Every year is different, and this one is no exception.
Since 2012, we’ve tracked each spring’s striper migration with daily reports from captains and readers as the bass swim north and return to New England waters.
Last year, the bass arrived early, with smaller “schoolie” stripers widespread by May 1 and big bass pushing into the Cape Cod Canal in time for Memorial Day.
This year, it’s been a later, less consistent migration, as big bass seem to be hanging out to our south off New Jersey and Long Island. It also seems that more bass took the long way around Cape Cod, appearing in numbers in Cape Cod Bay without anyone reporting significant action in the Cape Cod Canal.
Regardless of how they got here, there are good numbers of striped bass in Massachusetts waters, including a bumper crop of schoolies, plenty of 30-inch fish, and enough big bass to keep anglers on their toes this Father’s Day weekend.
South Shore
The much-hyped new moon in June was, overall, a bust for Cape Cod Canal fishermen. However, there are still plenty of fish to the south that might make their way into the Big Ditch. And with good numbers of bass in Cape Cod Bay, the east end of the Canal could see action when currents draw in mackerel and big bass follow.
Provincetown is once again setting up for an excellent late June striper fishery. Live mackerel in the rip at Race Point have been producing well, with topwater action likely at first light.
Live mackerel have been the top bait for stripers along the South Shore from Plymouth to Scituate. Bigger bass are being caught under mackerel schools in open water and on deeper structure and ledges, like Farnham Rock, Collamore Ledge and Minots. Inshore, you’re more likely to encounter smaller stripers but with plenty of keepers in the mix. The mouth of the North River has been hot. Fish are eating live mackerel and mackerel chunks drifted on circle hooks.
Flounder can be caught in Green, Scituate and Cohasset harbors. Warm weather through the weekend should only improve the bite.
The haddock bite on top of Stellwagen Bank was phenomenal this spring. Many boats have switched to stripers, but there is still great action to be had if you shift to deeper drifts just east of the Bank.
Boston Harbor
With flounder and stripers both hitting their mid-June stride, Father’s Day weekend is the perfect time for a combo trip. That’s what Capt. Paul Diggins has been doing with his clients, finding flounder off Long Island, Peddock Island and Hangman Island while keeping an eye out for surface action from feeding stripers.
The light-tackle bass fishing has been very good inside the harbor thanks to a healthy population of fish in the 30-34-inch size range. Shore fishermen can get in on the action at Castle Island in South Boston or from World’s End in Hingham.
Boaters will be looking for bigger bass by slow-trolling live mackerel around the outer harbor islands. Don’t stray too far from where you locate the mackerel schools as bass should be lurking on nearby structure.
North Shore
Good numbers of mid-30-inch fish are providing plenty of action from Nahant through Salem Sound. Again, live mackerel are the top bait. Topwater plugs and swimmers are good options for artificials off Revere Beach, while mackerel chunks get the nod for natural bait.
Gloucester Harbor is loaded with schoolie stripers and flounder, reports Tina from Three Lantern Marine. Schoolies are in the Annisquam River, throughout the harbor and at the Dog Bar Breakwall. There are also bigger bass to 38 inches inside the harbor falling for tube-and-worm rigs and chunk bait.
Plum Island also has excellent numbers of schoolie stripers off the oceanfront, in the Merrimack River, and of course in Plum Island Sound, according to reports from Surfland Bait and Tackle. Light-tackle anglers and fly fishermen are enjoying the action. Larger stripers from 10-20 pounds are mixed in with the schoolies but are more likely to hit live or chunked mackerel.