Advice for Boston Harbor?

[Stephenmjordan]

We are heading out of Weymouth Saturday morning at Sunrise. I have fished the Harbor a couple of times, at first light, and done pretty well. Both times, though, fish were breaking at the surface and it was easy just to follow the birds and/or breaking fish. I am of course hoping it will be that easy this weekend, but the question I have is if there is no surface activity does anyone has any advice for chumming and chunking bait or jigging in certain areas? Are there some deeper areas or rips within the Harbor?

Also, are we likely to see breaking fish in the Hingham Harbor area, or should we head out to the airport or someplace else?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Steve

[joejoe]

I have been fishing about 6 times in the harbor in the last 2 weeks, each trip in the evening and each trip more disappointing than the last. I have seen a few stripers pulled up from graves light by guys bottom fishing bait ( I assume) and I have seen a few stripers taken by the airport pier by deer island slow trolling tubes. There have been some blitz's of blues by the smaller airport piers accross from castle island the last few nights and from what I hear there are bass in the mix. We have trolled several shoots and tubes with no luck anywhere, and even tried drifting tubes only to have them get hung up on the bottom.

[PeterC]

You should do well on Saturday morning, as long as you are really out at first light. Last weekend there was excellent surface activity in various places in the Harbor. Friday there were fish on top between Grape and Sheep Island. On Saturday, the anchorage at Gallop's Island was churning with aggressive bass. Sunday morning, Hingham Harbor came alive. And other fishermen found surface activity in a lot of places I didn't poke into. But each time I fished, the bite ended between 7:30 and 8.

From my boat, the fishing appears to be the best of theyear, and it's improving.Good luck!!

[falt]

I agree with PeterC. The harbor has been unbelievably good the past few weeks and is getting better. My ontly difference is that I found the airport schools to be mostly bass with a few blues mixed in. If you go very early on Saturday the outgoing tide should be good. Likely spots for surface activity will be between Castle and Spectacle and Spectacle and Long. Also, a good bet will be in the area between Rainsford and Gallops, around Sunken Ledge and Quarentine Rocks (which were going crazy with bass all day today). Look for birds or boils if the water is calm. One or two birds have been marking large schools as there are so many large schools for the birds to choose from. If the action slows, there are great outgoing rips along the quarantine rocks (the inner most rip seems the most produtive to me for fly casting--just pull right up to the rocks and cast into them as the current takes you back) and also along the Great Faun Bar of deer Island. The latter has been remarkably productive to well drifted flies for the past several weeks with some really big fish. I note, we were taking fish all through the dead low tide today so the moving water was not that important to them.

[falt]

I agree with PeterC. The harbor has been unbelievably good the past few weeks and is getting better. My ontly difference is that I found the airport schools to be mostly bass with a few blues mixed in. If you go very early on Saturday the outgoing tide should be good. Likely spots for surface activity will be between Castle and Spectacle and Spectacle and Long. Also, a good bet will be in the area between Rainsford and Gallops, around Sunken Ledge and Quarentine Rocks (which were going crazy with bass all day today). Look for birds or boils if the water is calm. One or two birds have been marking large schools as there are so many large schools for the birds to choose from. If the action slows, there are great outgoing rips along the quarantine rocks (the inner most rip seems the most produtive to me for fly casting--just pull right up to the rocks and cast into them as the current takes you back) and also along the Great Faun Bar of deer Island. The latter has been remarkably productive to well drifted flies for the past several weeks with some really big fish. I note, we were taking fish all through the dead low tide today so the moving water was not that important to them.