The much-ballyhooed New Moon bringeth! Previously quiet inshore striped bass fishing got a badly needed boost from the bigger tides brought on by favorable moon conditions. That’s not to suggest that the offshore has gone cold; quite the contrary, as deepwater bunker schools are keeping bass and bluefin in check.
South Shore and South Coast
South Coast anglers have not been as desperate for a change as their more northern counterparts; if anything, their variety of species at hand is increasing. Almost no one actually targets triggerfish in New England, but when caught, this quirky critter inevitably brings on a boat-wide grin. The Little Sister crew the other day added this southerner to the ever-growing list of species that are in play off of Westport. The bluefish/bonito blitzes continue to be a daily event, but while the blues are willing, the little pelagics are proving persnickety. It could be a simple case of the bigger bluefish bullying them to the bait. While hoping for a bone, I wouldn’t complain too loudly about all those bluefish; the rest of the Bay State would kill to have those fish!
The maiden mahi mahi trip for Captain Jason Colby’ Little Sister was less than fruitful, with the lack of 70-degree water temperature in Rhode Island Sound most likely the culprit. The crew’s consolation prize of catch-and-release cod and black sea bass helped assuage the pain. There is still plenty of hope as an offshore storm could easily blow in a warm water eddy full of mahi mahi from the Gulf Stream.
The combination of more favorable water temperatures along with bigger tides has improved inshore striped bass fishing, according to Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate. The pattern isn’t all that different from much of Mass Bay as pogies and sand eels are attracting a lot of linesider love. Skinny water in the Three Bays has attracted well-fed stripers, as has been the case off Green Harbor, Hummarock, and The Glades. Mackerel remain an easy find, with South Shore harbors even holding them. Blues continue to be a no-show, which, while a heartbreaker in and of itself, is especially disappointing for giant chasers who value them as premium bait for giant bluefin.
Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters told me that the Squidnado of ’26 is impacting how many fish are available for tuna. At issue is what happens when mackerel are weighted down and staggered at various depths, hoping tuna will come along looking for a mack snack. Almost as soon as the baits are deployed, the clock is ticking in that if Charlie doesn’t find them, then surely the squid mob will. Between the volume of sharks of all varieties swimming out there and all those short fin squid, tuna fishing has not gotten any easier. The crew did catch and release a 7’ mako, which crashed a RonZ tossed into the froth of a bluefin on bunker feed. How the leader and even the soft plastic bait survived those choppers will forever remain a mystery.
Greater Boston
The New Moon tides look as if they are living up to the hype, according to Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy. Big bass up to 50” long have been pummeling pogy schools, with solid reports trickling in from Long Island, Georges Island, Gallops Island and Lovells Island. Some are taking advantage of the ubiquitous pogies when found, while others are doing well by dropping a few mackerel in the livewell before fishing among the pogy schools. The stronger current seems to have moved a lot of life deeper in the harbor, with anglers reporting mackerel inside from Quarantine Rocks through Moonhead Island and as far in as Germantown. Pogies live lined in the shadows of the Fore River Bridge are accounting for slot and larger stripers, with the Town River also proving lucky. Red Santini tubes are fishing well for kayakers by Webb Park, where shore fishers are catching with chunk mackerel.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett reported that Revere Beach has been fishing like one big roving school of bait and bass. Simultaneous recent reports put the action as far apart as in front of Bill Ash’s and the Point of Pines. Pogy schools have pushed in as far as the Amelia Earhart Dam, and while an orange Santini Tube does not resemble a pogy, it is still racking up stripers near the schools. Tuna are still a force to be reckoned with from the Harbor Humps out to the B Buoy, with stripers in the mix as well. Night trollers working rips with the Gibbs Deep Diving Danny throughout Boston Harbor from Deer Island through the 6A Can and out to Bob’s Bass Triangle are finding plenty of bass and no crowds.
The fortuitous combo of the New Moon and a push of bait has made chartering a lot easier for Captain Paul Diggins of Reel Pursuit Charters. No longer is the harbor a bait but no bass bust as it had been. Cooler, oxygenated water has ushered in substantially better fishing with the BG Buoy, the Anchorage, Hull Gut, and Georges Island all holding fish. The skipper’s word to the wise is to keep on the move until you find the right bait ball which has bass.
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North Shore
The North Shore has not been immune to New Moon fever, according to Marty from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem. As he put it, “everywhere went off on Wednesday!”. Beachwalkers on Thursday morning saw much of the carnage as pogies in various states of duress were washed up on beaches all across the North Shore. A few of the better bites took place off Naugus Head and the coves along the shoreline of Endicott College. Short fin squid remain omnipresent and a polarizing presence. Anglers who enjoy eating them are loving that they are so prevalent, while those who are getting their mackerel baits shredded are not liking them at all.
TJ from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester told me that the Backshore of Gloucester had been good as pogy schools were pushed in by stripers tight to the rocks. There have also been a few feeds in Manchester Harbor, off Magnolia and intermittently in Gloucester Harbor. Jetties and piers throughout Cape Ann are sporting the telltale ink signs of a good night of fishing. Bait is certainly not in short supply, with pogies, mackerel, harbor pollock, and sand eels all in play. While there are random reports of bite-offs, there are no confirmed reports of bluefish.
Craig from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newbury echoed what most others are saying, namely that the striper bite has really picked up. Night tides at Joppa Flats have been fishing well with eels and the tube-and-worm both getting it done. If Craig had to circle a twilight time, it would be just as the turn of the tide brings in cooler water. Some are reporting stellar fishing at Sandy Point as well, with chunk mackerel accounting for most of the action. The shop remains busy repairing reels that are built for bass but run afoul of tuna!
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
In all probability, the New Moon has lived up to its billing, as the striped bass bite throughout the Bay State has shown a marked improvement. Moreover, inshore fishing has gotten a bounce; it’s almost as if it’s a harbinger of the fall run! Pogy schools are also living up to their reputation as big bass magnets, as anglers finding tightly wound balls of “purple” are usually finding striped bass pushing the bait. The Three Bays have been among the best on the South Shore, although Scituate anglers may beg to differ. While the rest of Mass Bay awaits a reliable bluefish presence, those on the South Coast are having to sift through them to get a shot at bonito. The harbor has heated up, with many giving thanks to the bigger tides of the New Moon bringing in more bass. The BG Buoy, the Anchorage, Hull Gut and Georges Island are among the recent hits. Revere Beach is also worth a look as roaming schools of stripers are tearing into bait from Elliot Circle to Point of Pines.
The North Shore has been impressive as well, with the stretch from Salem Sound through Marblehead producing, with most doing well with mackerel. Cooler water from Cape Ann through Plum Island has benefited the shore angler, kayaker, and boater alike at Sandy Point and Joppa Flats. Small bait such as sand eels and possibly cinder worms are igniting impressive feeds from the Essex River throughout Ipswich Bay. Diving/squawking terns belie the smaller bait feeds, so be prepared to match the forage with slim-profiled offerings such as Deadly Dicks, Epoxy Jigs, Albie Snax, and Slug-Gos.