Massachusetts Fishing Report- July 18, 2024

This week it was the South Shore’s turn! Big bass moved in like minesweepers shoving most everything not big enough or fast enough to escape towards the shoreline. Haddock are hitting well throughout Massbay with both South Shore and North Shore anglers getting in on the action. South Coast black sea bass limits continue to be a cinch and flounder in both summer and winter versions are cooperating.

Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report

Pete Belsan of Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that South Shore big bass acton was so widespread that it made most everyone happy! The possible exception being the commercial fleet which can’t touch them outside of Tuesday and Wednesday. Even surf fishers did well with the Glades and Strawberry Point especially productive. When asked what was working Pete said “everything” – now that’s a bite not to miss! Anglers looking to snag pogies during the bedlam were finding that they were coming up with mackerel as well! It looks as if the linesiders frightened all kinds of forage inward. Fluke have also been caught in Duxbury Bay with keepers to 24”.

While Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters did not have a halibut make mince meat out of any groundffish this week, he did encounter a different sort of toothy fish in deep water. Big blues, which have largely been absent from Massbay so far, were falling for mackerel intended for a certain extra large flatfish. According to Mark those blues were real gators and found by Stone Ledge. Maybe this could be the first wave of more of a bluefish presence across our coast. The haddock bite has been good from Stellwagen Bank through Cape Cod Bay with the sweet spot 200’ of water.

Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister Charters has been enjoying double-digit fluke outings without ever leaving the Westport River! For those who believe drifting is the only way to catch fluke than you have to check out the casting technique that Captain Colby employs. Casting for fluke with light spinning gear and only 1-2 ounces of weight is an absolute blast! Black Sea bass continue to hit jigs and bait with abandon just outside of the river on reefs, wrecks and rockpiles. For sheer action and delectable fillets, black seas bass is an Bay State inshore best bet.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Boston’s king and queen of flatfish – Antoine and Aldo Scott – have been tearing it up on the flounder front! The fish haven’t even been safe when the couple is on vacation as shots of full stringers from the shore of Manchester Harbor prove! Fresh from besting those blackbacks on the North Shore, Antoine set his sights on Lynn Harbor fluke with predictable results – he caught them! Not surprising their favorite flounder rig is the mighty Zobo, which is hand tied at Fishing FINatics in Everett. Regarding that shop, the proprietor – Captain Pete Santini – told me that flounder can still be caught locally but anglers need to hang their rigs over hard bottom. Spots to consider are Finns Ledge, The Brewsters, Point Allerton and even among ledge off Nahant’s 2 Can. Regarding the 2 Can, Mike Lazaro has been catching a real mixed bag there consisting of black sea bass and killer cunner that are reminiscent of their tautog cousins! The Santini tube – Tuscano edition – has been producing off Peddock Island, the mouth of the Chelsea Creek and continues to catch stripers from the Tobin Bridge through Encore and out to the Amelia Earhart Dam. Pogies as well as fresh mackerel can be highly effective pitched close to the jungle of wood at that dam. Regarding mackerel, anglers looking for macks have been catching cod up to 30” on sabiki rigs weighted down with diamond jigs.

Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy told me that surf fishers such as Barry Borr have been catching cows from Hull Gut! It’s little wonder this spot is good with so much current carrying hapless bait stripers often lie in ambush; it’s a good place to drift by boat and vertical jig. This technique not only works for stripers but it’s not unusual to catch black sea bass here as well. Pogy schools by Thompson Island as well as the Lower Middle are holding 30-35” striped bass! Some anglers are eschewing the process of procuring pogies and tossing mackerel in the midst of the pogy schools and doing very well. Most recently mackerel have been found off Harding’s Ledge, Ultonia Ledge and Martin Ledge. The biggest bass Lisa knows of are being trolled up on deep divers from the ledges off Hull through Minot Ledge! It continues to be a great year for squid with not just Nut Island Pier productive but also a myriad of wharves throughout the harbor.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

My buddy Captain Tom Ciulla of T Sea Charters had a heck of a day on Sunday, After topping the live well off with mackerel which he found just outside of Gloucester Harbor, he and his crew floated them for steady slot striper action by Thatcher Island. After a break for lunch, the Ocean Cowboy kid himself took his crew out towards Southern Jeffrey’s Ledge and filled the cooler with haddock, pollock and cusk! The pollock were especially impressive and as anyone who knows a thing or two about “Boston bluefish” will attest, those things are furious fighters.

It’s easy to find big bass when you follow the money and the bulk of commercial “selling” stripers appears to be coming from Cape Ann through Ipswich Bay. TJ from Three Lantern Marine and Fishing told me that those fish are being caught one of two ways: eels at night or trolling plugs during the day. He said that Halibut Point has been especially hot for those trolling X-Raps and Rapala CD 18s by the ubiquitous pogy schools. Not only are pogies plentiful but so are mackerel and as proof, TJ told me that he just took possession of 6 totes which he doesn’t expect to last long! The harbors of Manchester and Gloucester are holding flounder and squid. As for tuna, all that pogy and mackerel bait is calling in Charlie within view of the shoreline!

Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that he’s been targeting small schools of pogies at the mouth of Salem Harbor with his standard issue trolling plugs such as the Nomad DTX and Rapala CD18. The fish he’s been working over are mainly slots with the occasional larger thrown in the mix. One area in particular which has been good is by Naugus Head. Those same plugs trolled along Broad Sound and Egg Rock have been effective there as well. Also off Broad Sound was the report of an angler catching a brown shark of a least 6’ on an eel. Those sharks share at least one trait with striped bass – they love eels! This season continues to shape up as a stellar squid season with readily accessible piers such as the Beverly Pier giving up calamari.

Kevin from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport told me that water temperatures continue to fluctuate which kind of evens the playing field making fishing a real gamble. One night Joppa Flats will be jammed with fish and the next it’ll seem dead. The same can be said for surf fishers working the ocean front through the wildlife refuge. Sandy Point along with Plum Island Sound are no exceptions. Arguably the most consistent fishing is taking place just over the border off Salisbury, Rye and Wallis Sands! As is the case over much of our coast, trolling plugs seems to be the hot ticket.

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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

If there is an overall theme regarding striped bass fishing along the Bay State it is that the only thing predictable – is that it’s unpredictable! Just when the South Shore was counted out on the big bass sweepstakes, anglers experienced a banner few days last weekend. Another positive note from down there is the sweet haddock fishing between Stellwagen Bank through Cape Cod Bay with Stone Ledge the epicenter. Could the appearance of big blues there be the tipping point to a sustained bluefish presence finally in Massbay? A few fluke have been found in Duxbury Bay and Lynn Harbor. An unheralded spot for fluke is Revere Beach/Broad Sound. I’m often hearing of anglers catching them there while targeting stripers and with squid numbers up, that area could be unsung. Trolling plugs from Martin Ledge to Minot Ledge is accounting for some of the bigger striped bass in our realm. With plentiful pogies in Quincy Bay, off Thompson Island and out to the airport, odds are really good among that large bait you’ll find slot and bigger bass. Mackerel have moved back in off Hull out to Graves Light with schools of cod following the bait. On the North Shore Salem Harbor through Naugus Head has been good with anglers working trollers near patches of pogies catching especially well. Farther north scads of mackerel and pogies are keeping Cape Ann through Ipswich Bay stripers in check. If you have the opportunity, try trolling just north of the border as our friends from New Hampshire are reporting action off Salisbury Beach through the Isles of Shoals. Should you be truly blessed and looking for a break from bass, check out the groudfishing off Jeffrey’s Ledge. Haddock, pollock, cusk and cod are the prime reasons why!