They’re about a week late but the first of the migrating school striped bass started showing up in Buzzards Bay and its tributary rivers.  During the past week, the Agawam and Weweantic Rivers both had moderate runs of school-sized bass, with an occasional keeper mixed in.

There are been a few reports of small basss being caught in Bournes Pond, Waquoit Bay and Cotuit Narrows.  But it’s uncertain whether those were migratory fish or fish that wintered over here.

Most of the Cape’s herring runs have spawning fish and the commercial squid boats are lined up in Falmouth Harbor.  The arrival of bait should be followed very quickly by the larger schools of larger bass.

Tautog have moved inshore and can be found on the ledges and rockpiles of Buzzards Bay or on the wrecks in Nantucket Sound.

In freshwater, trout fishing is superb in any stocked pond.  Water temperatures have also reached the level that largemouth and smallmouth bass are on the prowl.  Topwater plugs have been effective in the evening for both species.