i actually finally got to go out for my first time this year friday night. going again at 11 today. probably again over night. right now we are just fishing around town (hull) got two little guys the other day. which i used to be content with. i used to fish off the jetti down swifts beach in braintree and pull in 20's all day. my friends grabbed a couple keepers..but that was years ago. i haven't really had a chance to do any serious fishing since then. last year went a few times got nothing, but i didn't go enough to really care.

my point. i've been fishing for stripers for almost 13 years a good 6 i went years everyday from may till the start of school. I have yet to catch a keeper. or anything almost close for that matter. so now with the beach two house away. i want to get into surf fishing and take my shots at those fish that would swim by while i was swimming that were bigger than i was.

i have no experience with this what so ever. i have always stuck to back waters, and the bay here. i need some tips.

should i just throw on chunks of various baits, or would live lining eels be more productive at this time of year? they we taking clams in the bay, which is literally around the corner. and should i just throw it out in the sand, or as i would like to think travel to the ends and get it out near the rocks? also, i need some outfit details, rod, reels, lines etc etc..

might as well kill two birds with one stone.. any hot spots along the shores of the south shore with in reasonable distance? (20miles or so)

thanks guys. one day i will catch a big one.

Welcome to S-B!:wave: First tip I can give is "No spot burning"! It is policy here, and in most forums, not to divulge specific locations....we speak in general locations here! Example: Hull area, a beach in Braintree......this is so specific spots do not recieve un-needed pressure or crowding! Mention your favorite spot and it won't be your favorite any longer because 8 other guys are suddenly there pushing you off your jetty!

Where are you from? I grew up in Braintree!:btu:

any hot spots along the shores of the south shore with in reasonable distance? (20miles or so)


If you are in Hull you don't need to go far. Think rocks more than sand, if you can, focus on very very first light or dark times, use plugs or eels if you are familiar with them. Go to an area where you can cover some distance and fan your casts across an area for a while then move.

Essentially setup a picket line that the bass will have to cross :hee:

I had the best 3 weeks of fishing in my life in Hull

i grew up right by watson park. so the fore river was a hop skip and a jump from my house..

and i wish i had the best fishing of my life down here.. sadly not true.. it's been very very slow from the shore. i got one 17" today. but boy was it girthy. i must say, optimistically, my first fish was the smallest and they are increasing in size with each catch so i might be on track to the big one.

after i posted i found the FAQs section and read well into 8am. fell asleep and missed the noon tide, but joined my buddy on the tail end and we decided to fish over town during lowtide to see if thee were any hot spots.. didnt really find any. but we did get good looks at what were fishing at high tide. we dubbed it "a research day" which we will be doing tomorrow night :spin:

i did read the eels 101 but i am confused on how to rig em. weight or no weight? also from our spots it seems like there are too many rocks for eels to get caught up under even when slightly out of it. but we were discussing using them heavily this year. maybe even tomorrow night.

I grew up right up the street on Harbor Villa.....up Quincy Avenue by the Quirk dealership! I used to go down Watson Park as a kid and fish for tommy cod and flounder off the wall in the park! :wiggle:

no weight unless big surf. just hook them through the lower jaw out one eye or down the throat. rocks and eels are a good thing....

thanks bart. (add on) so just a wire/mono leader and an 8/0 - 9/0 hook?

and bigfish... my grandmother lived on glennrose.. my best buds were over on harborvilla. i used to be over there all the time messing around on the hill when i was little.

Who is your Grandmother? I guarantee I know her....Glenrose and Harbor Villa are my hood!

thanks bart. (add on) so just a wire/mono leader and an 8/0 - 9/0 hook?.

no wire, mono is fine. i like a 5/0 hook personally. i don't think anything bigger than a 7/0 is necessary althouhg others may disagree

one more question bart.. right now i got a pretty standard shore spinning set up. i think its a 7ft maybe 6 1/2 medium-medium stiff rod with 20lb test.. could i just run eels off that or am i gonna need to upsize anything?. (i'm gonna try and run them in protected waters at my normal spot)

not really concerned about losing a fish as i swore by 5lb test from the of 5 till 16 and only snapped it twice on fish (in fresh). never lost a striper on it. i'm more concerned about it holding up to casting.

appreciate the info though, it will prove crucial in the up coming days.

From shore you are best with at least a 9' rod for eel fishing. Good rods run on the bottom end from a 9' Tica/Tsunami/Quarrow for inexpensive production rods ($60-90) with the mid range and high end being custom glass or graphite sticks where you are looking $160 (Batson/Patriot) to who knows what.

Like Bart said, unweighted unless you are in big surf / current or your casting off the continental shelf...

Not to get off topic....but it turns out I grew up with this young tadpoles Mom! His family and my family were as tight as 2 families could get....his Grandmother was like a second Mom to me and his Uncle was one of my best friends growing up!!:uhuh:

Guess I am gonna have to take this young fella under my wing a little if he will let me!:uhuh:

I grew up in Hingham so I know the area pretty well. As Big Fish "Larry" said you won't find many guys that will tell you exactly where they fish. Certain well know spots. Like "Hull Gut" are ok to discuss cause anyone can get there Just keep driving :laugha:

I can tell you that there are nice fish in the area. I spent a month on the vineyard last year only to come home to Hingham and catch my biggest bass ever 40"+.

Chunk bait and Clams are an easy way to fish the area but some people myself included prefer to plug and work the shore. I would make sure the tide is up if your fishing in the bays and rivers find a spot with moving water and structure and you will be on your way!