BOSTON HARBOR & SOUTH SHORE-Stripers 8/12/06
Peanut Bunker Blitz Underway
Early last week big bass had the silversides corralled as they staged in the inner-harbor bays and coves. Stripers to 38 inches and 22 pounds were being hooked on a daily basis with good numbers of school-bass to 27 inches mixed in. By weeks end, schools of 1-1 ½ inch peanut-bunker moved into the outer-harbor and along the South Shore with hordes of marauding 4-8 pound bluefish crashing on the fleeing bait fish. School bluefin are on the bank and may move inshore behind the bunker, as in the past.
The Broderick boys and friend (Cohasset & Hingham) had a banner day early last week casting soft-plastics to big stripers swirling on the surface feeding on silversides. This charter was a birthday gift to Jim Broderick from his wife Karen. As luck would have it, high-liner, Matt Broderick from Cohasset, took top-honors with two 38", 21 pound keeper bass on light-tackle. Not to be out done, Jim hooked is birthday keeper bass on the last drift of the day.
We picked up Steve Forded, hailing from across the Big Pond (UK), at Rowes Wharf for an early morning fish. Steve was in Boston for a week at MIT doing technical work for his business. This was to be his first light-tackle trip, and the first time he wet a line for stripers. At first light, on his first cast, Steve rose and hooked a big bass which threw the hook on the run. The next cast, we were into another big striper tapped at 38" and 21 pounds, which was promptly revived and released. The top-water action continued right through the morning flood tide producing numbers of school bass to 27". Steve was amazed by the action and numbers of stripers here in Boston, and he threatened to bring his brother on his next trip to the States.
By week's end the surface activity increased dramatically, especially in the outer-harbor regions. Squadrons of blues were pushing the peanut-bunker to the surface, and the sea birds were taking advantage of the feeding foray. Mostly blues are in the deeper water (40-80 ft) and the stripers are more inshore. This activity heralds the start of the Peanut-Bunker Blitz which will continue to escalate right into the fall all along our coastline, and is an indicator of the spectacular fish to come. The Gangemi family, of Cohasset, MA, was right in the thick of the feeding foray inshore on Sunday. At times we were tripled with school bass to 27 inches. Although, the production of big bass has decreased, the numbers of surface blitzing fish makes up for it!
Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com