Fish On!: Bottom of the ninth for fishing season

Well, unfortunately Winter is knocking on our doorstep, and the season is almost over. Fish are on the move, and this time of year it’s a matter of finding those migrating schools of bass and blues as they head past us South, on their way to winter spawning grounds.The weather hasn’t cooperated with us lately, whether it’s been rain, high winds, or both. Reports are becoming fewer – not due to lack of fish, but lack of fishermen!Most guys have put away the boat and gear for the winter, but those still out are catching fish. Daily schools of small bass are busting in the surf line up and down the North Shore, making for some great late Fall fishing, but for the big girls, it’s a hunt. Next week will be the last report for the year, but catching stripers on the move will be the goal for the next 2 weeks. This is it, put on those sweatshirts and hit the surf for a good shot at these migrating fish!Here’s a look at our areas:Boston HarborI stopped into Bob’s Bait Shack in Winthrop a few times this week to get fresh pogies. Tomo from the shop reports pogies are still in the Harbor with bass on them.Bluefish are still zipping around in the 7-12 pound range, and can be trolled up with swimming plugs or just on chunk bait.He also reports a great Smelt bite that’s started up, and anglers have limited out in no time on these tasty little fish! Best bets for smelt are well lit docks such as the docks at Crystal Cove Marina in Winthrop.Marc “The Mackerel Man” had a nice night this week, fishing the Deer Island Rip, Winthrop area, taking a few nice bass on chunk pogies, such as a nice fat 37 inch striper and is hoping for another 2 weeks of striper action in Boston.Lynn/NahantLynn Beach, from Red Rock Bistro to the bath house had action all week right along the shoreline. Mostly stripers in the 18-25 inch range have been chasing small baitfish right into the beach, making for some fast action.Storm Shads were reportedly crushing them. And there’s been word of Mackerel, yes, Mackerel again around Nahant.Local fisherman Kevin Holding, a top rod angler and member of the Broad Sound Tuna Club bagged 50 live macks in a half hour recently just off Nahant, jigging them up with a standard Sabiki Rig.Live macks accounted for bass to 30 pounds around the outer Boston Harbor islands last week, and shouldn’t be too different in our area. If you can find them, live macks are still deadly for big bass, especially in the fall.Salem/MarbleheadGraves Beach, West Beach, and a few others have produced bass in the 32-inch range this week, with again, live mackerel fished just off the beaches in four to five feet of water. Look for mackerel schools in the same inshore spots as this summer, like Jubilee Yacht Club in Salem, as well as out between Misery and Baker’s Islands.Smaller bass have been found feeding on top in the mornings throughout Salem Sound and Marblehead Harbor. Look for the flocks of birds to give away feeding fish.Cape Ann/NewburyportHuge surface feeds were reported just a few days ago at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, on the public side, but unfortunately for the gentleman who reported it, he didn’t have his rod, and watched as other fishermen had a late Fall “striper bonanza” and caught multiple bass each to 35 inches.The folks over at Surfland Bait on Plum Island reported this week that dead low tide was the time to fish. On the refuge, a young man named Sam caught his first keeper ever, a nice fat 40 incher! Many bass are being taken around the Island, mainly on bloodworms just as the tide turns to come in. They’re still here!The Bottom LineThis is the time of year that the fish are on the move, and you should be too. Hitting multiple spots is the key to finding the fish right now. This weekend’s weather finally looks good, and taking a shoreline drive from Nahant to Marblehead is a Fall weekend tradition for many local surfcasters, and you’re sure to find fish. For the boat crowd, if the boat’s still in the water, and hopefully it is, l