I never like to start the report on a negative note, but there was very little positive to say about the striped bass fishing this week. Unfortunately everywhere but Chatham had sporadic or very slow striper action over the past 10 days. Does that mean it’s time to hang up the striper gear until Labor Day? Absolutely not. While summer striper fishing is certainly slower than in the springtime, it never shuts down completely. The action will certainly improve as we near the strong tides and dark nights of the new moon. Anglers sticking out by boat and by shore, whether in the Canal, the Elizabeth Islands, Martha’s Vineyard or Cape Cod Bay, will have some memorable catches in the coming weeks.
Excellent fishing for other species, and the arrival of bonito, has distracted anglers from the poor striper fishing. So hang onto that striper gear, but also break out some light tackle and bottom bouncing gear to take advantage of the Cape’s midsummer variety.
Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay
The fluke fishing is still excellent in Buzzards Bay reported Mike from M and D’s in Wareham. The fish have spread out along the Elizabeth Islands a bit, and the keepers are holding in the deepest waters. Mike said fluke up to 6 pounds are being caught, with the hot bait being soft-plastic shads, of all things. Personally I’d stick with a more traditional bucktail-and-Berkley-Gulp combo, but I might bring some shads out in case the fishing is slow.
Regardless of what the hot fluke lure is, the best bait for summer flounder recently became available in Buzzards Bay. Snapper blues (juvenile bluefish) have arrived in harbors all around the bay, feeding on tiny rainbait. These blues can be caught with small metal lures or bits of squid or spearing. Just be sure if you are loading up the livewell to use them for fluke, that you stay within the possession limit of 10 bluefish.
Aside from catching them as bait, snapper blues are great fun on ultralight freshwater tackle, and a crowd pleaser for young anglers. And, according to Pops, they make excellent table fare, though I cannot attest to this.
Outside the harbor mouths and throughout the bay, bluefish in the 2- to 3-pound range are making for light-tackle and fly-fishing fun reported Chris from Falmouth Bait and Tackle. The blues are on smaller rainbait and sand eels and any slim-profile metal lure or fly will get hit.
There was very little to report in the Canal. Mike said fish were being caught on eels at night and the crew at Red Top reported some fish breaking in the East End in the mornings, but overall striper fishing has been quiet in the Big Ditch.
Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and sounds
Surf anglers are still managing some bass around the Vineyard, particularly at Menemsha. Rob at Coop’s Bait and Tackle reported some big fluke off the North Shore of the Vineyard as well. Several doormats, including a 10-pounder and two 8-pounders were weighed in during a recent fluke tournament.
I heard two separate reports of bonito this week, adding to the credence that these fine-eating funny fish are in. Chris at Bad Fish Outfitters in Falmouth heard of one trolled up at Hedge Fence, while Rob at Coops had heard of a few caught at the Hooter. The bonito aren’t thick just yet, but over the next weeks, more should be coming. If you want to catch one, now is the time, because the “bones” tend to scatter once the false albacore arrive in late August.
Mid and Outer Cape
Fishing around Race Point has been good lately reported Nelsons Bait and Tackle in Provincetown. Most of the success is coming for boat anglers, as the northeast wind brought some mung and dirty water into the beaches. The southwest wind has since cleaned up the beaches, so surfcasters may find some luck, especially late at night or early in the morning.
Boaters have been catching consistently, with some nice fish into the 20-pound range in the mix. Some days they have to venture a bit down along the backside to find the fish while others the fish are right off Race Point and the Bath House. Some big bluefish in the mix are keeping things interesting as well.
Cape Cod Bay has been very slow according to Dan at the Hook Up in Orleans. A recent report he received included no bass, no blues and only a single dogfish. Dan’s after-work forays in the Bass River have been slow as well. The usual school-size stripers and small bluefish have been absent so far this summer.
Chatham has had the best concentration of stripers and striper fishermen lately. The fishing for “commercial-size” fish (those greater than 34 inches) has been good in Chatham, with the best bites coming on diamond jigs, though anglers are doing well casting Sebile lures as well.
Freshwater
Little has changed on the freshwater scene. Largemouths are still responding well to Senko worms during the day and poppers or topwaters in the evening.
Tuna
Bluefin fishing was very good this week according to Dan at the Hook Up. Bluefin of all sizes have been showing up east of Chatham, off Truro, on Stellwagen Bank and south of Martha’s Vineyard.
The tuna south of the Vineyard, hanging around the 20-fathom line, are ranging from 10 to 50 pounds, while the fish off Chatham are falling anywhere from 50 inches to giant size. Stellwagen Bank has a mix of keeper-sized slot fish as well as some in the 60- to 73-inch and up range.
Live bait and trolling have been the best ways to take fish lately, as I haven’t heard much from the run-and-gun crowd. One angler trolling on Stellwagen on Wednesday went 5 for 9 on bluefin from 44 to 62 inches.
Best Bets for the Weekend
This weekend’s best bet would be a combination bonito and fluke trip to the waters around Martha’s Vineyard. Since the bonito aren’t around in big enough numbers to warrant a fully dedicated trip, a backup plan would be nice. Hedge Fence would be a good place to look for both species, while the Hooter might offer a better shot at bonito should you want to target them first and move to fluke later on.
Where is the hooter ?
South of Wasque (on the southeast corner of the Vineyard), just about three miles from land is a “hooter” buoy. THe area around there, at the edge of Wasque Shoal, is known to hold bonito beginning in late July.
What is 120 fathoms? 720 feet deep? Is that at the canyon?
Whoops, good catch. Should have read 20-fathom line. Sorry!
What should I use as bait or for lures for stripers off of race point ?
I caught a 34 insh striper yesterday at around 2pm on the east side of the canal, about 100 yards south of the Bourne Bridge.