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August 21, 2008

     Late August’s bounty of bait is here, and it’s sparking some tremendous feeds of bluefish inshore and bluefin tuna on the banks. It seems as though the fish have moved around this past week, with bluefish pushing in big numbers in to Massachusett’s South Shore and Boston Harbor, and more stripers being reported in waters north of Boston. Bluefin tuna fishing has turned on in a big way at the Northwest Corner on Stellwagen and on Jeffries Ledge, and tuna are moving ever closer to Block Island, which has Rhode Island boaters salivating.

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By Alan Desbonnet

        Bluefish are dominating the fishing scene in Rhode Island waters, according to Capt. Thom Pelletier at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. Striped bass are available, but you have to be able to get through the blues to get to them, and that is not an easy feat at the moment. Fluke fishing is holding up well, but these flatfish are hanging deeper right now, in 60 to 70 feet or more of water. If you target those depths with squid, keeper fluke to 27 inches could be your reward. Bluefin tuna ranging to 300 pounds have been sighted around Nebraska Shoal, just off the mouth of the Charlestown Breachway, and near the Center Wall at Point Judith. Smaller bluefins are mixed in, but the larger fish are creating quite a commotion. Capt. Pelletier has heard reports of bonito, but none have been confirmed with a landed fish. For fresh water, the going is s-l-o-w, so let’s hope we get a trout stocking on Labor Day.

When's the last time you caught a fish bigger than yourself? For Jimmy Webster, it was a couple weeks ago when he fought this 40-pounder all by himself with the aid of the rod holder. The fish struck in the middle of the day along the Elizabeth Islands.

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     If you’re after striped bass in the Narragansett area, Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle suggests that you get out either early or late in the day, and always keep the East Wall in mind – this has been one of the most productive spots in recent weeks, though the bulk of the catch are school bass. Larger bass are being taken, but only at night on live or cut bait. The East Wall is also producing scup and bluefish, as well as fluke up to 8 pounds. For another shot at these delicious flatfish, focus on deeper water (70 feet is a good starting place) on the east side of Block Island; a 10-pounder was recently boated there.
      David at River & Rip Tide Angler in Coventry reported that fishing in the Wood River is improving due to a temperature drop over the past several days. Terrestrials are the way to go, and hopper patterns are very effective by day; go with a Woolly Bugger or leech pattern early or late. Saltwater has been sporadic for shore-bound fly-rodders, with the blues in the bay hanging deep to feed on scup. Bonito are proving inconsistent even for boat anglers. There are plenty of school bass right in the suds at Narragansett Beach and Scarborough Beach, making these go-to spots early and late in the day.
      Phil at Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown said that there’s been a slowdown in striped bass action over the past week. There are plenty of school bass in the salt ponds, however, and bigger bass can being taken at night with chunk or live bait in the Charlestown Breachway or at its mouth. There are hordes of snapper blues in the salt ponds as well, and a few big blues have been taken just outside the breachway. The scup and blackfish fisheries remain consistent, and sea bass catches have improved considerably over the past week; all three of these fish have been common incidental catches when targeting fluke. Fluke fishing remains good, but the fished have moved to deeper waters, usually 60- to 70-foot depths. Phil reported some bonito sightings off the beaches, but they’ve been scattered.
      And the action on Block Island is just as fierce as ever! John at Twin Maples Bait & Tackle on the Block confirmed that the excellent fishing continues, and islanders even have bonito to play with now. These speedsters are being caught consistently in the Coast Guard Channel, usually in the afternoon. Armies of bluefish are still on patrol, and anglers continue to do well to striped bass all around the island. Clay Head has been very productive for linesiders all season; John swears it’s like the good old days there. Sea bass catches are good, with fish to 5 pounds being landed, and fluke fishing remains hot, with a 14-pounder being boated in 65 feet of water on a whole squid. This monster flattie was taken off the east side of the island. Just to make things even more interesting, 25- to 40-pound bluefin tuna are hanging about three miles south of the island. Make sure Kastmasters and Deadly Dicks are in your arsenal when targeting these pelagics, and surface poppers are always a good bet.
      Capt. Jack Balint at The Fish Connection in Preston reported good angling for both bluefish and striped bass at Watch Hill. Most blues are in the 6- to 8-pound range, and most bass are schoolies to smaller keeper-sized fish. The blues are most active early in the tide, and the best action to bass comes at mid-tide. Good numbers of school bass can also be found at Napatree Point, Sandy Point and Race Point. On the other hand, there’s been a big drop-off in fluke catches over the past week in the region. Capt. Balint reported that he’s been getting into several bonito in the 4- to 5-pound range off Misquamicut Beach on his charters, but these fish are not consistent yet. There’s not much to report for fresh water, although anglers are doing o.k. to several species in both the Shetucket River and Gardiner Lake.
      Waterford anglers are vying mainly with bluefish these days, according to Howard at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford, but those seeking striped bass are having some luck at night by targeting deeper rock piles and reefs with live bait. There has been a run of bunker and hickory shad the Niantic River, so look for some larger bass and blues to be moving in after them. Fluke fishing has improved since last week, with some flatties hitting 10 pounds, but anglers still have to work hard to get them. Race Rock is producing some big scup, as is the spindle at Bartlett Reef and Black Point. Blue crabs are abundant in the Niantic area, especially Jordan Cove and Black Point Creek, but crabbing at the mouth of the Connecticut River has slowed due to the big influx of fresh water from heavy rains. Howard has heard a few reports of bonito in the area, but none backed up with actual fish.
     The big WICC tournament is coming up this weekend, so mum’s the word on bluefish in Long Island Sound.  Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison reported that folks are out scouting the area and readying up their wire bite guards. Schools of snapper blues have become even thicker over the past week, while the bigger fish are ranging offshore. Capt. Morgan suggested hitting the reefs with some live or chunk bait, and prepare to go deep for bigger fish. Six Mile Reef, Falkner Island and Goose Island have all been producing good catches of striped bass, as well as good bluefishing during daylight hours. The fluke bite is holding steady, producing a steady stream of keeper-sized fish. Action to blue crabs slowed a bit due to the spate of fresh water, but is improving.
        Trolling tubes is producing striped bass to 32 inches or so, according to Patrick at Westport Outfitters in Norwalk. Live or chunk bait is also producing stripers, especially for anglers scheduling their outings early and late in the day. Bunker are hanging around the river mouths, and the Bridgeport area in particular is seeing good bass and big bluefish action for anglers live-lining these baitfish. Penfield Reef and Middle Ground are also producing decent catches of bass and blues. Patrick said that fluke fishing is still good, particularly around Sunken Island, the Stratford Harbor area and Pleasure Beach. Patrick has heard about bonito only near Long Island, not in Connecticut waters so far. For fresh water, there’s been good trout fishing in the upper Norwalk River and the upper Housatonic River, but Patrick had no specifics on hatches.
      Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle in Stratford reported excellent scup fishing at Middle Ground and along Charles Island in particular, but this species seem to be prevalent all over the place. The fluke bite is slowing, at least for keeper-sized fish; there’s still plenty of action to shorts, if action is what you want. No one has much info on bluefish at the moment – or is willing to give it – due to the big tournament on the horizon, and striped bass fishing is hit-or-miss. Eels or other live bait fished deep are taking the best fish, especially at night.  Daytime fishing is very slow overall. Chris has not heard much from freshwater anglers, probably due to all the heavy rains.
      James was minding the shop at Valley Angler in Danbury, and he reported that brown trout are stacked up in the spring holes in Candlewood Lake. Anglers who drop down a small marabou jig (or similar lure) are almost certain to take fish to 3 pounds or better. There’s also been excellent walleye fishing in Squantz Pond, where fish to 5 pounds are being taken regularly – even in the middle of the day. Trolled crankbaits are getting the walleye to hook without a problem. Candlewood is also producing good catches of smallmouth bass on jigs dropped down to about 25 feet. Largemouth bass are in the weeds, and fish in the 4- to 5-pound range are coming to hook for persistent anglers working the weeds slowly and thoroughly. James reported that the Housatonic is a little too warm for trout, but smallmouth bass fishing is excellent. The East Branch of the Croton River is producing some good trout on very small flies. Don’t forget the Valley Angler’s Annual Pig Roast & Tackle Sale on August 30, and a three-day trip to the Au Sable River from September 25 - 28; call the shop if you’re interested.

Best Bets for the Weekend

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By Jimmy Fee

     Cool weather the past few nights has given fishing on the Cape a much-needed kick in the keister. While striper fishing is far from hot in Cape Cod Bay, it is nonetheless improving, and bluefin tuna, big ones, are about as close to a sure thing around the BC Buoy as tuna fishing can get. Anglers fishing Vineyard Sound have been encountering large schools of bonito blasting small sand eels, and bluefish and bass have been rounding out the bite off Race Point.

"Med venlig hilsen" (best wishes) were sent by the three fly-fishermen from Denmark who visited the Cape and were blown away by the spectacular fishing we have in our waters. This 36-inch was the biggest of "hundreds" of fish caught and released during their stay.

Do you have a current great catch photo? Email it to
us and you might just see it in the fishing report.
Send photos to kevin@onthewater.com, and
be sure to include the angler's name and the size of fish.

      Tom at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay reported a nighttime pick of striped bass in the Canal on eels and jigs. Aside from the night bite, Tom said Canal bass fishing has been slow. Bluefish, on the other hand, are giving morning and daytime anglers an occasional thrill, as slammers pushing the scale to 10-plus pounds have been roving the waters of the Ditch. Tom blames the lack of bait in the Canal for the lackluster fishing. On a positive note, Red Top received word that striper fishing is improving in Cape Cod Bay. Tube-and-worm rigs seem to be the bait of choice.
      Other than some schools of bluefish in Buzzards Bay, Mike at M and D’s in Wareham said there isn’t much happening on the fishing front. Mike said he was waiting for the new moon and favorable tides at the end of the month to spice things up in the Big Ditch.
       Dave grabbed the phone at Falmouth Bait and Tackle to report bonito at Hedge Fence and slow fishing for just about everything else. Anglers fishing Vineyard Sound have been having far better success by motoring over to Martha’s Vineyard.
       Doug at Dick’s Bait and Tackle on Martha’s Vineyard said there has been an abundance of small bait around the island. Clouds of small sand eels have been attracting large schools of bonito, affording anglers casting opportunities from both boat and shore. The best baits so far have been small swimming plugs and Deadly Dicks, and the best locations have been off State Beach and outside Tashmoo Pond. Surfcasting for stripers has been steady on smaller fish up to 36 inches. Boat fishermen chunking off Gay Head have been catching bigger fish, including two bruisers that were just one menhaden meal away from the 50-pound mark.
      The big news from Larry’s Bait and Tackle on Martha’s Vineyard was once again the large schools of bonito in Vineyard waters, with some fish exceeding 8 pounds. Julian reported that striper fishing in Vineyard Sound is almost non-existent, save a few fishermen “scratching the bottom” with jigs on wire line.
       I called The Hook-Up for an up-to-the-minute tuna report, and as always, Dan didn’t disappoint. He told me that anglers have been having daily tuna encounters at the BC Buoy, with multiple-fish days common. Dan also reported that Captain Eric Stewart caught a giant bluefin last week that measured in at 75 inches. Anglers looking to tussle with one of these massive tuna should live-line bluefish in the waters near Peaked Hill. Cape Cod Bay fishing remains tough, according to Dan, but tube-and-worm rigs have been the best method for hauling in a few keepers. Dan mentioned than he’d been doing some fishing himself in the Bass River and catching large numbers of scup well over the minimum-size limit. Not only will scup of this size provide fun and fast action on light tackle, they can also provide a delicious dinner afterwards.
       Garrett at Goose Hummock in Orleans was happy to announce that the bass have returned to Brewster Flats in good numbers. Even though these fish are only small keepers, following the dearth of action in the last few weeks, anglers are happy to get into fish again. Surfcasters have been finding luck with school bass and bluefish on Nauset Beach. Small swimming plugs and metal lures have been the most successful lures from the beach. The rips off Monomoy continue to be hit or miss, with anglers lighting up the stripers one day and returning the next day only to be met with the chopping teeth of bluefish. Bluefin fishing has been good around Stellwagen and just off Provincetown, and light-tackle tuna-chasers are getting their fix of topwater casting opportunities in those areas.
      Up in Eastham, Paul at Blackbeard’s Bait and Tackle said bluefish have been the main entrée for beach anglers, but occasional small keeper stripers have been hitting the sand on the Outer Cape as well. Paul did mention that the storms this week resulted in some mung along the beaches, but it’s not tough to avoid.
      Nelson’s Bait and Tackle in Provincetown reported that boat anglers working off Race Point are finding big schools of stripers and doing pretty well with a mix of bass and blues. While fishing the surf has been on the slow side in the P-town area, concentrating your efforts around sunrise or during the evening hours increases your odds of getting into some decent bass from shore.

Best Bets for the Weekend:

The “Three B’s” are no doubt your most favorable fishing options during the coming days: bluefish, bluefin and bonito. From bluefish blitzes on the Outer Cape beaches, to the wolf packs of teen-sized choppers in the Canal, to the schools of 4-pounders in Buzzards Bay, wherever you fish around the Cape this weekend, you can count on getting into some bluefish. Metal lures and topwaters are always a safe bet, as is a chunk of mackerel or menhaden fished on the bottom. The reports of large schools of bonito around Martha’s Vineyard are almost too tempting to pass up. Grab some Yo-Zuri Pins minnows and Clark Spoons and troll until you find a concentration of fish, then switch to lighter gear to cast metals and small swimmers to these green speedsters. For bigger bluefin, give the BC Buoy a shot, and don’t forget the spreader bars. If you’re tired of trolling, the casting opportunities at Stellwagen may be worth a look, and there’s always Peaked Hill to try your luck at live-lining a bluefish for a giant.

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By Ron Powers  

      As we move closer to September, hints of the fall season are already in the air, and it sure looks promising! From peanut bunker on the South Shore, to the first reports of smelt in Hull, to unbridled blitzes on the North Shore, this could be the end of our summer doldrums. Tuna activity has ratcheted up a notch, with a brace of “more-manageable” fish figuring into the mix, and even groundfishing has picked up inshore and offshore.

If you haven't heard, the tuna bite on northern Stellwagen and Jeffreys Bank has gone off in a big way in recent days. Jim Andrew got soem help from his 9-year-old son James Andrew Jr. tackling this bluefin on the NW Corner last week. The tuna was bested on a spinning rod, by jigging a 9-inch white Slug-Go.

Do you have a current great catch photo? Email it to
us and you might just see it in the fishing report.
Send photos to kevin@onthewater.com, and
be sure to include the angler's name and the size of fish.

     Northern halfbeaks have arrived in solid numbers from Stellwagen to Jeffreys Ledge, stimulating the tuna to feed more voraciously. For anglers intimidated by 150-pound tuna, 50- to 60-pounders are in the mix, so bring the spinning rod and topwater plug collection with you. No specific area of Stellwagen seems to be fishing any better than the other; just be out there by first light and keep moving until you see fish either busting on the surface or moving mid-depth on your chart plotter.
       Cod have definitely kicked it up a notch east of Stellwagen, with good numbers of 30-pound fish are taking all manner of jigs and teasers, and drag-pulling pollock are just as plentiful.  Jig more rapidly and higher in the water column, and a 15- to 20-pound pollock on the end of your line might be your reward. More unusual are the numbers of 4- to 5-pound pollock holding near South Shore structure such as Stone Ledge and Stellwagen Ledge. These fish are fun to catch on flounder gear, and when eaten fresh, they are simply delectable. Clams will take them, as will jigs with multiple teasers. For flounder, focus around the New Inlet Buoy at the mouth of the North River.
      Generally speaking, striper fishing on the South Shore is slow, but with the recent arrival of peanut bunker, I expect that to change. You can find schoolies in the low-20-inch range from Berts on Plymouth Beach to Browns Bank. Bill Beale of Norwell has been catching more than his share of schoolies just off Humarock with umbrella rigs; the best shad combination has been black-back fading to pearl. You can still find pogies in Duxbury Bay, and although there hasn’t been much in the way of game fish preying on them lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if blues are on them soon – and with bigger bass in tow.
       Pete at Belsan Bait in Scituate confirmed that peanut bunker have arrived along Peggotty Beach and Egypt Beach in Scituate. Not only will this bait be a catalyst for bass and blues, it will also bring school tuna in closer. Smelt are being caught off the Hull piers from Pemberton Pier to A Street, and I am sure the bass have taken notice of their presence. Mike at Fore River has been live-lining squid from the Town River out to Nut Island, and he continues to have a banner year with bass as a result. When seeking squid, jig for them near the surface at night, and drop the jig down toward the bottom come daylight.
       Flounder have moved out to deeper waters, and you’ll find them in 50 to 70 feet of water by Graves Light, Green Island, and Calf and Little Calf islands. I cannot remember the last time I was able to report on flounder catches all season long – it has been a tremendous season for ‘ole flattie.
       In Boston Harbor, schools of pogies and greenback herring are attracting the occasional fish, but the action is not the least bit predictable. The most consistent area is from the ILS Pier on Logan Airport to Castle Island and to the mouth of the Mystic and Charles rivers. Shore guys are snagging pogies at first light off the Winthrop public boat ramp, Castle Island, the Charlestown Bridge and the Alford St. Bridge. Blues and bass are sticking with the bait. Lynn Harbor is producing well for those trolling yellow- and red-colored tube-and-worm rigs, particularly from the Lynn Pier out to the Porthole Pub.
      The real hotbed of activity is the North Shore; for almost a week straight, there have been heated blitzes more typical of September or October. You’ll find the action from Nahant to Gloucester, and both shore and boat fishermen are getting into the mix. I was fortunate enough to take part in this action, and I had a lot of luck with my yellow Striper Sniper pencil poppers. Stay away from small stuff – a buddy of mine was throwing small swimmers into the mix, and all he took were schoolies. My poppers, on the other hand, resulted in blues and bass from 32 to 34 inches. It looks as though the fish are feeding on greenback herring.
      The ocean side of Plum Island is fishing best, hosting random bass and bluefish blitzes along the beach. The mouth of the Merrimack River, a season-long favorite, continues to produce, especially for anglers drifting live or chunk pogies. Joppa Flats has mostly small bass at the moment.
       Up north, Great Bay has plenty of smaller bass and blues upstream of the Piscataqua River, and you’ll find larger fish over at the mouth. Pogies are a reliable bait source, and there are even some harbor pollock by the inshore ledges. Shore guys chunking mackerel from Rye and Hampton beaches are also doing quite well.  Tuna pop up occasionally from the Isle of Shoals out to Jeffreys Ledge. Up Maine, anglers tossing Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows are taking slot-sized 20- to 26-inch stripers from the Saco Bay area. Bigger fish are striking clams and eels at night off Old Orchard Beach, Camp Ellis and Pine Point.
    Bobby May achieved his personal best landlocked salmon last week, a 6 ¼-pounder from the Quabbin. I gave him somewhat of an assist, as I tossed him a few bottles of BioEdge Smelt Wand. Bobby caught this lunker on his first day with this attractant, and he’s landed more than a few 5-pounders since.

Best Bets For The Weekend

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