Churned-up seas have kept most craft at port, with daring surf fishers taking up the slack and landing large linesiders for their efforts. During the past week, bait numbers have swelled with mackerel, pogies and herring making for hefty stripers. Flounder continue to be a popular alternative to all things striper with the recent Zobo derby a huge success.
Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report
The flounder bite aboard Little Sister Charters has been impressive when seas have allowed. Fat fatties have been falling for both clams and seaworms, with the former bait being the best for bigger blackbacks. The fish are spread out just beyond Sesuit Harbor, making drifting necessary to find them. Flounder are many things, but fast swimmers they aren’t, making any speed above one mph too fast. A trolling motor, drift sock, or even a bucket tossed overboard may be necessary if the wind is up, as it has been. The crew aboard Captain Jason Colby’s boat has shown remarkable resolve in staying the flatfish course with stripers pushing sand eels often within casting distance of the boat. For those inclined to give in to temptation, the skipper has been keeping a striper rod on board and at the ready.
The wicked winds may have kept most at bay, but not South Shore surf sharpies, according to Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate. Yo-Zuri’s Mag Darter has been the perfect tool to wield among the kicked-up surf, resulting in beach bass up to 30 pounds! A few favorites for patrons of the shop are Burke’s Beach, Rexhame Beach, Peggotty Beach, Dougherty’s Cove, and Egypt Beach. With river herring a factor nearly into July, the North River will remain a hot option as far upstream as Union Street. The Nor’easter however, should usher fallback alewives, who have completed the spawn, out towards the river mouth, possibly resulting in epic fishing. What might also light the fuse on impressive striped bass fishing is the recent appearance of pogies on the South Shore. The timing of this just might be perfect for a “Memorial Day Massacre” redux! More than a myth, years ago, a major migrational mob of stripers clashed with an aggregate of mackerel and pogies, resulting in fishing South Shore anglers still rave about! All the better might be the weather forecast, which is supposed to sweeten just in time for the holiday.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
Gale-force winds on Sunday could not deter the flounder faithful from taking to the harbor in force to catch a big flattie! Part of that is due to the perennial love affair that Boston has with the blackback, which many regard as “our fish”. However, the incentive for most was to participate in Pete and Denise Santini’s annual Zobo Flounder Derby. The event is so much fun that placing among the winners is almost academic – well, almost! I was fortunate to come out on top of this event with deck mates Billy Eicher and Rob Bartalini placing fourth and ninth, respectively. Just out of the running by a scale or two was Dave Bartalini, who weighed in a respectable flounder in its own right. To a mate, we all credit Captain Rob with coming up with a plan to put us on fish in brutal conditions.
While winning is nice, every bit as nice was the venue at JJ Grimsby’s in Melrose, with Bob McAree, the proprietor, pulling out all the stops for this event by opening up his restaurant to all participants and serving up scrumptious eats. The guest of honor – flounder – was the main course, and it was delicious. Biologists, headed by Matt Ayer from the DMF, were there to measure the fish and take tissue samples. The results of that are in, and by all accounts, our flounder are healthy and exhibit good growth rates. Additionally, proceeds of the event were earmarked for the Boxford Little League in honor of the late Barry Gibson, who wore many hats, including editor and fishery board member. An oft-echoed parting comment for many was that they couldn’t wait until next year’s derby, and for those, the date will be May 17, 2026!
According to Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing next week could prove vey interesting! All the elements are in play for it to be a week not to miss. Pogies have moved into the harbor in force, mackerel can now be found among inshore ledges and he expects sea herring to be hanging among the harbor humps once seas settle. Moreover the offshore-to-inshore big bass migration should be in full swing. Pogy schools have been thick off Wollaston Beach, from Castle Island to the gateway of the Reserve Channel and from Crystal Cove through Orient Heights. Mack snacks can be found now inside with Finn Ledge an option as well as Flipp Rock and Nahant’s 2 Can. Sporadic surface feeds have been present throughout the harbor with SP Minnow’s getting it done according to Captain Dave Panarello while aboard his honorable Cast Right. When not besting Boston bass, Captain Coombs has found a nice black sea bass and bluefish bite in Buzzards Bay.
Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy told me that surf anglers have been doing well off the Black Creek section of Wollaston Beach as well as the Hummocks. The tube-and-worm continues to be hot from Hull through Hingham Harbor with anglers focusing on the islands finding the most fish. Befitting of the recent weather Storm shads have been doing well among surface feeds as well as in the Weir, Weymouth Back, Weymouth Fore and Neponset Rivers. As for flounder a few have been caught from Nut Island Pier, Pemberton Pier and the Deer Island Pier. Haddock have moved in as close as the B Buoy humps.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that pogy schools in Lynn Harbor and off Nahant Bay have been holding stripers to 43”. There have also been schoolies in the Saugus and Danvers River, with outgoing tide fishing best. Surface feeds in Salem Harbor and Beverly Harbor have been prevalent. Mackerel can be found off Tinker’s Island, Halfway Rock, Satan’s Rock, and Misery Channel. A few flounder have been caught off Swampscott as well as near the Jubilee Yacht Club in Beverly. As for haddock, some are in among mudflats close to noted inshore ledges such as Saturday Night Ledge and Hills 47 and 101. With no dogfish to speak of, most anglers are leaning heavily on clams and squid.
TJ from Three Lantern Marine and Fishing said that Magnolia through Gloucester is a virtual tinder box of bait: just ready to go off when the next wave of stripers comes to Cape Ann! Magnolia should be more advantageous to fish now that many moorings have been removed, and less boat traffic is expected at the launch because the adjacent dock has been pulled. Rivers remain red hot and one of the best options for shore fishers.
Jake from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport said that the downpours are expected to improve fishing in the Merrimack River. Fallback herring and shad should attract stripers, making Joppa Flats, the Chain Bridge, and the mouth of the river all best bets. Some have been forging the whipped up surf off Lot 1 in the Parker River Wildlife Refuge as well as Sandy Point, and catching well on needlefish plugs and spooks when conditions allow. Mackerel have moved in just south in the Cape Ann area. A good option for a live mack is Plum Island Sound on an outgoing tide.
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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Once the seas settle, migratory and larger striped bass should be moving onto outer ledges, making trolling mackerel or swimmers effective off Minot Ledge, Thieves Ledge, and by Boston’s BG Buoy. An opportunity worth taking advantage of is the herring runs from the Town River in Plymouth to Plum Island’s section of the Merrimack River. The ripping river current will flush fallback herring downstream, with the intersection of bass and bait bound to be explosive. Flounder remain a strong alternative with Cape Cod Bay hot and Boston Harbor a strong second. With a few haddock hanging close to shore along the North Shore, the hope is that they will move onto more southern haunts such as Stellwagen and, just maybe Flatt Ledge and Stone Ledge.
Nice push of big Stripers filling the three bays! Tight lines!