Massachusetts Fishing Report
There’s a change in the air, and it’s about to happen at a breakneck pace. Fresh striped bass have joined the holdover population, and for many, there is no looking back. As water temperatures approach 50 degrees, there’s been an uptick in flounder catches, while it won’t be long before tautog are testing tackle again.
Water temperatures were our nemesis on Saturday while fishing aboard the Little Sister in Buzzards Bay and the Westport River. Nothing in these parts this side of cod and other gadoids feels very hungry when temps are stuck below 50 degrees, which was what we found. We marked what most likely were tautog among wrecks and rocks between the river mouth and Gooseberry Point, but they weren’t feeling very energetic. Captain Colby did point to sizable marks in the river, which most likely meant – stripers!
Faring far better than us were ospreys, which more often than not were clutching river herring while flying by. The resurgence of river herring in the Westport River is a relatively new event and adds yet another forage species to an ecosystem that is already brimming with prey. It’s little wonder why that area, which is little more than an hour from Boston, serves up a diversity of species unrivaled in the rest of Massbay. Captain Jason will be back there in June with far different results, but in the meantime, it’s onto Cape Cod Bay for winter flounder. The timing for flounder should be fortuitous with temperatures next week expected to climb into the 70s.
Patrons of Pete Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate are upping their holdover striper game among rivers throughout the South Shore and finding a far better bite. Swimmers as well as paddletails are getting it done with fishers frequenting the South River, North River, First Herring Brook, and the Gulf River. Just in, however, are reports of 16-20” schoolies in Duxbury Bay covered with sea lice! The fishing for South Shore tautog and flounder is suffering from the same cold water malaise as the South Coast, with similar results. A better bet if you have a ride suitable to take you out to Jeffrey’s Ledge is the haddock, redfish, and cusk bite that has picked up.
It’s game-on, according to Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy, as anglers are reporting fresh striped bass in the harbor! Rarely are small fish so appreciated, but the 16-20” fish they are finding are a blast from the past. While larger stripers are fun, the first wave of fish should be schoolies and not slots, something which has been an alarming trend over the last few years. Small stripers are an encouraging sign of recent recruitment, and we need diversity of year classes for the future.
Those stripers most likely cruised in along Nanstasket Roads and are pushing what in all probability are brit herring (juvenile sea herring) from Peddocks through Quincy Bay. Small white/bone paddletails are working well with topwater, also producing. Flounder are increasingly starting to stir with more fish taken off Nut Island Pier and Peddock for boaters. It all should improve from here with Rainsford Island a likely spot to get bit next, as should Deer Island flats. Squid jigs are starting to move out of shops with more southerly locations most likely getting Loligo love now with the bet that Boston will have them in a few weeks.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett said that while he’s still selling Santini tubes for harbor holdovers, increasingly, anglers are on the lookout for fresh fish. The first wave usually enters the harbor through the South and North Channels with apparent feeds occurring at the Anchorage, Lower Middle, and off Castle Island. Pete’s picked out wares to put you in the game without delay and to save you time. The blackback flounder reports keep getting better, and as proof, Zobo Rigs and seaworms have become hot commodities. There was a time when every bait shop in Massbay had a crew of local worm diggers, but that has long since passed; however, Fishing FINatics has got a “guy” who has a handle on the whereabouts of a resident population of worms, which you might notice are a bit bigger and a touch more lively than worms farmed elsewhere. Soon you’ll be able to put the Zobo rigs and those worms to good use as the annual Zobo Flounder Derby will take place on Sunday, May 17th. This event is less about white-knuckled competition and more a fun-filled event which celebrates what a cool fish founder are. As for freshwater, patrons who are putting in the time at the Merrimack River are being rewarded with pike.
Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem told me of a signpost of big striped bass just ahead, provided by Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing. Forever the traveler for the best bite possible, the skipper has been trailering his new “bay boat” to Rhode Island, where he’s been dialed into striped bass up to 42”, which are chock full of pogies. I tapped into Captain Brian for the scoop on those fish, and he said that they were in among 50.5-degree flats where they had pogy schools pinned. As to what was working: anything as long as it was a white Al Gag’s Whip-it-Fish. My parting comment to the captain was to send those fish up our way quickly. Other than that, a few more flounder have been taken in Lynn, Swampscott, Manchester, and Gloucester. It’s also a good time to book a groundfish trip aboard the various headboat outfitters, as they are now dialed into where the haddock are, as well as cusk and redfish.
• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts
Garrett from Three Lantern Marine said that he’s selling seaworms to anglers catching flounder off the Granite Pier in Rockport. Recent flatfish success continues off of Niles Beach and Manchester Harbor, with Ten Pound Island also joining the list.
Liz from Surfland Bait and Tackle said that the shad bite is improving by the dance studio in North Andover on the bank of the Merrimack River. There are whispers of white perch in the Parker River as well as the Exeter River, and as proof, customers are picking up seaworms and smaller hooks to target them. There has been no word on winter flounder, but in years past, the early bite has been at the confluence of the Essex River/Crane’s Beach. There are times when action is also good at the mouth of the Merrimack River. After last week’s interesting striper report, there has been no sequel this week.
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
With the salt gaining momentum, freshwater interests will be waning. That’s not to suggest that local bass fishing or the happenings at the Chu and the Q are not productive but reports from shops are beginning to resemble Groundhog Day with little change. What could be the exception, however, is the Sally bite at both Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoirs, where the biggest of breeders have moved into shallow water. Now is the prime time to catch your personal best smallmouth bass for sure. Jerk baits will get it done, just be sure to figure in long pauses between “jerks”. The Oxbow also might be of interest for bass and pike. I was just sent two interesting pictures from Bill Hurley, who, while testing out striper baits in the Oxbow, came tight to a big bass and impressive pike. This is not only proof of how versatile Bill’s lures are but a reminder that it’s good to shake things up and offer fish something they may have never seen before.
By the day and possibly the tide, striped bass ranks will be swelling from the South Coast through the North Shore with surface feeds belying the recent arrival of the bass. Your eyes now will be every bit as valuable as your electronics, as the whereabouts of those fish should be obvious. Shallow flats will be warmer, which will hold the bait and the fish. Elsewhere, flounder continue to expand their feeding window with blackbacks cooperating all the way into Cape Ann. If you haven’t jumped aboard one of the headboat outfitters such as Walsh’s out of Lynn or the Yankee Fleet out of Gloucester, or Eastman’s out of Seabrook, now is a good time as they have a bead on haddock. A smaller outfitter to consider is Adventureandcatch charters out of Great Bay Marina in New Hampshire; the skipper, Captain Andy, is a ground fishing guru who oozes love for the sport.