BOSTON, July 24, 2025 — Forget what the old fishing manuals say about summer striped bass: these fish are defying expectations, blitzing in broad daylight across Massachusetts’ coastlines. From the South Shore’s Three Bays to the North Shore’s Salem Harbor, anglers are reporting active feeds that are keeping everyone on their toes.
Massachusetts Coastline Buzzing with Striped Bass Activity
Striped bass are hitting bait and lures at all hours, surprising anglers who expected summer heat to shut down daytime fishing.
- Striped bass are actively feeding throughout the day, defying traditional summer patterns.
- The South Shore is experiencing strong catches of slot-sized and larger striped bass, favoring smaller baitfish imitations.
- Captain Jason Colby has reported releasing two 50-pound class striped bass using unconventional baiting strategies.
- The North Shore is seeing good numbers of striped bass, with squid populations also thriving.
- Black sea bass are abundant, with some surprising catches reported as far north as Plum Island.
The South Shore and South Coast are particularly hot. Pete from Scituate reports sizable striped bass feeding on juvenile herring and silversides from the Three Bays through Cohasset. Anglers working Sands Hill Beach and structures like Smith Rocks and Sunken Ledge are finding success with smaller paddle tails and shads. Laurel of Hull Bait and Tackle notes similar blitzes off A Street, with fish keying on blueback herring and responding well to Al Gag’s Whip It Fish. Commercial fishers off Nantasket Beach are also landing up to 47-inch stripers, with pearl-colored lures proving effective.
Captain Jason Colby is chasing the elusive 50-pound stripers and has found success using striped bass heads as bait. He recently released two fish in the 50-pound class in a single morning. While the Westport River is too warm for such large fish currently, he’s locating them in the bay. Even with clams and chumming, the big-fish strategy is paying off, with another 50-pounder landed. Colby, who has a history of catching large bass, also reports excellent black sea bass limits. With water temperatures above 70 degrees, mahi mahi are anticipated soon, adding another exciting possibility for anglers.
Further north, Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish Charters has been dealing with porbeagle sharks while targeting tuna, though circle hooks ensure quick and safe releases. Football tuna are present within 2.5 miles of shore, but can be wary. Large schools of small pogies are offshore, attracting whales, and a push of this bait closer to shore could ignite an explosive bass bite. The North River is holding striped bass among sand eels, with tides moving the bait and fish upstream and then flushing them back out to sea.
Greater Boston Fishing Report
Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy advises anglers to be persistent with bait schools, as “cow candy” pogies often conceal the presence of bass. Productive pogy schools have been spotted between the Fore River and Town River. The Anchorage area near Deer Island remains a reliable spot, showing resilience against fishing pressure. Trolling mackerel in Nantucket Roads is another option. This area is also yielding black sea bass, possibly due to increased squid numbers and warmer water temperatures. Anglers fishing off Fireman’s Beach and Germantown have caught fish from slot size up to 37 inches.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics reports heavy boat traffic from Graves Light to the BG Buoy, with both recreational and commercial anglers finding success. Popular lures include macks, Docs, and Whip-it-Fish. Live-lining pogies is also working for some. Doctor Brick has found success trolling Santini tubes off the outer islands and Nahant, suggesting that avoiding the main fleet can lead to finding your own fish. Toscano red has been a standout color.
Captain Brian Coombs is consistently finding 45-50 inch stripers by avoiding the crowds. The inshore harbor bite has moved slightly deeper, likely due to offshore winds pushing warm surface water. Harbor humps are prime spots, offering plenty of bait, especially mackerel. Large schools of small pogies moving in from offshore are also contributing to the outer harbor being more active than the inner harbor.
Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report
Captain Tom Ciulla took a break from striper fishing to enjoy some ground fishing with his daughter Sofia off southern Jeffrey’s Ledge, finding haddock and pollock. This offers a relaxing alternative to the crowded striper spots. For ground fishing, Tom recommends pink Gulp grubs and clams, employing a technique he calls the “haddock wiggle” to induce strikes.
Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle reports a strong bite in Salem Harbor and the sound, with brit herring and 6-inch bunker as the main forage, making smaller offerings like Albie Snax effective. Anglers catching mackerel at Misery Channel are having success using them for bass near Little Haste and Great Haste. Squid fishing remains exceptional, though littering on some piers is causing access issues. Anglers are urged to be respectful and clean up after others.
TJ from Three Lantern Marine in Gloucester reports shore anglers finding stripers off Pebble Beach and Granite Pier. Trollers are having luck with X Raps off Magnolia and mackerel off Andrews Point. Pogy schools have been found off Halibut Point, with stripers in tow. Martha from Surfland notes that mackerel are still being caught off Plum Island, with some anglers chunking them for striped bass. The Merrimack River and Plum Island Sound are productive on the incoming tide. Surprisingly, black sea bass are also being caught along the southern portion of Plum Island and off Hampton, responding well to various baits and jigs.
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
The outlook remains bright. Expect continued striped bass blitzes from the Three Bays through Hull, with The Gurnet and Sand Hill Beach showing good activity. Increased sand eel numbers are keeping bass near the North River, with incoming tides being most productive. Black sea bass fishing is excellent, with large striped bass also found just outside the Westport River, where mahi mahi are expected soon. Boston Harbor’s southern side offers black sea bass, while deeper waters from Graves Light to the BG Buoy are holding stripers. Salem Sound is alive with herring and juvenile pogies, fueling strong bites at Little Haste and Great Haste. For striped bass in the Merrimack and Parker Rivers, the incoming tide and mackerel are key. For a change of pace, consider the tranquility of ground fishing, away from the boat traffic.
