Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Saltwater Recreational Fishing Guide Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian A. Bowles Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Mary B. Griffin Division of Marine Fisheries Director Paul J. Diodati Recreational Fisheries Program Michael P. Armstrong, Ph.D, Program Manager January 2010 Table of Contents Welcome to the Massachusetts Saltwater General Information .........................................................4 Recreational Saltwater Fishing Requirement .................5 This Recreational Fishing Guide was developed by the Massachusetts How to MeasureYour Catch ............................................6 Division of Marine Fisheries to provide information about the vast opportunities to enjoy the Commonwealth’s recreational fishing Commonly Caught Species .............................................7 experience. Access Sites ..................................................................16 The publication includes an extensive listing of the state’s public boat Map of Massachusetts Coastal Waters (North) .............18 ramps, bait & tackle shops, and charterboat and headboat operations. Map of Massachusetts Coastal Waters (South) ............22 It also includes information about how to handle your catch and it encourages use of responsible fishing practices. This year we’ve added Marine Fisheries Access Properties ..............................26 two new sections on how to tie the most popular and useful fishing knots as well as a fishing calendar showing seasons for some of our most Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby .......................28 sought after finfish. Massachusetts Saltwater Game Fish Records ..............30 Please enjoy and respect the richness of our marine resources. The Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Calendar ..................31 Massachusetts coastline, its protected estuaries and bays, open ocean '09 Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby Winners ...32 waters and beaches support one of the most precious ecosystems in the Nation. The total economic activity generated by our saltwater Massachusetts Species Diversity ..................................34 recreational fisheries is enormous, reaching upwards of $1 billion annually and accounting for approximately 6,000 jobs. Popular Fishing Knots ...................................................36 Bait & Tackle Shops .......................................................39 Funding for this guide and much of the Division's Recreational Fisheries Program is provided by one of the most effective "user-pays, user-benefits" Party & Charter Boats ....................................................44 program in the nation - The Sport Fish Restoration Act - where anglers Circle Hooks .................................................................61 and boaters provide vital financial support for state fisheries management, boating access, and other related programs. Catch & Release ............................................................62 Massachusetts Clean Vessel Act Program ...................63 It’s important to note that federal law requires saltwater recreational anglers to register with the National Marine Fisheries Service before DMF Website .................................................................64 fishing in 2010. Registering with the federal government won’t be necessary in 2011 when the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Information for the MASSACHUSETTS SALTWATER RECREATIONAL will begin issuing recreational fishing permits for its anglers. FISHING GUIDE was collected by Recreational Fisheries Program personnel and edited by John Chisholm. Fish illustrations in “Commonly Caught Species” sec- We hope this year’s guide will be a useful addition to your tackle box. tion were created by Victor Young. Corrections or comments can be sent to: [email protected], (508)-910-6329. Best Regards, Special thanks to anglers who submitted photos. Not For Sale Cover: Allison Miles with a 30 lb. striper she caught by Boston Light. Inside Front: Alex, Sophia, Justin, Nick and Olivia having fun at the Ultimate Kids Fishing Camp. Inside Back: Ben Smola with his first striped bass. Back Cover: Fishing the surf on Cape Cod. Paul J. Diodati, 2 Welcome to the Massachusetts Saltwater .........................................................4 Recreational Fishing Guide .................5 This Recreational Fishing Guide was developed by the Massachusetts ............................................6 Division of Marine Fisheries to provide information about the vast opportunities to enjoy the Commonwealth’s recreational fishing .............................................7 experience. 16 The publication includes an extensive listing of the state’s public boat 18 ramps, bait & tackle shops, and charterboat and headboat operations. 22 It also includes information about how to handle your catch and it encourages use of responsible fishing practices. This year we’ve added 26 two new sections on how to tie the most popular and useful fishing knots as well as a fishing calendar showing seasons for some of our most 28 sought after finfish. 30 Please enjoy and respect the richness of our marine resources. The 31 Massachusetts coastline, its protected estuaries and bays, open ocean 32 waters and beaches support one of the most precious ecosystems in the Nation. The total economic activity generated by our saltwater 34 recreational fisheries is enormous, reaching upwards of $1 billion annually and accounting for approximately 6,000 jobs. 36 39 Funding for this guide and much of the Division's Recreational Fisheries Program is provided by one of the most effective "user-pays, user-benefits" 44 program in the nation - The Sport Fish Restoration Act - where anglers 61 and boaters provide vital financial support for state fisheries management, boating access, and other related programs. 62 63 It’s important to note that federal law requires saltwater recreational anglers to register with the National Marine Fisheries Service before 64 fishing in 2010. Registering with the federal government won’t be necessary in 2011 when the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries will begin issuing recreational fishing permits for its anglers. We hope this year’s guide will be a useful addition to your tackle box. Best Regards, Cover: Allison Miles with a 30 lb. striper she caught by Boston Light. Inside Front: Alex, Sophia, Justin, Nick and Olivia having fun at the Ultimate Kids Fishing Camp. Inside Back: Ben Smola with Paul J. Diodati, Director Mary B. Griffin, Commissioner 3 General Information The Division of Marine Fisheries is responsible for the management of the Com- monwealth’s living marine resources. The Division promotes and develops commercial and recreational fisheries through research, technical assistance, and the collection of statistics. Sport Fish Biologists are assigned to regions of the state and interact with many federal, interstate, state, and local management agencies as well as private fisheries organizations. For further information contact the local Recreational Fisheries Biologists. Recreational Fisheries Program Biologists Boston Office Annisquam R. Marine Fish. Station 251 Causeway St., Suite 400 30 Emerson Avenue Boston. MA 02114 Gloucester, MA 01930 (617) 626-1520 (978) 282-0308 FAX: (617) 626-1509 FAX: (617) 727-3337 Matt Ayer - North Shore South Shore Office Quest Center, 1213 Purchase St. Martha’s Vineyard Office New Bedford, MA 02740 Marine Fisheries Station (508) 990-2860 P. O. Box 68 FAX: (508) 990-0449 Vineyard Haven,MA 02568 Paul Caruso - Cape & Islands (508) 693-4372 John Boardman - S.Shore/S.Coast FAX: (508) 693-4157 Office of Law Enforcement Environmental Police Officers are responsible for enforcing Massachusetts fish and game laws including the commercial and recreational harvest of living marine resources. In addition they also enforce the Commonwealth's boating and recreational vehicle laws and regulations. Fishing violations can be reported to one of the following numbers: Toll free Number ..........................................................................................1-800-632-8075 Recreational Fishing Information Recreational saltwater fishing regulations are not contained in this publication. Important harvest information for the past year is not available until early in the subsequent year and the management process takes several months, so regulatory changes are not final until mid-April of each year, while this publication goes to press about February 1. Accordingly, on or about May 1 of each year the Division publishes a stand alone brochure titled the Massachusetts Saltwater Recreational Fishing Regulatory Abstracts containing the current year’s regulations. These are widely distributed to bait and tackle stores along the coast. In addition, our web site regulation section is updated on a real time basis as regulations change. We urge all anglers to pick up the most current edition of the abstracts or go to http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/recreationalfishing/rec_index. htm to print out a copy. Tuna: Atlantic Tuna are regulated by the federal government. Tuna management is based at: National Marine Fisheries Service Atlantic Tunas Program, Northeast Regional Office, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. Tel #:(978) 281-9260. Call or write for further information. Tagging - Periodically the Division conducts tagging studies of a particular finfish spe- cies to develop a better understanding