The Weekly Salvage
(4.9.25) Fishy News from Around the Northeast and Beyond
The maritime rule of salvage has its origin in Roman law, which dictates that one who preserves or improves upon the misplaced property of another is owed compensation, even if the service was not requested. Let’s get out the internet trawler and get to work…
🎙️| Art of Daytimin’ for Swordfish - OTW Podcast with Max Dispoto —> The Shimano pro of East Coast Charters shares his favorite intricacies of the daytime sword technique, suggests some tackle tweaks, and gives his 2c on the most durable and productive dead baits for the swimming garbage disposals of the 300 fathom curve.
🎥 | Morning (& Afternoon) Wood: The Best Pattern in Spring Bass Fishing
🎥 | Bluefin Tuna Jelly: A Delicacy You Haven’t Tried Yet?
Fishing Reports | OnTheWater - FishermanMag - HullTruth - SOL
***Renew your licenses here. HMS vessel permits here.***
Gear Guide by Tak Waterman | Tsunami Tidal Pro Twitch Bait
Description | In the renewed spirit of back-bay yakkin’ and sod-edge creepin’, this 4” sub-surface twitch bait is a great finesse offering for less than ideal conditions (high sun, low wind, cold temps). Walk the dog high in the water column or lazily slide it back and forth just off bottom to find your first (or first dozen) bites from newly arrived line-siders. A high-contrast color like wonderbread is a good compromise for late afternoon sun when you want a bit of color to stand out in stained water.
Striped Bass & Tuna Q&A with Capt Chris Ballerini of Back of the Bay Charter Co
Chris Ballerini is one of those guys who seems like he was made for adventure—part fish wrangler, part road-seasoned musician, and fully obsessed with the waters off the South Shore and beyond. He grew up in Kingston, went to BC, and started guiding fly fishing trips out in Colorado thereafter. He’s chased wild trout and wilder stories through the remote corners of Alaska for four summers, where he also started writing songs that would eventually shape his band, SixFoxWhiskey. These days, he’s back home and running fly and light tackle trips out of Plymouth under his charter handle, Back of the Bay. Chris brings a laid-back but dialed-in vibe to the water, with a deep appreciation for the little details: timing tide & moons, baitfish movements, and the magic that happens when everything lines up just right. We caught up with him to talk about his journey from rivers to the salt, his favorite patterns, and why sometimes, the best days on the water aren’t about the fish at all.
Q - How did you get into charter fishing and what conditions/patterns are you you most excited about fishing in 2025?
I grew up in Kingston and started fly fishing when I moved out west after college. I started working as a guide in 2013- first in Colorado for Sasquatch Fly Fishing and then in Alaska for Epic Angling and Adventure. I moved back to the South Shore after 4 seasons up there and became completely obsessed with our fishery. I got my captain’s license and started Back of the Bay Charter Co. in 2021.
I’m beyond excited for the first wave of big stripers to show up in 2025- hoping to explore some new areas and target some of those fish on the flats at the end of May. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that the rec tuna bite goes off closer to Plymouth this year.
Q - What's one lightbulb moment you experienced when you were climbing the Striper learning curve? How did it change your approach?
I was pretty overwhelmed with the vastness of the ocean after guiding on smaller river systems for so long, in terms of figuring out where the fish were holding at different stages of the tide. I started to make sense of macro patterns by focusing on micro spots in my home waters. I would fish one small area day after day and start to pattern the fish there, and then I found that I could apply what I learned to other spots. This approach allowed me to become more confident fishing structure when the birds weren’t around.
Q - What qualities make a great charter captain today? What about a mate?
As a captain I think it’s important to be able to connect with different kinds of people from different backgrounds. It seems like that’s the best way to create returning customers and to build a good reputation to attract new ones. I’ve never hired a mate but I’ve worked as a mate- show up early and work your ass off, but don’t sell yourself short.
Q - How has the Mass bay Striped Bass fishery changed since you first started?
We used to have to head across the bay to Race Point to find big stripers mid summer, but there’s been some really good fishing close to home the past few seasons. I’m hoping that trend continues in 2025.
Q - What are some of your more memorable moments from the 2024 season?
I grinded out some tough bluefin trips off the backside at the end of June last year and was able to land a few fish on spin gear after many hours and many miles of nothing. I’m still learning that game and hoping to get it dialed this year. The topwater striper bite in the middle of Cape Cod Bay in June was pretty ridiculous. The fall was sick- I stopped working at the tackle shop and fished a lot- had some awesome Albie and Tog charters. I saw a giant crash on a spreader bar aboard Persistence and took my first trip to the Canyons.
Lightning Round!
What's the go-to boat snack? Egg bites.
Best cape cod fishing slang? Tight!
What's playing on the radio in your boat? Lots of Gangstarr but I mix it up quite a bit.
If you had to take one person out fishing for the rest of your life? Who is it? My daughter - she’s only 7 months old but I’m really looking forward to sharing my passion with her- fingers crossed that she digs it.
What's more important: bait, wind, or tide? Bait.
Special Topic - Angling in the era of Trade-War —> I’ve been thinking a lot about ‘teachable moments’ this week. No, not my horrifically bad beat taking the under in the Florida-UConn game, nor the loss of Val Kilmer, my favorite complex protagonist from 1980s film. No, not even the most egregious teachable moment for the fishing community since those two Walleye guys put WEIGHTS IN FISH in 2022!
No, I’ve been thinking about the simple lesson from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that would have warned the Trump Admin that playing chicken with cross-border trade would be received as well as the Yamaha F-Series outboards in the early 2000s (hint: those ended with a class-action lawsuit). Anyhow, as we now embrace that Smoot-Hawley lifestyle for better or worse, it’s time to reflect on what it might mean for the industry and recreational angler.
Primarily, current tariffs (~25%) on aluminum products will have a substantial impact on the fishing industry. Aluminum is one of the widest-used materials in the construction of fishing reels, engine and boating components. These increases will put domestic retailers and builders in a bind: absorb the added costs or pass them on to your customers. Think 2020-21 without the demand cushion from stimulus checks and forced ‘coastal distancing’. Not great.
On top of country-by-country levies (China 104%, Japan 24%, Europe 20%, etc), another big change for consumers is the repeal of the de minimis exemption, which up until last week allowed imported goods worth less than $800 to enter the United States tariff-free. Starting May 5th (still some time to stock up!) this will certainly put a dent in the JDM (& other high-end import) markets as US consumers will be forced to pick up the tab. On the flip-side, I doubt anyone will feel remorse for the folks over at Temu and AliExpress who have flooded the US market with a torrent of knock-off baits, hooks, and reels with drag washers seemingly made out of paper-mache, which have inspired little more than brain-rot ‘unboxing’ content.
The silver-linings? It’s looking like we’ll be enjoying lower gas prices for a time (as global shipping volumes slow), some substitution-driven demand for domestic seafood/sushi (higher commercial tuna prices if Tokyo demand remains elastic?), and some well-deserved emphasis on made-in USA products (and small local businesses). In the case of sportfishing designated equipment, I was also just made aware that excise taxes are actually deposited into the Sportfish Restoration Fund, which grants money back to states and territories for fisheries conservation. So we got that going for us…which is nice. Anyhow, lots to ponder and we’ll see how it all shakes out.
Repairing vs. Replacing an Old Outboard (SWS) - “What are the telltale signs an engine is too far gone to make fixing it a viable option? Start with the lower unit. Is the skeg tip broken or bent? Physical damage to the lower unit could go deeper than just what is visible. Hitting the bottom can damage the gears or shafts. Look for trouble signs such as balky shifting…”
The Ultimate Fluke Rig (SportfishMag) - “The double hook rig consists of a 50-pound Spro swivel tied to 20- to 30-pound fluorocarbon. Two dropper loops, about 6 inches long each, are separated by 24 inches. At the terminal end, a loop for the weight (about 2 inches below the lower hook). Circle or Octopus hooks are great options when using natural bait.”
How Tides and Currents Help You Catch More Striped Bass While Surfcasting (JBH) - “Rip currents: These are excellent ambush zones. A rip current pulls water out to sea through a break in a sandbar, and that movement creates a funnel that concentrates bait. Stripers often hang just outside the rip, picking off anything flushed through. Longshore currents: These run parallel to the beach and are great for covering ground. Cast at an angle and let your lure or bait sweep through the current naturally—it mimics struggling baitfish and can trigger aggressive strikes.”
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