Boston Fishing Reports

So you thought that the new rod you got as a kid for your birthday was special!! Rather than a trip to the video arcade or the mall, 13-year-old Braden’s mom chartered Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters. The goal was to top what Braden and his chums had thus far achieved, namely sunfish and largemouth bass by bike among golf course ponds and other small water bodies just south of Boston. It’s a safe bet to assume that Braden enjoyed catching slot stripers on mackerel a lot more than stunted sunnies and little Larrys. I can only imagine how jealous his buddies must be. Captain Mark is finding the bass in tight among harbors along the South Shore where the bait – especially mackerel – are abundant! It’s not every September when mackerel can be found so close in, with some theorizing it’s due to the high salinity levels inside due to the lack of appreciable rain, while some even suggest it’s due to the volume of aggressive squid in deeper water. Regardless of the reason, look for macks and bass in the Three Bays, Green Harbor, Scituate Harbor, and Cohasset Harbor. While not a bankable catch, blues have been trolled up in 35’ of water with mackerel X-Raps as well as umbrella rigs getting it done. "On The Water"

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters briefly thought that his sonar must be on the fritz: there just seemed to be too many marks on the screen. It took but one drop of a butterfly jig off Race Point to prove that the marks were all real and that they belonged to stripers and bluefish. Closer to home, the captain is finding 25” of water off Scituate is the striper sweet spot regardless of the stage of the tide. Mackerel have moved – or, more accurately, been pushed – into Scituate Harbor. Bluefish have finally become a factor with X-Raps and mackerel catching them in 35’ of water. Pete from Belsan’s Bait and Tackle in Scituate said that it is shades of late last August out there as Egypt Beach is loaded with striped bass. Just maybe best of all is that the bass are big and not the least bit fussy, with all manner of baits and lures working. Football tuna, in the 40” range, have made a showing within three miles of the coastline. The small bluefin can be found pummeling the same pogy schools which are attracting the striped bass and bluefish. "on the water"

Action-packed day from the get-go! Dan and their crew joined me for a wicked summer afternoon charter, heading out around midday with clear skies that turned cloudy as the day progressed; water conditions were slicked out perfect for our Half-Day to Full-Day Inshore Trips with Captain Mark – Experience Race Point's Premier Bass Action here at Legit Fish Sportfishing. Once the stage was set, we focused our efforts on putting the crew onto some quality striped bass using a combination of trolling, jigging, and live bait fishing techniques. The Cape has always been a premier destination for inshore fishing, and today proved exactly why - these waters hold incredible populations of stripers that respond well to multiple approaches. We dragged bait through productive zones, worked jigs along structure, and deployed live offerings where the fish were cooperating. Lines stayed tight throughout the trip, and we wrapped up with great catches and smiles all around, no suh! For anglers looking to experience Cape Cod's premier striped bass action, our Private Striped Bass and Bluefish Fishing Charter provides the perfect opportunity to target these incredible fish in some of New England's most productive inshore waters. Whether you're interested in trolling the productive zones off Race Point, working jigs along Cape Cod's legendary structure, or deploying live bait where the stripers are feeding, we'll put you onto the action. Our Half-Day to Full-Day Inshore Trips offer flexibility for every angler's schedule, and with boat traffic manageable and conditions typically cooperative, Cape Cod inshore fishing delivers consistent results. Contact Legit Fish Sportfishing to book your striped bass adventure - these waters are chock full of opportunity, and we'll make sure you experience the best Cape Cod inshore fishing has to offer "on the water."

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters said that some of the substantial schools of striped bass off Race Point appear to have spun off and moved deeper into Cape Cod Bay. Some impressive reports have been trickling in regarding solid striper action in such spots as Fishing Ledge, Billingsgate Shoals and outside of Sesuit Harbor. Mackerel remain the weapon of choice, with bite-sized tinkers tending to be farther out than their larger kin inshore. Pogies, which were offshore, have largely blown in and are swimming off area beaches and in harbors such as Scituate Harbor. Charlie has made his presence known and is keeping shop owners busy re-spooling line on reels which were not intended to handle the heat of a tuna. Haddock had been pulling a no-show, but there are some signs that this has changed. A recent charter of Captain Mark’s was interested in a few fillets for the cooler, with the mission being accomplished on top of ledge from 124-135’ of water. The skipper emphasized the need to be on top of that ledge as cod rule the edges. Anglers trolling X Raps and mackerel off Cohasset and Hull have been picking up stripers and the occasional blue. "on the water"

There are some signs that the shift in wind direction to a more easterly direction has blown in cooler temperatures and a hotter bite off the South Shore. Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters said that while Race Point was still productive, the area off Scituate has picked up a lot. In addition to more favorable water temperatures the ultimate big bass bait – bunker – have moved in. Areas off beaches are holding schools of bunker and they are even present in Scituate Harbor. On the water"

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish didn’t have to tap into AIS to find what might be the biggest bass biomass in the Bay State — he just had to figure out where the bait was. Squid, sand eels and mackerel, which are awash at Race Point, are holding a huge aggregate of striped bass. A few blues are tearing up tackle and reports of Charlie are beginning to trickle in. This year the craze seems to be centered around Mojo Rigs and Umbrella Rigs of all sorts. Of course, trolling or dropping mackerel amidst the marked fish is a solid idea, too. Others are doing just fine with slow-pitch jigs as well as the tried-and-true diamond jig. "on the water"

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters found feeding stripers in 120’ of water off Plymouth, but all signs have pointed to them moving in off Hummock Beach in 30’ of water. The fish can be fussy as they focus on sliversides. The captain is prepared, however, as he’s topping the livewell with mackerel, including tinkers. The macks seem to associate with an omnipresent green slick that snakes along the surface water about 3 miles out. There are plenty of stripers in Scituate Harbor, with the channel holding fish at low tide, while they are less concentrated at high tide and a tougher find.

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters echoed what others are saying, namely that slot stripers are not hard to find. Scituate Harbor is holding them, as are beaches such as Duxbury Beach, Priscilla Beach, Burkes Beach, and Rexhame Beach. Some are report that after the long haul, the fish are feeding voraciously and prone to hit a variety of plugs and soft plastics. Captain Rowell has a hunch that the haddock are a lot closer than Jeffrey’s Ledge, making them much for accesible for South Shore anglers. He’s hedging his bets that haddock should move well into Cape Cod Bay thanks to a spike in lobster boat activity, along with their inadvertent chumming as they set and pull their traps. Over the weekend, he’s hoping to have a bead on them as they could be near Stone Ledge or the SW Corner of Stellwagen."on the water"

Another season usually coincides with another new ride for Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters, and this year is no exception. The new Parker buddy cabin he’s taking charters on this year should excel in seaworthiness and comfort, yet still put a lot of fish in the boat. What’s especially interesting this year is the experimental live bait well, he’s adapting to the new boat. This thing is borne from catfish competitions where the goal is to keep the fish alive until they can be released to swim again after the weigh-in. In addition to a well-oxygenated system, the new livewell has compartments to store ice to keep the baits cool and alive. The goal of the new livewell is to keep the notoriously fragile sea herring alive longer. These bait fish are arguably the best bait there is for both bluefin and bass, but are difficult to keep upright. If this innovative livewell works as expected, the catching aboard the skipper’s boat will improve exponentially. While the Legit Fish crew has not been fishing just yet, the captain’s been hearing of stripers on the move off area beaches such as Hummock and Rexhame. "on the water"

Quality cod such as this 34” as well as hot haddock fishing have par for the course for Legit Fish. Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters is finding cod up to 34” and limits of haddock on most trips. That is arguably much better fishing than others are experiencing among more northern offshore structure, such as Jeffrey’s Ledge and Tillies. The key, according to the captain, is to find rocks/wrecks just to the side of soft bottom. Draggers tend to avoid the irregular bottom, which wreaks havoc on their gear, and instead pound muddy/gravely bottom. Clams, as well as pink cod flies/teasers, are doing the job. Ancillary wow moments continue aboard Legit Fish with a noteworthy one happening while the crew was trying to put a patron onto a blue shark. While setting out a chum slick, and as the blue sharks began to get close to the boat, an unforeseen mako exploded out of nowhere and slammed the bait. The takedown was ferocious and furious, but unfortunately, the fight short lived. Without a doubt, that angler will be booking another trip soon. "on the water"

Non-stop bites all day long! Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Sportfishing here, putting patrons onto some wicked good action this fall morning. Brian and their crew joined us for an early morning departure out of Scituate, heading to Massachusetts Bay under clear conditions throughout the day. The water around Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary was slicked out perfect for our Private 4-Hour Stone Ledge Ground Fish adventure with Legit Fish Sportfishing. With our gear rigged and ready, we worked the productive waters using a combination of trolling, bottom fishing, and jigging techniques to target the Atlantic Cod that call these waters home. Massachusetts Bay continues to be one of the Cape's most reliable spots for bottom fishing; the structure around Stone Ledge holds baitfish, and where there's bait, the cod are cooperating. Lines tight all morning as we dispatched multiple Atlantic Cod boatside. No suh, when the conditions line up like this and the fish are feeding, it makes for one memorable trip on the water. If you're thinking about getting out on Massachusetts Bay for some serious bottom fishing action, our Private 4-Hour Stone Ledge Ground Fish trips are perfect for targeting cod, haddock, and pollock around the productive waters of Stellwagen Bank. We run these offshore fishing charters year-round from Scituate, putting crews onto consistent action using proven techniques like jigging and bottom fishing that work these waters. Whether you're after keeper-sized cod or just want to experience some of the best ground fishing Massachusetts Bay has to offer, our experienced crew knows exactly where to find them. The combination of structure, current, and baitfish around Stone Ledge creates ideal conditions for bottom fishing, and our four-hour trips give us plenty of time to work multiple spots and put you onto fish. Book your Massachusetts Bay bottom fishing adventure with Legit Fish Sportfishing and experience why these waters produce some of the most consistent cod fishing "on the water."

The blitzkrieg of blues inshore has made finding mackerel a dicey proposition. Three to four miles out, the macks are common, but they are avoiding what would surely be an inshore massacre. The stripers are often hit or miss, depending on which bait they are feeding on. When sand eels are on the menu, and unless you’re offering matches the forage, you may find more frustration than fun. When pushing herring, pogies, or mackerel, the bass are usually less fussy. Hummock and Rexhame Beach have been two of the best bets, with even shore anglers getting into it. "On The Water"

The prospects have to be promising for anglers to leave a harbor full of willing stripers, but on a few fronts, that’s just what’s happening. While a bit torn, Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters out of Scituate has been steering clear of an easy pick of bass and instead opting for a cooler replete with cod and their cousins. He and his crew are finding plenty of cod, haddock, cusk, and ling between the middle bank of Stellwagen through Stone Ledge. Cod can be caught among rocky bottom in water less than 100’, while a more gravelly substrate and deeper stuff – 185-230’ – is more likely to hold the haddock. More good news is that the ratio of size is good, with very few shorts in the mix. When checked, the haddock are stuffed with shrimp, which makes pink cod flies and soft plastics effective. "On The Water"

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters continues to mix it up for charters by finding a quick slot bite at the mouth of the North River, followed by cows farther out. The river fish continue to feed on sand eels and herring fry, while the bigger fish are just outside of Scituate Harbor, with some fish approaching 50 pounds! Bluefish continue to be more of a factor with some desired less for their sporting attributes and more for a tuna entree. In fact, a chum of the captain caught a 118” behemoth recently in Cape Cod Bay on a bluefish. The haddock fishing from the bank through Stone Ledge continues to be outstanding, with many keepers among the catch."on the water"

South Shore and South Coast Fishing Report I could have almost wrapped up the South Shore with the sweeping report by Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters. The striped bass fishing not far from his Scituate slip has been fantastic in a number of fronts. Perhaps best of all is that there are many degrees to tight lines, so anglers can spread out. Sand eels and small herring are holding schoolies and slots throughout the North River – check. Mackerel and bite-sized pogies are the fuel for larger linesiders a short distance from the shoreline – another check. Ledges of all sorts are holding molting lobsters, and the stripers are capitalizing on their vulnerability. Green mackerel X Raps, bigger the better, burned around ledges in 55-70’ of water are getting mugged by 50” class bass – that is, unless a certain faster, toothy interloper intercepts the plug first. Legit Fish striper Legit Fish is putting patrons onto big South Shore stripers. As is typical of the peak of the summer, haddock numbers are surging from the bank through Stone Ledge, with keepers far outnumbering shorts. Tuna are more of a factor throughout Cape Cod Bay, with the size skewed towards giants. Overall, the action has been so furious that along with the remedial pre-launch technique and safety talk, Captain Rowell gives his charters, he’s asking them, “Are there any health issues I should be aware of before we start?” "on The Water"

Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters told me that stripers are coming through the South Shore in three different waves. There are the beach runners, which are feeding on sand eels. Then there are the ledge-loving linesiders, which are chock full of Jonah crabs. The latter might be a thing because the crabs have shed their shells! As to specifics, Captain Rowell pointed out Collamore Ledge. And then there’s the deepwater fish, which are shadowing schools of pogies and prone to taking down a tuna-grade mackerel. Above all, there’s fish aplenty with the bite spread around, making mobbing other boats unnecessary. As for tuna, the skipper is spotting everything from 89” fish to footballs busting bait from Stellwagen through Cape Cod Bay. "On The Water"