Offshore cruisers in search of mackerel have been finding more than they bargained for, namely big, big bass moving into Massbay. While it is hoped that the herd moves into harbors, some big fish have already found their way inside. In many cases, what separates those who are catching versus not is a matter of degrees.
Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report
Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters and crew were in the midst of jigging up mackerel just inside state waters when they saw the fins. A school of stripers up to 51” was also there looking for a mack snack. As is often the case when in open water, the fish were fussy, but the captain came stealthily prepared with 20-pound fluorocarbon leaders at the ready. That’s pretty flimsy stuff for fish of that size, but the captain said that the new bow-to-stern Daiwa gear he’s packing was more than up to the task.
Stone Ledge thus far is long on short haddock but lacking cooler fodder. If you’re interested in catching and releasing cod, you’ll find some real corkers there as well as whiting. A few blues have moved onto Race Point.
Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate told me anglers trolling mackerel from Flatt Ledge to Thieves Ledge are catching a few cows. No one seems to be slaying them, with the results amounting to one or two good fish. Surf anglers are spending less time in rivers and instead booting the surf of nearby beaches. Anglers have been having luck on slot to larger stripers off Priscilla Beach, Rexhame Beach, Sandy Beach, and Black Rock Beach. Fourth Cliff and The Spit have been good for those drifting eels in the current.
Captain Jason Colby has been expanding the Little Sister Charters repertoire, which now includes bluefish and slab scup. With limits of black sea bass a foregone conclusion, he has set his sights on bigger fish with some creeping beyond 22”. The volume of sand eels in the Westport River should keep striped bass there in check as well. Ledges throughout the river and just outside are perfect for a nighttime session of casting eels to stripers lying in ambush.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
Luck is no match for logic when it comes to consistently putting cows in the boat! Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing theorized that recent onshore winds would blow bait in close, and he was correct, as mackerel have been easy to come by among the harbor ledges. Hopefully, the west wind will not be a change agent. With wildly fluctuating water temperatures, the captain’s also been spending as much time watching the temperature gauge as he has his side scan. Low 60-degree temperatures have been the sweet spot with bass in the boat up to 47 pounds the result.
Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy told me that anglers are still catching flounder, but they are transitioning to the deeper water of Nantucket Roads and adjacent shallows. With water temperatures rising, flounder are on the way out now, making Boston Light, Point Allerton, and Ultonia Ledge among the best blackback bets. Don’t be surprised if you catch corker cunner and harbor pollock in these areas. Pogy schools at the mouths of the Weymouth Fore River and Town River are holding bass. Wollaston Beach, between the mooring field and the shoreline, has been giving up solid stripers to 46” on the tube-and-worm. Hull Gut and Point Allerton are two of the better spots for surf anglers chunking mackerel.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett said that red and Tuscano Santini Tubes have been effective at the mouth of the Mystic River through the Schraffts Complex and out towards the Chelsea Creek. That jungle of pillings which dot this area are holding tautog now that the fish are finished spawning and have moved out of the estuaries. The flounder faithful are still at it with Lynn Harbor among the hotter spots! As for haddock, the Dumping Ground is giving up a few as is the northeastern rim of Stellwagen Bank. Laurel of Hull Bait and Tackle told me that the flounder fishing remains impressive off Gunrock Beach as well as just outside of Cohasset Harbor. The tube-and-worm troupe is tackling stripers from Hull through Hingham Harbor with World’s End a winner.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Not one to remain a bystander, Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem has been taking advantage of morning tides and catching solid stripers in Salem and Beverly Harbors. Surface feeds have been common with the fish falling for Albie Snax, RonZs, and Whip-it-Fish. Some are working the same stretch with live mackerel and doing well. Mackerel have been more reliable lately, with some as close as the Beverly Pier, but for consistency, Misery Channel and Satan’s Rock are better. Flounder remains a fun option In Lynn Harbor, Swampscott, and Manchester Harbor.
TJ from Three Lantern Marine and Fishing said that all signs are pointing to a repeat of last year when a lode of large linesiders laid claim to the swath of sea between Cape Ann and the Isles of Shoals. Mackerel have been the key to catching cows between Wingaersheek Beach and Cranes Beach. Anglers working the same stretch at night with serpents are doing at least as well. The shop is still doling out seaworms for those who are finding flounder at Ten Pound Island, Pavilion Beach, and Niles Beach. There have also been a few fish taken off Magnolia as well as Folly Cove.
Joppa has been jumping according to Jake from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport, with the mouth of the Merrimack hot also. Many fish are between the mid-30s and the lower 40 inch range. Bigger baits are being deployed with Slug-Gos, GT Eels, XL Fish Snax and generously tied bucktails working well. Chunk mackerel, as well as seaworms have also been effective. Parking Lot 1 and Sandy Point in the refuge are among the best options for the surf casting cadre. Anglers loading up on mackerel in Ipswich Bay are drifting them through Plum Island Sound and getting some very big fish. The same spots at night have been money with eels getting it done.
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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
For variety, the South Coast remains the slam-dunk winner, with black sea bass, fluke, bluefish, scup, and stripers all in play. It takes but a quick glance at one’s sonar to realize it’s all that bait that keeps the fish in check. On the South Shore, some very big bass are beginning to migrate into state waters, but, at least for the time being, are in no hurry to leave deep water with all the mackerel present. Look for all that to change the next time the winds turn easterly. Beaches such as Priscilla and Rexhame have been good with eels working well there as well as at Fourth Cliff and The Spit. Pogy schools in Quincy Bay are holding cows with the Fore River, Town River, and Wollaston Beach among the standouts. Keep your eyes focused on water temperatures as some sharpie charter captains are doing for a shot at a big bass. Flounder remain an alternative with many moving out through Nantasket Roads and bordering flats and ledge. As the last remnants of herring trickle out from the Charles and Mystic Rivers, the tube-and-worm is getting them from the mouth of the Mystic through the Chelsea Creek and out through the inner harbor. For something different, consider dropping a green crab down among the ribbon of wharves that border the East Boston/Charlestown section of the harbor, where tautog lurk. The Cape Ann through Plum Island sections are showing shades of last year, when for much of the season, it was cow central.