The flats off Lynn, tucked between the city and the causeway to Nahant, are a shallow-water striper spot where you can sight-fish cruising bass on the right tide. It is intimate, skinny-water fishing close to town, ideal for the fly rod or light spinning gear.
The ground
Fish the flats and the channels that drain them. Bass move onto the warming shallows to hunt crabs, sand eels and worms, then use the channels as highways on the tide.
How to fish it
This is finesse water. A fly rod or light soft plastics to visible fish, on a rising tide in low light, is the game. Keep a low profile and lead the fish.
Tip Sight-fishing the flats rewards stealth. Move slowly, watch for wakes, tails and cruising shapes, and lead a moving fish with your cast rather than lining it, spooked flats bass do not come back.