Conference wahoo::fishing

    Almost forgot....
    
    	Can someone check the tide chart for Friday, May 20 for us?
    
    	I have a (photo-)copy of a chart showing this area:
    
    
    			Gallops I.
    Long I.
    (West Head)
                
    
    
                                                  Hull
                            Peddocks I.
    
    
                                                      
    
    
    
    
       Hough'sNeck
                               
                                              Crow Point
    
    
    Thanks!
    Bagel

    Hi Rich,
    
      Here's some info but not alot. I have fished in quincy bay for
    blue's not flats but heres some things I have learned motoring
    around ect. The bay is like a big shallow bowl about 10 ft deep
    in most areas. I have read that the best places to fish are in
    the little coves around pedocks island. You want to get
    up close to shore in the water maybe 7-8ft deep. Sand worms
    are the best bait and chumming with crushed muscles is a plus.
    The tide makes a big difference but I am not sure of the rules
    to go by. I think the flats look for place the tide is pushing
    the bait along the bottom towards them. I just know that depending
    on the tide direction on side or the other of the island is
    good to fish. I would say keep moving until you find a steady pick
    of fish. Try drifting if the wind is not ripping. There is a channel
    that runs by pedocks and pt. allerton (the hull high school is
    here) I have seen many boats fishing either side of the channel
    depending on the direction of the tide. I have caught
    alot of flats near the #10 Nun in the north channel of boston
    harbor. This is a short run from quincy bay. Yesterdays (sunday)
    high tide was around 1130 so add 50 minutes a day and this should
    get you close, I will check the tide tables for you if I remember.
    Dress warm, temps on the water are still in the mid 50's most
    days. I can pass a weather forcast down to you on wed or so.
    
    Bruce

    Re: -1
    Thanks Bruce, we would greatly appreciate a weather report on Wednesday
    if possible.
    
    Rich

    It has been sooo long since I fished there(becasue of the reason we
    can't talk about) But just look for were all the boats group up.
    A trick we also used to do, since finding muscle to chump was hard
    for us city slikers, bring a couple of big cans of cat food.
    Punch a bunch of holes in one and lower on a line to almost the bottom.
    
    good luck 
    Bassin Bob
    
    p.s. We used to also use night crawlers, got them at home in the
    back yard.  Less crabs but don't last long.  Use a spreader one
    hook night crawler and the other sea worm.

    	I reiterate what <.4> stated. Its been DECADES since I fished
    Quincy but I remember always being able to find flounder by looking
    for groups of boats actively catching fish. Just bring binoculars
    and cruise till you see fish being caught then join in. If you are
    more of an independant type, try some of the spots mentioned in
    this note and you will probably attract your own crowd.
    	I tried all the chum mentioned and had good luck with them.
    I also used to churn up the bottom by lifting the anchor periodically;
    that seemed to help also. An article in the Fisherman stated that
    corn and rabbit food are also good chum material although I have never 
    tried them.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Paul	Still_not_in_the_water_yet

    Another good chum to use is corn.  Buy some of those cans three
    for a buck.  Just toss some over side every now and then and it
    will attract the flounder.  When I first tried this, I didn't know
    if it was going to work, but when I started to catch some flounder
    with corn in their mouths, I knew it was working.  When you start
    catching them, stay anchored in that spot.  If it dies down for
    more than 15 minutes, move on, you won't catch any or not much.
    Lift the anchor and move with the tide.  Try the sides of the channel
    as mentioned earlier.  When I use to go, I would use the water tower
    and the rock pile as my markers, head out for the rock pile, when
    your even with the water tower, head straight out.
    Above all, bring plenty of sea worms (it's a bitch if you have to
    head in for more) and also plenty of beer.
    Have fun
    
    Mike_L

re: -1 
    Mike, thanks for the info, but, how 'bout a little more detail 
    like what rock pile and water tower?
    
    thanks Bagel
    

    re .7
    You can't miss it.  If your're coming out of Hurley's or Harvey's,
    stay to your left, you'll soon start to see the rock pile in the
    middle of the bay.  It will be loaded with seagulls.  The water
    tower will be on the coast, same side you launched on.  I always
    used the tower as a landmark getting me back since you can see it
    quite a ways off.  The river channel, where it's 30+ feet deep is
    also beyond the rock pile.  There will be very big ships going back
    and forth if you're planning on fishing there.  Make sure you're well
    anchored and outside of the channel.  If you catch any eels, keep
    'em, they're very tasty.  Just have a club ready, knock 'em out
    before you bring them into the boat, they'll tangle your rods and
    reels up.  I used an empty beer bottle one time since it was the
    only thing I had.  Damn eel was in the boat, wrapped his tail around
    the seat post and proceeded to pull my hand toward the bottom of
    the boat since I had ahold of the line but not the eel.
    The things I don't like to catch in Quincy bay are the crabs and
    skates.  A trick I learned to get them off quick and easy is just to 
    swing them against the sides of the boat until they fall off.  Skates 
    might be a trifle harder to get off.  If you catch a lobster on a 
    seaworm (I've see it done a few times), don't let anyone see you
    bring it in.  There's a fine if you catch a lobster without a license.

    It's about time someone else has admitted to catching lobstr on
    sea worms. I used to do this off the barge up on Sevey Ils. in Kittery
    the way to do it is real slow so the bug won't let go of the worm.
    
    Sometimes we would catch dozens this way while flat fishing. Try
    using hot dogs for lobster. They seem to like them. But as mentioned
    if you don't have a lobster lic. throw them back. The warden can
    confiscate your Boat,Gear,Car and you... and they will! Sometimes
    the fines can run up to 2K per lobster. Cheaper to buy them at the
    dock.         
    
    
                                        Good Luck
                                            Walt
    

    I caught a short bug at the #10 nun I mentioned earlier.
    
    This year I intend to do it the legal way.
    
    Bruce

    IF you catch a lobster with a rod and reel, and it is legal size,
    you don't need a license. You only need a license to trap.
    

    re: all
    
    			THANK YOU !!!!!
    
    		One and all.......now if only the 'flats' (as you guys
    call them) will be as co-operative   :-)
    
    
    Bagel   _who_can_taste_those_fried_fillets_already
    

    Bagel,
    
      Latest Marine weather, as of 0730 thurs morning. Small Craft
    Advisory, wind NE 15-25, visablility 1 mile of less in rain and
    fog, HT 1445, sea's 3-6ft with 25 miles of coast. This is supposed
    to continue through tomorrow.
    
    Now fishing in the harbor you will not encounter waves but alot
    of chop. Also you will be cold and wet, as the air temp will only
    be in the 50's. Sorry for the bad news.
    
    Bruce

    Well, 
    	Our adventure up to Quincy was a success. While none of the
    37 folks on our bus had a lot of fish, our high hook was 30+. While
    this is not impressive for Quincy, it equals almost a season's worth
    of fishing in NJ. 
    	What do you guys feed your flounder???  While I went up expecting
    quantity, I was very SURPRISED and IMPRESSED with the quality! I
    had 27 flats, and not one scaled less than 1 lb., and my largest
    (the pool winner) weighed 3 lb/8 oz!!
    
    Special thanks to Mr. Lowe, that area near the rock pile sure did
    pay off!
    
    Bruce - you were right- the weather was miserable.
    
    Thanks again!
    
    Bagel and the members of S.U.R.F. International

    Well, teh guys are talking Quincy again.... BUT, I remember seeing
    an ADVISORY from the dept. of health(?) about eating Quincy Flounder.
    
    Any truth to this , or can someone give more details? I recall the
    advisory mentioned something about the fish's liver.
    
    If this is serious enough to cause us NOT to go to Quincy, anyone
    got any other suggestions for spring flatties up that way? We would
    need someplace that could accomodate a bus-load (~40 people) in
    rental skiffs.
    
    Thanx in advance,
    Bagel

    Bagel,
    
       Everything I have heard or read says don't eat quincy bay flounder.
    While they are in abundance I know there is no comercial catches
    of flounder being taken from there. I would not catch and eat flounder
    from quincy or anywhere close to deer island. There is a strick
    warning not to eat the tomali (sp) of lobsters caught in the harbor.
    In general I have stopped fishing the harbor, even for blues which
    only visit for a short time. The slicks of ground up sewerage have
    become too much for me to even look at. If catch and release is
    your plan go for it, but I wouldn't eat them. 
    
    BTW you are welcome to make a cod run to stellewagon on the
    Sweet Dream II if you make it up this way.
    
    Bruce                
    

    Bagel-
    
     I saw a report last month that said 83% of Quincy Bay flounder
    showed signs of liver degradation with 40+% having nasty ulcers.
    It is thought that there is a very low probability of finding
    uncontaminated fish in Boston harbor/Quincy bay, especially in a
    year round type of population like flounder. I'd suggest you either
    go catch and release or try for something else, someplace else. 
    
    The Doctah

And Dukasis said, "Boston Harbor has been polluted for over a 100 years, and
I'm the first one to do anything about it".
Sorry Duke, but I don't think the flounder had ulcers in 1888.

Mike_L

       And the reason he 'did' anything, was a court order. He stalled
    and lost gov. funding that was available at the time, but has since
    been cut.
                                                   Denny

    OK guys....
    
    	WE DON'T CARE WHAT THE DUKE IS SAYING!
    
    What we do care about, is: Since we have decided to NOT go to Quincy,
    is there anyplace up there that offers flounder action comparable
    to Quincy? I don't think anyone will go for a Catch & Release trip
    for something that costs $5 / lb at the market ;-).
    
    Rich

    
      I need some advice on where to fish and what for near Boston/Quincy
    harbor. My  uncle has a small boat at Dorchester Yacht club and we are
    going out fishing on sat. morning.
      He has never fished and I have done mostly fresh water. I do however
    know how to catch flounder and have fished off of Castle Island and in
    Quincy bay. I gather that eating them won't be the healthy
    thing to do.
      Also does anyone know of the Neponset bait shop? I'm going to stop
    there for bait but how are the prices on tackle?
    
    Thanks
             Kevin Hart

    Kevin, 
    	I dont know what you mean by 'small boat' but for a reasonable
    craft in the 15' range, but for Bluefish I'd suggest you consider trolling 
    or casting leadhead jigs with pork rinds around the army base/docks, 
    or the Neponsit (sp) River or the waters off Columbia point/Kennedy 
    Library.   If you have some top water poppers, so much the better.  
    
    Off the Deer Island light and Hull gut can be very good places, but it can 
    be busy and the currents runs hard.  Oh yes, Snake Island off the airport 
    and near Winthrop can be good at times as well.   I'd stay away from
    the inner harbor and near the Charles River locks.  (too busy/crazy)
    
    I wouldnt turn away a Blue fresh from the Harbor, but you're on your own 
    for ground fish.
    
    P&J Bait and tackle (or maybe its called "PJ's") in Dorchester is a good 
    source of information. 
    
    
    .....you probably already know this, but I'd bring a chart and compass
    along..... 

    
      Thanks for the reply.
    
          Whats the binoculars for?
    
     I've not been on the boat before but Dad  say's it in the 20 to 22'
    range.

    With a 20'+ boat you'll be fine anyplace in the Harbor and 
    could easly consider looking further out around Brewster and the Graves.
    Watch the bottom though....
    
    Use the binoculars to look for birds.  
    
    While lots of birds = lots of fish, lots of fish dont always = lots 
    of birds.
    
    Sometimes I think more people fish for Blues with Binoculars than
    anything else.

    Blues are just savages. If they find or run into a school of
    bait fish, there won't be any survivors...
    
    The blues don't eat all they kill, a lot of it is left, and
    the birds take care of the rest.
    
    Bring binoculars...
    \
    JIm.

    
        Got to Boston at 8:30 am saturday. Went to the Dorchester Yacht 
    Club where uncle Henry keeps his boat, he aint there. Went over to 
    savin hill where my cousin lives and get him outa bed. " Call your 
    dad , high tides in half an hour"! He calls gets uncle outa bed.
       We didn't get out of port until 11:00 missed high tide. I'm
    not very happy but what the heck we'll give it a shot anyway.
    Head out to Hull Gut and Peddocks I. Try trolling a broken back
    mackerel lure and get hung on a lobster buoy. Uncle forgot to 
    keep boat going in straight line.  Hooked up on a 4lb blue on the back
    side of Peddocks and that was the only catch of the day. Next time
    we'll wait until high tide is at noon so the sleeping beuties can get
    there on time.
    
     Kevin