June 9, 2011

This was definitely one of those weeks when the shore fishermen envied the boat crowd. With the Cape Cod Canal going quiet and many of the fish that had been holding tight to the beach in Vineyard Sound moving off, surfcasters were left scratching their heads this week. Boat fishermen, however, have found plenty of action along the Elizabeth Islands, in Cape Cod Bay and off Race Point.

Buzzards Bay and South Coast

The most impressive catch in Buzzards Bay this week was a 24-inch weakfish caught by Chuck Martinson. The fish hit a strip of squid intended for sea bass. Weakies are a rare catch these days, and a specimen this size is good to see.  Hopefully we’ll start seeing more of these beautiful sea trout.

Big black sea bass continue to be caught in Buzzards Bay. Mike at M and D’s in Wareham reported that a 21-inch sea bass was taken this week. Larry at Red Top in Buzzards Bay said there have been good numbers of “blue-headed” sea bass lately.

Bottom fishing off the South Coast has been good with plenty of keeper scup around off Tiverton and Westport. Tautog have slowed with the warming water, and the season is closed in Rhode Island. Keeper fluke are being caught on squid around Sakonnet Point.

Keeper stripers can be found in Mount Hope Bay and Westport according to Sam.

Cape Cod Canal

The bite has definitely slowed since the blitz of last week. With the good tides forecasted for next week, things in the Canal should definitely pick up.

Mike at M and D’s said nighttime may be the way to go right now. He’s been selling lots of eels lately to anglers looking to fish this slimy bait in the Big Ditch. For plugs, Mike recommends floating Sebile Stick Shadds in the bone-essence color.

There isn’t much in the way of numbers in the Cape Cod Canal according to Larry at Red Top, but the fish being taken are quality fish. Jigging on the bottom is the ticket to hooking up, though anglers fishing in the early mornings are finding some fish on the surface.

Sheila at Canal Bait and Tackle reported a good topwater bite in the west end of the Canal Wednesday afternoon. Gibbs Polaris Poppers were the hot plug for these fish, which ranged up to 39 inches. Sheila also said there’s been some good tog fishing in the Canal lately. I can confirm this, since I saw more tog in the Canal this past Saturday than I ever have. The big blackfish were cruising along the rocks, and would be more than willing to take a crab bait dropped in front of them.

Martha’s Vineyard and Vineyard Sound

I went out last night to try to reconnect with some nice bass I hoped were hanging off the South Side of the Cape, but was treated to little more than an impressive light show. Bolt after bolt of lightning rained down on the Vineyard, while overhead, lightning formed electric spiderwebs. All in all, it was a tense night to be waving around an 11-foot graphite pole.

On the other side of Vineyard Sound, dodging lightning bolts, Bad Fish Outfitters owner Chris Parisi fished the beaches of Chappaquiddick with surf guide and OTW contributor Janet Messineo. Janet put Chris on a pile of striped bass in the 10- to 20-pound range. Super Strike “Zig Zag” darters and Sebile Stick Shadds were the hot baits.

Colin at Larry’s Tackle in Oak  Bluffs said the bluefish action has been excellent at Wasque and all over the island. Boat anglers have been catching choppers up to 15 pounds. Bass fishing is decent, but the quality fish don’t seem to have hit the Vineyard just yet. When they do, Colin says, they’ll have plenty to eat. Martha’s Vineyard waters are loaded up with baitfish, and as soon as some big fish find their way there, the fishing should explode. With good reports of bass moving along the Vineyard Sound side of the Elizabeth Islands, I’d bet Martha’s Vineyard will be flush with big bass by the weekend.

Bluefish have also been crashing the beaches of the South Side from South Cape Beach to Oregon Beach. Chris of Bad Fish said the blues have been feeding for the better part of the day in these areas. Topwaters are working well.

Mid Cape and Nantucket Sound

Bishops and Clerks is fishing well, according to Roy at Riverview Bait and Tackle in South Yarmouth. From shore, scup are being taken on the jetties, though keepers have been a bit difficult to come by. West Dennis Beach has been giving up bass and blues, but Roy suspects the recent heat wave may send the bass searching for cooler waters. The bluefish, however, should continue to bite. Bass River is still holding schoolies and small keepers.

Sandy at Powderhorn Outfitters in Hyannis said that big bluefish have made their way into Nantucket Sound with some fish weighed in topping 14 pounds! Anglers trolling squid imitations like the Yo-Zuri Hydro Squirt or hoochies are catching fish at Bishops and Clerks, though trolling is not the only option. Anglers are finding just as much luck casting topwaters and soft plastics over the reef. The fish aren’t huge, Sandy said, but many are keeper sized and there are lots of them out there, so fast action is making up for the lack of size.

Big sea bass are still hanging in Nanucket Sound, but the larger scup seemed to have moved off.

Dan at the Hook Up in Orleans got out for tuna east of Chatham this past Monday. Trolling a black splash bar locked Dan into a two-hour battle in stand-up gear with his first-ever giant, a 78-inch, 270-pounder. Many of the tuna being caught are in the 74- to 80-inch range. Trolling has been working, but anglers are jigging and popping as well, though these fish are proving to be a real handful on spinning gear. Dan said Captain Eric will be taking the Tammy Rose to the tuna grounds quite a few times over the next week or so, and Dan expects the tuna fishing to blow wide open very soon.

Cape Cod Bay

Billingsgate Shoals is still holding good numbers of stripers, according to Paul at Blackbeards Tackle in its new location in Eastham. Boats in the bay are dragging wire and tube-and-worm rigs. Paul said anglers are still picking up a few winter flounder as well.

Barnstable Harbor is still holding mackerel and bass. Anglers are catching macks in the channel and live-lining them for some good-sized bass according to Sandy at Podwerhorn. There have been some fish taken along the bayside beaches, but, oversand vehicle access was restricted this week thanks to nesting piping plovers.

Word of the good fishing in Cape Cod Bay had even spread to Colin at Larry’s Tackle at the Vineyard, who’d heard from a friend about a number of fish in the 40-pound range being caught in Cape Cod Bay.

Outer Cape

Nice-sized bluefish are blitzing the Race Point beaches according to Matt at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle in Provincetown. Beach anglers are also finding some good bass. A 20-pound striper was weighed in from Herring Cove Thursday morning. Yellow swimming plugs and green or blue Deadly Dicks have been the best lures around the Race.

The back beaches are also holding some fish according to Paul at Blackbeards. Plugging is taking fish as is dunking fresh sand eels. Keepers are coming with regularity, and Paul said that the biggest fish he’s been weighing each week for his fish of the week contest has been in the 20- to 25-pound range.

Boaters are enjoying blitz action on bass from Wood End to the Race as big schools of stripers corral schools of sea herring and sand eels. This is a great opportunity for anglers looking to catch bass to 30 pounds on topwater lures or fly gear.

Best Bets for the Weekend

If you have a boat and a trailer, you have a great deal of options this weekend. Head to the Race for bass blitzes, to the Elizabeth Islands for trophy stripers, to Barnstable Harbor for fly-fishing and live-lining opportunities, to Buzzards Bay for a shot at a giant sea bass or to Sakonnet Point for some keeper flatfish. The Canal is worth checking for shorebound fishermen, as are the Race and Backside beaches, but the better hotspot seems to be Martha’s Vineyard. Don’t forget the darters and eels for nighttime and bluefish lures for daytime.