Massachusetts Fishing Report- October 2, 2025

While it may not seem possible, not all reports of anglers catching striped bass are a good thing. Charlie chasers in deep water with bluefin on the brain are beginning to find bass, which is a surefire indicator that some of those fish are in migration mode. That’s not to suggest that there are no bass left our midst – quite the contrary – but rather it might be time to start considering other options.

Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report

There’s no such concern aboard Captain Jason Colby’s Little Sister as the four Bs – bonito, bass, bluefish, and blackfish – are keeping the skipper and his crew busy.

Jason even told me that there was at least one breakaway mahi mahi caught just outside the Westport River! You can’t help but feel bad for those wayward pelagics that ride warm water Gulf Stream eddies inshore and get trapped. No such dire consequences await tautog, however, that is, unless they grab a hold of a Tidal Tails Jig’z/crab fished from Captain Colby’s Contender. When seas are relatively placid, limits of tog have been a cinch with most fish gathering in 30-50’ of water. When conditions resemble a washing machine, the going’s a lot tougher. Like most fisheries, finding structure in the path of the current matters as it pulls the fish out from hiding places and puts them on the feed. Blitzes, which could be the handiwork of bonito, false albacore, bluefish, stripers, or some combination of all four, intermittently pop up from the river past Horseneck Beach and out to Gooseberry Point. If you want options in the Bay State, it’s hard to top the South Coast.

If there’s a rival in these parts, it just might be the diversity of groundfish right now from Stellwagen out through Cape Cod Bay.

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters is finding cod up to 34” and limits of haddock on most trips. That is arguably much better fishing than others are experiencing among more northern offshore structure, such as Jeffrey’s Ledge and Tillies. The key, according to the captain, is to find rocks/wrecks just to the side of soft bottom. Draggers tend to avoid the irregular bottom, which wreaks havoc on their gear, and instead pound muddy/gravely bottom. Clams, as well as pink cod flies/teasers, are doing the job. Ancillary wow moments continue aboard Legit Fish with a noteworthy one happening while the crew was trying to put a patron onto a blue shark. While setting out a chum slick, and as the blue sharks began to get close to the boat, an unforeseen mako exploded out of nowhere and slammed the bait. The takedown was ferocious and furious, but unfortunately, the fight short lived. Without a doubt, that angler will be booking another trip soon.

Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate reported that increasingly, anglers looking for tuna and cod are encountering stripers east of Minot, which is a sure indicator that they are on the “run”. Race Point has also been on fire, with that being another spot that habitually picks up when bass are migrating. Not all is dismal, however, as feeds continue to be commonplace off the Three Bays, Green Harbor, and Scituate Harbor. Third Cliff has been terrific as well as both bass and blues binge on sand eels. The gut feeling among many is that once the surf settles down, some of the best inshore fishing of the season should be at hand.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

Small stuff just might be the biggest news coming from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy, as the shop is now carrying live grass shrimp to meet the demand from smelt fishers. It seems as if last year’s trend is continuing, with anglers experiencing a surge in smelt numbers. Lisa Dean told me that the bite has been good in a number of spots, including Pemberton Pier and Nut Island Pier. Bite-sized pogies, which are a bump up in size from actual peanut bunker, can still be found near George’s Island and Marina Bay. Lisa gave those areas a go recently and found cooperative slot bass and slightly larger on live bait as well as topwater lures. Surf anglers have been doing well on chunk mackerel off Hull Gut as well as Nantasket Beach with a few blues mixed in. Big cunner and even trigger fish have been found foraging around the Fore River Bridge. According to Laurel from Hull Bait and Tackle, the Santini tube-and-worm continues to catch plenty of slot and slightly larger stripers with Hull Bay remaining hot. Echoing the report from her Quincy counterpart, Laurel said that a “ton” of guys are targeting smelt off piers throughout Hull/Hingham.

Freshly stocked rainbows and browns are beginning to draw anglers away from the salt, according to Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett in Everett. To meet demand, he and Denise are keeping the 24-7 vending machine out front fully stocked with Power Bait, trout worms, and mealworms. Lunker Larrys are beginning to become more active, as well as weed die-back triggers an increase in activity. My friend Dan Southwick has been catching 6 to nearly 8-pound beasts on swimbaits and buzz baits from nondescript water bodies between Worcester and the Connecticut border. He told me that from now until ponds skim over is hawg time.

From decades of watching this stuff, Pete is predicting that once the blow passes, beaches from Lynn through Winthrop should be on fire! Clams should be a good choice as the bass will be taking advantage of a post-storm broken bivalve banquet. Red and Toscano Santini tubes continue to be hot off Long Island, Spectacle Island, and from the casino out through Schraffts. Mackerel can be caught off Flipp Rock as well as near Graves Light, the latter of which should increasingly give up cod as waters cool. Tillies Ledge, as well as the NW edge of Stellwagen, are good choices for redfish, haddock, and porbeagles.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that striper fishing now is more of a hit or miss affair compared to a few weeks ago. However, anglers who are still tallying 20 striper trips in Lynn Harbor, Salem Harbor, and Beverly Harbor may disagree! There are still a few random blues around, which scatter the mackerel, making them harder to find. When not besieged by blues, the macks can still be found near Misery Channel, Manchester, and off Magnolia. Anglers live lining mackerel by the Beverly Harbor 5 Can have been catching slot and larger stripers. Six-inch pogies are still present, with bass often in tow, but be patient while snagging, as their smaller size makes it more of a challenge. Tillies and Jeffrey’s Ledge are holding cusk, pollock, and some haddock, with Stellwagen the better bet for haddock, cod, and redfish.

I’ve been seeing shots of solid stripers caught off Cape Ann on eels. I suspect most of these fish are being taken at the effluences of rivers dumping into Coffin Beach, Wingaersheek Beach, and Cranes Beach. With less of a bluefish presence, macks for the livewell are an easier find. Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle said that right on cue, just as the boomers began breaking on the beach, the bite got really good. Odds are that the same thing can be said off the rocks of Cape Ann, with impending storms usually the catalyst for catching. Parking Lot 3 off the refuge has been good with chunk mackerel and clams, effective. Eels are still selling at a brisk pace with action divided between the Merrimack River, Plum Island Sound, and “south” of the island off of Crane’s Beach. Anglers roaming the suds and casting metal are catching shad and holding out hope that a stay bonito may come through! That may sound incredulous, but bonito have been recently caught off Salisbury on tinker mackerel.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

The four Bs – bass, blues, bonito, and blackfish – make the Wesport side of Buzzards Bay a best bet. However, those hauling in haddock, redfish, and cod between Stellwagen Bank and Cape Cod Bay may disagree. The bet is that once seas settle along the South Shore, there should be a brisk blue and bass bite off beaches with Long Beach, Priscilla Beach, Humarock, and Egypt all possibilities. Smelt fishing should continue to sizzle in the harbor, especially on the Hull/HIngham side. For stripers, a Toscano Santini tube trolled along the inner islands, as well as near the Mystic River, is a best Boston bet for a bass. Eels at night should continue to account for some of Massachusetts’ biggest bass with Coffin Beach, Crane’s Beach, and Plum Island sound among the most promising.