Boston Harbor | Spots to Fish | Tides |Bait & Flies | Tackle

Bait and Fly Selection
The most prevalent bait is the menhaden, followed by mackerel and herring. The menhaden schools are around in May and June, but they dominate the scene from June through July. Juveniles average from three to five inches, while the adults can be over a foot long. Mackerel and herring arrive in early May and usually depart by mid-June. Green- and blueback herring are the most popular.

Sandeels are the small game in town and may range from 1/2-inch juveniles to 5-inch adults. The sandeel is an exciting bait to fish. In several North Shore areas, when low tide and first light coincide, schools of stripers concentrate in skinny water to devour the bait as they return to the sand. I have seen stripers tail like redfish or bonefish. Sandeels dominate the scene until early October when most of the fish have left both Boston Harbor and the North Shore.

Effective Boston Harbor and North Shore patterns include Epoxy Sand Eels, white, and blue-and-white Lefty's Deceivers, chartreuse Clouser Minnows, and epoxy Surf Candy in black, white, and chartreuse. The Rhody Flatwing and the DeClouser (a.k.a. Half-and-Half, a Clouser/Deceiver combo) are also effective patterns. Sar-mul-macks are good big bait patterns.

Some local pattern favorites include Pip Winslow's Afternoon Delight, Jack Gartside's Softhackle Streamer in chartreuse or white, First Sergeant Tim Didas' Marshrat, and Capt. Barry Clemson's Mack-Attack. When the tides change and the waters start to move, flies tied with several strands of chartreuse bucktail, Fishair, or Wapsi's Secret Streamer Hair often take more fish when traditional patterns do not. The chartreuse adds some color to the fly, while the longer synthetic materials mimic tails and add movement.

Big, black eel patterns, fully-dressed Deceivers, and Bob Popovic's Surf Candies work best at night, though light flies that create surface action, like Winslow's Afternoon Delight or Gartside's Gurgler, all take fish.

Equipment
Rods and reels. For all situations, I prefer 9- or 91/2-foot (relatively fast action) rods for casting large flies in windy conditions. In early season, when the wind picks up and bigger flies are required, I use 9-, 10-, and 11-weights. Around midseason, 7-, 8-, and 9-weights are more appropriate. Your reels need not be fancy, but when you fish to big stripers, you need a reel with a good drag. Sometimes in midseason, when the winds die and the bait is smaller, I fish from 3- to 6-weights with slightly oversized reels loaded with extra backing.

Lines. To move around the different terrain with dexterity, you need at least three lines that match your rod's weight: a floater for surface and shallow work, an intermediate for medium-depths, and an extra-fast-sinking, shooting-taper line for deeper water. A fourth option is an Orvis Clear Tip for flats-rip or beachfront-rip type combinations, especially if the water clarity ranges from good to excellent.

The extra-fast-sinking line is the most important line. For the heavier rods, the Teeny T-350 or T-450 and Orvis Depth Charge 300- and 350-grain lines are the most versatile. Both companies offer similar lines for other line weights. Many anglers use Depth Charge lines even on beachfronts, because the North Shore currents are strong, especially at the ends of the barrier beaches. Big fish tend to hug the bottom, and you will hook up only if your line--and fly--can reach them.

When fishing sharp drop-offs or inshore islands from a boat, it's best to use a sinking line. In this style of fishing, the captain will drift his boat as close to the surge as he can. Your objective is to present your fly as close to the rocks as possible, and the fast-sinking line will quickly get your fly down the necessary three or four feet and into feeding fish.

For fishing flats and water with less depth, intermediate lines will get your fly down to the fish. Floating lines will also work in shallow water and when the fish are crashing bait on the surface.

All your lines should be stretched before fishing and cleaned regularly, which will maximize your casting distances. After use, all saltwater gear should be cleaned with fresh water to avoid corrosion.

Terminal Gear. Nine-foot leaders with a 10- to 20-pound tippet are standard for most of this fishing. When I find big fish and bait, I add eight inches of 30- to 50-pound shock tippet for added protection. Bigger stripers stun large baitfish with a slap of their tails, then turn around and engulf their prey head first. The shock tippet prevents break-offs. They are also important when you fish rocky drop-offs or offshore islands, and a hooked fish sounds, trying to break your line by wrapping it around or sawing it against mussel beds, barnacles, or rocks.

I use both wire and monofilament for shock tippets. I prefer flexible wire when I'm on a pod of bluefish, which have sharp teeth, and I switch to monofilament shock tippets when bass and blues are mixed together.

Other Gear. The following gear can make your time more enjoyable and effective on the water: stripping basket, polarized sunglasses, light, insect repellent, compass, hook sharpener, pliers, and possibly a Bogagrip or Lipper. For safety, felt-soled or even studded boots are a good idea when you wade slippery rock formations. And some anglers wear inflatable suspenders to protect them from an unexpected dunking.