FISHING LINES

By SEAN MULREADY
For The Patriot Ledger

From a boat or from shore, here’s where the big ones are biting:

From boats

Quincy to Hull
(Fore River Bait and Tackle, Rick Newcomb)

Fish are hitting ‘‘like mad,’’ according to Newcomb, who marvels at the constant action so late in the season. He’s never seen so many shrimp in the bay as he has this year. Add to those some peanut bunker and juvenile herring, and there’s plenty of keep the game fish in place until the weather gets cold. Lately, bass and blues have chased smelt all along Hull Bay, so keep the tackle light and use some small plastic baits. Want larger fish? Try locating the adult pogies along Wollaston Beach and bring a few snagging hooks. Newcomb reports that anglers don’t even have to reel the fish in after hooking it - just let it swim around until a striper grabs it. About the only warning is to bring along some wire leaders because there are plenty of blues in the 3- to 5-pound class that chew threw monofilament quickly. Trolling tube and worms, lures or dragging a pogy, boaters would do well to explore Hangman’s and Veazie Rocks for good striper action.

Cohasset to Scituate
(Belsan Bait and Tackle, Peter Belsan)

The offshore migration has yet to occur. The past weekend produced some decent fish for people trolling tube and worms or dunking chunks around Minot’s Ledges. As yet, no working birds give any hint of migrating schools of fish. That may change if the weekend storm materializes. In the meantime, look deep for the bass or troll for blues between Tar Pouch and the 21 can. Bottom anglers have found big cod on Stellwagen. Others found smaller fish near the H-buoy. Spike mackerel are showing around Stone Ledge.

Marshfield to Plymouth
(Bayman Outfitters, Capt. Dave Bitters)

The greatest fall blitz Bitters has ever had the pleasure of fishing continues in the shallow of Plymouth and Duxbury bays. Short bass are in good supply, but so are keepers not far off the Plymouth jetty. Those bass and still larger fish have dominated action around the bay this week. Blues account for about 30 percent of the action. Charters at midweek drifted through the fog to get 62 bass and blues on one day and 53 the next. As of now, there’s still no sign of the action slowing as the fish feed nearly all the day on the abundant bait inside the harbors. Offshore, tuna are showing within a few miles of the beach, at least when the fog lets you see them. Bitters recommends small Cripple Herring or YoZuri Hydro metals as ways of attracting the fast moving mini tuna. Only the tuna fishing requires moving offshore, though. Big bass and feisty blues, mostly in the 3- to 5-pound range, remain in tight to the outer beaches.

Canal and Buzzards Bay
(Maco’s, Dick Hopwood)

Lots of small bass and blues make light tackle fishing a blast early each day from the Maritime Academy, up into Onset and all the way down past Stony Point Dike. Bring along some poppers and small soft or hard plastic swimmers to get in on some of the fastest action of the season along this stretch. Bigger fish remain in evidence for those tossing eels. Fish up to 25 pounds have turned up in the fish boxes of those using eels nearly every day of late. Remember, the scup season has closed. Bottom anglers have already switched over to the tautog and the fast sale of green crabs every day lets you know that the stout ’togs have already started hitting around the rocks in deeper water.

South Cape
(Green Pond Fish’n Gear, Dick Lewis)

Things have remained slow this week with some anglers burning fuel to run around the Vineyard and Nantucket with little to show for it but the fuel bills and a sunburn. A few big bass have turned up around the Hooter. Along the Elizabeths, action has been strangely inconsistent. Some anglers jigging Hairballs or parachutes have reported fast action on bass. On the same tide on the same day, nearby anglers doing the same routines are getting skunked. Seems like small groups of bass are on the move, but the major migration has not started down here. Fluke fishing faded fast in the last week.

North and Outer Cape
(Blackbeard’s Tackle, Paul Neumier)

Boat anglers along Billingsgate have continued to enjoy great success with jigs as well as tube and worms up on the shoal. Fish up to 40 pounds have been boated each day in the last week with plenty of blues mixed in nearly everywhere. It’s hard to miss the blues off Wellfleet or Barnstable ...Just follow the birds and snap on those metal leaders. Don’t be surprised to find bass in the same mix. On the ocean side, fog has kept most anglers from heading out.

From shore

Quincy to Plymouth

Smelt anglers have been enjoying a spectacular early season, according to Rick Newcomb, who has grass shrimp for sale everyday. Luckily, the shrimp are so plentiful this year that it takes only a few minutes to grab all that he needs and more for the shop each day. Smelt anglers have shifted from A Street to Pemberton and spots in between each day to find the best fishing. Because of the plentiful smelt and other bait, action inside the bays and along the rivers has held up well. At times the birds can locate fish for you, but fishing cut bait, especially off the rocks at Point Allerton or at the Gut will give you a solid chance for bass or blues. Some bass and a few blues have moved though the Powder Point Bridge’s piling on the dropping tides each day.

Canal and Buzzards Bay

Early in the morning, blues have given anglers some steady topwater action for nearly a week. Fish haven’t been large, but they have been hungry. Those tossing eels at night have tied into a number of keeper bass up to 30 pounds.

South Cape

Small bass and blues turn up on most tides on most beaches, but nothing special is happening yet. With a storm this weekend, that could change fast as bigger blues hanging offshore could be within casting range soon.

North and Outer Cape

Coast Guard and Marconi beaches had been layered in mung for quite some time. Lately, that weedy mess has dissipated and allowed casters a chance at the small blues roaming the outside beaches. Inside beaches have little trouble with weeds and have had blues within range at the top of the tide.

Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Thursday, October 06, 2005