Running and Gunning in East Boston

Posted on December 14, 2020January 6, 2021 by

Vinny Schettino grew up on the “island” of East Boston. It is one of the most unique, urban fisheries in America, surrounded by water. “My grandfather used to take me out to the bridges and the piers around the city growing up. Just really basic fishing, chucking bait, sitting there…hoping a striped bass or bluefish would swim by. A little later I started getting a little more into surf casting and tried to take it to the next level.” He was destined to eventually own a proper fishing boat, and worked hard to achieve it.

“I was from the inner city, I never really had much, so when I was able to buy a boat it was pretty big deal. I bought my first boat when I was in my early 20s, and in 2017 I bought my new NauticStar 2302 Legacy.” Vinny found the perfect platform to fish offshore and entertain family and friends.

Vinny goes out for everything from cod and haddock to striped bass, bluefish, and bluefin tuna. “My friends and I fish right under the planes landing and taking off at Logan Airport for striped bass and bluefish all the time. It’s a little bit of a hidden secret, it’s a great little spot. We fish from there all the way down to south side of Cape Cod. I’ve trailered the boat down there and as far north as Gloucester, MA.”

The peak fishing season in the Northeast lasts between April and November. On a normal day, Vinny and his crew will start around 4:15 AM and be off the dock by 4:45 to get bait. “We will catch live mackerel, or a top water bite for a striped bass, and set up the two live wells.” A full day can last 8 hours for striped bass, and even longer for tuna. “The 2302 is great for doing bluefin tuna, and we will fish Run and Gun style. We’ll throw in big lures and look for tuna jumping out of the water.” 

According to fishingworld.com, the Run and Gun strategy entails fishing as many different spots as possible in as little time as necessary. “Bluefin swim pretty fast, so you’re going to try and catch up, get in front of them, make a perfect cast. You might be out for 10, 12 hours and only get one or two shots at them. It’s a really, really fun way of fishing.”

The biggest fish Vinny has hauled over the gunnel? A 170-lb, 64” bluefin tuna. The 2302 can handle a beast and big water with ease. And because the waters in the Northeast change fast, Vinny relies on the 2302’s tournament-style attributes and some fitted-out options on the console.

_{We have had experiences with humpbacks coming right into the harbor, breaching completely out of the water and landing right next to us. We get hit with the mist…..it’s just an amazing experience.}

More important, Vinny’s wife enjoys her time and entertainment on board. “My wife loves the bow setup of our 2302. Our last boat was a walk-around, and it didn’t really have much room to entertain. She loves the bow lounger, and the flip back seats in the front, and the transom seat. She loves to be able to throw four or five of her friends on, and me, and drag me wherever she wants to go,” Vinny laughs.

Everything revolves around the water around East Boston. It is a historic seagoing neighborhood and a community built for, and by, the ocean. Vinny is the product of his environment, and a seaman through and through. 

“I love sharing the water with my family and friends. We have had experiences with humpbacks coming right into the harbor, breaching completely out of the water and landing right next to us. We get hit with the mist…..it’s just an amazing experience.”

For us at NauticStar stories like these – and people like Vinny – mean everything. Because we build for these experiences that matter most to our boaters. They are the experiences that matter most to us.

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