“If a blitz took place, yet there was no one there to fish it, did it really happen?”, as quoted from an anonymous and anxious land bound angler. Huge swells and gale force winds have put the breaks on most fishing attempts and it has many wondering just what is going on out there? Given that it is still only September and with water temperatures hovering above 60 degrees there is little reason to worry and for many species it is not unreasonable to expect that the best is yet to come!
Massachusetts South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report
During a recent rather “formal” fishing outing – blackfish and black sea bass – with my friends Captain Jason Colby and Dalton Clayton, roiled and churned up bottom resulted in lackluster fishing in the Westport side of Buzzards Bay. The fish were there and had conditions been more favorable they would not have been able to resist a green sandwich – green crab and green (and orange) Tidal Tails Jig’z. With one eye on the more favorable forecast predicted over the next few days Dalton and I are dreading an updated report from the Little Sister which will doubtless be filled with mask-covered but still grinning faces holding white chins and hump heads. While mid-60 degree water temperatures there are ideal for black sea bass, for the tog it takes it takes a temp drop to a tick below 60 to school them up and get them at their crab-crunching best. Still, there have been a remarkable amount of tog caught already for such warm temperatures which bodes well for when “true” tog conditions set in. Those temperatures I refer to are ones which require a clearing of frost from the windshield as well as the necessary donning of a stocking hat and maybe gloves!
Prior to the insane rollers, Captain Mark Rowell off Legit Fish Charters took advantage of the cod grab and caught a few brown bombers as well as easy-catching haddock from his season-long hot spot – Stone Ledge. The question gnawing at him during the this de facto respite is what is going on with the tuna. As reported last week, Charlie and his giant friends were wolfing down whiting within a mile or two of the shoreline from Provincetown to Plymouth making for some pretty amazing fishing but what has happened since is a guess! The skipper is thinking the heaving seas have moved the tuna back out more towards the bank again. Although I did just get word of an impressive Southern Jeffrey’s big fish bite!
Meanwhile according to Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate, those marsh/mud walkers have not skipped a beat and are having all kinds of fun at dark among the myriad of rivers and estuaries along the South Shore. Of course eels will work but so will a number of artificials including a big metal lip slowly worked over cow-holding current cushions where bass lie in ambush. Don’t neglect the shadow line of bridges either which are as much viewed as structure to a striper as is a rip. Slow and steady are the best retrieves at night.
The big question for boaters looking for bass are the availability of mackerel inshore. Most likely peanut bunker should still be in the mix as should the adults which will keep bluefish around. My first question for Captain Coombs this time of the year, is “Where the heck are you now?” The Get Tight Sportfishing skipper currently is wrecking havoc on funny fish among the flats of Popponneset but was ready to skip over towards Hyannis where he heard that things were hot. As for where he is now, that’s anyone’s guess!
Greater Boston Fishing Report
When Captain Sam from Boston Saltwater, who is one of the harbor’s hardcore, cancels a few trips you know that the seas were gnarly. Yet in spite of the occasional “green” patron and pounding waves, the skipper did manage to scratch together a few successful trips in close among the patchwork of piers with 7” chartreuse shad 9er Rigs with lots of slot stripers. He’s expecting a continuation of early morning topwater action with blitzing bass and diving birds showing the way especially by Wollaston Beach and Hangman Island. While you are there keep one eye peeled for pogies as well as bluefish! There have also been pogies and prowling blues by the Anchorage off Deer Island.
Now that there’s a break in the blow, Captain Paul Diggins has a busy week/weekend planned aboard the Reel Pursuit. The plan will be to take advantage of bass busting on peanut bunker inside the harbor but for bigger fish loading up on macks and heading out to Nahant is a better plan. Dropping water temperatures and migratory urges mean that you will not find fussy striped bass this weekend, once found those fish will be voracious!
According to Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy a few shore fisherman capitalized on the onshore surf and did well off Wollaston Beach and World’s End for stripers up to 32” long on both lures and mackerel chunks. The Town River and Fore River are full of peanut bunker and occasionally adult pogies. The shops smelt stalwarts are having success off the Summer Street Bridge. The last reports of mackerel were courtesy of Boston Light and Martins Ledge. Regarding stranger news is the appearance of trigger fish in the Town River and on the very morning of this report there was a run of 14-16” bonito pounding peanuts in West Gut!
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Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
With only one more week left in what in the modern era is the “cod season” you would expect some would have had luck on the North Shore, and according to Liam from Tomo’s Tackle, that was precisely the case and fish were found in close. He mentioned Halfway Rock, Saturday Night Ledge and Hills 47 and 101 as potentially productive. I’d even give the Saunders Ledge through Egg Rock Nahant section ago. Back in my rock-hopping days I caught numerous accidental cod up to 10 pounds while jigging for mackerel or casting for stripers from the Nahant shoreline. When harvested those fish often were full of green crabs! Bait remains plentiful, consisting of peanut bunker, adult pogies and mackerel. Due to the rough seas, most of the reports have been from shore anglers who are still catching blues as well as stripers from rocky outposts all the way into Cape Ann. A few noteworthy spots are Preston Beach, Devereux Beach, Castle Rock and the Danvers River. The shop continue to sell eels at a brisk pace, owing to the good night/estuary bite.
TJ from Three Lantern Marine told me that in spite of the rough stuff anglers were able to eke out a trip or two for inshore cod and found them in close with Halibut Point and Magnolia mentioned. The backshore area has been among the best for bass with some boaters doing well with eels at night when there has been a break in the rollers. Some shore spots which have been productive are Niles Beach, Good Harbor Beach, Pebble Beach and Coffin’s Beach. Inshore river locations such as the Annisquam, Little and Essex Rivers are also fishing well.
Martha from Surfland Bait and Tackle said that stirred up seas relegated most to the rivers with the anglers catching more than complaining. Two of the better spots have been behind Sandy Point in Plum Island Sound as well as the Merrmack River from the Chain Bridge to Joppa and out through the sandbar. As usual, outgoing tide has been fishing best.
We are pleased to welcome aboard Captain Jack Patrician of Time Flies Charters who puts his 700 horsepower, 32’ Everglades to good use on the tuna grounds. His time recently has been well spent on Southern Jeffrey’s Ledge where just yesterday he caught a 92” well-proportioned Charlie! Regarding stripers he’s been hearing good reports of a nice bite between Marblehead and Nahant.
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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
It’s a bit of the best of all worlds, the weather has the whiff of summer, yet the fish are feeding because after all – it is fall! Bass blitzing on peanut bunker throughout the Three Bays or off Scituate is commonplace with earlier-the-better outings most productive. Pogies off Wollaston Beach or Deer Island are a best bet for boating a blue or a big bass closer to Boston. A sign that we have a long ways to go is in the surprise appearance of bonito on the move at West Gut! Cod have been close off Cape Ann now that seas are settling it is expected that striper activity will resume off the Parker River Wildlife Reservation as well as the ocean front of Plum Island. For a chance at a magnum Charlie, Southern Jeffrey’s is jamming!
Get ready for great fishing in October , November,maybe early December, Then STIMULUS Checks will arrive for Xmas fishing-boating camping giftn etc
I like the way you think! Milk the striper until At least thanksgiving, switch to targeting Pickerel and Trout on insanely light tackle, until some time in January (unless it’s FREEZING), ice fish or watch YouTube videos for a month or so in February (lol), by March the prespawn pond bass fishing will be in decent bloom, then by late April switch back to exclusively targeting Striper for 5 months. Rinse repeat. Fish all year…no rules!