Cape Cod anglers dealt with an awful lot of wind this week, and all from the north-northeast, making for difficult shore fishing and impossible boating conditions. A hardy few still got out and found fish. Bass catches have remained steady since last week, though I suspect more fish have shown up but the weather has made getting to them a challenge. Bluefish, big ones, moved into Vineyard and Nantucket sounds, nipping at the tentacles of the squid which have shown up in the past couple weeks.
Catching squid from the docks hasn’t quite happened yet. I’ve given it a shot twice over the past week and come up empty both times. Last night a couple camped on the Woods Hole dock did mention that they’d caught two squid over several hours of fishing. I wouldn’t have the perseverance to sit though several hours of slow squidding, even if the squid were coming up panko crusted with fried banana peppers.
Heavy winds and rough seas make tautog fishing especially difficult since precision boat positioning is a key to success. Mike from M and D’s said the blackfishing is excellent when guys can get at them, however. He even weighed in a 10-pounder caught from shore in the Weweantic. Striper fishing is equally difficult at the moment, and not for lack of fish. Mike reported that one angler got out in Buzzards Bay to troll umbrella rigs and had action so fast that at times he’d be reeling in three keeper bass on one rod. With more stable water temperatures and plenty of bait, Mike said the schools of bass out in the bay have no reason to push upward into the Canal just yet. He believes that when the mackerel show (which Mike forsees happening in the first week of June) the bass will get motivated to move through the Canal.
Herring have been enough reason for some fish to make it into the canal, however, and Larry from Red Top said that anglers have been regularly catching fish in the Big Ditch. The herring run is one of the better known hotspots this time of year, and Larry said anglers have landed fish up to 40 inches, though most have been on the skinny side.
At Falmouth Bait and Tackle, Christian reported good blackfish fishing, when guys can get out of course. Striper fishing has yet to catch fire in Vineyard Sound, but the blitz should be back on for bluefish at South Cape Beach and Popponesset when the wind goes southwest again this weekend.
Freshwater fishing is still going strong, though many anglers have shifted their sights to the salt. Trout are hitting well in the still-cool water temperatures, and though large and smallmouth bass are spawning at the moment, they should be off their beds soon and ready to eat again. Falmouth Bait and Tackle is running another freshwater fishing derby with categories for trout and bass. The current leaders are 1.9 pounds for trout and 3.3 pounds for bass – two very beatable numbers. If you like a little competition, head over to Falmouth B&T and sign up. The tournament ends June 10.
Big numbers of school-sized stripers have invaded Pleasant Bay. Captain Eric Stewart over at the Hook Up in Orleans reported that anglers were catching as many as 20 schoolies by fishing soft plastics like the Al Gags Whip-It-Eel and fresh sand eels, when they can get them. In Cape Cod Bay, the fish are a little bigger. Eric’s heard of fish to 40 inches on that side. But, as has been the common complaint this week, the weather has kept anglers from really taking advantage of the good fishing.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The wind isn’t forecasted to die down and change directions until Saturday. The bluefish blitz should continue, and anglers hoping to get into the 10- to 15-pound slammers that have been around lately should make the trip to the southside beaches around Mashpee and Popponesset. The West End or around the Herring Run would be my bets for stripers in the Canal, but Pleasant Bay on the Outer Cape also sounds like a good choice for fast action. When the wind lies down, getting after the blackfish could be a good idea. Reports from last weekend before the blow were excellent for big tautog in 30 to 40 feet of water, so bring plenty of green crabs, rigs and sinkers and hit some structure.