BOSTON HARBOR & SOUTH SHORE-Stripers 7/29/2007
The inner-harbor bays and coves are consistently producing top-water bass and blues for anglers targeting structure. Both light-spinning using Texas-rigged soft-plastics and fly fishers using gurglers, sliders and poppers. One to two keeper bass per day with schoolies bass to 27 inches and an occasional bluefish mixed in were the typical catches through most of this week. Outside the outer-harbor islands occasional schools of big blues can be found feeding on tinker mackerel, and the ledges off are still holding bass tight to the rocks.
On Wednesday, long-time client Bob Steinmann and his wife Kelly made the trip up from Long Island for some top-water striper fishing. Boston’s bays produced a mix of small bass and blues at first light and one keeper bass of 33” for high-liner Kelly. Making a move to the outer-harbor, we found a big school of blue coursing through tinker mackerel, and managed to land these choppers up to 12 pounds on both the long rod and light spinning gear.
Dave Sowerby of York, ME and his two grandsons from NJ tried there hand at this top-water, light-tackle fishing on Thursday. Flat-calm conditions made tricking the stripers difficult as many fish were just swirling at the presentations. Nevertheless, the sibling rivalry was on, and Andy managed to hook most of the stripers and one 30” keeper bass.
9 year-old Reed was very frustrated with the striper’s lack of cooperation; he just couldn’t get the hook in one. Further, he wanted a bluefish in the worst way. As luck would have it, the gods were on his side. He did a masterful job fighting a 33”, 12# blue the slammed a Bassin’ Assassin” on the surface, and, in the end, took top-honors for the largest fish of the day!
Mike Owasinski and friend, also from Long Island, had similar conditions on Friday finding the stripers rising and swirling at the presentations, but reluctant to take. However, both Islanders prevailed and managed to hook and land a number of school bass. Each hooked and dropped a keeper bass at boat side—one was a 36”+ striper.
On Saturday morning we had the harbor to ourselves; no one was on the water. The inner-harbor proved to be very slow. A move to the outer-harbor coves and the rocky promontories was the ticket. Mike Gray and is two children Devon and Alex from Norwell has a great morning raising stripers to the surface. Once again the women, who take direction well, out-fished the men both in numbers of stripers to 27 inches and size; one 30” keeper was bass teased to the surface flooding tide and after a Kodak moment, promptly released.
Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com
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