(Updated Report to come Friday, 11/17. We apologize for the inconvenience.)

Whitechins notwithstanding, saltwater quarry has dropped down a notch in size with headlines now dominated by mackerel, whiting and smelt. Striped bass cannot be totally dismissed as a few are hanging in there – including some biggies – but most anglers are bidding them sayonara until spring.

Massachusetts South Shore/South Coast Fishing Report

While the vast majority of striped bass have beaten a path southward, there are just enough hanging in there to give hope to the truly hardcore. Far from just schoolies, some of those lingerers would impress most any time of the year! While schoolies now are obvious as they crash bait, the larger specimens remain true to their nocturnal nature and are most active at night. A few anglers are keenly aware of this which is why bait shop owners are still being besieged by those who want eels. Most of the bigger bass have been found in marshes and rivers such as the North River in Scituate.

Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate told me that he has a few never-say-die customers who are still catching quality stripers throughout the North River. Standout spots are at the effluence of the Herring River, Damon’s Point and the Cliffs.

Westport white chins are continuing their crab-crunching ways with Captain Jason Colby dusting off “epic” to describe the most recent bite aboard Little Sister Charters. If either fear or frustration has made you reluctant to flip to the jig/crab it might be time for a revisit. Tog are a different beast now and are feeding aggressively enough to make up for a lot of shortcomings and we know nothing breeds success like success!

Greater Boston Fishing Report

While there is still interest in smelt, some are enjoying the diversity of also catching whiting from many of the same spots. Lisa from Fore River Fishing Tackle in Quincy told me that because they are bigger, some anglers are appreciating the better fight and being easy on the palate provides even more incentive. You can find these toothy, silvery fish from Nut Island as well as off Summer Street. Some very large mackerel have moved inshore possibly to feast on peanut bunker, smelt and herring fry. The shop was visited recently by anglers fond of fishing for flounder in Winthrop who couldn’t believe Fore River was not only open during the week but they were still carrying bait! These guys have been fishing for winter flounder from the Deer Island Pier.

As for stripers there is still some fish coming out of the rivers such as the Weir, Weymouth Back, Neponset and Mystic Rivers. Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sportfishing has been deploying a novel way of tackling those straggler stripers and culling out the larger specimens – he’s chunking and chumming them up with fresh mackerel! To find the few remaining stripers you have to find the herring fry. Even though water temperatures have slipped into the mid-to-upper 40s – well below their comfort zone – for some bass, an easy meal overrides the compulsion to migrate. Expect to spend long, chilly hours with not much to show for it but for some connecting with a striper this late in the season makes it well worth it.

Massachusetts North Shore Fishing Report

As recently as a few nights ago, a couple of tenacious North Shore anglers were still catching mid-40” stripers! The action has been taking place at night with what I suspect are eels off Magnolia. While not every tide rewards, there is enough topwater action to keep shore sharpies such as my friend Steve Papows from calling it a season. When the schoolies/slots are found they’ve been willing to take down a chartreuse Yo-Zuri TopKnock pencil.

Tomo from Tomo’s Tackle in Salem said that big mackerel were mugging peanut bunker within view of his shop at Pickering Wharf. Casters have been observed hooking mackerel off the shore of Marblehead Neck as well. The combination of less predators and ample prey has drawn the bigger mackerel close to shore, with reports putting the macks inshore to be larger than the macks offshore!

Anglers making it out to Stellwagen and Tillies are primarily finding pollock. TJ from Three Lantern Marine told me that mackerel right now are the most common quarry and anglers aren’t needing to go far to catch them. His theory echoes Tomo’s take on things, he said that because predation by blues and bass are no longer a factor, mackerel are emboldened to come inshore to feed on herring fry, silversides, smelt and peanut bunker. Those targeting tuna have been finding them at the edges of drop-offs on Jeffrey’s Ledge as well as the northern edge of Stellwagen Bank.

Massachusetts Freshwater Fishing Report

Shawn from Merrimack Sports said that he’s setting up anglers looking for pike with heavy shiners and pointing them to Lake Attitash as well as the Merrimack River. Inlets, tributaries and oxbows off the main river tend to congregate the most pike. The Haverhill stretch near the Covanta Plant is a good example of this.

Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston is moving more Kastmasters right now than most anytime of the year which is proof that the Chu laker bite is on! Most anglers are leaning towards “heavy metal” – 3/4, 1 ounces – but at dusk, dawn and cloudy days the lakers will move into the shallows making heavy spoons ineffective. For skinny water 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8th ounce Krocodiles and Kastmasters are better options. Gold, metallic perch and blue/chrome have historically been the most consistent colors. The biggest white perch I ever caught at Wachusett – a 16” slab – hit a 1/2 ounce blue/chrome Kastmaster by the bluffs off Gate 8 at this time of the year. Also caught this time of the year at the Chu was the monster 3 pound, 8 ounce world record landed by Val Percuoco in 2016. Exceptional white perch achieve great size because of access to lots of forage. For salter white perch that forage consists of grass shrimp, killifish, juvenile herring and silversides – but in the Chu, the preferred prey is smelt. As is the case with salmon, white perch shadow the schools of smelt. Wachusett’s trophy perch shadow shoals of smelt similar to salmon. A blown-up crawler floated off the bottom is the best bait for white perch and as to the “where” Eddie suggests the Scar Hill Road area. Josh from the Fishing Hole in South Hadley said that two of the fish making the most splash in the Connecticut/Housatonic River area are an odd couple – smallmouth bass and carp. With water temperatures hovering in the mid-to-upper 40 degree range both species are schooling up and feeding. For smallies Josh recommends fishing above the dam with Ned Rigs and skirted jigs with black and blue among the best colors. Not only are numbers of fish achievable but this is the time to check off that personal best 5 pounder! If you’re fond of fishing for the heavyweight champ of our freshwater fish, than you have to check out the carp goodies in the Fishing Hole. European carp pros, whose pursuit of these fish borders on fanaticism, would be right at home in this shop because it lacks nothing!

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts

Massachusetts Fishing Forecast

While hardly at its peak there are just enough striped bass around for stalwarts to forego comfort and keep on casting in spite of the skunkings. Rivers and nearby embayments which support river herring runs are always good places to start this time of the year. Mackerel are more reliable than bass with whiting and smelt salty options worth a shot off piers and bridges. Dropping water temperatures may be the foe for those looking for striped bass but they are definitely the friend of those searching for tautog as the fish are in bunches and bingeing. Freshwater fish are feeding with purpose as well. Pike in the Merrimack River may be a northern Massachusett’s best bet while out west white perch, smallies, lakers and carp are all in feed mode!