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Sunday, Draggin' Fly regular, Bob Moss of Lexington put together the crew for a light tackle charter. Joining Bob were Vermont anglers Jim Kearns, Craig Young, and Bob Ferguson. The crew kept their fingers crossed that the weather would hold for the morning The first stop in Quincy Bay produced several strikes on soft jerk baits, but the fish managed to avoid the hook Craig did land a bass swimming a jig among suspended fish. The next stop in Dorchester Bay was a little more productive as each angler caught and released bass. Later, a few more bass were caught in the Anchorage. Sized ranged from small schoolies to almost legal sized fish. On a hunch, Captain Bill decided to hunt the shallows of Quincy Bay and this paid off big time. The crew brought up numerous bass on Bass Assassins worked slowly across the water. The catch was caught a mixture of small to medium sized bass, all taken on top water lures. At slack water it was time to search for bigger fish. Bob Ferguson was the first to score with a fat 32 inch bass. His next was just an inch shorter. Bob Moss and Craig caught several bass in the two foot range. Jim hit a very hot fish that tore line off as it fought across the surface in search of freedom. This fish stretched the tape to 37 inches and weighed about 20 pounds. When the wind came up it was time to head back to dock.

Genie and Stan Jennings of Maine traveled south to try their hand at Boston's legendary bass fishing on Monday. At the first stop in Quincy, a number of fish were brought up but missed the hook. A fellow charter skipper called to tell about a surface bite going on in Dorchester Bay. The crew found scattered pods of bass working schools of bait. Genie was the first to score on soft jerk bait, and then Stan got a bass to hit a snake fly. After a few more fish, it was time to check the flats before the tide flattened. Stan hit a nice bass on his fly rod. Meanwhile Genie was bringing up several fish on her Bass Assassin. Many of these fish were sighted as they cruise the shallows. Genie hit a monster bass that tore line off the Penn 450 making it seem like Captain Bill would need to chase it down. However, Genie was able to turn the bass that used its oversized tail to splash water all over the surface. Then, the hook pulled and the battle was over. Within minutes, Stan was tight to another big bass. This fish also charged across the surface, and again the hook just pulled. On slack low tide, the fish that the crew had been sighting seemed to disappear. However, Genie hooked another hot fish in 4 feet of water, and this one was boated. It stretched the tape to over 32 inches. On the incoming, the action continued. The catch was bass in the 24-26 inch range and a six pound bluefish was also landed. Today there was no wind, but the crew had an early day because of the rain coming at them from Boston.

Seasonal clients Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire travel through the night to meet Captain Bill before dawn on Tuesday. Again the weather held. There was no rain and the wind was down. It was another flat day providing a good opportunity to hunt the shallows. The first stop on a mussel bed on the back side of Thompson's Island was very productive. John was fishing a Mush Fly on a special fly rod. A close friend had past away after battling cancer had left a new 7 weight fly rod in John's care. It didn't take long for John to land and release his first fish on this outfit. Before the morning was over, John would land many others including a beautiful 34 inch bass which was photographed and released.

Meanwhile, Damon was experimenting with several of his own flies including an improvement on his famous Fleece Fly. The Draggin' Fly headed to the Sugar Bowl but found plenty of small fish on fry herring along Western Way. Captain Bill was able to stay on these fish and another school of bass in the Sugar Bowl for an hour and a half. Then the crew headed back to Quincy Bay and found another large school at the Bridge. Captain Bill found several big bass in the shallows including a 39 inch bass that Damon caught and released. When the wind kicked up on the tide change, it was time to head to dock.

Damon and Trophy Fly Rod Bass

Wednesday, Guy and Paxton Nichols North Chelmsford of were aboard for their annual light tackle trip. Conditions had changed quickly as a cold front sat over the Harbor. The area had had numerous large thunderstorms pass through the previous night. Unfortunately, this also brought strong northwest winds. The crew worked the same areas that held large numbers of fish the day before but found nothing. Finally, the fish came up enough at the Sugar Bowl for Guy and Pax to catch several before the school broke up. A short time later, the bass once came up in good numbers by Hang Man's Island. However with all the boat traffic, they were difficult to stay on. Pax and Guy used Bass Assassins to land some large school fish. There was just too much wind to sight fish on the shallows so the decision was made to search the Inner Triangle. The crew found fish yo-yoing tight to Deer Island but nearly impossible to catch. Pax managed to land one and got his Bass Assassin chopped in half by a bluefish. Tired of battling the wind, the crew decided to try a little trolling and caught plenty of bass just shy of legal size.

Fly fishers Bob Foley and Karl Jacobson of Boston met Captain Bill before dawn on Thursday. The wind had backed and turned to the south. Today, the fish were once again active working juvenile herring along Western Way. Bob cast a herring imitation and Karl used a Mush Fly to tame several small bass. Then Karl and Bob got into a decent bite in the Anchorage. The fish were larger but moved quickly. There was still too much wind to work the shallows effectively. Drifts were very fast so the crew decided to fish the mouth of the Neponsett River and found some scattered pods of fish. They were also difficult to stay on. At mid-tide, the crew searched the channel by the airport and found some bigger bass. Bob was the first to score on a nice 30 inch bass and his next was 33 inches. After the customary photo, the fish were released to fight again. Karl's fish were smaller but he was not complaining. Before the day was done, Karl had caught and released his big bass a fat 34 incher at hat was loaded with sea lice. It is nice to see that more fresh fish are moving in.

Bob releases a Big Bass

Friday, Peter Gallagher of Norwell was joined by Joe Grabmeier of Hopkinton and Ron Murphy of Duxbury for an early morning light tackle trip. Pushing off at dawn, the crew headed straight to Inner Triangle and found a big school of bass just off of Spectacle Island. On their first cast, Peter and Joe both hooked up on surface jerk baits. As Captain Bill unhooked Peter's bass, Joe indicated that his fish was big. Joe skillfully worked his fish to the boat so that the skipper could grab a fat 32 inch bass. This fish was loaded with sea lice, a strong indication that there was a new rush of fresh fish. As the crew admired Joe's bass, more fish irrupted around the boat and the crew got busy again. Ron soon was tight to a nice bass on a 10 pound rod. These bass decimated a large school of drop back herring and then disappeared. It was time to search the flats for fish. On Deer Island Flats, the crew caught a few schoolies. Moving back inside of Quincy Bay, the crew found several bass in the skinny water. These fish were very finicky…they would follow the lures and refuse to eat. Joe was the first to hook up on a 27 inch bass and then it was Ron's turn. It was another bass just shy of legal size. Peter hit a hot fish that ran line off against the drag. This fish was a very fat 35 inch bass. It seemed that the crew had the fish dialed in and then the fish got lock jaw. The crew brought up fish on most casts that would follow the Bass Assassins and refuse to eat. Oh well, that is fishing!!

Captain's Report
June 22, 2008

It had been exactly a week since Frank Farraye of Medfield had been out with Captain Bill. Joining Frank was Paul Fuller of Walpole. This was Paul's first experience fishing salt water. Dr. Frank has mastered the technique of working soft jerk baits. The trick of fishing this reactionary bait is using the wrist to snap the rod tip so the lure twitches along the surface. Frank will often raise more fish than any other anglers working the same pod of fish. Within minutes of clearing the no wake zone, Frank and Paul were casting to breaking bass. It didn't take long for both anglers to hook up. Action was fast and furious when the bass had the tinker mackerel balled up on the surface. The biggest fish was a very fat 41 inch bass. This bite lasted on and off for almost 2 hours. Before the rain forced a quick retreat back to dock, Frank and Paul found more bass in the Inner Triangle.

Paul with a new friend!

Monday it was a light tackle trip with Jack Fallon, Lance Johnson and his son Justin. These anglers started out from their home in New Hampshire in the middle of the night to meet Captain Bill at sunrise. Within minutes of dock, Captain Bill had won his bet with Lance as he hooked the first bass of the morning. The bite started at Nix's Mate and continue out towards the Brewsters, lasting for over 3 hours. The bass clobbered the soft jerk baits that the crew cast in among the schools of tinker mackerel. Although, the crew had several shots at big bas, it seemed that the faster schoolies always managed to get to the lure first. Jack had the only legal sized bass, and the rest of fish were in the 22-25 inch range. The next stop at Deer Island flats was equally productive but again school sized bass. Captain Bill decided to work the channel edge in hopes of finding bigger bass. This paid off immediately. Lance hit a bass just shy of the 28 inch mark. His next bass let everyone know that this was no schoolie as it doubled over the rod and crashed all over the surface. When Captain Bill grabbed the fish and brought it aboard, the New Hampshire boys could do little to contain their excitement. Lance's bass measured 43 inches. Before the morning was over Justine put another big bass in the boat and lost an even bigger fish.

Lance proudly displays trophy bass!

Tuesday, Dan Shea, a long time friend and tackle rep, brought along Bill Carney of New Hampshire for his annual fly fishing adventure. Although the predicted rain never materialized, there was a strong west wind that made it difficult for these veteran fly rodders to work the long rod. The areas which had been so productive just hours before failed to hold any fish and the mackerel had also disappeared. In the Inner Triangle, the crew found scattered pockets of bass. But these fish proved to be difficult to get on. Captain Bill decided it would be best to work the shallower water. Again, the crew found small pods of bass working herring. Both Dan and Bill managed a few fish on Half' N Halfs worked along the bottom. The last stop in the shallows of Quincy Bay was not very productive. The wind made sight casting impossible. Only two fish were raised drifting over the rocks. It would appear that the fish ate all day yesterday in front of the front.

Draggin' Fly regular, David Deitz of Sharon invited Will Gaines who was in Boston from Texas for business to share his trip on Wednesday. David has been fishing with Captain Bill for over 10 years and charters the Draggin' Fly several times a year. Will fished with the skipper a few years back and had a frustrating trip. Both David and Will brought up some big bass, but most managed to avoid the hook. Again this morning, the wind was blowing hard and the crew would have to fight the wind all morning. Some bass were working bait in the Inner Triangle. David cast a fly into this stiff wind, and Will worked a Bass Assassin among the white caps. Both hit a few schoolies before the tide let go. At the airport, there was less wind and both Dave got into better bass. At low water, the crew searched the channel edge and found some bigger bass. Will was the first to score on a nice 34 inch bass. David's fish were smaller but on his light fly rod he had a blast. Before the day was done, Will had caught and released his trophy bass that weighed in at over 35 pounds and stretched the tape to a little over 43 inches. Will had the chance to experience Boston Harbor's legendary fishing, which David has been telling him about for years.

Will's bass!

The wind finally laid down on Thursday. Frank Sannella and Kevin Callahan of Scituate met Captain Bill before dawn. This was Frank's third trip of the season and Kevin's second. The crew discussed the options of heading to Dorchester to look for the schools of bass that had been there the previous day or hunting the shallows for big bass. Of course, the answer was to fish the skinny water. On the first drift, Frank brought up a monster bass that somehow managed to avoid the hook. This happen a few more times, although the fish were smaller. The next stop at a mussel bed was more productive. Both Kevin and Frank landed some nice bass up to 29 inches working soft baits right over the mussel bed. At slack low water, it was time to explore the airport flats. It didn't take long to find more fish and these were bigger. The crew landed several fish up to 36 inches before the fish moved off into deeper water. With the sun brightly over head, the crew tried several other shallow water areas. Just when they were ready to head back to dock, Kevin hit a nice bluefish. Then the crew began to see bass. These fish were very finicky and proved difficult to hook. The fish would follow the lures almost to the boat before finally turning away in refusal. And these fish ranged from schoolies to heart stopping monsters. Kevin and Frank managed to hook a few fish before the tide let up. It was a very exhausting, but on the way back to dock, Kevin said that this trip was the most fun he has had chasing fish.

Friday, Phil O'Cone of Hingham and Curt Dukeshire of Cohasset were aboard for a light tackle trip instructional trip. Phil and Curt share a 22 foot boat that they keep across the river at Hewett's Cove and were looking for ways to expand their repertoire. The first stop in Quincy produced a nice bass for Curt which measured just shy of 29 inches. A few more fish were brought up on Bass Assassins, but the fish never took the baits. At Lower Middle, the crew had a short bite before the tide went slack. Captain Bill trolled the channels at the airport waiting for the tide to turn. Both Phil and Curt caught several bass, the largest just shy of legal size. With the sun out, it was time to hunt the shallows. On the way, the crew ran into a small pod of bass. Curt and Phil caught some on soft plastic jerk baits before deciding to continue the hunt. Today, there fewer bass on the flats, but the crew saw some big fish before the wind came up. These fish were even finickier than those of the previous day, and Curt hook the only fish. It was a very productive morning.

Brian Shura of Norfolk invited his friends Eric Johnson and Rich to share a light tackle trip on Saturday. Brian has been fishing with Captain Bill since he was in high school. This year Brian became a father and he can not wait to get his new son on the Draggin' Fly. On Brian's second cast got the attention of a nice 30 inch bass. The crew raised a few more bass on jerk baits, but all the fish avoided the hook. Pushing on to the Deer Island flats to catch the end of the out going tide, Brian scored again on his Bass Assassin. At slack tide, the crew found some bass suspended in the channel. Switching to shad body lures, the crew caught and released several bass while waiting for enough water to get back on the flats. It was another day when it seemed that the faster schoolies always managed to get to the lure first. Some big bass had moved into the skinny water on the incoming tide. At first, the fish would just follow the soft baits and turn away at boat side. With more tide, the fish got more aggressive. Eric, a tournament bass angler, seemed to have the action down and brought up fish on almost every cast. Rich missed a very large bass which left a big hole in the water when it missed his lure. As the wind picked, it became impossible to sight the fish. Before calling it a day, Rich managed to hook a 10 pound bluefish that went to the air several times in an effort to throw the hook. It was another good day with plenty of action for all.

Captain's Report
June 8, 2008

Captain Bill returned from Mexico with tales of the wedding and of some nice fish. But it was time to get back to the business of chasing bass. While Captain Bill was away, Captain George and Captain Frank had been keeping the fish company. Both told of a good bite inshore by the airport and on the outside ledges.

Tuesday, June 3rd Chris Monahan and Bruce Gibson were eager to get an early start, but the minus water of the new moon tide kept them at dock later than they like. However, the late start did not seem to phase the fish that were all over the Inner Triangle. Action was fast and furious for almost two hours. Chris and Bruce used Bass Assassins worked among the schools of crashing bass to catch lots of fish up to 31 inches.

The weather was NE for the rest of the week and the Draggin' Fly stayed in.

Saturday, Bob Nelson of Scituate put together the crew for a light tackle trip. Joining Bob were brother-in-law, Matt West and Frank Sannella also of Scituate. Captain Bill headed to the Inner Triangle and just after dawn the first school of bass was encountered. For an hour, the crew had these fish to themselves. The fish were not easy to hook because they were keyed in on herring. The birds soon began to work the bait, and this attracted a fleet of boats. Unfortunately, with the bass chasing herring, you had to either follow the bait or work deeper pockets for holding fish. Shad jigs worked at times, but it was slow going. It was time to explore new waters. On a hunch, Captain Bill decided to explore the shallow waters of Quincy. The water was warmer here and there were pogies nearby. Within moments, the crew began to see fining fish. Matt a professional photographer had the eye for finding these fish among the rocks. The crew was able see big bass and cast jerk baits. However, the fish ignore most offerings and only followed others. Bob finally hit a hot fish that tore line from his reel like a runaway train. After a nice fight, Bob managed to get the fish boatside before it jumped above the water. It was only then that the crew realized that Bob had himself a nice 12 pound bluefish. This was the earliest that Captain Bill has ever remembered catching a bluefish in the Harbor. As the wind increased, the fish moved off the flats. It was time to head home.

Sunday, Frank Farraye of Medfield invited Mike O'Brien of Hingham to join him. Within minutes of leaving the no wake zone of the Back River Frank and Mike were casting to breaking fish in Hingham. While Frank used a Bass Assassin to catch his fish, Mike used swimming jigs worked just below the surface. This bite lasted almost an hour. The next stop by Moon Head was not as productive because the fish were moving quickly on herring. Here the best tactic was working jigs. After talking with a few people in Lower Middle who said that it was a real zoo there with boats running and gunning, Captain Bill convinced the crew to try the shallows. In Quincy, just down from where Captain Bill had fished the incoming tide on Saturday, the crew found a bunch of big bass. Once again, they were not easy to hook, but Frank and Mike managed to take 6 over 30 inches including a 36 and a 38 inch fish. Frank found that if he worked his lure really slow with a side-to-side action the fish became more interested. Several others missed the hook. It was really exciting fishing as all the fish came on Bass Assassins worked in shallow water. At slack water, the crew found similar conditions at Bass Rock. Frank caught a 44 inch that weighed 35 pounds. It was big, fat, and loaded with lice. Once the wind came up, we lost them and headed in.

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