A FEW SPOTS FOR TUNA

As we have mentioned many times before, Massachusetts offers anglers a wide variety of species of fish from small panfish to striped bass to giant tuna. Once the waters of Massachusetts Bay have heated up to the point that tuna start to congregate in Mass Bay to feed on populations of baitfish, tuna fishermen start to gather along the many locations that traditionally attract good numbers of giant tuna.

Tuna fishermen start their season by catching and preserving huge amounts of mackerel. The mackerel came and fishermen scored nicely and with the arrival of tuna, they can enjoy the fruits of their labors. The mackerel that was so carefully prepared will be cut into chum and painstakenly sewed into daisy chains to attract hungry tuna.

 LEARN THE HARD WAY. Despite the often times frustrating weekend warriors that will move helter skelter through the tuna fleet, disregarding the unspoken rules of the water, tuna fishing, for many, is an enjoyable sport. For others, it is a way of life. Most tuna fishermen have had to learn the sport the hard way by trial and error as most anglers are quite close to the vest when it comes to giving out important information, such as productive baits, successful methods and important techniques. For many it is a mortal sin to divulge a productive location even though scores of fishermen know just where that location is. Any location can be hot on any given day but only experience will give you a feel for productive areas.

ON THE BANK. Fishermen from all over coastal Massachusetts seem to congregate in a limited number of locations. Stellwagen Bank, an under water bank that is rich with bait and stretches across Mass Bay, is popular among sport fishermen and is a prime tuna location. At times during the season, this underwater acreage has enough boats over it to create what looks like a small city.

One of the most popular locations on the bank is the northwest corner. This section of the bank is favored by anglers from the North Shore as the southeast corner is favored by anglers from the Cape. The bank is only fifteen miles out of Salem and a short distance from Gloucester. Fishermen arrive early on the bank so that plenty of jockeying can take place to gain a prime position. Prime spots include fishing along the edge of the bank. LORAN numbers will get you to the northwest corner of the bank but your exact position will be determined once you arrive. You may want the edge of the bank or you might choose to position your boat downstream from a well executed chum line. The numbers for the northwest corner of the bank are 13819.4 X 25668.0.

THE SOUTH END: The next important location on the bank is the southeast corner. Although favored by fishermen from the Cape and South Shore, it’s popularity is determined by the reported activity during any given period. If reports are positive, boats from all over the coast will make their way to the southeast corner and jockey for prime position. The LORAN numbers for the southeast corner are 13770.0 X 25520.0. Your exact location will have to be fine tuned.

AS THE SEASON WEARS ON: Jefferies Ledge draws tuna fishermen from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. The course for some Massachusetts fishermen is long, but the standards set by most fishermen deem the extra travel time to be worth the effort. Depend on the amount of bait in the area, the weather and the current conditions, many fishermen feel that the conditions found on Jefferies seem to favor the largest fish. For the most part, activity on Jefferies escalates as the season wears on.

Although there are numerous locations that are available to tuna fishermen, sharp anglers will keep a keen eye out for activity around them and add such locations to their log. The following locations are fished by friends of mine and they have all realized good action and tallied nice catches. The first is a hill that is generally productive. It rises to about 124 feet below the surface. A good many fish have been caught at this location and the best method of working this area has to be determined by the angler. Fish have been caught on the ball as well as by trolling. The numbers are 13725.0 X 44336.0.

ANOTHER HILL: Sharp rises and strong currents can make this next location somewhat difficult to fish. The hill rises to 113 feet and is favored by a good many fishermen. Despite the obvious difficulty fishing this hill will create, experienced and skillful fishermen will overcome these difficulties by adjusting their methods and techniques. The following numbers will get you there: 13704.0 X 44334.6.

IN THE BAY: There are a couple of other locations that don’t need loran numbers to get there but should not be overlooked. Each year fishermen locate, fight and land good numbers of tuna in Ipswich Bay. Often times anglers looking for bluefish or other species will accidently hook up with a tuna and the resulting action causes a heart-thumping, adrenaline high you could only imagine. Of course as the stories are told over and over again, anglers get pumped up all over again. Don’t overlook Ipswich Bay. Over the past few years, fishermen have observes schools of football tuna traveling in as close as Nahant’s Egg Rock. Reports of this activity seems to have increased over the past few years. Wether or not you choose to make a trip to Ipswich Bay or later in the fall to Nahant is totally up to you but I feel that fishermen should at least be aware of the potential for fish in these areas.

FIVE FISH: The next location was given to me by a successful friend of mine that has caught fish in this area throughout the season but prefers trolling during the fall months. He favors the edge of this sharp drop-off and admits holding to the edge can be difficult. He does not mind revealing the numbers of this spot despite the fact that he has taken five fish from this location.

Because conditions change frequently and fish are constantly on the move, this successful angler feels that the skill of the angler, his ability to read conditions, properly prepare and present baits and most of all his skill in handling a green fish, revealing numbers is only part of the equation that leads a fisherman to success. The numbers for this location are 13670.1 X 44332.9. When trolling in the area, try to stay close to the edges and drop-offs.

As experienced fishermen realize, numerous numbers have been proven productive by scores of anglers. A log of productive numbers should be kept and referred to during each trip. As you fish more, you will develop a "feel" for certain areas under different conditions. Keep trying and you will soon be lucky enough to experience the thrill and excitement of tight lines.