Fish On!: Trophy stripers in local waters, fall run starts

Is there a better time to be a fisherman than the fall? Cooler days and nights, fishing in sweatshirts, the ocean water becoming gin clear with the absence of algae … and the best part: The fish are all bigger!The ocean comes alive with fish in the fall, and the larger bass come inshore to gorge on baitfish before their annual migration, giving us our best shot of the season for that trophy 40 or 50 pound striper.This fall run is shaping up nicely. As if on cue, those schools of pogies that we?ve all been waiting for have arrived in big numbers in Boston Harbor, with some trophy stripers right on them. The harbor has seen world class fishing this past week, with five fish taken in the area over 40 pounds.All of this great fishing has been fueled by the pogies, which are arguably the striped bass? favorite baitfish, but never more so than in the fall. We?ve gotten off to a late start for the run, but with reports from Prince Edward Island up North of huge numbers of stripers just leaving, we could be in for a fantastic late Fall Run this year, and it?s only beginning.Here?s a look at our areas:Boston HarborIt is on fire. The best fishing this week has been happening in Boston. If you?ve been part of the fleet of boats in the Deer Island/Winthrop area lately snagging pogies, then you know what I?m talking about. Guys have been snagging pogies and dropping them to awaiting stripers in the 20-30 pound range, with larger fish reported. The outer Islands are fishing well also, with live mackerel taking bass to 35 pounds. Look for the macks out around Boston Light, and look for pogies in the inner harbors around first light.Lynn/NahantThe fish are biting in our area as well. Revere Beach, in particular, has given up bass to 40 pounds lately, with most of the big girls taken on live pogies. A 53 pound beast was taken last week off Lynn/Revere on a live pogy as well.A couple of topwater blitzes were also reported this week, just out of casting range in the afternoons. Mackerel are making another appearance, and have been jigged up again recently outside of Lynn Harbor and around East Point, Nahant again.I stopped into Tom?s Bait on the Saugus River this week, and he reports that the Saugus River is still really warm, which is probably why it?s holding so much bait still. He says herring and small bluefish in the 4-6 inch range are still thick in the River, giving Point of Pines the nod for a nice afternoon outgoing tide.Salem/MarbleheadAfter a period of slow fishing, the action is back. Mackerel are being found out by Misery and Bakers Islands, with the back side of Bakers being a hot spot for them. Live mackerel are taking bass to 40 inches from Marblehead to Manchester. Peanut bunker, or juvenile menhaden, were reported this week in Beverly Harbor, with teen sized bass pushing them around. With the presence of Peanut Bunker around, look for topwater blitzes to start becoming more frequent, as these baitfish fuel some fantastic surface feeds each Fall.Cape Ann/NewburyportNo shortage of bass around Cape Ann, and Crane?s Beach has been a hot spot lately, especially for the nighttime crowd slinging eels. Topwater blitzes were reported around Gloucester this week, and pencil poppers in white and yellow were said to be the hot plugs.The folks at Surfland on Plum Island report, “They?re getting bigger by the day!”They had fisherman Don Laruffa come in with a 39 pound cow that he caught on a live eel at night. Live eels seem to be the key to big bass in this area, but there are plenty of fish in the 10-20 pound range being taken on seaworms and clams along the oceanfront.The Bottom LineFrom here on out, live pogies will give you your best shot at catching trophy stripers, which has been evident with the massive stripers that have been caught lately on them. Before heading South, these jumbo bass will stalk and harass schools of pogies, regardless of day or night, high tide or low tide.So if you find the pogies, chances are, there will be b