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STELLWAGEN BANK, MA-Cod & BOSTON HARBOR-Stripers 7/18/05

PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:11 pm
by bfast
STELLWAGEN BANK, MA-Cod Fishing & BOSTON HARBOR-Stripers 7/18/05

Cod and haddock fishing had continued to be good in the deepwater east of the bank. More haddock than cod are making up the catches. Both in Boston inner and outer harbor the striped bass fishing has picked up significantly. Blues have also move in to the harbor as well as the outer ledges.

Terry Morina and friends from Telfond, PA had a good trip fishing with skimmer clams in the deepwater east of Stellwagen this past weekend. Mostly haddock to 22 inches with scrod and market cod mixed in filled the boxes. One large wolfish was the pool winner.

A new pod of stripers has moved into the Boston area this past weekend. These fish have apparently moved in from the north and east of the harbor. On Sunday, Fred Stockman and his friend Mark Robinson, both from Milford, CT had one of the best days of the season for big stripers. Starting out at first light in the inner-harbor bays produced a mix of bass and blues. Fred went to work with his own fly pattern on the Orvis T-3, 9 weight. Mark pitched bassin’ assassins, on the surface, to the fining bass and blues.

A move to the outer harbor produced the best action of the trip. Surface presentations, both on light-spinning gear and the long rod, was the ticket for the new arrivals coved with sea-lice. The last hour of the flood and the first hour of the ebb was the best tide both on Sunday and Monday. The Connecticut anglers tallied 7 keepers and numerous school bass, all taken on the surface, before the action slowed. Mark was high rod with 4 of the seven bass to 36 inches. Not to be outdone, Fred landed the pool winner of 40 inches and 20 pounds. All the bass were released after photo ops. The ledges off Cohasset proved to be slow fishing on the return trip to the Harbor. Lunch at DiNero’s in Hull added finishing touch to a great day on the water.

Monday’s trip with repeat client Ken Alexander, of DeCoverly Kennels (English Setters) and his son-in-law Matthew from Scranton, PA was even better for numbers of bass taken on the surface. The bass were easy to spot on the surface due to the light south breeze. At times it was too calm, which allowed the bass to see the gurglers and assassins too clearly and only swirl at the anglers trickery. However, on the first hour of the ebb, with squadrons of fining bass moving out with the tide, their attitudes changed. Before the morning blitz ended Mark and Ken boated close to forty bass with a few blues mixed in. Four keepers to 32 inches were released. Mark took top honors for the largest fish boated. However, on the last cast of the morning Ken tricked a slammer that dumped half the spool. Unfortunately, while I turned the boat in hot pursuit, the line chaffed off on a rock.

Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com