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Portside Fishtales
Captain

Portside Fishtales

Beverly, United States
Federal waters
5 reviews
Born and raised in Gloucester, MA, Captain John has spent a lifetime fishing the waters of Cape Ann, The Gulf of Maine, and Massachusetts Bay. He's turned a recreational passion spanning 50+ years into a business where the goal is to provide the possible experience to customers by catering to your individual needs. We go where the fish are, using historical knowledge and a network of peers to keep tabs on their movements, so your time on the water is spent catching, not searching for them.
John F.
John F.
Captain

Charter

Rating

5.0
5 reviews
5.0
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
5.0
Fishing Experience

All reviews (5)

Showing 1 – 5 of 5 reviews
  • Mike Miller
    Mike Miller
    Repeat angler
    us
    Iowa, US
    •
    Member since 2024
    •
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Great fishing trip

    3 Hour Trip – U13 Kids Special • 2 adults

    Capt John met us and got us on some mackerel bait fish right away. We went around the bay trying to find stripped bass. We had a great boat ride around Salem and Beverly. Capt John tried really hard to find where the strippers were, we tried many spots, and talked with others to get on the strippers but weren’t able to be successful. We have zero complaints. John was great, he had a great boat with really good gear.

  • John Vishneski
    John Vishneski
    us
    Chicago, IL, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Best Captain

    3 Hour Trip – U13 Kids Special • 4 adults • 2 children

    Captain John Farrell is wonderful. Our group was me (granpa), my daughter, grand daughter, and and her friend. We caught 8 mackerel for bait and then went after bigger game - Stripes Bass. Alas, the Bass were not biting, but the kids loved being on the water and hearing the captain’s stories, and it was a beaitiful day. And, it turns out that the four mackerel we took home were a tasty part of dinner!

    Response from Captain

    Glad you guys had fun! It was a pleasure having your family onboard. Sorry we didn’t land any big fish but we gave it our all. Thank you, Captain John

  • Roger Dandreo
    Roger Dandreo
    us
    Massachusetts, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Boys first fishing trip

    3 Hour Trip – U13 Kids Special • 2 adults • 1 child

    Little guy had a blast. Captain was great. Very good with my 6 year old boy that had a question for him every minute on the minute the entire time. He was very happy to answer and informative with even the most random questions the boy had. Captain was actually amuesed with his enthusiasm and interest in fishing. All in all it was a perfect day and great experience for my boy. He is already asking when we can go out again.

    Reported catch:
    Striped Bass
    Atlantic Mackerel
    Response from Captain

    Thank you Roger! It was my pleasure to have you two aboard and I look forward to seeing you again. John

  • Richard Baxter
    Richard Baxter
    us
    Washington State, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified
    NEW

    Great time w Captain John. He put us on the fish and we had a blast

    5 Hour Trip – Inshore • 3 adults

    Captain John put us on the fish and we had a blast. Local born and raised. Really good guy!

    Reported catch:
    Striped Bass
  • John Smith
    John Smith
    us
    Massachusetts, US
    •
    Member since 2026

    The captain canceled

    Trip was supposed to happen on June 27, 2026
    The charter operator canceled 2 days prior to the trip date. This is an automated posting.

Real catches shared by our community

  • Portside Fishtales
    Portside FishtalesBeverly, MA
    Great time w Captain John. He put us on the fish and we had a blast
    Richard B.
    Richard B.
  • Portside Fishtales
    Portside FishtalesBeverly, MA
    Great fishing trip
    Mike M.
    Mike M.
  • Portside Fishtales
    Portside FishtalesBeverly, MA
    Best Captain
    John V.
    John V.
  • Portside Fishtales
    Portside FishtalesBeverly, MA
    Boys first fishing trip
    Roger D.
    Roger D.

Fishing reports

Giant Bass Crashing Bait Balls

Aug 14, 2026 • Beverly
Wild morning today (Friday) with giant bass crashing bait balls. The fall run has begun! Don’t miss out! Book now!
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Angler proudly displaying a large Striped Bass while fishing on a boat, showcasing a successful catch in a coastal environment.

July 29 Fishing Report

Jun 29, 2026 • Beverly
The early morning action has been outstanding every day! The mackerel have moved back inside making it easier to fill the live well and get in on the action. Huge pods of peanut bunker have made their way out of the estuaries into the bay causing wild surface feeds! This week should include fireworks on the water and in the sky. Happy 250th America!
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June 22 Fishing Report

Jun 22, 2026 • Beverly
Excellent fishing conditions this past weekend! Friday 6/19 saw huge surface feeds in Salem Sound in the early morning hours. Saturday 6/20 all the action was inside Salem harbor. With the high winds we grabbed a mooring and landed a few slobs while having to fend off the seagulls. Sunday 6/21 was the complete opposite of the previous two days. We had to go east of Saturday Night ledge to find bait and work the islands to find bass. All in all a great weekend with beautiful weather all three days.
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Angler proudly displaying a large striped bass while on a sunny day out on the water.

June 7 Fishing Report

Jun 7, 2026 • Beverly
Early morning striper action in Salem Sound this weekend produced plenty of keepers and plus sized fish for all. The bass were chasing bunker all over but if you were patient and worked the bait pile, you'd be rewarded. We found mackerel outside Bakers Island for bait and had no trouble hooking up. The key to success is be there early because the fish move on to deeper water as the sun rises higher in the sky. Book now!
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