Massachusetts Fishing Report – October 10, 2024

If the angry Atlantic had you relegated to spectator role and you’ve been wondering what you missed than reading this while sitting down might be a good idea. While reports were lacking, aggressively feeding fish were not. The good news is that with ideal water temperatures, plenty of bait and eye-opening reports still trickling in from north of the border you have time to catch up.

Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report

Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that while stirred up seas kept most at bay, the few boaters and surf casters who were able to forge the fury did a bang up job. Big bass – 30 pounders to boot – as well as blues belted X Raps for anglers trolling off South Shore beaches. From Duxbury Beach through Hummock Beach anglers who found a seam in the conditions did very well. Conversely, the relative sanctuary of estuaries such as the South, North and other rivers along the South Shore have been fishing well especially at night with needlefish plugs and eels. Billy Hurley told me that he’s been catching cookie-cutter sub-slot schoolies throughout the South River with his namesake 5” jerkbait. Shore sharpies are catching well off Fourth Cliff as well. Boaters who were able to get out found mackerel in close and cod swarming among many inshore ledges and rockpiles. Should you desire a break from the salt, check out the freshly stocked rainbows swimming throughout Plymouth ponds such as Long and Little.

In spite of the water temperature seemingly stuck in the lower 60s, the tautog bite continues to improve for Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister. What has been trending, which is typical of October, is that the bite is getting shallower. Most of the action on the Westport side of Buzzards Bay is now hovering over “live” bottom in 30-40’ of water. Those depths are custom made for jigs because they are inherently lighter than lead weights, and are more in their element when the depth is relatively shallow. On a recent trip with the skipper I was able to hold bottom during the entire tide with a 1 ounce Tidal Tails Jig’z! While tog are always a blast to catch, when all that separates you from a big whitechin is a tiny jig the fun factor goes through the roof!

While off-region, I heard something from David Dee Do which you might find interesting. I’m reminded of how many tides have passed by me when I’m contacted by kids that I reported on who are now highly skilled adult anglers. David Dee Do is one such fisher who has graduated from bicycling around Quincy Bay in search of most anything that would bite to having his own YouTube channel and making his own lures! Dave’s been probing around the West Falmouth area with his flutter jigs and has found a pile of weakfish in 30-40 feet of water. Those cool and colorful members of the croaker family have been feeding on 4-5” peanut bunker. Not every drop of his jigs are coming up tight to weakfish as lizardfish and blue runners have had other ideas.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing has been dividing his time between Boston, the Cape and Rhode Island – depending on where the bite is best. On Wednesday Captain Coombs strayed from his signature techniques because macks were sparse and he was commandeering a different boat. The owner did have 9er Rigs on board which were deployed with impressive results as the crew smoked gator blues and solid stripers. The skipper also told me something with should be of interest to those who have such things as Charlie and the quota on their brain, Captain Vinny Schettino of Pointenshootfishing got spooled by a tuna in the same area. Recent trips to the ocean state have produced a big black sea bass, bonito and solid tautog for Captain Coombs. Unlike the Bay State, where the recreational season has been closed for over a month, in Rhode Island black sea bass can still be kept.

Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy said that if she had to pick a local best bet, it would be trolling or live-lining mackerel around Point Allerton. Anglers are not only finding willing striped bass there but blues up to 35” long. Mackerel have been available off the ledges of Hull. Shore anglers are still in the game off Squantum, the Hummocks, Black Creek, Webb Park, Great Esker Park and at World’s End. Pogies, while less abundant than a few weeks ago, are still around Wollaston Beach and the airport. It’s been a quiet week for smelt if for no other reason than the tides were off but that should change as hight tide shifts to nighttime.

Laurel from Hull Bait and Tackle told me that anglers are having to work a little harder to catch fish but stripers are still available off Nantasket Beach with the tube and worm working well. Pogy numbers are plummeting but mackerel remain in play. Fishers working the Weir River with seaworms are catching bass into the mid-30”.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

October is not supposed to be the most productive month of the striper season but my Fishbrain buddy Dave Flaherty’s experience off Nahant is proving otherwise. His primary concern, securing his catch from the slippery North Shore rocks notwithstanding, has been where he would find a parking spot in spooky Salem for a visit to Tomo’s Tackle. Between big blues and two-dozen striper outings, his go-to lure assortment of Al Gag’s Whip-it-Fish had been reduced to tatters. Fortunately stripers in October tend to be forgiving suitors and they walloped his swapped out metal lip with equal aggression. It helps to take the sting out of the migration when you know that when found, those bass and blues will be willing to hit most everything! Regarding Tomo’s Tackle, the “boss” should be back just at about the time you read this, hopefully with awesome tales to tell of the Amazon. Meanwhile Marty of Tomo’s told me that mackerel remain plentiful off of Marblehead, Misery Channel and out through Bakers Island. Those catching consistently have been pitching them or trolling them in tight to structure for stripers or deploying them in open water for bluefish. Nice size cod – 26/27” fish – can be scrounged up by Saturday Night Ledge. Marty has been doing well with those cod with the shop’s selection of slow pitch jigs.

TJ from Three Lantern Marine and Fishing said that Cape Ann sharpies that really know their stuff are still catching 40” plus stripers! Inshore water temperatures above 60 degrees, as well as plenty of bait, are keeping the fish in check. Rivers/estuaries just upstream of beach breachways are places not to be ignored with nights and eels the winning formula. Anglers chunking mackerel off the Dogbar Breakwater have been catching as well as have anglers from the Eastern Point when seas allow. A few pogy schools are still hanging in there in Ipswich Bay but a better bet for bait is mackerel east of the Groaner.

Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport said that there has been lots of action off Lots 6/7 of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge. Chunkers have been catching as have eel and needlefish casters at night. The 247 Lures needlefish has been especially effective. If Martha had to pick a pattern she’d lean towards the last stages of the incoming tide. Tube-and-wormers are still doing well in Plum Island Sound as well as the Merrimack River.

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Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

A phenomenon not to miss this time of the year takes place at watersheds which support herring runs. Regardless, whether it’s a river that is coastal or winds it’s way through the western part of the state, millions of herring fry are meandering along with the current for an eventual introduction to the sea, That’s all good provided they survive a near infinite gauntlet of predators including freshwater fish of all kinds. This is the one time of the year when every cast with a 2” minnow lure could result in a different species! This is also one of the few times when cormorants should not be scorned but appreciated. Where you find a gaggle of them you’ll find the fry as well as everything from trout to bass to panfish to pike. Another hint as to where the action is, is to find current cushions such as narrows, ledge, weedlines, bridges and dams. Come November much of this will be over but for the next few weeks it’s among the Bay State’s best bets.

Regarding rivers, I asked Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston if there was any news regarding salmon in the tributaries of Wachusett Reservoir. The time is right for that to happen but water levels are not. Skinny water in the Stillwater River is not conducive to a good run which I suspect means that the salmon should be stacked up from the causeway out through Thomas Basin. Look for all that to change should we get a deluge of rain. Meanwhile the “Rezy” is fishing hot for rainbow trout up to 7 pounds, solid laker action and plenty of smallies. While not usually associated with Wachusett Reservoir, brown trout will occasionally be found at this time of the year breeding among shoal water. Look for tightly packed schools to be in close now and jam a jerk bait into the bottom to get their attention.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

With news of 40” plus stripers still in residence in Cape Ann as well as bluefish action it’s obvious that the bite is still on. Eyes glued to electronics have given way to watching the water as fish push bait to the surface. If mackerel cannot be found, try breaking out a trolling plug or umbrella rig and work sections off South Shore beaches from 30-50’ of water. Tog are shallow and close in off of Westport allowing for light jigs to be employed. A few fleeting schools of pogies remain in the harbor with Logan Airport worthy of a look for bait, bass and blues. Broad Sound is holding gator blues and solid stripers with 9er Rigs effective as well as mackerel. The Hull ledges remain reliable for mackerel with those on the North Shore finding them by Misery Channel. Some of the bigger bass in the Bay State continue to be taken at night on eels among Cape Ann estuaries. Increasingly freshwater is serving up interesting options with rivers not to be ignored.