Many areas are still waiting for their first post-Irene offshore fishing reports to roll in. The good water certainly moved around a bit, and so did the fish.
Bluefin
Captain Gene Quigley from Shore Catch Guide Service told me this week that the water was cold and green on the New Jersey tuna grounds following the storm, and the bite was dead.
Irene had the opposite effect on Cape Cod. Peaked Hill Bar and the waters around Race Point have been swarming with 45- to 60-inch bluefin. Live mackerel is the bait of choice, but poppers and soft-plastic stickbaits are producing as well.
The waters east of Chatham are holding fish, but they’ve been very picky and tough to get to bite. Some captains, like Eric Stewart aboard the Tammy Rose had some action trolling spreader bars this week, but for the amount of fish seen on the surface, the bite was slow.
Canyons
A few reports have been trickling in from the edge after Tropical Storm Irene. One boat found a nice pile of longfin albacore and mahi in Veatch Canyon, while farther south a mix of yellowfin tuna between 30 and 70 pounds were feeding in the deep of the Hudson. The Baltimore Canyon isn’t producing much in the way of tuna, but billfish are reportedly making it worth the ride for some anglers. Good water has reportedly moved into Hydrographers Canyon, and many Captains from New England ports will be headed there if fiashable conditions prevail this weekend. The current NOAA wind and seas forecast is calling for sporting conditions throughout the weekend, so keep an eye on the weather for a comfortable window.
After a lackluster mahi year by all accounts, it seems as though some larger fish have arrived in the northern canyons, with some topping 15 pounds.
One thing worth noting for all anglers heading offshore, especially those running at night, is to watch for debris washed into the sea by Irene. A lot of fallen trees, large branches and God-knows-what likely made its way into rivers and harbors up and down the Northeast, and much of that may be making a white-knuckle ride in some stretches of water.
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