Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay Fishing Report 5-24-2012

Make a Memorable Memorial Day Catch

If you’re crossing the Bourne or Sagamore bridge with a few fishing rods piled atop the usual Memorial Day Weekend sunbathing, grilling and drinking paraphernalia, you’re in luck. The long weekend’s weather and, best of all, fishing, should be great. Just be sure to toss a few light raincoats in there as well, as Sunday and Monday looks like they might be wet.

If you’re crossing the Canal with stripers on the brain, then you’ll find plenty of them from Sandwich to Provincetown. Rich at Nelson’s in Provincetown said the striper fishing has been good in his waters for the past three weeks. Mackerel have had the fish feeding high in the water column, allowing anglers to catch them by casting lures on light spinning tackle. RonZ’s have been one of the hot baits, according to Rich. Fish can also be taken while jigging with wire line, but Rich said he’s going to use the spinning gear as long as the fishing allows. Later in the summer, when the bass hunker down, jigging wire becomes one of the only options to hook up, so Rich is enjoying the light-tackle fishing while it lasts. Stripers off the tip of the Cape have been ranging from 30 to 38 inches, with the largest ones weighing in at about 24 pounds or so. With a school of bigger fish passing through the Canal early this week, bigger bass may be spread through the Bay to Provincetown by the weekend.

Cape Cod Bay is still producing excellent fishing. Dan at the Hook Up in Orleans said live-lining mackerel has been the hot ticket. The macks, which can be jigged throughout the Bay on Sabiki rigs or small metals, are still thick. Dan fished out of Sesuit Harbor early in the week and did well. Barnstable Harbor has been another hotspot, though it’s far from a secret. Expect lots of company if you plan on fishing Barnstable over the weekend.

The south side of the Cape, from Dennis to Chatham, has had some great surfcasting opportunities of late. Bass as large as 40 inches are being caught after dark, sometimes mixed in with schoolies. Smaller stripers and bluefish are being caught in the daytime hours. The fast and furious bluefish action ended last Thursday, almost as soon as I set foot on the former hotspot, West Dennis Beach. Light northerly winds, and no wind at all, while making the fishing comfortable for the anglers, has put the bluefishing in a funk. Roy at Riverview Bait and Tackle reported that the blues are showing up sporadically, but the striper fishing is pretty good, especially in Bass River around low tide.

Big schools of pogies have been spotted in the harbors along the mainland shore of Buzzards Bay. If you can find the pogies, there could be some very big bass shadowing the school. Good striper catches have also been reported from Woods Hole and Vineyard Sound. Jigs are taking fish, as are live (legal) scup.

And then there’s the Canal. Fishing lit up on the breaking tides early in the week, bringing some 30- and 40-pound fish into the canal. The fishing has slowed for the most part said AJ from Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay, but while there are fewer fish, there are still some big ones around. Mike at M and D’s said pencil poppers in yellow and white have been doing damage, as have Sebile Stick Shadd’s and Magic Swimmers.  Roy from Riverview reported a 44-pounder taken Thursday morning. With all the mackerel in Cape Cod Bay, the East End may be the best shot for connecting in the Canal.

The bottom fishing doesn’t get much better than it is right now. With fluke season now open, anglers can catch sea bass, porgies, blackfish and summer flounder all in a single trip! The sea bass and scup fishing has been exception. Tyler from Bad Fish Outfitters and AJ from Red Top Sporting Goods both reported that monster specimens from both species (6-pound sea bass, 4-pound scup) are being caught on a regular basis. And the fishing is spread out.

Buzzards Bay around Cleveland Ledge is holding fish, so is Bishop and Clerks Reef off Hyannis, and all the waters in between. Some keeper fluke have been caught, though most have been taken by anglers fishing for stripers. As far as I could tell, there hasn’t been much of a targeted effort for the flatfish so far in the young season. May is known for producing doormats, however, some the lumps and drop-offs in Vineyard Sound (like Lucas Shoal) and along the Islands could be holding some big flatfish.

Groundfishing on the other hand, has been very slow. Rich at Nelson’s said the Stellwagen Bank fishery never really happened this year. A few anglers are trying and catching a few cod and haddock, but they aren’t giving up their spots. With so much ground to cover up there, and apparently so few groundfish, it might be best to focus your efforts on other species.

One of those species could be the bluefin tuna. The rumor mill is grinding out reports of several sightings and a few quiet catchings. Dan from the Hook Up said that one fisherman has found the bait and the whales, but the tuna were absent. Captain Eric Stewart expects tuna to be caught on the Cape this weekend, so if you don’t mind doing some bird-dogging, rigging up the spreader bars should be on your to-do list this weekend.

Freshwater fishing is good as well. Trout are still biting, but early in the day may be best as the warm weather takes hold. Fishing for bluegills and crappies (in the few Cape ponds that have them) is good. These small fish will bite through the heat of the day when the other freshwater species develop lockjaw. I didn’t hear much on the freshwater bass fishing, but I imagine some fish will be moving to structure in slightly deeper water, while others will stay shallow, either on the spawning beds or prowling for an easy meal in the shallows.

Best Fishing Bets for Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay

With fishing good for a number of species, there are plenty of “Best Bets” for this weekend.
Striped Bass: Live-lining mackerel in Cape Cod Bay will be your best shot at a trophy. For numbers, switch to a RonZ or sand eel imitation and jig for fish from Barnstable to Race Point with spinning gear. From shore, try the south side between Falmouth and Chatham, targeting the outlets at dusk or after dark with swimming plugs. Or set the alarm early, after taking it easy at the BBQ, and get to the Canal for first light. Pencil poppers or Sebile plugs would be the best choice. Red Top is having their annual tournament this weekend for both boat and surf anglers, so if you think you might hook the big one this weekend, swing by and sign up. While you’re at it, sign up for the Striper Cup too, so you’re eligible to win prizes for any big fish you catch all summer long.

Bluefish: Popponesset Flats are probably the best bet, but the blues have been a little sparse in recent days. It could turn around, however, with a wind shift from the south.

Bottom fishing: Cleveland Ledge for monster scup and giant sea bass. Fish squid and small jigs. Or go prospecting for summer flounder on some of the shoals in Vineyard Sound. Reference your May Issue of OTW for tactics for May doormats. If the fleet in Buzzards Bay is too much, and that’s certainly possible, look to Bishop and Clerks, as that is holding sea bass as well.

Tuna: You have three days to kill, why not spend one looking for some sashimi? East of Chatham, on Crab Ledge, the Regal Sword or any of the usual areas out up toward Stellwagen would be the place to intercept the fish as they make their way up from New Jersey.