A decade ago, catching saltwater fish from a kayak could have been dismissed as a gimmick, a way to add an unnecessary level of difficulty to the sport of fishing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth today. Kayak-fishing has grown to become a significant segment of the fishing fleet, with its own specialized craft, gear and techniques.
Some might see the kayak as a compromise, an option for fishermen who can’t afford a boat and therefore accept the limitations of paddle-power, enough to get them off the shore but not enough to get them to the big fish that boat fishermen catch. The reality is that kayaks offer certain advantages over boats, including the ability to stealthily approach fish without spooking them, to enter shallow and rock-filled waters where boats can’t go, and to relocate easily (via cartop) and launch quickly without requiring a boat ramp.
As anglers learn to focus on the advantages instead of the shortcomings of a kayak, they have been able to rack up some impressive catches. Look no further than the leader of the Catch and Release division of the Striper Cup tournament, Eric Harrison, who has put up a three-bass total of 145.5 inches — a staggering average of 48.5 inches per fish. He did it in the waters of Boston Harbor and the North Shore, all from the seat of his Hobie kayak.
South Shore
Striper fishing improved in the Cape Cod Canal this week, with an influx of bass at the east end chasing mackerel. Boat fishermen have been catching in Cape Cod Bay by trolling tube-and-worm rigs off Sandwich, from Scorton Ledge to Barnstable Harbor. Bluefish remain the more likely catch from Plymouth up to Scituate, particularly east of Minots Ledge. Tube-and-worm rigs are turning up a few good-sized bass around the ledges off Cohasset.
Boston Harbor
It’s been a great late-summer bite for big striped bass in Boston Harbor, and we have the inshore pogy schools to thank. These big baitfish have been drawing in bass in the 30-40-pound class, and perhaps a few bigger ones as well. Finding the pogies isn’t always easy, but most reports have them appearing near the surface in the early morning around Winthrop and Deer Island, inside Hull Bay, and off Wollaston Beach in Quincy. Snag a few for the livewell and fish them where you find them, or take them to some deeper water with good current, like Hull Gut, West Gut, or the Deer Island Rip.
If you can’t find the pogies, your next-best option for the daytime striper hunt remains the tube-and-worm rig, or heading out after sunset with live eels. Another option is to chase the big bluefish that are roaming the harbor. A fresh pogy chunk fished from Castle Island in South Boston has the potential to turn up a 10-pound blue.
North Shore
Shore fishermen looking for a big bass should focus on fishing fresh chunk baits from their favorite beach spots from Lynn up to Marblehead. Early mornings, before sunrise, are best. Salem Harbor has big bass chasing pogies, making participants in the Kayak Fishing Striper Shootout in Salem hopeful for impressive catches this weekend. From Ipswich Bay up to the Merrimack, fishing should improve in the coming week as waters begin to cool slightly and baitfish filter out of the marshes. Joppa Flats and the mouth of the Merrimack River are currently giving up some good catches of big bluefish and school-sized bass.
Tuna
If you cover some water from Race Point down to Truro and out a few miles toward the shipping lanes, you should be able to locate the schools of small bluefin tuna that are feeding on sand eels. Trolling is the most productive method, but you don’t necessarily need a big boat with a spread of squid bars. Soft-plastic stickbaits like Slug-gos and Hogys do a great job mimicking the sand eels and you can even troll them on heavy spinning gear. There are tuna on Stellwagen, but most boats are reporting an inconsistent bite.
For the complete Fishing Forecast, go to onthewater.com.
