Boston Harbor/Castle Island

[FishFighter]

I am new to the site and have been really impressed with how willing veterans are to help out the noobies (I am one myself)!

I have recently begun surf fishing in the Boston Harbor/Castle Island, MA area and am looking for new spots! I have had no luck at Castle Island so far but may be using wrong equiptment. Please let me know if there are any close spots and what might be good to use there.

Thanks for any help!

[BigFish]

Welcome FishFighter! I have only fished the pier at Castle Island and the Sugar Bowl once in my life when my Dad took me many years ago! I am guessing you are fishing from shore? I would try soaking some cut bait (macks or pogie) or sea worms from there? What did the veteran regulars suggest?? Good luck and welcome to S-B!

[BigFish]

PS-Best equipment you can have is patience!

[FishFighter]

Thank you for responding BigFish! I am going out again tommorow and trying both sea worms and squid on a fish finder rig (was told it maybe to early for mack.).

I'm still looking for some fishing veterans in the area willing to "toss me a line" and help me in my search for striper!

[JamesJet]

I am certainty not a southy expert by any means but so general advice is that Castle Island, specifically the sugar bowl area can be very hit or miss and is very tide dependent. It is very similar to fishing any outflow, where you need to think about temp of the water, bait and the bass looking to ambush it. Additionally don't be afraid of a few skunkings, just try to be as observant as possible, if anything its still early in the season. When I have had been there it has been flyfishing for schoolies, but I am sure bait will do the trick. Keep at it, you'll figure it out.

[BigFish]

Forgot about clams.....use clams on a float rig!

[kevinthegood]

it's a little early for castle island, hang in there. the locks between the sugar bowl and the castle, outgoing tide, it takes about 1 to 2 hours for the water to start cranking, small baits

[hardcore from shore]

No new news here for the observant. You do have to work to find the fish as they move around both inside and outside. A little early for it to turn on yet but dawn, at either lock, in coming or outgoing. Fish on the flow side. Small baits and teasers this time of year. Metal as well, and poppers work here. The entire south wall works as well. I prefer the last half of the outgoing tide. At times the beach on the inside as well a few weeks later in season. Lot's of good guys. Some sit and fish bait, lot's of us walk around. Cut mackeral or pogies have worked for me. As I said, nothing new but keep trying different things and being observant. Also a great bunch of regulars.
Be careful, the black rocks get real slippery as the tide drops.

[jredfly]

A lot of good memories fishing the Sugarbowl with my Dad and Uncles. My Uncle Al used to be out there everyday. A lot of good info here. Showing my age here but I used to ride my bike out there and fish an old wooden dock on the inside that is not there anymore. Used to have to jump over spaces where the planks were missing. Pulled some decent flounder out of there using sea worms back in the day. Nice to hear there are still a lot of good guys out there.

[Polar Express]

Wow grew up fishing behind the fort what memories. I remember catching a lot of flounder there. Also remember losing a lot of gear via snags.

[FishFighter]

Yeah, learning that one pretty quick myself.

[hardbait]

THERE ARE FISH AROUND.TRY SMALL LURES RAPALA HUSKY JERKS AND SMALL SHADS. TRY WALLOSTON BEACH AND MARINA BAY ALSO

[xyzs]

friday get the paper and check out the fishing reports in the sports section it should tell you were the fish are biteing... then call around the local bait shops... check out some of the fishing forms on line
do you drive??? check out carson beach-naponset river-wolly beach in quincy just to name a few.....welcome & good luck

[Green Light]

FishFighter,

Welcome to S-B!

Fish finder rigs are good. But, I have personally had more success with High/Low rigs with lazer sharp hooks dressed with clams. I have used clams from Maine B+T shops (not recommended!) and from Cape Cod B+T shops ("ok", but not my first choice), and the clams at Surfland are the BEST. Trust me!

For fish finder rigs, I use a reel spooled up with mono.

For high/lo rigs, I use a reel spooled up with braid. If the fish sneezes on my bait, I will know it!

While bait fishing, do not grow roots! That is, do not be afraid to move.

[LINESIDES]

Hello I am an old veteran of Castle Island. In late fifties & early sixties there was a rickety wooden pear in front where the concrete one stands today.
You needed to literally walk twenty feet of a double plank to get on to the pier.
Yes 10 inches wide. It kept most of the non brave off of the pier.
It bounced up and down as walked across.
We also walked by jumping from the granet blocks in an upward motion up on to the tops of the pilings that run out to the left. It was a leap of faith! A good thirty inch jump to the top of a10 inch moving piling. It was done at low tide also. It was 15 feet to the rocks below. Some swayed as you walked on them across the tops. You brought a drink and lunch out there & spent the day. No porta potties out there either the most prized position was the last three pilings.
There is a drop in front there that drew in fish. Best place in the Harbor to catch Mackerel from land. I saw a person who participated in showing all of us kids how to fish with out spending a lot of money on the sport.
We were taught to make every thing except hooks, line and the equipment to make a rod.
I thank you Gill!
He took a 32 pound Striper on an on strip of mackerel while fishing for mackerel out on the pilings. Luxor reel with 8 pound test.
Other folks I remember were Big Bill Allen, Junior, Finn, Smithy, Tinny,
Fred, Pilipino Joe, Gill, Sam his brother Wally, The Russian, Frank, Sonny, Ted.
Great fishermen of there time helping kids learn the trade.
(Gill could sleep on top of the pilings)!
As time went on the technique became Sliding bobber, 8 feet down, triple split shot, double sea worms for strength when casting. Hooked through the head.
Pencil plugs worked also. For Stripers.
Other places to try in the area were summer street bridge South Boston.
Technique was a 2 ½ ounce chain weight, three feet shocker, two worms once again,
Fished on the bottom. The bobber Technique worked well also. At knight at Summer Street, early morning. Before dawn! Same for Castle Island.
Same for Moon, & Black Creek.
Moon Island, Wollaston beach at Black Creek. Pencil, poppers, Pyramid on the bottom (3oz) with fish finder & worms.
Black rubber eels.
Worms would cost a fortune today. Back then we dug our on worms on the Island.
I hope this helped, and the nostalgic trip didn’t bore any one.
Later, L.

[5/0]

You are going to have Monsta tides early next week @ sunrise

[jredfly]

Good stuff L!
It is always great hearing about guys teachng kids how to fish. JP