The fishing might pick up this month

It was a tough July for striper fishermen. Those heat waves really warmed the ocean up and slowed the fishing right down. And just when it seemed that the bite was picking up, it died out just as quick. But Peanut Bunker, or juvenile menhaden, made a quick appearance in our waters a week ago and along with cooling water temps, sparked the striper fishing back up, as fishermen reported surface feeds all over our waters for a few days. And now huge schools, or should I say wolf packs of toothy bluefish have shown up and are chasing bait and bending rods all over the North Shore. So things are looking up. August is usually when we see the fishing light back up, and with cooling water temperatures and plenty of bait around, we’re right on schedule.Here’s a look at our areasBoston HarborFishing has been pretty good in the Harbor. Deer Island reportedly had blitzing fish again on quite a few occasions this week, with breaking fish from Deer Island and out towards Graves Light. Stripers were said to be in the 27-32-inch range. Pogies are in, and surprisingly not too many reports of larger bass. Most fishermen around Boston this year are wondering where the bigger fish are, as it’s been a steady pick of bass in that 30-35-inch range. Blues are in, and are surely in Boston Harbor, so bring along some wire leaders in the likely case that you come across them. There’s also word of a pretty good Black Sea Bass and Tautog bite going on in the harbor. Not only are they great fighters, they’re also great for eating!Lynn/NahantThe guys who fish the Gas Wharf off the Lynnway were all saying the same thing this week, “It’s been dead down here.” It’s been slow fishing inside Lynn Harbor this week, but the mouth of the harbor and Bass Point gave up bass and blues to those fishermen live lining mackerel, and some nice bass were taken around Egg Rock. Macks are still being found at the main channel marker just outside of Lynn Harbor, as well as the cans around East Point, Nahant, and stripers to 35-inches were reportedly taken on them. Local fisherman Steve Foulds was fishing with his dad this past week outside of Lynn, and while drifting an eel they hooked and landed a monster 50-inch, 49 pound trophy striper, that took first place in a Striper tourney this past weekend. Congrats!Salem/MarbleheadAside from the great squid bite, the striper action has been pretty slow. However, a few times this week topwater blitzes were reported around the mouth of Salem Harbor. Bass around 27-inches were chasing bait around, and to the delight of the fly fishermen, were hitting their “smaller, all white flies.” Small white sluggo’s on jigheads reportedly worked well also. Mackerel have been spotty around the Islands, and anglers are having to work to fill their live wells. Look around the mouth of Marblehead Harbor for macks around the channel markers. Devereux Beach had some schoolie action this week, but nothing over 33-inches reported. Seaworms were scoring small bass for surfcasters in the afternoons, on high outgoing tides.Cape Ann/NewburyportCape Ann is still one place that is loaded with Mackerel. The Rockport area has been the “go to” place for the bass and tuna crowd. Striper fishing was pretty slow around here as well this past week, but anglers did score bass in the 30-35-inch range on live mackerel around the rocks. The folks up at Surfland on Plum Island report that the mouth of the Merrimack with live mackerel is about the only striper game in town. Live macks are consistently catching bass in the 32-35-inch range when drifted in the mouth or around the Jetties. A nice push of small, 6–inch “snapper blues” invaded the area, which are great striper bait when live lined, and can be caught with a sabiki rig or just on the teasers of your plugs.The Bottom LineAfter the usual slow stretch we typically see each July, look for striper action to heat up this month. Pogies are in, and should attract the attention of those jumbo bass that we’ve been waiting