(A monster 30-inch flounder caught by Keller Whitney, 7. He doesn’t want to give out his secret local fishing hole.)

COASTAL REPORT:  Here we are in the dog days of summer and fishing is at its best. That’s right -- at its best!

Water temperatures are in the low to mid 60s and fishing has really improved. At Peaked Hill Bar, both giant and school tuna fishing has been much better. There are some nice giants coming on both squid bars and live bait. When the fish are feeding on top, casting plastic bait such as Shankas in bubble gum or lipstick colors works well. Inside Peaked Hill Bar in water depths of 20 to 35 feet, wire-line jigging with black and purple or the new bubble gum colored Hotjigs has been good for some keeper-sized stripers and some large bluefish. Up at the Race at Provincetown there are lots of small stripers and some jumbo bluefish. Over at the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank, there are huge schools of mackerel and some school tuna being caught.

Across Cape Cod Bay at Plymouth and Duxbury Bay fishing has improved greatly. Water temperatures have fallen here and the dog days of summer aren’t affecting the great fishing. Stripers are once again prowling Duxbury and Plymouth bays. Look for feeding birds and you will find fish under them. Soft plastic baits like Shankas are being cast at these schools of stripers. Most all top water plugs are also working well. Fishing the shoal waters next to Bug Light is a hot spot. Also, early morning or just after dark, fishing around Brown’s Bank is good, too. Fluke and flounder fishing also remain on the good side. Fluke rigs or just plain bait are working well with lots of quality bag limits to please all anglers.

There have been some schools of small bluefish all around Warren’s Cove and the Cordage Channel. These toothy critters are fun to catch and make great bait for giant bluefin tuna.

Inside Plymouth Harbor after sunset, large schools of keeper bass have been feeding on small baits. Fishing for stripers near the Cow Yard has been okay with just-keeper-size stripers. Up at High Pines Ledge fishing for stripers had slowed but sometimes a blitz of stripers will show up. Fishing after dark off the Duxbury beaches has been just okay on live or chunk bait. Over at Burke’s Beach outside Green Harbor fishing for fluke and flounder has remained good. Fishing off the jetties has been good for striper and blues using chunk or live bait. Inside Green Harbor just at dusk there are schools of stripers chasing bait throughout the Harbor. From Bluefish Cove to Fourth Cliff at the mouth of the North River, striper and blue fishing is slow.

Off the old H Buoy there are rumors of schoolie tuna crashing pods of sand eels and mackerel. Fishing off the entrance bell to the North River has been good for flounder and fluke (check regulations on the end of season for fluke and flounder). Striper fishing in the North and South Rivers remains fair to good. There are lots of schools of stripers feeding after dark and in the early morning. Top water plugs are your best bet along with 10.5 inch Shankas in bubble gum color.

Don’t forget to take a kid fishing!