- Thirty-seven different species of fish are listed by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries as available in Massachusetts tidal waters. These include black and stripped bass, bluefish, cod, haddock, fluke (summer flounder) and tautog. Black bass and fluke cannot be fished in April.
Stripped bass are native to the East Coast, and they are rarely found more than a few miles from the coastline. They prefer shallow waters in bays and near rocky coastlines and beaches. The largest stripped bass caught in Massachusetts waters was 73 pounds.
Bluefish inhabit both inshore and offshore coastal regions, and they typically travel in large schools of 1,000 fish or more. The Massachusetts angling record for bluefish is 27 pounds, 4 ounces.
Cod prefer cooler waters and typically inhabit depths of 200 to 360 feet. The Massachusetts angling record is an 85-pound, 10-ounce cod boated in 1984, however, it is rare to catch one that size today.
Recent decades have seen Massachusetts' haddock populations depleted. Today they are found in largest numbers around offshore banks, especially Georges Bank.
Tautog or "tog" are popular inshore game fish, and they have "ranked as high as fourth in recent years in poundage taken by recreational anglers in Massachusetts," according to the Department of Fish and Game. - In April, stripped bass might be found in small, shallow bays and along rocky shorelines and sandy beaches. Bluefish begin to arrive along the southern New England coast during April and May, but they typically don't arrive in numbers before Memorial Day, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game.
Cod migrate with the seasons, but their movements can be unpredictable. In early spring, you can find them sporadically along the entire state coastline.
Haddock seek more northerly areas off the New England coast in early spring. In April, they are usually migrating to the shallower waters of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank where they will remain all summer.
Tog might be your best bet in April as they are one of the first species of fish available to angler in the springtime. The best fishing is centered around Cape Cod, but the tog can be caught all along the coast from Cape Ann to the South Shore. - A 7 1/2- to 9-foot rod of medium stiffness is recommended for fishing Massachusetts inshore tidal waters. Twenty- to 50-pound test line will be needed depending on your target fish.
Jigs are popular lures for catching fish at relatively shallow depths, and they can be made more effective by tying a leader to the line and adding a hook with a tube teaser worm, as this will resemble a large fish chasing a smaller one in the water.
A downrigger will be needed to catch fish at greater depths. Common baits include sand eels, mackerel and strips of herring and crabs. But the most popular local bait is a large piece of clam with its entrails trailing from the hook. - You are required to register with the National Saltwater Angler Registry of the federal government if you plan to fish recreationally in Massachusetts coastal waters. This is free for Massachusetts residents and for residents of other states that do not have a state saltwater fishing license program; for all others the cost of registering is $25.
As of 2011, fishermen will be required to purchase a saltwater fishing license from the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and the proposed price for this permit is $10 for residents and nonresidents alike. - Size and possession limits are in place for particular saltwater fish in the region.
There are no size restrictions for bluefish, but the possession limit is 10 fish.
Ten cod 24 inches or longer can be caught north of Cape Cod between April 1 and Oct. 31. South of Cape Cod, you may fish the species year-round, but you can only keep 10 fish, and they must all be 22 inches or longer.
You can catch as many haddock as you want, but they must be 18 inches or longer. Harvested stripped bass must be at least 28 inches, and you may possess only two fish. You can keep three tautog over 16 inches.
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