Hot Spots
The New England fishing forecast: Hot.
The forecast for saltwater fishing in New England this spring and summer looks good. While migratory habits of staple fish like striped bass and false albacore have been finicky at best in recent years (especially in the northern waters of the New England coast), anglers can take heart in knowing that the fishing action has traditionally been hot in summers following “El Nino” winters. Consider these options as you plan a New England fishing trip in the months ahead.
Bluefish from the Beach:
Blues might still be considered a “by-catch” species for many saltwater anglers in search of table fare, but the sport fisherman in the know has grown to respect these “choppers” and “gators” for what they really are—pound for pound, probably the toughest, scrappiest fighters on the Atlantic Coast. There is almost nothing as exciting for the surf-casting angler as throwing pencil-poppers from the beach (with a wire leader, of course) into a school of thrashing blues. You cast, rip the retrieve and wait for the attack…then hang on. Predicted hotspot for 2010: all along the shorelines of Cape Cod.
Tuna Rolls:
If you’re looking for some fast-action deep sea fishing, consider an offshore tuna trip. Follow the diving birds; they’ll tell you where the tuna are rolling and crashing through schools of bunker and other baitfish. To get lucky enough to find schools of bluefin tuna—the heaviest (up to 1,800 pounds), toughest-fighting (they swim 60 miles an hour), and best-tasting tuna species (Japanese sushi buyers wait at the docks during bluefin season)—you’ll likely have to fish well offshore. But there’s also something to be said for casting at “football” sized juvenile yellowfins (especially on the fly) a few miles from the beach. Predicted hotspot for 2010: off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Stripers from the Jetty:
Striped bass typically don’t show up en masse in northern New England waters until June and July. But when they do, it’s usually a lights-out angling affair. Fishing from jetties and river inlets with live baits like eels will often produce stripers in the 15-pound-plus range. The trick is to concentrate on moving water and work the tides. Cast and let your live bait roll along the bottom with the current. Or you can throw swimbaits—even flies like Deceivers and Puglisi Peanut Butter patterns—to emulate the baitfish stripers chase near shore. Predicted hotspot for 2010: the mouth of Maine’s Kennebec River, near Popham Beach.
To find more great places to fish in the Northeast, be sure to check out TakeMeFishing.org’s hotspot map.
