Coastal Flshlng ln the Bay State

lntheBayState
Flshlng
Coastal
E>'*4
d'r--l" 1
<
'.\l'.x'
. . . , 1 ak
!'-
FF.'!!
*.{$gr*:;;'n'.';*r'':
COaSf
tl N E .,'r."rt,..menrs
drive
cartographerscrazy.They're never exactly sure
what to measure. One comnron rnethocl is
to measure a state'sboundaries at the high
tide mark. You'll get a clear read for sure, but
if you take the same ureasurenrentsome six
hours later at the lorv tide line, yodll get a
'fhere
greater distance.
are nllances as q'ell,
and if you conduct your sLlrveyduring a full
moon, your numbers willvarr'. As if that is not
enough, there is the question of how best to
handle bays, coves,inlets, strcams,rivers:rnd
state-owned inshore islands. Cartographers
must have the patience of Job.
M a s s a c h u s e t t s - i n n r 1 ,o p i n i o n , t h e
c o u r l t r y ' s n u m b e r o n e r e c r e a t i o n a ls t r i p e d
bass fishery-has 192 direct milcs of coastline from the Rhoc{eIsland line to the New
Hampshire border. lf vou account For all of
the bays, coves ancl estuarics, thrrt number
s w c l l st o a w h o p p i n g I , 5 1 9 m i l e s .A s t a g g e r ing amount of water ro fish, so it's easyto sce
whv many Bay Stateanglerswon't leavehome
for a fishing trip. Hcck, there'smore r+'aterin
Massachusettsthan \/ou cArlfish in a lifetime.
Three major bays fbrm Massachusetts'
continental fisherr': Mrssachusctts Bay,
which runs from Boston Harbor north rcr
Cape Ann; Cape Ood B:rv,which runs fronr
46
B o s t o n H a r b o r s o u t h i r n d e a s tt o t h e i n s i d e
of Capc Cod's arm; and Buzzards llay, lving
west of the Cape Cod Canal. Those areas
a r e e a s i l yd i v i d e d i n t o t l r r e ep a r t s : t h e N o r t h
t h e h e r r i n g a r r i v ey o u ' l l 6 n d s q u i d , s i l v e r s i d e s
and sandeels.Adult menhrrc'lcnarrive in the
midclle ofJune , and iuvenile menhaden stase
in the fall. It's a veritable fbastForstripersand
S h o r e ,t h e S o u t h S h o r e ,a n d C a p e C o d . f ' h e
terrain is very difTercnt, as are thc specics
ThvrNc ro DETERMTNctl're bouncls of the
North Shore is a rnatter of debatc. Some
b l u e f i s hf o r s i x s o l i d n r o n t h s .
IJassrvill rrrriveon thc beachfr<lntsand in
the river systems shortly rrfter the irlewivcs
arrivc. I'r,e caught them in the rivers as clrly
a sA p r i l 1 9 t h , a n d I ' m s u r es o m e a n s l e r sh a v e
caught thern cven carlier.'l-hev'llstay until the
temperaturcswarnl or the bait drops out. Not
say I-ynnficld through Ncwburyport, and
others include Revere and \Winthrop. No
matte r, therc is plenw of diversity r.rpthere.
to ferr.r,they're replacedby summer blue{ish.
I F v o u l i k e t o f i s h e s t u a r i e s y, o u ' l l b e i n
lrog he,r'u'en
on the North Shore. T'he rnrrjor
As 1,611
rnove out of the urban environmeut
of Revereand'W'inthrop, with planes landine
at Logan Airport, vou'll find rocks, ledgcs
a n d i n s h o r e i s l a n d si n t h e C a p e A n n t o w n s
o Ir Marb Ieliead, Beverly, lt{enchester-by-the-
rivers rrrc the Merrirnirck, Parker, Rowlcy,
Essexirnd Ipsrvich, and there are minor rivers
ofFof rno.stof rhem as well. With the i 2-fbor
tides, grassbanks iind nruddy bottom, vou'll
srvcaryou'rc crrstingfbr sn-rallmouthin sorle
S e a ,G l o u c e s t e ra n d R o c k p o r t . C o n t i n u e o n
a n o r t h e a s tt a c k a n d y o u ' l l e n c o u n t e r r n a n y
from
diverseriver systemsand barrier beache.s
Ipswich to Nervburyport. The North Shore
i n l a n c lr i v e r .
a v a i l a b l et o a n g l e r s .
Tnr NoRTHSnonr
i s s t r i p er c o u n t r y .
'Ihe
scasonsrarrs early on thc North
Shore, rvith alewives moving into the river
s\/stenrsas earlv as rnid April. The origins of
many of the rivers arc fieshwater, a favoritc
of thcsc anadrornous baitfish. Shortlv after
Beach anglers are eclually pleased. From
lpsu,ichto Ncwburyport, vou'll find nrile after
rnile of some of the rnost bear.rtilrulbeaches
to wade. Sornc areas,Iikc thc mouths of the
r i v c r s , h a v c r n o d e r a t e - s i z e df l a t s o n w h i c h
a n s l c r s s i g h t - c a s tt o c r u i s i n g b a s sa n d b l L r c s .
'flrc
rrrerris fishernrart fricndlv, irncl fcw resteurants or rackleshops brrt an eye if yotr lvalk
i u rvcrrrin g rvlrclers.
o
O
o
a
3
e
a
o
F
o
I
c
(t
U
o
l. ir.
1..,,
$.i
kl
ff:
Rr_
l!..
lg
I,fi
r$:
tlg
r:it:
l6r
tr;-
i*
H.
rE
t*,
ftr
F
t $;
ti*,
ffi
;{
Rocks abound in the Cape Ann stretch
of the North Shore. Due to the colder warer
temperatures, the season around Rockport,
Gloucesrer, Beverly and Marblehead starts
a bit later than in rhe warmer river systems.
You'll see different rypes of bait in these
haunts: pollock, mackerel and lobsters for
starters. Make sure you pack a pair of Korkers,
becausethe rocfts are slippery. And ifyou have
a boat, the inshore islands off of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, and Marblehead are
phenomenal in the summer. Getting a srrike
on a streamer you just cast into rhe wash is
almost as much of a rush as finding out how
much the bassweighs.
These communities have varied histories.
Newburyport was well known for producing
clipper ships, and is the home ofAmerica's first
Coast Guard Sration (the Coasties consider
the Merrimack River to be the second mosr
dangerous river entrance in the country after
the Columbia). Gloucesrer was America's first
fishing communiry. Beverly and Marblehead
engaged in a dispute over rhe which was rhe
birthplace oftheAmerican Navy. And after the
smoke from the Salem witch trails cleared. this
town was one of the largest shipping centers in
the United States. Needless ro say, the Nonh
Shore is steepedin the sea.
BOSTON HARBOR
Oursr,c,NorNc FrsHrNGis rypically associated
wirh scenic areas. Cities, on rhe other hand,
get the nod for nighdife, dining, sports and
culture. In Boston, you can have the best of
both world.s-the rariry ofworld-class fishing
in and around one ofAmerica's major cities.
For the most parr, urban fishing is different from virtually any orher place you've wet
a line. You'll carch striped bass and bluefish
while jets land at nearby Logan Airpom, water
shumles ffansporr brokers and rraders from
the South Shore into the Financial District,
and barges offoad new cars or oil. And then
there's history. \lZhen you fish in Boston
Harbor you'll be near rhe Boston Tea Parry
ship, and Revolutionary'War, Civil \flar, and
Vorld'War II sires. If you're lucky, you may
see Old Ironsides our on one of its semi-annual voyages.
There are a rotal of 34 islands in Boston
Harbor, and the Boston Harbor Islands
National Park Service and the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recrearion
maintain them. Boat fishermen work the
Inner Harbor's channels, ledgesand structure
as well as rhe Outer Harbor's rocks, ledges,
and shoals. \Wade fishermen walk beaches
like Volloston, Revere, or Hull, and river
estuarieslike \Winthrop's Belle Isle Creek and
\Teymoutht Back River. The advenrurous
pack a tent and hitch the ferry to overnight on
Grape, Bumpkin or Lovellt Islands (seewww.
bostonislands.com for more information).
Local history frequently contradicts factual
history. So be it. The local version of the
Hangman's Ledge srory for insrance, saysthar
a gallows stood on the rocks to string up captured pirates and privateers,with gulls picking
off the remains of their carcasses.Facrual
history reports that the original name on a
177 5 London naurical chart was "Haymant,"
and in 1882 several fishermen built fishing
shacks on the island. These anglers used fish
guts and seaweed as fertilizer and planted
vegetable gardens for a September harvest. I
prefer the local legend.
In late April, alewives fill the harbor to
spawn in the many rivers and creela. Hundreds of thousands of them congregare in the
Inner Harbor and passthrough the locks that
separate the Charles River from the ocean.
Silversides,squid, mackerel and menhaden follow and there are bassto carch from lareApril
through June, bluefish in the midseason,and
both speciesin the fall.'fhe migration rypically
ends in the middle of October, thereby leaving
seven solid fish-catching monrhs.
In the Outer Harbor, rwo scenic lighthousLight and Graves Lighthouse-
s5-$e51en
round out the picturesque setting. You'll swear
you're fishing offthe North Shore, but youre
really only a half dozen miles from downtown
Boston. And in 30 minutes from netting a bass
you can be on terra firma, trying to decide on
dinner at an ltdian, Indian, Japanese,Chinese,
Vietnamese or New England seafood restaurant, or head over to Fenway Park or down to
Gillette Stadium to see the BoSox or the Pats
play ball. Or you can keep fishing.
Tnr 9ourn Jnone
FRoM Braintree south ro rhe
Ruxxrxc
Cape Cod Canal, the South Shore transitions as it moves from an urban fishery near
Boston to an adjunct of Cape Cod. There
are inshore islands around Hingham, and
then the rocks and ledges from Scituate to
Cohasset.Around Hummarock, a hamlet of
Marshfield, you'll find the noteworthyNorth
and South Rivers and beaches. Don't forget
Duxburyt beachesand extensive fats, which
adjoin America's hometown, Plymouth.
Depending on water temperatures and
bait patterns, striped bass start moving into
48
the Cape Cod Canal sometime inApril. They
chase alewives that move into the North and
South Rivers. Silversides arrive in the shallower waters of Plymouth and Hingham in
May, and the fishing picks up dramatically.
An early run of bluefish arrive in mid May
through June, with the big schools migrating
with the warmer temperatures in July and
August. Sandeels, shrimp and crabs are hot
baits beginning in mid May. And as with the
North Shore, the fishing around Scituate and
Cohasset heats up in June, July and August.
Here, you'll find mackerel, pollock, and lobsters as important food groups.
There was an initial movement of lrishAmericans in the late 1800s and early 1900s
from Boston to the South Shore, giving rise to
the nickname the "Irish Riviera." Regardless,
from the Pilgrim's initial settlement to Presidents John Adams and John Qrirry Adams,
the South Shore has played a significant role
in history. Heck, Howard Johnson's and
Dunkin Donuts both got their starts not far
from striper hot spot'Wolloston Beach (Q"incy), and Toll House chocolate chip cookies
came from \fhitman, the home of salnvater
angler/author/casting guru, George Roberts.
CAPE COp
Ooorv ENoucH, Cape Cod is directly connected to the North Shore. The Labrador
Current that runs from north to south along
Plum Island collides with the Gulf Stream.
and that collision formed Cape Cod. It
might take a few years,but sand from Plum
Island on the North Shore feasiblywinds up
on Race Point on the Cape.
It's hard to go wrong fishing Cape Cod.
Each of its four sections-the Upper, Mid,
Lower, and Outer Cape-has a time of year
and a species,from April through December.
The Upper Cape starts early and ends late.
The 6rst bass and blues of the seasonarrive
in Buzzard's Bay and the Canal when the
herring arrive in April/May. Fishing continues to improve on the South Side's\W'aquoit
Bay and Popponesset (and all their various
creeks) when the silversides arrive. It's hard
not to catch fi.sh. Summer is the time for
stripers on the rocks off the Elizabeth Islands, but also for bluefish, bonito and false
albacore in Buzzard's Bay (so named by the
Pilgrims who had never seen wild turkeys
and thought the shoreline'svast population
of same were buzzards).
o
Y
o
v
!,
3
o
F
I
&
v
o
v
o
w
o
-i.,
'.:!l
"
tr
,
#i-
*:,f*t
l'he Mid Cape'.sBarnstable Harbor and
BassRiver ger mosr of the artention from fly
anslers. Bassfilter into l]amstable Harbor
parallel and br.rllnoscbars, give every angler
'T'he
plenty of room ro fish.
recl weed in tl-re
.sr.lr-nrner
scarcsaway sonre fisherrnen, but it
a n d i t s r i d a l c r e e k sw h e n t h c h e r r i n s s t a r r
t o a r r i v e, a n d t h e v s t a y d r r e r o t h e a b u n d a n t
bait. Silversidesand sandeels keep the fish
l i n e c i u p i n r h c c h a n n e l s ,f l a r s , , l n d g u z z l e s ,
shouldn't. Oftenrirnes ).ou'll catch bassright
at ',,our fbet.
a n d t h e v s r a yp r e r r y r n u c h t h e e n t i r e s e a s o n .
The Bass lliver is the longcst river on the
Cape, and gets irs name fbr gooc{reason. Ir'.s
loaded with bass for sure, but also bluefish.
You'll even fincl sorne bonito and albiesat
thc mouth.
The l-ower (lape is where mosr lblks
so when thev think olt flars fishing. Wirh
the ba,v side'.sBrelvster Flats and the ocearn
M a n y a n g l e r sr r r r a c e t h e i r f b o t s t e p sa n d
-[-hat's
retlrm to rheir favorire lishing spors.
a goocl approach, bur there are many more
o f t h c B a y S t a t e ' sI , 5 1 9 r n i l e so f c o a s t l i n et n
f i s h . A n c l r h e n r h e r e a r c t h c " b i g i s l a n d s "o f
Nantucl<etand Marrha'.sVineyard, but rhat'.s
'I'he
anorher story (or trvo).
rerrl beautv oI
f i s h i n g i n M a s s a c h u s e r tlsi e si n r h e i n c r e d i b l e
vrrriety of rvarer. T'his year, n-rakeir a poinr
to try some place new'. Odcls are you \\.ont
be disappointed.
side's Monomov
Lslrrndsand Pleasanr Bay,
you'll ncver run our of fishing grotrnds. The
Monomoy rips pick up as the warer warms,
and are good places to find seasonalbonito,
albies and tuna.
'fhe
C a p e C o d N a r i o n a l S e a s h o r er l r n s
f r o m E , a s r h a r nu p t h r o L r g h P r o v i n c e r o w n
at the poinry encl, and if 1.o,, enjoi, beach
fishing, head ro the Outer Cape-you.,von'r
be clisappointed. Miles and miles of rvide,
white-sand beacheswith onshorc, offshore,
Frv 9nops wlrH GulDEt
NoRrn SnoRr
River's Ecige'Iiadins Cornpanr', Beverly
{f)78) 921-8008
www.. ri ye rscd getrad i n g. co rrr
First l-ieht Anglers, I{owley
1o78)948-7004
rvww. firstl igh tan gle rs. conl
BOSTON
Fireflv C)utfi tters, Boston
rc17)423-FISH
www, fireflyo u f fi tters. conl
50urn gnong
Baymen Outfitters, Duxburv
(781)934-2838
w w w . b : r 1 ' n r cn o u t f i t t c r s . c o r r l
(APE (OP
Fishing rl'reCape, East Harwich
'508) 432-t200
t,wwflsh
in gthccape. corn
Goose Hr:mmock, Orleans
608) 255-0455
www.goOse.cotTl
Eastnran'stckle
Shop, Falrlouth
(508)548-6900
w'ww. eas t rn an s tirchl e. cOrn
i;:
Torvr KBen is a fiecluent contributor to f ly Fislt
Arnerica, and lives in \Wellfleet,Massachusctrs.