Gloucester and Cape Ann sit at the doorstep of some of the best bluefin water in the Northeast, with grounds running from the northwest corner of Stellwagen out toward Jeffreys Ledge and the deeper Gulf of Maine structure. This is giant-bluefin country with a deep fishing heritage.
The ground
Beyond Stellwagen's northwest corner, the ledges and edges toward Jeffreys hold bait, herring and mackerel prominent among it, and the big fish that eat it. The area produces both school fish and genuine giants.
How to fish it
All the methods apply: trolling to search, jigging and popping marked fish, and live bait or chunking for giants. For the biggest fish, heavy gear like the 80W live-bait setup earns its keep.
Tip This is giant country, so do not be under-gunned. If you are targeting the biggest fish on the North Shore grounds, match your tackle to the possibility of a several-hundred-pound bluefin, not the average school fish.