OK Guys,

With any luck, I will be a Wareham resident by the summer. However, I had no idea about this when I bought my boat this past October which I planned on using in Boston Harbor on fair days (and a lot of freshwater too).

It is a 17' SmokerCraft aluminum boat with a 2 stroke Suzuki 85hp

http://www.basspond.com/ib/uploads/post-7-55979-ourboat.jpg

My question is, is this boat appropriate for Buzzard's Bay? I am particularly interested in spending a lot of time at the Elizabeths.

I also plan to put on an electric trolling motor on the front. Flaptail, I notice that you have one on your boat in that pic at Naushon. Would you recommend one over another?


What areas do I want to avoid with a boat?

Thanks,
Mike

Originally posted by flatts1
What areas do I want to avoid with a boat?

Thanks,
Mike

Based on what I've seen and heard of about that area, you want to Avoid Buzzards Bay... That said, you'll really need to pick & chose your days. New house & new job too?

Good luck Mike!

Mike,
I think weather and your tolerance for seas will dictate when and where you go.
Buzzard bay always seems to get worse as the day progresses, but its only a 7mi ride from the southcoast ramps to the elizabeths.
I've been from falmouth to Oaks Bluff in a leaky 14ft smokercraft, but with one guy on bail duty and one on the tiller we got to get expand the areas we've been skunked.



What areas do I want to avoid with a boat?

As long as you're motor is sound, you've got fuel and the seas are calm, go anywhere.

That boat is fine for Buzzards Bay as long as you don't travel too far from home. You can go to the Elizabeths on a calm day, but make sure you check the weather. If I were to fish the Islands, I would trailer to Woods Hole, or the new Ramp in Falmouth Harbor and go from there. It's better to be safe than sorry, Buzzards Bay be be a very Nasty place very quickly.

Flatts,
Re:" What areas do I want to avoid with a boat?" the ones with the slightly submerged rocks.
:smash:

Thanks Guys,

John, my job is transfering to Taunton. The drive from Quincy isn't that bad at all right now but I have been looking to move to that area for a little while now.

It was a toss up between Wareham or Middleboro but we ended up with Wareham.

My master plan though is to get 5 other guys to all chip in on a 1/4 acre in Middleboro. We could all put Home Depot sheds on it and then claim residency there. Then we wouldn't have to worry about the non-resident herring permit quota. Anyone here interested?

Mike

THERE ARE NO FISH SOUTH OF THE DITCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!;) ;)

Sorry Buddy....:D :D

We mostly fish buzzards bay... i have been out there when you can see yourself in the water it was so smooth... and i have been out there if you tryed to see yourself you would fall over board :smash: ...this upcoming season.. we are going to make our first trip to Elizabeth islands and mv with the new boat... maby we can hook up some time..

You will find tons of bluefish in the cove right before kingman marine. For black sea bass , scup , and more bluefish Cleveland light/ledge.


Jr Link

What rip runner said!

Summer mornings its much safer to cross, start heading back 11am. Make the forcast religion.

also, learn to fish the main land stretch, theres plenty of fish on your side.

Mikey -

This is Striper Russ.

Crossing Buzzards to get to the Elizabeth's can be tough. I'm not familiar with aluminum boats, but I can guess that they get tossed around pretty good.

Perhaps the aluminum is a blessing though - I imagine it is very easy to trailer. Could you put in somewhere in Falmouth on the Vineyard Sound side? That could potentially keep your knuckles from turning white.

Welcome to Taunton.

Russ

You will be ok if you stay inside the upper end.
Once you get out to the end of the Stoey Point Dike you will know if you can get out?

Yo Pogie157, I think I probably will be doing some trailering to Falmouth as you and others have suggested.

The cool thing is that I'll be 5 minutes from 2 beaches and 10 minutes from the canal so I can still get some surf fishing in before work too.

It is going to take some getting used to fishing this area. I'm stocking up on fluke gear and I can't wait for Tog fishing (Tog., Tog, Tog...) and I remember what you always say when the herring are gone 'Stripers eat scup too you know'.

Now if I can just get trout-boy to give up some spots...

Later,
Mike

Now if I can just get trout-boy to give up some spots...

LOL maybe a few pints of Guiness could get the kid to loosen his lips.

Going to the Elizabeths from Wareham is OK on a good day with light winds. If you get caught out there on a bad day, that boat is to small to get back. Those 5 foot white caps are no fun.
You can always fish Bird Island and Little Bird island , the Weweantic and Wings Cove, and the castle at the point . If I had that boat, I'd stay closer to home. The Weweantic river has giant fish in it, you just have to learn where the spots are, and don't be afraid to be on the water before the sun comes up. Try learning how to fish Wareham. The Tautog and flounder fishing is great in early May. Don't forget the chum. Weakfish sometimes show up in July and August. You can go blue crabbing.

Get some Eels and fish the rocks against the banks of the Weweantic. Don't be afraid to fish at night.

You don't need to go all the way out to Cuttyhunk to catch big fish. The Wareham river is great fishing when the fish "rise" in the early morning and late evenings during the summer and early fall.

If you plan on fishing the islands, you will need to trailer your boat down to Falmouth. It's a long run to the islands from Wareham anyway and you will not make it back in that boat once the afternoon winds kick up. If you ever been alond stoney dike in the west end of the canal during a west running tide with the wind coming from the west at the same time, you'd wish you were somewhere else. I have done it in a 22 footer and me and the canal patrol boat were the only ones out there, scary. So whatever you do , don't launch in Onset or over by Macos either, use a ramp near the center.

good luck

BTW, by the time you get around to gaining residency in Middleboro, you'll be sick of fishing live herring and fighting the lines.

flatts1 -

Don't laugh but I mentioned the same idea last year about buying property in Middleboro. Let's smother the land owner along the river by the herring run and buy some land, put up some sheds and "take hostage any herring swimming by."

Last year in one of the Cape Cod Real Estate books a realtor had land advertised for sale and the picture showed a stream with a herring ladder. I kid you not. I immediately called the office and basically told them I'd buy it and asked how much. The realtor laughed when I told him I wanted it for the access to the run and stated several other fisherman had already called for the same reason. True story.

The mentality of the fisherman.

I have been living on the North River in Mass for 10 years now. I looked at this awesome old house only for about 20 minutes. Then I went down to the river.

Fishing in Boston Harbor all my life prior, I looked up and down the river in December and said to myself. "There's alot of bass in this spot, I'll take it." And never regretted it, Tons of fish, and some real corkers too.

MIKE FLATTS,

Went to school down in Buzzards BAy, The afternoon that South West really kicks up. And BB is relatively shallow with steep chop. Your boat isn't that big. Just have to be a bit caustious some days and don't think your fishing from a Hatteras and get caught in a spot where you shouldn't be.

Jon Behm, Marshfield

Fishing buzzards bay in an aluiminum boat your size can be very productive, however you must learn it's capabilities while close to port. I have used a simular boat on the west side of the bay always close to the ramp with success about the same as fishing the Elizabeth islands. Its not where you fish but how you fish. Good luck!

Thank you very much everyone for all of the input. If nothing else, I'll be sure to trailer to Falmouth for the Elizibeths.

Beamie, I actually bought the boat with the North River totally in mind.

Striprman, I've already commited your response to memory. I so want to hit the Weweantic.

Slipnot, how about the boat ramp at Swift's beach. It's free but it looks like it would be tough at low tide.

FWIW I'll be living on Cromeset Neck.

While we're at it, it looks like I'm going to have to relearn where all of the other good stuff is in that area. Can anyone recommend good liquor stores, gas stations, auto mechanics, restaurants (non smoking), barbers, grocers, butchers, theaters, bowling alleys, etc.

How are the schools, hospitals, and police. I've seen the rankings online but I would appreciate some testimonials.

Thanks Again,
Mike

Tog...Tog...Tog...Tog...

Mike, I never used that ramp so I don't know.

About the Weweantic, that river and it's mouth is FULL of rocks that like to eat lower ends and outdrives, BEWARE.

the boat ramp at swifts beach is a mud ramp all depends on tide and size of your boat I cant launch there , just across the river is Tempest knob ramp 5$ nice ramp but it gets crowded early,easy launch and tie up you can always launch and have someone drive your truck back to the center and park out back then pick them up at the dock there at the narrows, later, link:cool:

Originally posted by Slipknot
Mike, I never used that ramp so I don't know.

About the Weweantic, that river and it's mouth is FULL of rocks that like to eat lower ends and outdrives, BEWARE.

Ya, drive your boat slowly in the Weweantic, the fishing can be really good though.

Troll a cape cod or niantic bay spinner spinner with a worm


I like fishing from the route 6 bridge, under the hi tension wires, the cornfield and the golf course all the way out to the point, around the corner to wings cove, the cabanas then out to bird island. Little bird island can have good fishing to. Bring some eels, atoms poppers, pogies for bait. Kastmasters.
good bottom fishing too, bring a half flat of worms and catch some scup tautog, flounder and black sea bass.

Watch for pogie schools to, bring a snatching rig or two.

If you can get a live bait well, live herring fished in the Weweantic will catch just as many stripers as anywhere else on the cape.

If the pogy schools are in buzzards bay, the fishing is unreal. Make some snatch rigs and liveline those pogies.

Tautog fishing at the mouth of the Weweantic can be good to. Bring alot of chum and watch to see where the "fleet" is parked.

Be on the water before sunrise.

flatts1, going to the Elizabeth's in a 17' would be risky from Wareham. Watch the weather and go early. B Bay kicks up in the afternoon and it is no fun. On a calm morning I can get to Gay Head in 55 minutes out of Onset, but it will take you a hell of a lot longer to get home. Just be careful and fish more around home.