⚽ Get the latest World Cup news
Receive updates on the 2026 FIFA World Cup
“Take me to the river!””, the song of which was popularized by the Talking Heads in the late 70s, about sums up the striper fishing. Hordes of herring fry moving through the river systems are keeping stripers in check, and where you find the bait, you’ll find the bite. Elsewhere, anglers are capitalizing on fish that may have already migrated from parts up north.
My wife and I occasionally jump aboard the water taxi, which ferries folks between the Encore Casino and Long Wharf in the harbor. While she indulges in gaming, the only slots I’m interested in are between 28” and 31”. Nevertheless, the boat trips are a really cool way to access Boston without having to worry about the hassle of parking. During a recent visit while others were watching for the next ferry, I was more interested in what was swimming below. As I had hoped for, a ribbon of herring fry was sticking tight to the dock shadow line. Even though the baby herring are but months old, they exhibit the same self-preservation instincts as the adults and keep as close to structure as possible, thereby limiting predation.
Not surprisingly, there were a number of kayaks and boats all targeting striped bass from the Amelia Earhart Dam to the Shraffts Building. While I didn’t see anyone hook up during the short cruise to the city, there was no question that those anglers were on the right track. That scene is being repeated all along the Bay State as the herring fry are proving to be a striper snack too hard to resist.
Captain Jason Colby is no stranger to the graveyard shift while casting eels to striped bass, but lately he’s been more likely to be found in the – boneyard. Bonito, bones, hardtails, funny fish, regardless of what you call them, most of all, they are called – fun! After a few starts and stops, bonito have moved onto the Westport side of Buzzards Bay big time, and the Little Sister Charters crew couldn’t be happier. They are gorging on “rainbait”, so keep your offerings small with epoxy jigs, Deadly Dicks, RonZs, and Bill Hurleys among my favorites. Bonito are notoriously leader shy, so go long with (7’) fluorocarbon leaders of no more than 20-pound test. The perfect trip for many would be a few hours blowing out any drag rust with bonito and then ending it with blackfish. That’s quite the odd couple, but such has been life aboard the Little Sister.
My friend Bill Hurley put a few of his choice soft plastics to good use in the South River earlier in the week and crushed stripers of all sizes. His namesake white 5” squid bait caught numbers, but it took his 12” eel to hook an unstoppable beast.
Pete from Belsan Bait and Tackle in Scituate wasn’t all that surprised with Bill’s success, as friends of the shop have been having similar luck as the fish have reformulated and are back to gorging on sand eels and herring fry throughout the North River and South River. There have been bass-on-peanut bunker blitzes as well off Peggotty Beach and by Damons Point. As for where to pick up a cod, Flatt Ledge is one of the better, easy-to-reach inshore spots. Captain Mark Rowell of Legit Fish is sticking to deeper water fishing and is still picking up better than average bass between 1 and 1 1/2 miles out as the fish follow mackerel schools. While hardly a slam dunk, there are occasional bluefish sorties to liven things up. The crew is also grabbing the allotted one cod per person on clams at Stone Ledge, where haddock can also be found. Cape Cod Bay has some monstrous tuna terrorizing most everything.
Laurel of Hull Bait and Tackle told me that shop steadies such as Bobby are picking up stripers up to 38’ inside of Hull. Far from an aberration, a number of fishermen are reporting good luck on stripers, with most getting it done with the tube-and-worm. Hull Gut has been good also. From a personal perspective, I’ve done very well drifting through that area while jigging the bottom with a Crippled Herring. Little fish are making a big splash, according to Lisa from Fore River Bait and Tackle. Herring fry moving downstream of the Weir, Weymouth Back, Weymouth Fore, and Neponset Rivers are lighting the fuse for some impressive feeds. Peanut bunker are intermittently being pounded between Sheep Island and the West Gut, while adult pogies and bass can be found deep inside the harbor. The demand for grass shrimp is only intensifying as all signs are pointing to a smelt season this year, which is building upon last season’s surprising rebound! Find a pier throughout Hull or Hingham, and chances are you’ll find smelt with anglers fishing at night, increasing their odds. Marina Bay has been holding schools of pogies with bass shadowing the schools. The piers there are also giving up some smelt.
Pete Santini of Fishing FINatics in Everett told me of Johnny Walker, who, with a Toscano Santini tube, has been catching mixed sizes of stripers throughout Dorchester Bay. Sporadic surface feeds have been a call to arms to get out the lures with pencil poppers and needlefish all working. The area in front of the JFK Library has been especially hot. Seal Harbor through Cherry Bar have been going off with trollers, even reporting an occasional bluefish. Schoolies-through-slot stripers are holding in tight to the rocks of Nahant. Cod can be counted on among the scads of structure dotting the bottom from Graves Light to the BG Buoy, the NC Buoy, and out through the B Buoy. Anglers dropping Zobo Rigs with seaworms onto Finn Ledge are picking up slab sea perch; this spot could be a wild card cod spot when waters begin to cool next month.
While anglers anxiously await reinforcements north of the border, Salem Sound has been fishing hot and cold, according to Tomo of Tomo’s Tackle. Even Tomo could not shake the stink of the skunk for two days, but then was rewarded with a multiple-fish day on mackerel. Patrons of the shop have had luck in Lynn Harbor with surface feeds pointing the way. It’s been encouraging to hear of many 19-20” schoolies: a size which has been lacking this season. Mackerel remain an easy find with Misery Channel consistent, while anglers in Cape Ann are reporting an easy go as well. Squid, while not as plentiful as a month ago, can still be jigged up off the Beverly Pier as well as the Salem Willows Pier. “Dory Dave” has been fly casting Clousers and catching stripers off Nahant.
Could Plum Island be the recipient of the first wave of migrating bass from up north? It almost seems like it after hearing from Martha of Surfland Bait and Tackle. There’s been a definite uptick in action with anglers working the ocean front with Ava Jigs and Deadly Dicks catching stripers keyed in on sand eels. The rocky section off Sandy Point has been producing at night for anglers tossing eels among the structure. The same can be said for tube-and-wormers who have found willing fish in Plum Island Sound. When asked about the Merrimack River, while there has been a dearth of reports, herring fry migrating through the river system have to be attracting stripers. With uncomfortably high water temperatures a thing of the past, there is no reason to believe that the section from the mouth upstream towards Deer Island shouldn’t hold fish. South of the island has been good also with fishers working live mackerel at the mouth of the Essex River catching.
The unlikely duo of bonito and blackfish makes the Westport side of Buzzards Bay a must-fish location. The possibilities there are so varied that some anglers have been observed passing on obvious striper feeds to sample the other species the South Coast has to offer. Herring fry and peanut bunker make for a bait combo among the Three Bays that stripers can’t seem to pass up. The bite has also been solid in the South River, North River, and off Rexhame Beach and Peggotty Beach. The Hull side of the harbor remains hot, especially for those working a tube-and-worm. Another option to consider is Dorchester Bay and Marina Bay. Cod can be caught off inshore ledges such as Strawberry Ledge, Ultonia Ledge, and off Grave’s Light. Roaming surface feeds are something to keep watch of off Seal Harbor and Salem Harbor, with Misery Channel mackerel the bait of choice. Action off Plum Inland has picked up thanks to what might be the first wave of the fall run from up north.
BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.
LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.
The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.
LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.
The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.
Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.
See Also:
A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
Local News
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.
In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.
“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.
The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”
The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.
“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.
She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”
In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.
Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.
Receive updates on the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Fayette County school board chair, KEA sue to block Kentucky law that would oust current members
Louisiana insurance officials to announce retirement of Katrina, Rita bonds
Maine’s abrupt plan to cut $400M in construction projects roils the industry
Man found dead in South Carolina after shooting ex-girlfriend in Maryland
Gotion wants Michigan township to pay the $23.7M it owes in incentives
French-Mediterranean Eatery Charts Opening In Boston
Dennis Peterson
MHSAA private schools will have enrollment multiplier starting in 2027-28 season