Fish On! Trophy bass still in the area

The 10th month is almost upon us. The month affectionately known to Northeast striper fishermen as “Hogtober” should bring great fishing, with big bass and hungry bluefish moving South.The key for maximizing October’s excellent fishing opportunities is mobility. Fish are on the move, with schools traveling south through our waters daily. We fishermen should be on the move as well. If you don’t find fish at one spot, give it an hour and move to another spot.Typically this month, when one spot may seem barren of life one tide, it could be teeming with top-water blitzes and tons of fish the very next tide. The almighty pogy should be on everyone’s mind right now, as this prized baitfish is accounting for some truly impressive cow stripers as of late. It’s getting to be the bottom of the ninth, with only a few weeks left of our beloved stripers, so get out there now before it’s too late! It’s the best time of the year to fish right now!Here’s a look at our areas:Boston HarborFishing in the Harbor has been solid for both bass and blues. Some bigger blues are in now harassing the schools of pogies that are still pretty thick from Crystal Cove right up the side of Deer Island.Along with those are some trophy stripers hanging around the schools as well, as is evident by my father’s 38 pound pig (see picture above). He took this bass on a pogy earlier this week that he snagged just outside of Crystal Cove, Winthrop.This bass hit the pogy on his third turn of the reel out of the school, and measured 48 inches. Look for topwater blitzes from Castle Island to the middle Harbor and right out to Graves Light, and remember, keep an eye out for the pogies.Lynn/NahantWell we haven’t seen the daylong blitzes that typified Fall Runs past, but we are still seeing some decent surface feeds, as bass and blues are busting peanut bunker from Revere Beach to Swampscott. Earlier this week, there was a boat off our stern at Bass Point, live-lining.You’d think they were using live pogies, but they were using live mackerel! Mackerel were reported last week in Broad Sound for the first time in almost two months, and the red can just off East Point, Nahant is a great place to look for them. Bass and bluefish action remains steady throughout our area, with surface feeds erupting sporadically during the day. Some quality stripers to 30 pounds are still being taken on live pogies.Look for the pogies in Lynn Harbor by the yacht clubs.Salem/MarbleheadAccording to the guys at First Light Anglers, the Salem area has been fantastic lately. Top water blitzes were a common occurrence this week in Salem, Beverly, and Marblehead Harbors. Mostly they were stripers reported in the 28-inch range, but with larger fish to 42 inches in the mix. They were feasting on peanut bunker, herring fry, and butterfish. Jumpin’ minnow plugs were the hot lures for those casting topwater plugs.For larger fish, look for pogies to snag in Salem Harbor around the mooring fields and by the old floating restaurant in the mornings. A live pogy is going to be your best bet for a monster striper this fall, and they’re being reported in those areas in the mornings and afternoons.Cape Ann/NewburyportThe folks at Surfland Bait on Plum Island report that the area is just loaded with schoolie stripers. Fishermen are catching up to 20 bass per outing on seaworms from the beach at parking lot No. 3 on the Plum Island Refuge.Most of the fish are in the 20-inch range, but larger ones up to 32 inches are in the mix. The Cape Ann area was quiet this week, with a few reports of bluefish taken on trolling plugs, as well as a few top water blitzes. Manchester Harbor reportedly fished well this week, most likely due to the shad that are all over the harbor.The Bottom LineIf you’re looking for that trophy striper this weekend, they’re certainly around, and this is the time.Big bass have one thing on their minds right now and that’s pogies. So while the action may be nonstop up in the Plum Island area for smalle