Popular Catches

STRIPED BASS Morone saxatilis

The striped bass is so highly prized for its size, battle on the line, and culinary merit, than many anglers consider it the premier game fish in Massachusetts. This species can be found from May to November along the entire Massachusetts coastline. Angling at dusk or dawn provides the greatest success during most of the season, but night fishing is often best during the midsummer "doldrums." Anglers are most successful when fishing the shoreline in areas where tidal rips, strong currents, or wave action create turbulent, "live" water.

Some anglers, who ply the beaches with swimming plugs and live eels, prefer the 10 to 12-foot surf rod and conventional reel spooled with 30 to 40-pound line. However, a medium to heavy spinning rod with 12 to 20-pound test line is considered ideal by many anglers for plugging, jigging, or offering bottom-fished baits to bass. Lures are attached directly to the line with a snap swivel. When bait fishing, the preferred rig consists of a pyramid sinker attached as a fish finder, and a long leader with a brightly colored float attached close to the hook. The float keeps the bait away from the bottom-dwelling crabs and skates. Live lining of "herring," menhaden (pogies), or mackerel can be a very productive means of taking large bass. A fairly stiff boat rod with a conventional reel is the preferred rig. Baitfish is hooked through the back or snout using either a single or treble hook.

When trolling for bass adjacent to shoreline areas, the rod should be equipped with a high-ratio conventional reel and carboloy guides to prevent line wear. By choosing among monofilament, lead-core or wire lines, depths from the surface to the bottom can be trolled. Many lures, including swimming plugs, jigs, tubes, and umbrella rigs- as well as live herring and menhaden - lend themselves well to trolling for stripers.

BLUEFISH Pomatomus saltatrix

The greatest success in angling for snappers occurs from August through September. Fishing for adult bluefish generally improves through the summer as more fish start moving into inshore areas, and extends through October, after which waters cool and the fish migrate offshore and southward. Snappers are caught in estuaries and bays, and adults are caught along rocky or sandy shores and from boats. Many anglers prefer light spinning rods with less than 8 lb.-test line when fishing for snappers. When fishing for adults, the style of rod and line strength will vary depending upon whether one uses spinning or conventional gear to cast, troll or drift bait. Small swimming lures and drifted bait (silversides and sand eels) are frequently used for snappers or small adults. Anglers use a variety of plugs, sand eel-type jigs, and squid-like lures when casting or trolling for larger adults. Pogies, mackerel or eels are the preferred live baits. When theses are not available, many types of cut bait will also do well. Wire leaders are a must when bait fishing, in order to prevent a hooked fish from cutting the line with its sharp teeth.

Bluefish anglers fish from boats or shore along nearly every harbor entrance, town dock, beach and jetty in the state. Cape Cod and the Islands (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket), the Cape Cod Canal (particularly Sandwich and Sagamore), the Boston harbor Islands, Marblehead, Manchester, Cape Ann up to Salisbury, Plum Island, and the mouth of the Merrimack River all attract a large number of anglers.

BONITO Sarda sarda

FALSE ALBACORE/LITTLE TUNNY Euthynnus alletteratus

Bottom Fishing

Bottom Fishing Species

TAUTOG Tautoga onitis

Tautog are hard fighting, tough on tackle, and excellent on the table. They are one of the first species available to anglers in the spring and one of the last available in the fall. Anglers are particularly successful from April through May, and in the fall when tautog are concentrated in the greatest numbers along shorelines. While the best fishing is centered on Cape Cod, tautog can be caught all along the Massachusetts coast from Cape Ann to the South Shore. Tog are caught either from a boat at anchor or by casting anywhere along Massachusetts' rocky shorelines. Anglers use bait such as a large piece of sea worm, whole or halved crabs (green, rock, hermits, or fiddlers), and pieces of conch, snails, or cracked clams.

A rod with "backbone" is required to catch this battling fish. Most anglers choose a medium-action spinning or conventional rod with 20 to 30-pound test line, and use a "no hardware" 2 hook rig with a sinker tied to the bottom.

It is important to stay alert casting or lowering the bait into the water, as fish often hit the bait as soon as it reaches the bottom. All slack line should be taken in as soon as the bait stops sinking. Once a fish picks up the bait, let it tap once or twice, and set the hook hard, lifting the tog away from the bottom before the line becomes entangled in rocks.

FLUKE Paralichthys dentatus

Fluke are well known for the aggressive way they grab bait and battle when hooked. They offer a particular challenge to the angler bold enough to use light tackle. Average-sized fluke, sometime called "Flatties," weigh about 2 to 4 pounds, while the aptly named "doormats" (so-called due to their similarity in size to a welcome mat) weigh 8 or more pounds and provide memorable battles for the angler lucky enough to hook them.

Summer flounder start to move inshore in July and provide action until the water begins cooling near the end of September. They can be found on sandy or muddy bottoms in many inshore habitats and are particularly abundant in fast-moving rips that gather debris and bait fish. Anglers troll, chum, still-fish, and cast for fluke, but the most popular method is drifting the bait along the bottom. When drifting, the bail of the reel should be open and the line held by a finger. Once the line stops drifting and is tugged, it should run free for a moment to let the fish get the bait in it mouth before the hook is set. Casting a baited red and white bucktail rig from boat of shore can also be a rewarding approach. The jig should be retrieved with a slow, pumping action. When a fluke grabs that rig, the rod tip should be lowered to slacken the line; when the line tightens again, the hook can be set.

Shoreline anglers' use a medium-weight spinning gear spooled with 12-pound test line, while boat anglers fishing deeper water with strong currents need 15 to 20-pound test line on light to medium conventional gear to match the larger fish found there. Many anglers use commercial rigs with spinners. One favorite is a 3/8 to 1 ½ ounce weighted bucktail that can be baited with trips of fresh or frozen squid or baitfish, such as sand lance. If these baits aren't available, 4 to 5-inch strips of meat from the tails of fish such as sea robins can be used. Some anglers prefer strips of meat from the belly area of a fluke or bluefish, or half of a snapper bluefish.

A few anglers prefer homemade rigs made by tying a 1 to 2-ounce sinker to the end of a line and a "dropper loop" or three-way swivel 4 inches about the sinker. A 3-foot leader with a 1/0 to 3/0 hook is attached to the loop or swivel. A 4 to 5-inch strip of squid split along half its length is attached to the hook along with a baitfish hooked through the lips. This rig is bounced along the bottom as the angler drifts or casts.

BLACK SEABASS Centropristis striata

When many anglers hear someone mention "bass," they often think first of stripers or fresh water black bass. Yet the black sea bass provides a fight and a flavor that attract a strong angler following. Long known by commercial fishermen as "rock bass," this species also carries the somewhat endearing name of "old humpback," due to the enlarged area above the head that is characteristic of many old males.

The best time to fish for black sea bass is from May through summer, when they are closest to shore. Any underwater structures, such as those associated with wrecks, jetties, and piers, will attract this species. Although they can be found from near shore to depths of about 120 feet, the largest males tend to be found in deeper waters within this depth range.

The black sea bass is predominantly a bottom-feeder, although it will occasionally strike at plugs, jigs, or lures. Thus, bait fishing with strips of squid or fish is the most productive method. The most commonly caught fish weigh from ½ to 2 pounds. You can receive the greatest enjoyment when catching fish in this size range by using a medium-weight-spinning outfit with 8-pound test line. Although a sea bass has a large mouth, use a #2 bait-holder hook tied above a small sinker; this fish normally hesitates to grab bait strung on large cod hooks.

SCUP/PORGY Stenotomus chrysops

Scup feed frantically and fight energetically when hooked, thereby providing angling enjoyment for the entire family. This little scrambler is especially fun for children, as a school of actively feeding scup typically provides non-stop fishing action.Scup provide particularly exciting battles when anglers use either a medium-weight spinning or lightweight surf outfit carrying a 10 to 20-pound test line. Some anglers prefer jigging small lures, but the overwhelming majority prefer bait fishing. A typical rig includes the following. A bank sinker is tied to the end of the line. One to 3 snelled hooks (size #1 to #8) are then tied to loops 6 to 10 inches above the sinker. Sea worms, squid strips, and pieces of clams or fish work well as bait. Squid strips are favored because they last well through the frantic attacks a school of scup will make upon baited hooks.Although scup are quick to grab bait, they are difficult to hook. For greatest success anglers need to become adept at setting the hook as soon as the tip of the fishing rod shows the slightest dipping, or at lifting the baited hooks gently off the bottom to induce fish to strike sharply rather than allowing them to nibble at the bait. Upon finding a school of actively feeding scup, some anglers lower the bait to the bottom, count to five and set the hook, rater than risk having their bait stolen while waiting for the subtle nibble of the fish.