Fish On!: Fall Run has begun

The Fall Run has indeed begun. It’s that time of year again when Mother Nature suddenly flips a switch, as bass and bluefish begin feeding with a ferocity as they prepare for their long migration South to spawn in warmer waters. For many anglers, the Fall Run brings either feast or famine, but luckily for us fishermen in the Lynn area, it’s been a bountiful feast. Big “gorilla” bluefish have finally sniffed out all the bait in Lynn Harbor and have invaded in full force. Along with those yellow-eyed, toothy blues are monstrous stripers. Bass to 40 pounds are being taken on live and chunk pogies all over our area, and they’re not shy, the feed bags are on! There’s a little less than a month left of this fantastic fishing, so if you’re still looking for that trophy striper, there’s no better time than now, and they’re here!Here’s a look at our areas:Boston HarborFishing in the “habah” has been excellent, especially for those anglers finding and snagging pogies. Most of these schools have fish on them, whether it be cow stripers, big bluefish, or both. Some of the biggest bass reported this week were taken on a snagged pogie that was chomped in half while reeling it in, only to be sucked up by large linesiders that cruise along below the pogie schools for the easy pickings left by the blues. Look for pogies at Wollaston Beach, Crystal Cove, Winthrop, and all along the side of Deer Island. Topwater blitzes are happening all over the harbor, mostly in the mornings and afternoons.Lynn/NahantOnce again, the Lynn/Nahant area is probably THE place to be on the North Shore. A school of large bass has taken up residence in Lynn Harbor, most likely due to the amount of bait, peanut bunker, small herring, and adult pogies, that is just stacked in there. Bass to 38 pounds were reported in the harbor this week, taken on both live and chunk pogies. The afternoon into sunset, and the early mornings have been the best times to be there, and the action is pretty constant. Large blues are in as well and have been destroying tackle and leader line all week. Bring along some steel/wire leaders, because you’re sure to come across them!Salem/MarbleheadAccording to the kayak crowd, all three Salem, Marblehead, and Beverly Harbors were great this week for topwater action. Morning and afternoon blitzes were daily before the wind and rains came. Fly fishermen were in on the action as well, catching mostly blitzing bass in the 24-28 inch range. Mackerel are reported to have made a reappearance this week on the South Shore as well as just North of us in Salisbury, so don’t be surprised to see them again out around Bakers and Misery Islands one more time this season.Cape Ann/NewburyportCape Ann beaches were loaded with peanut bunker and herring this week. Fishermen reported those small baitfish being driven right up on the rocks trying to escape the bass. Manchester Harbor is loaded with shad, to the delight of the fly fishermen, but also to the striper guys, as they are a great bait to live-line for large bass. The folks up at Surfland Bait on Plum Island report a steady pick of bass in the Merrimack River as well as along the oceanfront. The Plum Island Reservation fished well, with a few larger bass up to 34 pounds taken on live eels off the beach.The Bottom LineRemember, big bait equals big fish. Don’t be afraid to use a big piece of bait this time of year. In fact, a pogie cut in half makes two good baits. Using the head pieces around sunset is a great way to take a trophy striper, as some sharpies believe that the low light during sunset flashes on the pogies’ eyes, attracting large bass. With the winds and rain keeping most fishermen off the water this week, look for the fishing to really light up this weekend. Lynn Harbor and Winthrop are the hot spots. Good luck and be safe!Joe Holey can be reached at [email protected]