the surface as the cows push the bait upwards making surface and sub surface wares highly effective.

Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate told me in addition to moving trollers such as X-Raps, sales are brisk for spooks from Daddy Mac and Hogy as well as paddletails from Bill Hurley and Al Gag’s. A few fluke continue to be caught off Peggotty Beach, from Scituate Harbor and Duxbury Bay.

For consistent CCB blues, according to Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters, Race Point is the place to be. Should you desire one of the slot stripers that are swimming below the choppers, sink a mackerel down quickly and deeper with an egg sinker or fish finder rig. Closer to Scituate, Mark is finding steady slots most everywhere especially among inshore ledge where stripers are rummaging around for a lobster dinner but won’t pass on a lively mack. Tuna fishing remains terrific with the sweet spot between Peaked Hill Bar and the NW corner of Stellwagen. Sand eels/mackerel continue to keep Charlie in check at those spots.

My frequent conversations with Captain Jason Colby of Little Sister Charters usually begins with “So what are you catching this week?”! Just the ho-hum stripers, blues, black sea bass and fluke were on the skippers agenda lately. Finding the fluke has been the main focus and for steady action on light tackle, albeit for a lot of shorts, the Westport River is the way to go. Jason keeps finding piles of bigger fluke in deeper water but because those concentrations are not consistent he benefits from his extensive waypoints. Should you charter the captain I suggest you arrive a bit early, bring a light spinning rod and target the hickory shad which call the dockage at Tripp’s marina their home. Those 14-18” acrobats will hit small metal, jump out of the water and give all!

Greater Boston Fishing Report

The quote of the week belongs to Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing when he told me, “I haven’t touched bait in 12 days!”. That’s not because Brian has been getting skunked, is in dry dock, or on some sabbatical, but because when found, the bass and blues are aggressive and willing to whack all kinds of offerings! A big concentration of mackerel are being found between Deer Island and the PR Can. Early on, you can expect blow-ups as bass push the bait towards the surface! Random big fish feeds are also occurring from Hull to Nahant with the latter also giving up bluefish by Egg Rock. Inside the harbor slots continue to slam herring and occasionally mackerel between Logan, Castle Island, the Reserve Channel and even as close as the Tobin Bridge! The rap remains the same, slots inside remain a surer thing at first light while bigger, albeit less reliable, bass are sticking to offshore. While there are not a lot of pogies around when the cows move in they herd most everything into a big bait ball with pogies, herring and mackerel all being slaughtered. It is quite the sight!

Speaking of a massacre, Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett told me that Captain Mike Delzingo has been having his way with solid stripers while trolling umbrella rigs aboard the Fish Bucket. I asked Pete what was different about Mike’s rigs and he said that the rig really swims like a small shoal of mackerel. A lot of the action has been taking place off Deer Island, Faun Bar and the Winthrop Shoreline. Red Santini tubes have also been working well by Faun Bar, the Anchorage, the Rip as well as the Dredges. Shore anglers are scoring stripers on chunk at night with Vella Rigs.

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Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy said that rising water temperatures have brought in black sea bass with a few keepers (16” minimum) mixed in with short fish. The hot spots for them have been George’s Island, Rainsford Island and Peddock Island. Boston Ledge through Martin’s Ledge is loaded with mackerel and first light surface feeds have been common.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

The North Shore just might have supplanted the South Shore as the current cow mother lode of Massbay. A number of recent reports put big bass pummeling mackerel throughout the Magnolia/Gloucester/Rockport area. As it was told to me, some of the feeds have been so intense that the bass were driving mackerel onto the shoreline! The North Shore also seems to be the money spot for blues with chopper to gator-sized fish cruising from Egg Rock through Halibut Point.

While a year of less for pogy-pursuers, some can still be found in Salem according to Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle. Those bunker must be smart because they’re hunkered down among the mooring field in Salem Harbor away from the seiners. A few stealthy kayakers are sliding in tight among the maze of moorings and are extracting nice stripers! There have been a few small schools of pogies and bass in Beverly Harbor as well. Tomo took his boat for a spin and connected with a few blues just west of Children’s Island. An occasional blitz has been popping up in Marblehead Harbor and anglers have even connected with a few black sea bass there. Anglers are having to work for mackerel locally with more success coming up north in Cape Ann.

Kevin from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport said that a few fluke have been caught as far north as Salisbury Beach! Small boat and kayak anglers had been doing well at Joppa Flats but that spot has cooled off recently. The most consistent big bass bite is happening between 30-50’ of water off the ocean front with anglers doing well with mackerel. Some are doing as well with Magic Swimmers as they are with the real deal. Trollers are picking up a few blues while trolling. Farther north there continues to be pogies and big bass in the Isles of Shoals area with tuna wrecking havoc on unexpected anglers! Mackerel remain a fixture at all the expected spots: Breaking Rocks, Speckled Apron and Hampton Shoal Ledge.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Bluefish have added badly needed diversity to Sport-fishing in Massbay. Those yearning for old yellow eyes can find them off the Race, occasionally between the South Shore and Boston, but especially so along the North Shore. Slot-sized stripers are easy pickings among piles of inshore rocks on the South Shore and along the inner Boston Harbor. With less pogies in residence the larger linesiders are pushing schools of mackerel slightly offshore. Unlike pogies which tend to stay put and withstand the beating, mackerel move off quickly contributing to “here-today, gone-tomorrow” reality for many. Some givens can be accepted with Minot to Hull always worth a look as well as Magnolia through Rockport. The wildcard is the massive schools of mackerel between Deer Island and the North Channel. Should one of those big schools of big bass sniff those out, the harbor could get very hot!