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AS SEEN IN THE FISHERMAN MAGAZINE NEW ENGLAND EDITION

 August 17, 2010 -  ISSUE 34


NORTH SHORE TO MAINE REPORT

By: Capt. Greg Metcalf


Reporting stations from Boston to Boothbay had good things to say about the fishing  from both the offshore and inshore fishing grounds.

Tuna fishing, shark fishing and ground fishing remains outstanding from Stellwagen to the Kettle Bottom. Striped bass and bluefish continue to bite everywhere along the northern New England coastline.

 

EVERETT

Pete from Fishing Fanatics told me striped bass have been blitzing at Short Beach around Nahunt.  They are also being landed between Deer Isle and Graves Light.  Santini Tubes, Rapalas and soft plastics have been fooling the fish this week as well as live pogies and mackerel.

There were tuna busting at Egg Rock on Tuesday and a friend of Pete's landed a 75 inch bluefin on Wednesday at the B Buoy.

Bluefish were a little less undulant this week but Graves Light was the best place to fish for them.

The cod and haddock fishing is still red hot east of the bank in about 300 feet of water.

WINTHROP

Tomo from Bob’s Bait Shack  reported on the best day he had ever experienced in his fishing career on Tuesday morning. hile fishing aboard his kayak, he saw a huge surface feed in Nahant by Egg Rock. He caught 4 stripers between 40 to 42 inches, seven fish between 35 to 39 inches, a dozen fish between 30 to 34 inches,  a l ittle over a dozen schoolies and a few bluefish for good measure . He was using 9 inch Slugogo albino shads and Bill Hurley's 9 inch Rat Tail in olive/white with a 3/4oz Kalins Ultimate jighead.  He went back the next day trying to get more of the action and the fish were no where to be found.  His friend Billy from Stoneham fished this spot on Saturday morning and the result was that the area was invaded with bluefish. He was using soft plastics as well. Jimmy from Winthrop is a shore fisherman who caught a 30 inch striper from Winthrop Beach using sea worms that he picked up from Bob's. Another shore fisherman from East Boston caught 3 stripers.  using baby sea herring  that he caught himself on a Sabiki Rig. The blitzes have still been going on in the usual spots such as main channel, West Gut, Lovell Island, Spectacle Island and Bob's Bass Triangle

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 7-7 and Sunday from 7-3

 

Allison from GOPOGY said summer is definitely heating up in the waters of Boston Harbor. Bass and bluefish were blitzing all week, herring and spike mackerel jumping all over the place, and the birds were screaming, diving and eating feverishly. Boaters have been racing like crazy to keep up with all the mayhem and get their casting right in the middle of it. Lots of anglers catching fish this week, some experienced and some first-timers. There was plenty to go around. Reports of big bass and bluefish came into the shop from all over the harbor and islands. It’s that time of year we have all been waiting for with blitzes happening daily at the Deer Island rip and big fish hanging on the bottom taking everything from tube and worm, umbrella rigs, to pogy chunks. Hot spots this week were numerous. Big fish hung out at Egg Rock, Hull Gut, Winthrop Beach, Short Beach, and Revere.

The bait frenzy continued. There was so much of it in the water, the competition between anglers and bait fish was fierce when it came to landing bass. Broad Sound was loaded with herring and butter fish, instigating many of the huge blitzes. Boston harbor had schools of spike mackerel, butter fish, herring, and pogies. Keep your eyes open and let the birds work for you. It can happen anywhere, anytime.

GoPogy weighed in a 38.5 pound bass, measuring in at 46-1/2 inches. Rob Penney caught this beauty at Green Island on a fresh pogy from GoPogy. This was a personal best for him and definitely gave him bragging rights at the Broad Sound Tuna Club. Shoreman, Joe McDermott, landed a 34 inch striper at Deer Island. Dave Lang caught himself a 33 incher, his first ever, off of Spectacle Island. Joe Citron had a double-header out at Winthrop Beach. He went home with a 38 inch and a 42 inch fatty. The kids this week also got into the game. 3 year old, Brody Burill, caught a 36 inch striper aboard Drop a Line Charters and 3 year old, Barohn Dockendorf, landed his first bass on a sea worm. Faun Bar produced some nice fish for kayakers and boaters alike. A 21 pounder went home with angler Castro Fehrillit. Reports of 180 pound tuna busting the surface at the Salem Smoke Stacks this week frustrated a number of anglers. Despite many attempts, baits and lures, the lack of hook-ups left the fisherman singing the blues. Captain Dave Pernice rounded out the week with a cooler full of cod caught at Cape Ann. The reports were abundant and it’s just going to get better and better. If you want to learn how to catch fish in Boston Harbor, join GoPogy on Saturday – August 21st at 6:30pm for their very first fishing seminar. Professional angler and writer, Ron Powers, will be speaking on the tactics of fishing the Harbor. Stop by the shop for more details and to sign up. Knowledge is a key element of fishing successfully, so you won’t want to miss this. There is only two more weeks until the largest off-Cape striped bass tournament, Help Hook the Cure Derby. $1000 cash prize will go to the largest bass with all proceeds going to finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.



 

GLOUCESTER

Captain Greg on the Yankee Capts reports a good steady grind offshore with plenty of haddock. ! A majority of their recent trips have been primarily jigging trips, with still a good show on the bait as well. Yankee Capts if on the high seas as of this report on their annual trip with the guys from Fishing United, and then turning right around Sunday night with a Cashes Ledge one day trip. It is still a good four weeks away, but they are already beginning to look forward for TUNA.  Yankee Capts tuna season out of New Bedford kicks off September 14 with a brand new 3 day Bargain Trip.  All trips out of Gloucester and New Bedford still have tickets available!! Call 305-923-3926 for tickets and information or visit www.yankeecapts.com

 

Bill at Yankee Fleet is happy to report that the fishing remains very steady. Fishing has been good but not quite as good as it was in the early summer and spring.  Angler's have seen some beautiful cod this week, in the 20 to 30 pound class. Most of the fishing has been done with bait. The jig fishermen have plucked up a few of the big cod. There also hasn't been any shortage of some big fat haddock.


Half day fishing has been staying one step ahead of the dog fish all week.  Plenty of haddock and redfish on the shorter trips this week. They even boated a 30 pound cod on the 1/2 day. Gloucester Harbor has been alive with bluefish, stripers, and mackerel since last week. Overnight trips are running every Sunday night at 10 pm. All day and 1/2 day fishing are running 7 days a week. .

Call for more information on all trips at 800-942-5464 or visit www.yankeefleet.com


 


 

 

Captain Kevin of Kayman Charters and the Lisa and Jake told me the deeper slopes of Stellwagen remain steady for cod , pollock and haddock.  All the fishing continues to be on jigs as tons of bait roams from to to bottom. Top cod of the week was a 26 pounder and some 20 pound pollock were runner ups. The haddock are nice market size fish as were most of the cod with some great drifts of large markets 8 to 12 pound fish.

Tuna baits were deployed in the cod grounds last week. Every day there was a hook up but no keeper fish this week. 

There are split trips with openings on Aug 19 and on Sept 3 for those looking to jump on. Go to www.kaymancharters.com to sign up.

 

 

 

 

 

PLUM ISLAND

Brendan from Surfland reported the big news of the week from the island was the 61 pound striper that was caught in the Merrimac River at night on a live eel. All other catches paled in comparison even though there were several quality fish caught during the week from shore, boat and kayak.

Bluefish have been spotty but can be found first thing in the morning on poppers.

 

SALISBURY

Mike from Crossroads Bait and Tackle reported Saturday morning as he was leaving the mouth of the Merrimac in heavy fog, he ran into a huge bluefish blitz in forty feet of water.  They hit the blues on Atom poppers and dragging niner rigs having double and triple hookups.  The striper fishing was slow but we had a blast on blues with some 12 pounders around. 

Tuna have been hitting whiting off down lines between 18 and 20 fathoms.  The whiting can be caught by tipping your Sabikis with some clam or herring belly and fishing in 260-300 feet of water off the bottom.  These fish seem to be very shy and most guys are sizing down their leaders to entice a strike. 

 

SACO, ME

Craig from Saco Bay Tackle told me  they  finally got a bit of relief from the hot humid weather during the past couple of weeks.  .Crisp cool mornings have been great for the beach and jetty fisherman. There is plenty of bait close to shore that have kept the stripers and bluefish busy in Saco Bay. GooseFare Brook, Hills Beach or Pine Point have been great beaches to fish the past few days for both stripers and blues.  Surf clams,sand worms and cut mackerel have been the baits of choice.  The Saco River is still producing some beautiful stripers for the tube and worm anglers. Wine red and bubble gum are the two hot colors. Make sure to have some steel leaders handy if you run into a bluefish blitz and also maybe a few bright colored top water poppers.

Ground fishing has picked up since last last week.. There have been some good reports on Tanta's and Jeffrey's Ledge. The standard 16 to 20 ounce cod jig rigged with a custom Bevo cod fly seems to be doing the trick..

The shark fishing is excellent now with many thresher, mako,and porbeagle sharks being caught, as well as plenty of blue sharks  that have been keeping the rods bent and reels singing. .The back side of Tanta's has been red hot this season. Get out and drift into the deeper water,  400 to 500 feet . is perfect. Get a good chum slick started and before you know it the sharks will appear.

The tuna report is still good  in Northern New England with plenty of fish  both inside and offshore. There are tons of small spiked mackerel keeping the bluefin busy and feeding like crazy. The most effective method now is to live line mackerel or herring on fluorocarbon leaders,and also using a kite to keep the baits suspended on the surface away from the dogfish.

 

BRUNSWICK, ME

Jenifer from Johnson's Sporting Goods reported that 2010 has been a great summer for salt water anglers.  Bluefish have invaded the Kennebec, Morse and New Meadow Rivers, as well as Middle Bay. There were also many stripers over 40 inches weighed in over the last week.

BOOTHBAY HABOR, ME

Captain Barry Gibson of Shark Six Charters reported that although striper fishing remains slow overall in the region, ocean shoreline action picked up a bit west of the Kennebec River this week.  Captain  Mark Stover on the Redhook tallied ten fish to 42 inches on Saturday the 15th, and Barry's party of five managed seven bass from 25 to 38 inches. There are plenty of nice 6-inch "tack" mackerel around, and anglers are fishing them live in Linekin Bay and taking a few a bass there. The occasional bluefish has been boated, but so far the big schools haven't shown up despite plenty of bait and favorable water temperatures in the 60s.

 The offfshore scene remains productive, with plenty of blue sharks and the occasional mako and porbeagle. Tuna fishermen are picking away at bluefins, and four of Capt. George Warren's customers on the Charger tag-teamed an estimated 175-pounder one on spinning tackle for several hours on Saturday until the 50-pound leader broke. Visit www.saltwatermarine.com for more information on fishing with Captain Barry.



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Capt.Greg Metcalf
P.O. Box 813, Kennebunkport, Maine 04046
(401) 617 9265
greg@captaingregmetcalf.com