Massachusetts Fishing Report – October 26, 2017

Rain in the fall, while having little affect on flora as it does in the spring, is often a trigger for improved river fishing. Contrary to what many think, the action does not begin and end with salmonoids.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

David from Merrimack Sport told me that the torrent from recent rains has been just the spark fishermen who frequent the Merrimack River watershed have needed. An array of species have been responding from smallmouth bass to pike to white catfish and nearly everything in between. River herring fry from upstream nurseries will stage at tributary effluences, bridges, rip-rap, dams and other types of structure. The feeding hour is usually between false dawn and the first hour after daylight with cloudy days holding fish for a longer period. Small offerings which are designed to imitate the predominant 2 to 3” herring fry are most effective. Consider TTI Blakemore Road Runners as well as VMC’s Wingding Spin Jig, which have been killers for me. For pike, David suggests the Shawsheen and Concord Rivers while smallies rule in the Haverhill section of the Merrimack. The Spigot is good for catfish and largemouth bass.

Inverse of the Merrimack River in nearly every way is the West Branch of the Swift River where Patrick Barone of Early Rise Outfitters is beginning to see 15-inch and up brilliantly colored, wild brook trout make an appearance. There have also been catches of solid rainbow trout up to 18 inches long! Surprisingly the action has also been quite good beyond the catch and release sections of the swift. Dropping water temperatures are fueling spawning urges of the brook trout, making egg patterned flies deadly. In a few weeks the trout will become territorial near spawning redds and will strike minnow or leach patterned presentations.

As expected the rainfall and resultant current has drawn landlocked salmon from Wachusett Reservoir into the Stillwater River. Expect the angling spotlight to now be shining there making the Quinapoxet less pressured and ideal for peace, quiet and just maybe rainbows, brown trout and salmon! Gate 8 in the reservoir has been among the most consistent for lakers while smallies are slamming a host of soft plastics near the Cellar Holes.

Saltwater

Some are more than content to catch any striper in late October but according to Pete from Belsan Bait in Scituate there are much bigger fish still around. Just ask the few who found themselves in the midst of a pile of 28 to 33 pounders at Second Cliff over the weekend! Tail-slapping cows pushed piles of mackerel up against the shoreline and while it didn’t last long it was pretty memorable. For more consistent catching, schoolies are still pounding peanuts from Plymouth through Hull. Early and late in the day tends to be best. River herring fry are tumbling from upstream sanctuaries in the North River and schoolies are blasting them from Mary’s Livery towards the mouth of the river.

Mariners tending to their boats in Scituate Harbor are reporting seeing smelt cruising under dock lights but with all those hungry stripers and hickory shad up to 18 inches, the smelt are understandably skittish. Catching smelt just may be the silver lining for when the last of the bass depart.

Lisa from Fore River said that anglers are reporting small bonito off Nut Island in Quincy. Anglers jigging up mackerel and smelt with Sabiki rigs are hooking into these little tuna and some have been 17 inches long! The rivers are running hard and hot as stripers prey on young herring. Good reports are coming from Bare Cove Park, Great Esker Park as well as Webb Park. The Charles and Mystic Rivers should be stirring to life also thanks to all that current. Look for crappie, black bass, white perch and stripers to all be joining in on the herring fry feasts. Mackerel can be found as close as Bob’s Bass Triangle as well as Flip Rock and Nahant’s #2 Can. The best news coming from the North Shore is what is happening farther north, namely from coastal Maine!

According to Martha from Surfland, Downeast customers of the shop are still catching stripers from the Biddeford Pool area of Maine! Unless those fish are holdovers, they have to cruise on past our portion of the coast on their way southward. Martha did provide me with a fresh fish report from an angler who just entered the shop as we were speaking. This guy had just returned from catching well off the oceanfront. The problem was that the fish were mostly mackerel, with a few 15-inch stripers joining in as the fish fed on peanut bunker.

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

For a chance at a wild brook trout as big as most of the schoolies we have left, check out the West Branch of the Swift River. Salmon egg imitation fly imitations are deadly as are egg-sucking leach patterns. The Stillwater is finally flowing thanks to the rain and salmon have responded by moving upstream. Should you take advantage of Massachusetts only largely self-sustaining landlocked salmon run consider pinching down barbs and releasing these royal fish. The majority of stripers left off our coast are schoolies but there are still 15-plus-pounders out there. Just make sure but you upsize your offering to cull though those pesky little guys!