Fish On: Could this be a record year?

Last Sunday, June 19, 2011, fisherman Peter Vican weighed in the second largest striped bass ever caught on a rod and reel, weighing in at a jaw dropping 77.4 pounds, caught off Block Island, RI., at 3:30 a.m on a live eel.He broke his own 2009 Rhode Island State Record of 76.14 pounds.This new Rhode Island state record is about one pound shy of the world record of 78.8 pounds caught by Al McReynolds off the Vermont Avenue Jetty in Atlantic City, NJ, on Sept. 21, 1982.Many biologists have predicted the record to be broken, from last year through 2013 due to a specific fish class of the early 80s.They haven’t been too far off. This year looks to be a banner year for us in the North Shore area, as the class of fish have averaged bigger each year for the past few years, and the amount of bait in our area in recent years has been incredible.With any luck, the mackerel will continue to hang around, the blues will stay south for another week or two and we’ll continue to enjoy some truly great striper fishing!Here’s a look at our areas:Boston HarborLast weekend’s annual Boston Harbor Striper Shootout out of Pete Santini’s Fish N’ Finatics shop went superb. Pretty much every boat caught fish, with first place going to the boat “Rock Lobster” whose crew netted multiple cow bass, their largest being the winner at 49 inches.Word is that pogies perhaps have finally arrived in the harbor. If that’s that case, with the pogies come super sized stripers hot on their tails. We’re in for some great fishing this season.Lynn/NahantWow, are there some big bass around our area right now! Bass are being caught from Revere Beach to Lynn Beach, and are hitting basically everything you throw at them. Guys chunking mackerel, clams, or seaworms from the beach are doing great, as well as the Lynnway Gas wharf crowd this week.A couple of 40-pound bass were taken off Egg Rock this week as well, trolling umbrella rigs. The bait of choice at the moment though is still live mackerel.They’re all over Nahant and Egg Rock in 60-70 feet of water, and guys are even jigging them right off the rocks of East Point. Livelining Macks around any of the rocky shoreline of Nahant is a great way to take a trophy.Salem/MarbleheadThis area has been hit or miss. Red hot action one day, and seemingly barren the next. They key is finding the macks between Bakers and Misery Islands, and just behind House Island.Those fishermen livelining are having no problem catching bass. Topwater surface feeds are also going on the the morning, usually right up until 7 a.m. around the islands.Topwater plugs are the go to when you’re lucky enough to stumble across one.The mouth of Marblehead Harbor has been great, with a good concentration of mackerel schools hanging around there and, again, the livelining crowd is having all the success.Cape Ann/NewburyportCape Ann has been non stop action, due to the acres of mackerel that are hanging outside of Gloucester Harbor. They’re literally everywhere. Livelining them around Cape Ann has produced bass to 44 inches this week.In the Plum Island area, Kay Moulton of Surfland Bait reports good numbers of fish being taken on the Island and being weighed into the shop, but she said it was kind of a slow week. The outgoing tide at the mouth of the Merrimack during the last 3 hours of the tide and into the incoming has been the best time and place to fish.Mackerel are just outside the mouth and have been the bait of choice for the boat crowd.The Bottom LineWith the World Record coming closer and closer to being broken, what better time to get out there and fish for stripers?If you’re looking for that trophy striper this weekend, Boston Harbor or Nahant seem to be the places for it.Livelined Mackerel off the rocky shoreline of Nahant is prime environment for large bass. It holds the magical ingredients for stripers: Structure and moving water.Now for Boston. During last weekend’s Boston Harbor Tourney, multiple bass over 40 inches were taken at night trolling