Your fantasy fish is out there
Numbers are nice, but when it comes to striper fishing, size matters.
We’ve enjoyed a great spring run of school-sized stripers, including a flush of fish in the 28to 32-inch range. Fish that size are a blast to catch and can make any angler’s day a success.
However, in the back of every striper fisherman’s mind is the fantasy of hooking into a “cow,” one of those massive pot-bellied seven-striped fish that are featured in fading Polaroid photos on tackle shop walls.
A trophy-sized striper will make your reel’s drag sing, your rod thump with strong headshakes, and your heart race as the fish makes its first pass by the side of the boat.
Seasons past have taught us that right now, the second half of June, is the prime time to catch a big bass from the Massachusetts coast. And we’ve already seen a few photos of 40-pounders and even a 50-plus entered in the Striper Cup this week.
So, double-check your knots and make plans to get out on the water this week. The format has changed, but the concept of the glory shot remains the same. Land a striped bass that requires two hands to hold up, post the pic on Instagram, and soak in the praise as the likes accrue.
South Shore
There was a good morning bite on the Cape Cod Canal as another push of fish came through last weekend. Going forward, the east end will be most likely to host fish as they move in on mackerel schools coming in from Cape Cod Bay.
Mackerel have been spotty outside of Plymouth Bay, but bait and bass have been active inside. Look for birds over surface-feeding fish and cast topwater plugs, flies, or single-hooked SlugGos.
Improve your odds of catching mackerel by using chum, and then live-line them off Fourth Cliff and inside the North River. The ledges off Scituate, including Collamore, Whitcomb, and Davis, are holding bass and have the potential to produce a big fish.
Flounder fishing remains decent in the harbors and should begin to pick up off the beaches.
Boston Harbor
Between the wet weather and the tall ships festival, there wasn’t as much fishing happening in the Harbor as we’d expect this time of year. However, there have been whispered reports of big bass and the fishing should be wide-open for the remainder of the month.
There are so many school-size stripers in the harbor that flounder fishermen are finding them a nuisance while trying to make their flatfish limit. Skates have been abundant as well, but at least you’ll have plenty of action as you pick away at the flounder.
To find a trophy-sized striper, you can search for mackerel beyond the outer Harbor Islands and fish them anywhere you have the combination of structure and moving water. Stay on the move to find the bite. The fish could be hanging on the outer ledges, like Martin, Three and One-Half Fathom, and Thieves, or moving inside to the Deer Island Rip, President Roads, or Hull Gut.
Broad Sound, from Faun Bar to Revere Beach, is also worth some effort. If you don’t have live mackerel, this is a great stretch of water for trolling tube-and-worm rigs.
North Shore
Striper fishing on the North Shore has improved this week as more big bass settle in from the south. Nahant Bay has been hot for stripers from school-size to keepers. From the beaches, seaworms are the top bait. From a boat, a live mackerel in deeper water off Egg Rock could be the ticket to a trophy. The east side of Misery and Bakers islands in Salem Sound are worth checking out, as June bass have mackerel on their minds.
There are good numbers of bass in the Little, Annisquam, and Essex rivers, but bigger fish are more likely to be found where these rivers meet the open waters of Ipswich Bay.
Plum Island Sound and Joppa Flats have been holding fish as well, and there is a wide range of sizes available to anglers. School-size stripers are plentiful and providing most of the action, but there are bass from 10 to 30 pounds mixed in as well.