The inshore movement of mackerel has triggered an improved big bass bite. Big schools of bunker in Boston are holding fish with those tossing them a mack snack doing best.
Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report
With warming water temperatures, fluke are becoming active according to Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate. A few keepers have been caught by Cordage Park in Plymouth. Seven to nine-pound blues have now become part of the catch for those trolling X Raps by Flatt Ledge/21 Can. Possibly because of the appearance of tuna, mackerel have moved in close, and anglers taking advantage of the bait are catching stripers in the North River with the cool water of an incoming tide working best. Pete’s pick in that spot is the first turn of the river.
Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters has been seeing an unusually high volume of sand eels in the Scituate area, which is keeping bass in check. He’s putting patrons into good fish around the North River thanks to mackerel, which are plentiful.
Laurel from Hull Bait and Tackle told me that Harding’s Ledge has been “blowing up” with lots of fish and lots of happy anglers. Again, mackerel is the key to catching, Hull Bay has been good also with Rockfish Candy umbrella rigs doing a bang-up job. Trollers dragging the tube-and-worm around Castle Island have done well also.
Captain Jason Colby of Little Sister Charters continues to split his time between black sea bass, fluke, blues, and stripers. He’s finding the stripers right inside the Westport River with his specialized chumming technique with clams luring the fish out from beneath the docks and slips of Tripp Marina. Doubtless that hundreds of anglers cruise right on by and have no idea what lurks inside, but Captain Jason knows! The Buzzards Bay black sea bass fishing remains amazing for both size and numbers.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
“Bonkers” was an apt description from Captain Brian Coombs to describe the bedlam that the crew aboard Get Tight Sportfishing enjoyed on Thursday. The harbor is chock full of pogies from Spectacle Island through Long Island and out through the Anchorage, which the crew took full advantage of with bait and Docs for numerous fish up to 39”. For most, that would be more than sufficient, but there was more! Just as the day appeared to be done, the captain got the word that the outer harbor humps were hot so he dropped a few dozen pogies into the livewell roared off a few miles and promptly put his patrons onto fish of up to 49”! Some skippers are just willing to put in more work than their counterparts. Get in on this, and your fireworks this weekend will not be confined to the sky.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett in Everett said that anglers targeting flounder in deeper water (50’) are finding some of the biggest, baddest blackbacks in the harbor. He recently shot me a pic of an old beat up warrior that looked all of 4 pounds plus! For a shot at a late-inning monster of your own, try dropping a Zobo rig baited with clam off Fin Ledge, Bob’s Bass Triangle, Green Island, the Brewsters, or Ultonia Ledge. Big pogy schools have moved in between the Anchorage and Spectacle Island. At first light, anglers are catching bass on them with white spooks and poppers, but later in the day, it takes a mack snack to interest them. Georges Island and Gallops Island have been good also, with the Santini tube accounting for many fish. Anglers under anchor and chumming the area have been among the most successful thanks to the shop’s come-hither chum. As to the influence behind this unique chum, Pete gives credit to Willy Goldsmith, who, while a mere shop hand years ago, was a master chum churner and crafted the best fish-calling concoction he’s ever known. Anglers working squid jigs at dark off piers are finding squid. Some of those squid are then hooked onto Vella Rigs for bass.
Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy said that chunk pogy has been working well for shore anglers. Bare Cove Park, Webb Park, and Hull Gut have been among the better shore spots. Tube-and-worm trollers are catching inside Quincy Bay near Bumpkin Island, Slate Island and Grape Island.
Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters said that the recent east winds blew in bait – mackerel and pogies – and with them a better bass bite. Paul’s picking fish off from the container terminal to the short pier off the airport as well as the anchorage. White shads/mojo rigs continue to get it done.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
According to Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem, Nahant Bay through Egg Rock recently went off. Offshore, however, continues to pay dividends with anglers trolling ornate X-Raps, DTX Minnows and 9er Rigs among deep water humps by the B Buoy. Mackerel are far easier to find now off Nahant, Halfway Rock, Tinkers Island, and Misery Channel. The squid bite is good from piers off Swampscott, Marblehead, Beverly, and Cape Ann.
TJ from Three Lantern Marine and Fishing said that the harbor feast is in the rear view mirror, mackerel and bass have moved back into the harbor. Some have even been doing well with chunk mackerel from shore behind the Gloucester High School and to the side of the Blynman Canal. Seaworms are selling briskly for flounder fishers as well as the tube troupe. The tube-and-worm has been deadly in Manchester Harbor, off Thatcher Island, Andrews Point, and off Pebble Beach. Deep water trollers are picking up the occasional bluefish off Halibut Point, with ground fishing good off Southern Jeffrey’s Ledge.
Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport said that the shop is selling eels at a brisk pace to commercial guys who have been focused on the Gloucester area for their fish. As is the case with the rest of Massbay, there’s been an uptick in inshore mackerel. Some are taking advantage of the bait and trolling along the ocean front and Essex Bay, with the latter especially productive. Anglers running and gunning the ocean front are picking up a few fish, but it hasn’t been great. Sandy Point through the Parker River has been a bit better, with some doing well with the tube-and-worm. There’s good news regarding the Parker River in that the herring run was extremely successful this year. Moving forward, that’ll result in better bass fishing in the fall and white perch fishing in the spring thanks to the fishy fuel provided by more herring fry.
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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
Recent east winds of change blew in mackerel as well as pogies: all that bait has moved more big bass inshore. Ledges off Hull are among the hottest with pogy schools in the harbor a close second. Bait aside, the tube-and-worm can never be discounted with Quincy Bay as well as George’s Island fishing really well. Squid are swarming Boston Harbor and North Shore harbors. The squid are serving a dual purpose of calamari and cow candy. Warming water is bringing fluke into the Three Bays and pushing flounder into deep water in the outer Boston Harbor. The appearance of mackerel has lit up the fishing off Nahant as well as Essex Bay. The commercial cadre are snapping up eels, skipping out on shuteye, and catching bass for the box in Cape Ann. Have a wonderful, Happy July Fourth, folks!