The Weekly Salvage
(7.2.25) 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…
🎙️| Saltwater Edge Podcast: The True Value of a Fish —> Fisheries economist Dr. Ben Meadows dives into the challenges of deriving the real value of recreational fishing.
🎥 | Into the Blue: Full Moon Wahoo, Keys Fishing at 50+ mph
Fishing Reports | OnTheWater - FishermanMag - HullTruth - SOL
Gear Guide by Tak Waterman | Mid-Summer Surf Essentials
Description | Cover all your forage bases (Bunker, Sandeels, and Silversides) with these classic Striper lures: Super Strike Zig Zag / Tsunami Sand Eel / Hogy Slowtail.
Striped Bass Q&A w/ Capt. Joe Gugino of Fish Boston
In a fishery as dynamic as Boston Harbor, success isn’t about luck—it’s about adaptability, passion, and experience. Capt. Joe Gugino of Fish Boston brings all three in spades. From chasing bunker blitzes inshore to throwing flies at topwater bruisers offshore, Joe’s approach to making memories for his charter clients is as versatile as the fishery itself. We caught up with him to talk gear, guiding goals, conservation, and what makes urban fishing in Boston so uniquely rewarding.
Q - What particular set of skills do you think anglers & captains need to excel in a highly-pressured fishery like Boston Harbor?
The biggest thing anglers need in Boston Harbor is a variety of skills, and a willingness to try new techniques and new locations. Every day leaving the dock I’m ready and rigged to get mackerel, bunker, throw topwater and soft plastics, or troll plugs as well as fly fish. Especially this year, it has required perseverance and persistence to find a bite when it’s been overall more challenging.
Q- What sort of patterns or memorable bites from years’ past are you most excited about replicating this year?
The topwater deeper water bites on big fish has been most fun, but the big inshore bunker schools are fun too (and easier on the fuel bill!)
Q - How did you get into fishing?
When I was younger my mom took me and my two brothers fishing for largemouth bass in Connecticut. After graduating from Endicott College I fell in love with striped bass fishing here on Boston’s North Shore.
Q - Any gear you can’t go without this season?
The Nomad DTX Minnow 220 HD in Sliver Green Mackerel with BKK Single Hooks. On the apparel side, the Free Fly Men’s Breeze Pants have been a great addition.
Q - What is the mission of Fish Boston and how can people in the area get involved?
Fish Boston exists to bring people together on and around the water. During the summer I run charters out of Winthrop primarily, with pick-up options in down-town Boston. In the off-season I run meet-ups and events for anglers to chat about all things fishing, share fish stories and win some prizes from great companies. In the future I will be building out fishing kids camps and seminars to inspire and educate the next generation of anglers.
Q- What are some of your personal goals as a guide and angler? Any bucket-list destinations or species on your list?
My goal as an angler is to get a big tarpon on fly. I would love to travel to the Seychelles to catch a GT on fly as well. As a guide I want my anglers to have fun, and learn something new. Many people fish for stripers all over the northeast, but it’s always fun to see people’s reactions to the urban fishing in harbor.
Q- What organizations to you support and why?
The two organizations I support are Elevate Youth and the American Saltwater Guide Association. Elevate Youth is located right here in Boston and works to get kids from the city in the outdoors fishing, boating, hiking, skiing, and more.
American Saltwater Guides Association’s tagline is Better Business Through Conservation, and as a charter captain I support their mission and messaging to help protect not only our population of striped bass, but other important inshore fisheries up and down the east coast and into the gulf as well.
Lightning Round:
Favorite Fly for Striper on Bunker? Ben Whalley beast fly for big fish and a white/olive/chartreuse clouser when bass are on smaller bait.
Dream boat make & model? Contender 25T
Preferred method of caffeination? Coffee
Best song for run & gun action? I Feel Good - Pitbull (my daughter’s favorite!) / Dying Breed - Colby Acuff / The Spins - Mac Miller
How can someone get in touch with you to book a trip or find out about your next event?
Instagram: @fishboston & @captjoegugino
Email: captjoegugino@gmail.com
Phone: 860-402-5903
Catching Cobia by Kayak in Chesapeake Bay (OnTheWater) - “You’re nuts, man!” It’s a refrain I’ve heard more than once while adrift in the middle of a Chesapeake Bay shipping channel, typically shouted by a captain high atop his perch on a tower boat. In fairness, it’s a sentiment I’ve agreed with more than I care to admit, usually while pedaling at full speed to avoid being sucked under a monstrous cargo ship. True, my tiny plastic kayak floating miles from shore can feel a little out of place among the fleet of tower boats, cargo ships, and naval vessels. It’s also true that I don’t really care because I’m having a blast sight-fishing for giant cobia.”
Block Island: The Kingdom Of Cows (FishermanMag) - “The fishing methods that work best are simple, targeted drift fishing over structure is the name of the game and the best way to get it done is with a live eel fished with an egg sinker to get it down into the structure. Once the eel is down, you’ll just want to guide the eel through the structure and wait for the thump. If you’re having trouble knowing that you’re down on the bottom, bump up your weight. If you’re newer to this kind of fishing, make sure to remind yourself not to set the hook when you feel the hit, with circle hooks now mandatory, give it a 5 second count, bow to the cow, reel ‘til you feel weight and hang on! The first fish I get always says, “ladies and gents welcome to the kingdom of cows!” You’ll see!”
Reeling in Relationships: Why ICAST Is a Must for America’s Independent Tackle Dealers (FTR) - “Last year, nearly 14,000 attendees from all 50 states and 75 different nations converged at ICAST in Orlando, Florida. For the better part of a week, they explored a show floor the size of eight football fields packed to the gills with manufacturers, education opportunities and thousands of brand new products for their store. “ICAST is critical,” says Jake’s event manager Jared Mounts. “When you get to see new products and meet vendors in person, you are talking directly to the people who manufacture and design those products. For us, that means getting information from the source to bring back to our customers to pass on.”
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