Massachusetts Fishing Report- July 31, 2025

Anglers have historically given striped bass a variety of nicknames of endearment, from rockfish to linesiders to squid hounds. Considering how the current crop of big bass is behaving, “Waldo (where is?)” might be an apt way to describe them. For some, the nomadic behavior of those bass is driving them bonkers, while the glass-half-full crowd looks at it as an even playing field.

Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report

The best guess estimate of the size of the fleet pounding a herd of cows earlier in the week was 200, maybe more. A mother lode of big bass was held up in the Minot area according to Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate, but on Wednesday, much to the angst of commercial fishers, they were gone. While the full spectrum of striper snacks were getting it done, most did well on freshly dead mackerel. Prior to that, Hull had been very hot; as to where those tackle testers are now, it’s best you top off the tank and have a look-see yourself. Odds are you’ll find it more satisfying that way. Fly rodders are doing a bang-up job at the Spit on stripers selectively feeding on sand eels. Giants are roaming the bank and out through the bay with not much diversity in sizes, as those with football gear are often in need of a re-spooling of line. As for groundfish, north and east of the NW Corner of Stellwagen has been best, but bait conservatively as there are plenty of sharks prowling the area.

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters told me that stripers are coming through the South Shore in three different waves. There are the beach runners, which are feeding on sand eels. Then there are the ledge-loving linesiders, which are chock full of Jonah crabs. The latter might be a thing because the crabs have shed their shells! As to specifics, Captain Rowell pointed out Collamore Ledge. And then there’s the deepwater fish, which are shadowing schools of pogies and prone to taking down a tuna-grade mackerel. Above all, there’s fish aplenty with the bite spread around, making mobbing other boats unnecessary. As for tuna, the skipper is spotting everything from 89” fish to footballs busting bait from Stellwagen through Cape Cod Bay.

While there has been no shortage of fluke for Captain Jason Colby in the Westport River and adjacent Buzzards Bay embayments, finding keepers has been a grind. The solution for the skipper was to point the Little Sister 31’ Contender towards Nomans Land, where experienced anglers have been reaching limits! Big black sea bass seem to follow his ride as they are even finding them out there. In spite of the river temperatures cresting 80 degrees, mixed-size stripers are in abundance, with anglers looking to harvest a slot able to accomplish that with clams and chum. Blues are roaming around the area with bonito, and even mahi mahi are expected to be in play soon.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

While impossible to predict, it seems that the mass of big bass on the South Shore occasionally move onto the Hull area, according to Laurel from Hull Bait and Tackle. She has had experienced anglers reduced to being able to mumble little more than platitudes about how good the fishing is. With mackerel not far off from shore, anglers are loading up on the bait and then proceeding to pluck out a commercial-sized striped bass from the school. For some, it has been that easy! Harding’s Ledge has been hot also for those trolling plugs and Mojo Rigs. Lisa from Fore River Bait and Tackle told me that linesider luck has been spread around with Minot Ledge great for some, while some are still having awesome action at the Anchorage. As usual, angling success can be tied to finding the bait, and with pogies congregating between the Weymouth Fore River, the Quincy Town River, and the middle of the harbor, those who spend more time looking for the bait as opposed to the boats are getting duly rewarded. Beaches, such as Avalon, Mound, and Wollaston, have all been fishing well for those chunking mackerel. The same could be said for Bare Cove Park as well. The superb squid season continues with anglers catching plenty off Nut Island and Pemberton Pier.

Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett said that he’s never sold so many squid jigs, which is certainly something from someone who has been in business for all the decades he has! Inner harbor spots throughout the Chelsea Creek and up to the Alford Street Bridge are all producing squid. Nights are best with a lit pier mattering also. Red and Toscano Santini tubes continue to produce off Long Island, Spectacle Island, and Thompson Island. In spite of sizzling water temperatures, bass are ambushing alewife fry by the Amelia Earhart Dam. When forage is plentiful enough, stripers will tolerate temperatures well above and below their comfort zones. A few anglers are shaking things up and finding black sea bass off Hull Gut, West Gut, and throughout Nantucket Roads. Drifting and vertically jigging those areas is deadly and a fun way to fish for black sea bass. Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Sportfishing keeps his boat at the gateway of the Charles River, and he’s been seeing herring fry swarming around the docks of his marina in Charlestown. Under the lights at night, squid can be seen as well. When not ogling all that bait, Captain Paul continues to crush stripers from Castle Island through Deer Island. During a recent outing, the crew tallied 25 fish from 27” to 40” on umbrella rigs with white shads.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem told me that Salem Sound continues to hold consistent numbers of mixed sizes of stripers feeding on the ubiquitous small bunker. Sand eels, silversides, and brit herring complete the bait bouillabaisse between Salem and Beverly. Mackerel remain an easy find with both bass and bait common around Children’s Island as well as the SE Can. Mackerel can also be caught between the 2 Can and the BG Buoy with open water stripers chasing the bait from the Boston Humps out to the B Buoy. The superb squid season continues with anglers reporting reliable catches from Swampscott through Cape Ann. As for groundfish, Southern Jeffrey’s Ledge and Tillies are serving up a mixture of haddock, pollock, and cusk, with the ratio beginning to shift more towards the latter two. Inshore ledges are producing plenty of 10-12-pound catch-and-release cod.

Tyler from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester told me that occasionally, mackerel are pushing into Gloucester Harbor with bass not far away. More reliably, mackerel can be found from the Groaner, Salvages, and off Magnolia. Rapala CD18 and X-Rap trollers are picking off fish throughout Ipswich Bay and off Halibut Point. Commercial fishers are scoring working eels at the mouth of the Annisquam River and Essex River. Tuna are tearing it up on Jeffrey’s, but many are 100”+ monsters. Jake from Surfland said that river temperatures are too warm to hold much in the way of bait, making the ocean front more reliable. The notable exception is the first two hours on the flood when cooler water prevails. Mackerel continue to push sand eels up against the Plum Island-through-refuge shoreline. Anglers capitalizing on the available forage are doing well on needlefish plugs as well as mackerel SP Minnows. The after-dark brigade is catching some of the biggest bass on the island from Plum Island Sound/Sandy Point with eels.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

While keeping on the move, cows continue to crush bait between Minot Ledge and Nantucket Beach. Ample mackerel are providing the preferred bait, with freshly dead especially effective. Inshore beaches such as Egypt and Priscilla are holding bass pushing sand eels, while the inshore ledge is serving up a soft shell crab dinner to bass groveling among the rocks. Pogy schools by the Town River, Fore River, and the Anchorage are holding harbor bass while the Boston Humps have an open water bite. Scads of squid continue to frequent the North Shore with lit piers at night, having plenty of action. With rivers running hot, cooler embayments off the Annisquam, Essex, and Parker Rivers are better bass bets.