By Guide Rick Buss
Can you believe how fast the summer passes? Seems like it just got here and it’s time to think about late summer and fall fishing tactics. Striped bass have been elusive for the plastic boat crowd. It seems that a bunch of big fish have been content to hang out on Stellwagen Bank. The water in there has run cold to warm and back again. With few baitfish along the rocks and all that food out in deep water, it’s easier for the fish to grab a bite out there than to scrounge in the rocks for crabs and eels. Hopefully, when some BIG fish (i.e. tuna) hit the Bank, the striped ones will head in here.
Some of my brothers and sisters in yaks have taken to fishing way, way inside where some bass have taken up residence in deeper holes adjacent to marshes and where all sorts of spawns and hatches are happening. It seems that they hang out during the day and forage in the eel and marsh grass by night…lots of schoolies on top water baits with big fish in the mix.
Melissa Meranda of Winthrop recently booked a kayak fishing trip with us for her boyfriend’s birthday. He is an angler, although not from a kayak. Melissa had never fished OR kayaked before. We shared our spot with a couple of older gentlemen who were fishing from a small center console.
As we passed each other and landed small fish, we teased each other a bit, all in good fun, and Melissa gave just as good as she got, despite not hooking a fish. Her favorite line was, “That’s not as big as the one I’m going to catch!” While we were fishing apart, I noticed her rod was bent, and she was being towed. The center console crew was near her and coaching her on how to play her fish. John, her boyfriend, got alongside her yak just in time to hoist a big fish on his lap. The center console guys handed her a wooden yardstick to measure the fish, after which she politely told them, “Your stick isn’t long enough to measure my fish.” When measured with a tape, Melissa’s fish turned out to be a whopping 38”. Not bad for a first fish. I think my smile was as big as hers.
My friend Lefty from Cape Ann and a few of his crew have been nailing them in places you’d never think to fish for big guns. Get out of your comfort zone and try something different.
Some of the NewEngland KayakFishing.com gang have been bottom-fishing for black sea bass, fluke, cod and big conner. All good eating fish. It’s not all about striped bass you know. Other fish are plentiful and delicious.
Get out and fish.
Melissa Meranda of Winthrop caught this 38” whopper which was her first fish!
FORECAST BY: Guide Rick Buss, (617) 719-2036, www.belleislekayak adventures.com. Kayak specialist and fishing guide Rick Buss fishes, dives & snorkels off his kayak. He runs his guide service out of Belle Isle in Winthrop but can deliver kayaks to your location.
[easy-social-share]