By Steve Zelck
The September first closure of cod and haddock killed most charter guys on the North shore. Most losing 10’s of thousands of dollars for the months of September and October due to the new regulations sent down by NOAA.
Striper fishing remained spotty along Good Harbor and Long beach right up until late October. At times guys surfing the winter swells saw lots of big cows chasing confused bait.
Flounder are moving back in with the colder waters and you don’t have to go far to get them so pick a clam day and go get ‘um.
Then there is the tuna, first there was a bite on the kettles in Maine. Hundreds of boats showed up there and the bite was good!
We chose to stay here in Gloucester and not follow the crowd and as luck would have it, it paid off. The first wave hit middle bank just about mid- September with plenty of fish multiple hook ups in a day. If you were in the right spot and had the right bait “Match the Harsh” your were going to hook up.
Then they invaded Jefferies Bank with plenty of fish, plenty of bait and a lot of opportunities. As of late October, there were 75 boats there with a good amount of guys scoring. Don’t be afraid to pick your own piece of real estate. My buddy Jim Alvarez of Nofish Fish Charter chose to avoid the crowd and was on fish all day and finally hooked a slob. He was almost spooled, fought back and forth but eventually chaffed off the beast. That’s tuna fishing and why we do it.
If the weather is still holding and the fish are still here don’t be afraid to go heavier on your leaders. This time of year the fish are far hungrier and aggressive. Like they say, don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.
Massachusetts’ waters have got it all!
FORECAST BY: Steve Zelck was born and raised in Gloucester. Steve’s love of the sea lured him back to pursue his fishing passion and not a day goes by without him checking the pulse of the harbor for action. If you don’t find Steve at Three Lantern Marine, you can bet he’s out working on the F/V Jean Elizabeth hauling traps or hunting bluefin on the F/V Eagles Nest. www.threelanternmarine.com.