fun. Russ Eastman of Monahan Marine in Weymouth had a banner day last Friday by drifting away from t
he boat show that seemed to be anchored on the Bank and found a honey hole of haddock in about 200 feet of water. While Russ was yearning for cod and haddock, he was looking for sand eels. When the chartplotter on his pal’s boat lit up with a mass of forage, over went the jigs and teasers and into the coolers went the haddock and cod. And some of the haddock were huge, 36- to 41-inchers! Hot items were Bill Hurley Cape Cod Sand Eels and Red Gills for teasers and pink/blue Shimano Butterfly Jigs as well as the standard issue Norwegians. Successful fishers are scoring by keeping on the move until they find the bait and usually then they’ll find the fish.
Finally it’s flounder time! While no one is talking limits, at least we’re finally hearing of some catches. And the best part of all is that the bite kicked in at a number of different locations at once. Pete of Belsan’s in Scituate reported that a few flatties were scratched up from the first bend (the deep hole) from the mouth of the South River. He expects Scituate flounder producers to begin kicking in any day now, such as Peggotty Beach, Egypt Beach and Scituate Harbor. Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics banged some blackbacks from Deer Island flats and he’s heard of a few taken in the Lynn Marsh. Pete would like to remind fans of Boston’s long standing derby – the Boston Harbor Striper Shootout – that it is already inked for June 20th. If the pogies return in numbers anywhere like last year, the 11th anniversary of this Beantown tradition should be a haymaker.
Joey of The Fisherman’s Outfitter in Gloucester told me that the North Shore is hardly out of the running of the inshore groundfishing good times. You’ll find flounder off Niles Beach, the Dogbar Breakwater (inside) and Ten-pound Island. A redd of cod has moved onto Saturday Night Ledge, and there are some seriously large fish in it. However, because these fish are breeders and they are spawning, Joey recommends that you tread softly on the stock and limit harvest. Those rare whale cod have to be preserved. Birds have been seen working off the State Pier in Gloucester as well as the boulevard, and it’s most likely is the result of mackerel chasing silversides or maybe brit herring, I haven’t yet heard any confirmation on this.
Casting off the jetty in Rye Harbor is where you want to be if flounder is in your future, according to Jason of Suds ‘N Soda in Greenland, New Hampshire. Boaters have not been targeting blackbacks because there’s plenty of white-bellied cod so close by the Isle of Shoals. The magic depth appears to be around 175 feet, and the ratio of cod to haddock is about 50/50. Unlike Stellwagen where the predominate bait is sand eels, the fish here are feeding on sea herring so you might want to adjust your jigs and teasers to something flashy.
Craig Bergeron of Saco Bay Tackle Company in Maine said that there has been stellar groundfishing off Jeffreys Ledge. Patrons hopping aboard the Bunny Clarke and Eastman’s have been into market-sized cod as well as the occasional steaker. Jigs from 14 to 16 ounces are very effective, as is bait, which usually consists of clams and shrimp. Freshwater fishing has hardly been second rate either; the IFW has stocked brooks and streams with a new batch of salmonoids and some of these are quite handsome fish. Ask the folks at the shop to steer you in the right direction
On the freshwater side of things, the smallmouth bass bite is improving tremendously in both Wachusett and Quabbin. Bait soakers are doing well with yellow perch fry, while jigs and Senkos are accounting for nice catches on the artificial front. While coldwater species and smallmouth bass dominate the grapevine in both these pristine water bodies, Wachusett also features some superb largemouth bass and crappie fishing. As testimony, Tom Keer of Worcester took a 5-4 largie and Eric George nabbed a 1-12 calico, both of which were weighed in by Eddie of B&A. For these species, hit the section between the Old Stone Church and the Oakdale Bridge. Quabbin continues to deliver dream caliber landlocked salmon as more 6-pounders have been weighed into Flagg’s in Orange. The fish remain within 10 feet of the surface and streamers and shiners are the weapons of choice. Dry-fly fans are picking up some nice trout along the Swift River with Rod’s hand-tied size 22 and 24 marvels.
On a somber note, Dick Jacobsmeyer of Arlington Bait and Tackle was struck by a drunk driver Saturday morning as he was walking to work along the crosswalk in front of his shop. Dick has sustained numerous serious injuries including broken legs. Anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing Dick will tell you that they are the better because of his acquaintance. Thoughts and prayers would be helpful.
Best Bets for the Weekend
While we anxiously await the arrival of our cherished linesiders, Stellwagen remains sizzling hot for cod and some really big haddock. If you’re not besting many fish, keep on the move until you find the sand eels and you should find the predators. The best inshore bet is flounder from Deer Island Flats, Niles Beach and Rye Harbor, while the cod fishing does not disappoint at Saturday Night Ledge and the Isle of Shoals. There are 6-pound salmon still being taken from the Quabbin along with trophy smallies and Wachusett has added lunker largemouth bass and crappie to its already glittering list of reasons to fish it.