Massachusetts Fishing Report- May 30, 2024

A seismic shift in our striper sweepstakes happens every year when the big deepwater breeders arrive and anglers who have been out there are now mouthing the word – cow! Of course those big bass won’t stay put if there isn’t substantial forage and for that we can thank pogy schools which one charter captain described to me as “everywhere”.

Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report

It looks as if the first wave of seriously large striped bass have arrived! Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that anglers trolling mackerel along offshore structure such as Flatt Ledge are flashing pictures of stripers which prompt a “woah” from even experienced shop owners. In addition to available mackerel, offshore pogy schools have been moving in inciting blowups as big bass pummel the bait. This is not widespread but rather a case of being in the right place at the right time with fortuitous fishers having an awesome moment. The North River still holds herring and one of the most consistent striper bites. I did, however, hear from Bill Hurley whose namesake 5” jerk bait was wreaking havoc on stripers in the South River this week. Nearby Rexhame Beach has been the scene of blitzes with schoolies and slots joining in and not fussy. Finally there are some solid flounder reports coming in from the South Shore with good news coming from Egypt Beach, Peggotty Beach, Scituate Harbor and even the South River.

Regarding flounder, Captain Jason Colby must be experiencing a bit of skipper’s remorse as he prepares to move onto the myriad of species he will pursue out of Westport beginning this weekend. Had you been aboard the Little Sister recently you’d get it – the fattest flounder in Cape Cod Bay are in full blown feed mode! His crew is regularly racking up limits of fish up to 20” long! If you’re curious why he’d haul out his 31” Contender when the going’s so good, the reason is simple – he enjoys the chess match that chasing cod, tautog, fluke, black sea bass, bonito, bluefish and stripers presents. I may be biased but I see the point.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

“Pogies are everywhere, even in 140’ of water!”, said Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing! So what brought Brian out to the deep? It wasn’t for groundfish or even a preliminary look-see for Charlie but rather the captain’s gut told him that offshore migrating big bass should be poised to move into the harbor about now. While none were caught a few lone marks were registered of very big fish which in all probability are the first wave of something special soon to arrive inshore. Brian’s also finding a lot of mid-to-upper 30” stripers working among a plethora of pogy schools peppered throughout the harbor. Always one to seek a challenge, the skipper has been having luck with what might be his new squeeze this year – Al Gag’s new Twitch it Eel. Shops have also been touting this lure which apparently is unique among soft plastic stick baits in that it is dense enough to be cast and worked without a jighead/weight. As for bait/bass spots, the Neponset River area gets a nod.

Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy confirmed the arrival of plenty of pogies and proof of that is in the steady sales of snag trebles. The Fore River through Town River has the bait and bass, as has the Wollaston Beach area. There are blitzes from Hull through Quincy with boaters and booters all joining in the catching but the biggest bass have been caught with live pogies or mackerel in deeper water by Bob’s Bass Triangle as well as near Graves Light. Flounder fishing remains good with anglers still catching them off Nut Island Pier and Pemberton Pier. The former has even given up a few tautog.

Further proof that our flounder are in fine form came courtesy of my weekly conversation with Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett who reported limits or near-limits of flounder form the shore, piers and bridges throughout Greater Boston. Pete’s pick for a potential flatfish hotspot is the shoreline near the Spalding Rehab building and – yes – there is access from the shore! Two of more popular destinations by boat and from shore are the Chelsea creek and Lynn Harbor! It was nice of Peter to take a break from tying those flounder-loving Zobo Rigs to tell me the good news. As for stripers, the rivers still hold herring and a steady pick of bass! As herring continue to tumble from their spawning habitat look for bass to stage among downstream depth changes, structure and other current breaks looking to ambush.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Not every shop owner provides a personal fishing report but then again Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem is not your average B&T boss! He’s been out catching upper 30” fish while trolling deep diving plugs in Salem Sound as well as Beverly Harbor! His plug picks are Nomad’s deep diver, the Rapala CD18 and X-Raps. Pogy schools are around and with them some of the better bass on the North Shore. Terns working on small bait in Lynn Harbor, Marblehead Harbor and Salem Harbor are a tip-off that there are stripers of mixed sizes pushing the bait. What is refreshing is the volume of very small schoolies that anglers are catching which lends optimism for the future. Local flounder favorites are Swampscott Harbor, the Jubilee Yacht Club at Beverly as well as Manchester Harbor. Anglers are finding mackerel not far from shore. While I’ve been conditioned to see my friend Steve Papows smiling broadly while holding striped bass, I don’t recall seeing a bass of about – 15”! It was obvious by my friends grin that he appreciated a young class of fish for the future. In lockstep with that was good news regarding two year old fish from Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport who told me of similar sized stripers anglers are encountering off Plum Island.

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One of the things I enjoy when talking with my friends from Surfland is that they emphasize patterns that put folks into fish. One of those should help you all out this weekend as the combination of a sunrise/high tide often coincides with a killer bite on the ocean front! Big bass, paunchy from river herring, continue to migrate from upstream sections of the Merrimack and are settling into Joppa Falls as well as the mouth of the river. Pogy schools are present in Ipswich Bay and you’ll find mackerel by the Speckled Apron, Breaking Rocks and Hampton Shoal Ledge. The shop is moving seaworms and flounder rigs with the effluence of the Essex River/Crane’s Beach area a local flatfish favorite.

TJ from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester said that bass-on-bait blitzes in Gloucester Harbor have been common. There have even been inroads of mackerel into the harbor, but from the Groaner out remains more reliable for macks. Pogy schools off Rockport have attracted a lot of attention from big bass with some fish of over 40” reported. For haddock, Tillies Ledge has been delivering limits. Seaworms are selling briskly as solid flounder fishing persists off Coffin’s Beach, Wingaersheek Beach, Niles Beach, Ten Pound Island and the Granite Pier. Some anglers are wondering if there are blues already present because of bite-offs but I’m thinking it’s most likely another toothy predator such as immature porbeagles.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

While most are heading the call of the salt, it should be noted that Masswildife is offering a “free fishing” weekend where the need for a license is suspended on June 1st/2nd! If you’re looking for a place to exercise that freedom consider an event for young anglers planned by the Celtic Bass Club at Martin Pond in North Reading on Saturday from 8-11! The club has been nominated in the past for club of the year because of just such an event which they have been organizing for 35 years! There will be trophies, food and fun aplenty and just maybe cooperative fish! Best of all the point for this derby is to educate young anglers on the need for conservation and to nurture a passion for angling.

For another freshwater option worth considering we can thank Josh from The Fishing Hole in South Hadley. He said that while the shad season is winding down people are still catching them as well as stripers in the CT river. Black bombers at night have been working well and topwaters such as the 7″ Doc. The big news this week however has been the pike bite, which is on fire! Those toothies may be frenzied by the famished, weekend river herring which are dropping back from upstream spawning habitat and make for easy prey! Fire tiger and other gaudy flies are getting it done as are big shiners and jerk baits! Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle in West Boylston said that smallie fishing is at a fever pitch and forktials are feeing well at the Chu and almost no-one is fishing the place now! Do you sense an opportunity?

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Herring-holding rivers on the South Shore such as the Town and North Rivers will continue to be high percentage striper spots until early June when herring numbers wane. Pogies in the Three Bays are more than poised to take up the slack, especially with bigger bass soon to invade Massbay. Flounder continue to be a fun alternative to all-things-striper with Nut Island Pier, the Deer Island Pier, Lynn Pier and Fisherman’s Beach Pier all emblematic of how accessible these fish remain. Boston blitzes have been a regular occurrence with the venue shifting to Spectacle Island, Thompson Island and Dorchester Bay. Pogy schools on the North Shore have been encountered by Halfway Rock, off Magnolia and in Ipswich Bay. In the Plum Island area seaward river herring are pulling big upstream Merrimack River stripers towards the mouth of the river. While that’s certainly fun an argument could be made that the folks chilling and soaking seaworms at the refuge are having even more of it!