“THE FISHING HOLE”

April 2021

Make Sure Your Boat Is Ready, Striped Bass and Flounder are Right Around The Corner

It is that time of year when members are getting their boats ready to go back in the water to enjoy the warm summer days upon Boston Harbor and beyond.  A boat does not only need a good coat of wax and bottom paint but a check of all the required safety gear required by the USCG and Massachusetts Environmental Police.  A good guide to what is required is here in this REGULATIONS link.  Your boat has been out of the water for a long time and you need to check it over well, look at your lines and fenders to protect your hull from banging into the dock or your neighbor.  Make sure your bilge pumps are working, blowers on gas engines, electronics are working properly and your VHF Radio.  Look at the flares for a date of expiration, when was the last time you checked.  The expiration date is often in very small print and hard to see, write it down on the outside of your flare box and put a reminder in your phone’s calendar to alert you the first day of the month when due.  Take a good look at your fire extinguishers and your sound producing device. There are other items to check and one of the most important are your personal flotation devices or life jackets. Check the straps to make sure secure and no tears in the fabric and of course they are the proper size for people on board.

New Coast Guard Rule Engine Cut Off Switch Requirements
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The U.S. Coast Guard will be enforcing a new rule which went into effect on April 1st 2021. It states a vessel less than 26′ which has an engine cut off switch (kill switch) must use it when on plane.  There are some exceptions and a list of FAQS you can read below.

Engine Cut Off Switches 

Updated 2021 Fishing Regulations

The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries have not yet published the size and bag limits for recreational fishing in state or federal waters. they should be out soon and once published you will be able to find out the regulations on the Boating and Fishing Links Page  You will also find links here to obtain your 2021 Salt Water Fishing License Who needs a license anyone 16 years and older and if 60 or over it is free but still required. Don’t get caught without one as the fines will be much higher.

 Striped Bass Live Bait Circle Hook Requirement 

Many Boston Harbor Striped Bass fisherman get excited when they see a school of pogies being blown up by big striped bass.  One of the methods of catching these linesiders was to snag a pogie with a leaded treble hook and let it swim until a large bass took it and ran while your reel was screaming.  Due to concerns over the stock of striped bass conservation measures had to be taken and only circle hooks are allowed when using bait.  What is a true circle hook, what exemptions may there be and what if I am trolling with live bait and have a non circle hook and catch a bass?  All of these questions can be answered with a recent press release by the
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Circle Hook Press Release

Haddock  Fishing 

One of the best eating fish in the northeast is without a doubt haddock which are located offshore and can be landed on either a jig or fresh clams. Currently the regulations for recreational anglers are 15 fish per person at 17″ minimum size. Locally you will find these fish on Stellwagen Bank and lately there have been fish caught to the west only an hour from the OCYC docks.  Try a spot and move around till you have a few fish on.  I like to anchor up and feel having three anglers on with fresh clams starts to act like chumming.  Once they start feeding it is like a feeding frenzy and will not take long to fill coolers.

Once you get these fish aboard take care of your catch, bleed your fish after taking a measurement and place it in a cooler with lots of ice and maybe a bit of sea water to chill them down immediately.  This will firm up your fillets and make them easier to cut sending you home with fresh fish for many meals.

May 4th, 2015

It finally happened today, we actually broke 80 degrees and this means the water is warming up and it is time to get the boat in the water.  The flounder fishing last week was a bit slow for the few brave souls who wet a line.  With the warming temperatures the flounder will be get more aggressive when feeding  each week as we get closer to Memorial Day. Not far behind will be the striped bass with school size fish arriving first.  Even though you can not keep those fish smaller than 28″ you can have a ball with them early in the morning while feeding on small bait fish.  Remember to match the hatch and the keeper size fish will be right behind them by the third week of May arriving in the outer harbor. Please remember the new rule this year, you are allowed one striped bass per person on board with a minimum length of 28:.

Thank you to the members of Old Colony Yacht Club who signed letters opposing the proposed 55 square mile Dedicated Habitat Research Area on Stellwagen Bank be closed to recreational ground fishing.  Your efforts helped defeat this at the April New England Fisheries Management Council Meeting in Mystic, CT in April.  It was defeated 12-4 and we can now fish in that area.

Speaking of ground fishing remember you are allowed three 17″ haddock and there is a zero possession of cod. If you are caught with a cod, caught in the Gulf of Maine the fine is $750.00 and certainly not worth the risk.  

Please remember to help out fellow club members with tips, tricks and maybe a little information where the fish are biting.  Send your fish pictures to the webmaster here to be posted and show off your catch.

Tight lines and be safe when fishing and don’t forget to purchase your 2015 Saltwater Fishing License.

Spring Time Fishing Preparations
March 2015

Now that winter is over and it is officially spring with a couple feet of snow on the ground, it’s time to get ready to go fishing.  Many of us tend to forget to service our rods and reels in the fall because we are busy hauling the boat, watching football and doing that tedious chore known as yard work.  It is not too late to catch up on the equipment and it is actually pretty easy if you do some research.  One of the best places to learn reel repair is on line, by a gentleman named Alan Tani who maintains a website with tutorials with lots of step by step instructions and videos.

The most important thing you can do every time you use your equipment is to lightly rinse them in fresh water.  I am not talking a stream of water driving salt into the reel but a fine mist of the reel, rod, line and terminal tackle you used for the day.  At the end of the season you can open up the reel, apply grease or reel oil, and change out drag washers with the type the manufacture recommends.  Replace your monofilament line because it tends to have a memory and will often be twisted at the end of the year.  Braided lines can be end for ended and you should get two to three seasons out of them. Clean any corrosion off your rods and reels with a stiff toothbrush using baking soda to remove green oxidation.  Lightly grease your reel seats with a thin coat of Vaseline or other grease made for this.

You will also need to renew your Massachusetts Salt Water License if you are fishing as an individual and if you chase bluefin tuna and shark you will need to renew your National Marine Fisheries Angling Permit.  Do not forget, the Environmental Police do not have tolerance for those who break the law.

It appears this season, cod and haddock fishing will be a bust due to the proposed regulations.  The National Marine Fisheries Service is looking for zero possession of cod and a three haddock limit this year.  This makes it hardly worth heading offshore early in the season unless you like to target pollock and redfish.  Once the rules are final we will post them here on the site.

That brings us to inshore fishing and Boston Harbor with the outer islands hoffering many opportunities.  In May the first of the Winter Flounder will arrive where anglers are allowed to harvest eight fish each with a minimum size of 12”.  Shorly afterwards striped bass arrive and this year the individual daily bag limit will be will be a single fish with a minimum size of 28”.  This is due to all of the states having to take a 25% reduction, hopefully it will go back up to two fish per person next season.  Fishing for flounder is simple, fresh sea worms seem to out fish clams on a high low rig using an once or two for weight and fishing in water from 12’ to 30’ drifting slowly or anchoring up will usually produce results.  If you have any questions on methods the members of the club who have been around a while can most likely give you a few pointers.  The most important thing is to take care of your catch by bleeding and icing it down after taking that picture.  When you get back to the dock, fillet the days catch on the filleting table provided on the docks and remember to clean up your mess, clean with bleach and make it ready for other members.

This season I would expect more members fishing inshore and there is no shame in asking for help and sharing information.  Remember we are a club so lets help each other out.  Once the season progresses, send those pictures of landed fish to get them on the website to dkwaldrip@comcast.net.  In the meantime, take care of that tackle, renew the license and good luck this season especially to those who decide to fish in the Fish Bowl.

 

2014 Old Colony Fish Bowl

Once again congratulations to Capt Bob Lesenachal  of “Call Me Crazy” who landed the winning striped bass in the 7th annual OCYC Fish Bowl  The weather could not have been any better for the two day event with warm weather and flat seas.  With over eighty anglers participating fishing on several boats there was some serious competition.  At the final weigh in on Saturday everyone was treated to a barbecue.  Below are some of the other landings who returned with fish to measure.  Congratulations to all of the anglers and the members who worked hard at putting on the OCYC Fish Bowl.

2^nd Place      Bob Wadland   42 ¾”

3^rd Place       Jack Jandreu    41 ½”

4^th Place       Al Meranda      39 3/8”

5^th Place       Shannon Croke  37 5/8”

6^th Place       Andy Potesta     33 ¾”

7^th Place       Paul Cabral        32 1/8”

Massachusetts Salt Water Fishing License Information

Massachusetts Fish Size and Limits

Tuna Fishing Permit Information

Fishing Report June 9th, 2014

With the weather heating up the local fishing in and around Boston Harbor is doing the same.  There are plenty of mackerel around the outer ledges outside the harbor and off of Pemberton Pier.  Anglers can load up quickly using mackerel jigs below a Christmas Tree or better yet a Sabicki Rig.  Once you find the macs you can keep them around your boat by chumming with a good fish chum. Kids love to catch these fish as the action can be fast and a two pound mackerel can test a young angler on a light rod.

Striped bass are now here with many more heading this way from the reports down on the Cape and South Shore.  There are numerous ways to fish for the striped bass including jigging wire with bucktails, anchoring up and chumming with herring or mackeral chunks, drifting live eels or some of those mackerel or trolling umbrella and niner rigs.  Remember anglers are allowed two striped bass per day with a minimum size of 28″.

If founder is your fish of choice it could not be better, reports of boats limiting out on their daily limit of eight fish at 12″ per person has been the norm for many boats.  Some of the reports of big fish in excess of three pounds and a few over four pounds are daily catches. Use flounder rigs set up with a light weight to feel the tap of the fish using sea worms or sea clams. Consider fishing in the shallower water 12-25′ in the area of Deer Island Flats, Hospital Shoal, Quarantine Rocks and around the Long Island Bridge.  Make long drifts if the wind is not too strong or consider using a sea anchor or bucket to slow your drift.

Good Luck and we will try to keep this report updated weekly and if anyone has anything to add please contact Dave Waldrip.  Best of luck to everyone who fishes and tight lines.