Massachusetts Fishing Report- October 5, 2023

It’s strange days indeed when the October Mass report has as much to do with false albacore and bonito as it does bass and blues! Whether crushing cod jigs in 120’ of water, or slamming smelt on the South Shore, those little tuna are causing quite the stir. Pogies continue to be the comeback kid with one harbor shop selling more snag trebles than it has all summer long.

Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast Fishing Report

Forest Gump’s box of chocolates has nothing on Captain Jason Colby’s Coxes Ledge trips. While the primary goal on Tuesday was limits of cod, which were achieved for all five anglers (25 fish), bonito really got the adrenaline flowing.

Far be it from catching them the conventional way while using copious amounts of fuel and peppering the water with a thousand casts, these bonito were a bycatch while targeting cod in 120’ of water. If there ever were two opposite ways to fish – jigging for cod verses chasing hardtails would have to be it. No one showed the playbook to the bonito apparently as they nailed substantial Norwegian style jigs/teasers meant for cod. More unusual was that the notoriously line shy bonito didn’t seen bothered by the 50 pound leader in the least. Think of that the next time you quibble with your chums over line diameter and length of leader! The Little Sister is also making short work of Westport area tautog making for easy limits with many keeper females going back in the brine.

The tiny tuna thing hasn’t stopped there either as they have wound their way all the way into Scituate! While I was chatting with Captain Mark Rowell as he was helping a friend pull his boat in Scituate Harbor, he stopped our conversation and said, “we need to face time, hurry!”. There, unmistakably in the background I could see surface feeds of such speed and ferocity that they could only be the handiwork of hardtails. The Legit Fish Charters skipper got a good look at the protagonists and the little pelagics were 3 to 4 pound bonito! What made things even neater was that apparently at least some of the prey may have been smelt! For more on the smelt, Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate weighed in and confirmed smelt catches in the harbor! Pete also shot me out a picture of a nice false albacore taken from the Three Bays.

Blues are still in abundance as are stripers with the best blue bite out front while bass seem to be hugging the coast and in rivers. Apparently the tube-and-worm remains the most consistent striper catcher while blues are being taken on trolling plugs. Tog up to 8 pounds have been crunching crabs near Minot Ledge while for cod a best bet is the western edge of Stone Ledge.

While Captain Rowell is done in Massbay for the fall he’s ready to embark on a mission in Mosquito Lagoon in Florida. The first focus will be the mullet run which is reminiscent of how we fish pogy schools. The mullet are live-lined but instead of bass and blues, the quarry is red drum, black drum and cobia. If that leaves you yearning than you are in luck since Mark will be running his LegitFish charter business south of the border during the offseason.

Greater Boston Fishing Report

It’s not unusual for my friend Captain Dave Panorello to talk of a solid bass bite but our most recent conversation was about – largemouth bass. His claim that he pulled his boat and was switching from the salt to sweetwater lasted about as long as it took for him to get an invite from Paul Cuzzupe to jump aboard On The Rocks. What followed were pictures full of gators and grins off Wollaston Beach; I’d say he made the right move.

Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy told me that anglers are catching smelt off the Hull Public Pier. Should you really want to fish throwback-style in this traditional fishery have Lisa show you the shop’s collection of bamboo rods! She also informed me that the shop has moved more snag trebles in the last few weeks than all summer. Maybe those menhaden came out of the mud but they are still hanging tough in Quincy Bay with solid bass and big blues shadowing the schools of bait. There’s been action off Bumpkin Island, Slate Island, Grape Island, Webb Park, Great Esker and Bare Cove. World’s End in Hingham has been hot too. The most effective artificial offering has been the venerable tube-and-worm.

Naturally when talk turns to the tube in these parts, Fishing FINatics” Pete Santini comes to mind. During our weekly talk I was hoping for a window into how to work his tube but I wasn’t expecting a hot, new color! He calls the new dark wine-red hue – Tuscano and it has been putting a hurt on bass and blues around the inner islands as well as from Encore to the Tobin Bridge. His tubes work best being dragged behind leadcore line with 10’ of 50 pound mono leader. In shallower areas such as by the casino 1/2 color of leadcore will often suffice but be prepared to spool out 7-10 colors by the islands such as Spectacle.

Anglers fishing off the docks of East Boston and Charlestown are catching some nice tog and cunner nearly as big! While crabs work best for tog, seaworms and clams will do the trick as well. Mackerel can be caught near Graves Light while a trip to the bumps by the B Buoy should reward with cod!

For a freshwater diversion consider Jamaica Pond, Walden Pond and Sluice Pond – all of which are recent recipients of rainbow trout.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

If the blizzard of bass and blue photos I’m seeing is any proof, the North Shore just might be Massbay’s best bet! Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle told me that surface feeds are par for the course as everything from schoolies to cows to gators are pounding 3” peanut bunker. There are also pogies inside Salem and mackerel as close as Misery Island. Tomo has been out-and-about himself and finding steady action on blues and stripers up to 40”. Some of the better bites have been taking place throughout Beverly Harbor and Salem Harbor. As for specifics Tomo’s tips are Mackerel Cove, Curtis Point and Hospital Point. Kayakers craving cod are catching keepers regularly off Magnolia.

TJ from Three Lantern Marine said that Captain Tom Ciulla of has been putting patrons into some seriously large stripers and blues aboard the T-Sea. Tom has been finding that mackerel trolled or fished under a balloon in tight to structure off Gloucester and Rockport are accounting for bass up to 46”! Those same mackerel trolled in deeper water are still accounting for big blues. Night shift ninjas such as Bobby Harnish are fishing nearly the same water except with eels in close and doing real well. In fact Bobby has caught 60 fish 40” or up while aboard his kayak in Cape Ann this season!

Kevin from Surfland Bait and Tackle in Newburyport said that on Wednesday morning an angler tossing an Al Gag’s Whip-it-Fish off the jetty at the mouth of the Merrimack got into some bluefish. Anglers fishing seaworms off the refuge are getting a nice pick of stripers. Upstream areas in Plum Island Sound as well as the Merrimack River are fishing well with the migration of river herring fry attracting stripers in the latter. Mackerel can be caught at Breaking Rocks, the Speckled Apron and Hampton Shoals Ledge. One of the more productive methods there is to drift with macks on an outgoing tide along the Merrimack. There will always be those other guys tossing eels into a nighttime surf along the ocean front and those guys will always do well.

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Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

Many circle this time of the year and make a significant investment in time, money and travel to fish for false albacore and bonito off the vineyard and southerly environs, but just maybe, you can get that fix a little closer. False albacore can be caught amongst the Three Bays and there are even reports of bonito in Scituate! Bluefish have been found out front along the South Shore but for bass you’d do well sticking to structure or the rivers. Pogy schools in Quincy Bay and Winthrop Harbor are still holding blues and bass. Mackerel can be caught among ledge around the outer harbor and when trolled or fished under a balloon near the islands is deadly. The same areas will also reward tube-and-wormers. The inner harbor is holding plenty of blues, bass, blackfish and big bergalls. The nod as to the Bay State’s best bet just might go to the North Shore with coves and points throughout Salem and Beverly featuring sizeable feeds as bass and blues blitz baby bunker. Cape Ann cows and gators are still in abundance with the day crew crushing them with mackerel while the night shift are finding eels effective off area beaches from Gloucester through Plum Island.