Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - Magazine - Index

Coastline measurements drive
cartographers crazy. They’re never exactly sure
what to measure. One common method is
to measure a state’s boundaries at the high
tide mark. You’ll get a clear read for sure, but
if you take the same measurement some six
hours later at the low tide line, you’ll get a
greater distance. There are nuances as well,
and if you conduct your survey during a full
moon, your numbers will vary. As if that is not
enough, there is the question of how best to
handle bays, coves, inlets, streams, rivers and
state-owned inshore islands. Cartographers
must have the patience of Job.
Massachusetts—in my opinion, the
country’s number one recreational striped
bass fishery—has 192 direct miles of coastline
from the Rhode Island line to the New
Hampshire border. If you account for all of
the bays, coves and estuaries, that number
swells to a whopping 1,519 miles. A staggering
amount of water to fish, so it’s easy to see
why many Bay State anglers won’t leave home
for a fishing trip. Heck, there’s more water in
Massachusetts than you can fish in a lifetime.
Three major bays form Massachusetts’
continental fishery: Massachusetts Bay,
which runs from Boston Harbor north to
Cape Ann; Cape Cod Bay, which runs from
50
Boston Harbor south and east to the inside
of Cape Cod’s arm; and Buzzards Bay, lying
west of the Cape Cod Canal. Those areas
are easily divided into three parts: the North
Shore, the South Shore, and Cape Cod. The
terrain is very different, as are the species
available to anglers.
The North Shore
Trying to determine the bounds of the
North Shore is a matter of debate. Some
say Lynnfield through Newburyport, and
others include Revere and Winthrop. No
matter, there is plenty of diversity up there.
As you move out of the urban environment
of Revere and Winthrop, with planes landing
at Logan Airport, you’ll find rocks, ledges
and inshore islands in the Cape Ann towns
of Marblehead, Beverly, Manchester-by-the-
Sea, Gloucester and Rockport. Continue on
a northeast tack and you’ll encounter many
diverse river systems and barrier beaches from
Ipswich to Newburyport. The North Shore
is striper country.
The season starts early on the North
Shore, with alewives moving into the river
systems as early as mid April. The origins of
many of the rivers are freshwater, a favorite
of these anadromous baitfish. Shortly after
the herring arrive you’ll find squid, silversides
and sandeels. Adult menhaden arrive in the
middle of June, and juvenile menhaden stage
in the fall. It’s a veritable feast for stripers and
bluefish for six solid months.
Bass will arrive on the beachfronts and in
the river systems shortly after the alewives
arrive. I’ve caught them in the rivers as early
as April 19th, and I’m sure some anglers have
caught them even earlier. They’ll stay until the
temperatures warm or the bait drops out. Not
to fear, they’re replaced by summer bluefish.
If you like to fish estuaries, you’ll be in
hog heaven on the North Shore. The major
rivers are the Merrimack, Parker, Rowley,
Essex and Ipswich, and there are minor rivers
off of most of them as well. With the 12-foot
tides, grass banks and muddy bottom, you’ll
swear you’re casting for smallmouth in some
inland river.
Beach anglers are equally pleased. From
Ipswich to Newburyport, you’ll find mile after
mile of some of the most beautiful beaches
to wade. Some areas, like the mouths of the
rivers, have moderate-sized flats on which
anglers sight-cast to cruising bass and blues.
The area is fisherman friendly, and few restaurants
or tackle shops bat an eye if you walk
in wearing waders.
DAVE SKOK PHOTOS (DWSKOK.COM)