It’s starting to feel like summer around Cape Cod. Hot weather, occasional thunderstorms and bluefish invading every nook and cranny of the Cape.
By all accounts it seems like the fast and furious spring striper run is behind us. Not to say there aren’t plenty of stripers around to be caught. Cam at Bill Fisher Tackle on Nantucket said the bass fishing has dialed back a bit, but it’s still exceptional. The rips east of the island are loaded will stripers, anglers just have to go a bit farther off the beach to find the action. From the beach on Nantucket, nighttime is the right time. Bluefish as large as 15 pounds are being caught all around the island, spicing up the bass fishing.
Bottom fishermen looking for fillets will find fluke east of Nantucket and black sea bass north of Nantucket. Both species are biting well right now.
Across Muskeget Channel to the Vineyard, the bass fishing is substantially slower. The report from Coop’s suggested that the rapidly warming water has pushed most of the bass over toward Chatham. In their place, bluefish of all sizes have the island surrounded. One of the hotspots has been East Beach where surfcasters are getting in on the fun as well.
Fluke fishing is really picking up around Martha’s Vineyard, with many more keepers moving in. Sea bass and scup round out the bottom fishing scene.
Coop reported loads of sand eels off the island, which bodes well for pelagic visitors. There have been rumors of bonito, but the only confirmed catches took place well south of the Vineyard, where the bonito were mixed in with bluefin tuna.
The south side of Cape Cod hasn’t had much of a striper bite lately, but Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle caught word of a 39-incher taken by one young fishermen on Popponesset. For the most part, anglers have been too busy tangling with bluefish, big bluefish, to notice the lack of bass on the south side. South Cape, Poppy and other beaches are giving up bluefish on a regular basis.
Fluke fishing is looking good just about everywhere. Todd reported good action at Middle Ground and off Gay Head.
Down in New Bedford, Eric at CMS is getting mixed reports about the fluke action. Some anglers are doing very well, while others are working hard for a keeper or two. Scup are all over Buzzards Bay, and many young anglers are catching plenty of the panfish off docks and from shore.
There are plenty of bass around New Bedford, and Eric said the surfcasters are doing well with plugs, catching 15- to 20-pound fish. The bluefishing, which had been spotty up until this week, has broken wide open, and anglers can count on catching these razor-lipped gamefish on nearly every outing.
Canal has slowed. It was bound to happen after the incredible first half of June that anglers experienced down there. There are still fish around, Todd from Falmouth reported, but for the most part, they are a good deal smaller. Barry at Red Top said anglers still have a shot at a fish in the 25- to 30-pound range, but fishing deep has been the ticket. Anglers fishing cut bunker have actually been doing well with the larger fish. Blues have moved into the canal as well. Big bluefish are feeding in the West End, while smaller blues are being caught in the East End.
Buzzards Bay has seen an uptick in the fluke and bluefish action, while the striper fishing in the bay has tapered off.
The rivers and backwaters around the mid-Cape have gone a bit quiet as the warm water has flushed the schoolie stripers out in search of cooler water.
Striper fishing in Cape Cod Bay is holding its own, and there are still fish hanging around the Race. The guys at Nelsons said the bite of Provincetown has slowed some, and the anglers connecting are doing so on wire line. Off herring cove, a few fish are still being taken by trolling a tube and worm, and one kayak fishermen, working Cape Cod Bay off P-town had a 20-pound striper.
The bluefin bite is looking good east of Chatham. Captain Eric Stewart is connecting on most outings. He hooked a major tuna the other day, and lost it boatside. The in-the-water estimated placed the fish north of the 1000-pound mark. There have been several giants taken lately, but also some fish in the 60-inch range, which is much more manageable for the recreational crowd. Not much word on running and gunning for the tuna – it’s been mainly a trolling and live bait game.
Freshwater fishing is good. The ponds are hot, but so is the fishing. Largemouths are feeding well, especially in low-light conditions and on cloudy days.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Beef up those leaders and catch some blues. Sounds like you can’t go wrong with bluefish right now. The hotspot is definitely The Vineyard and Nantucket and their corresponding sounds. The bass hotspot looks to be Chatham, Monomoy and the rips east of Nantucket. If you’re chasing stripers from shore, go at night, since the fish seem to be adjusting to a summer feeding pattern.
Fluke are also feeding well, and the it seems both the south side and Buzzards Bay offer good shots at a keeper. Look to deep water, 60 feet or better, for your shot at a real doormat.
Fished during last Sunday around Monomoy (water temps around 55) and what seemed to work best was pink rubber lead head jigs tossed with light takle for blues and striper. Also red tubes tipped with sand worms on lead or wire line. Was hoping someone else would comment on what worked best for them?
Dear OTW,
I am just writing regarding a question i have. I caught a 23.9 pound striper in the cc canal and i saw your weigh ins were recently updated. However, my name was not listed on the weigh ins. i am very dissapointed and would like this to be sqaured away if possible. Please respond, it would be appreciated. Thanks and tight lines!
H.T
i did weigh it in as well at canal bait and tackle.
any shore action off chatham light area at night to speak of?
The three bays were hot monday…pods of striped bass on the morning tide brought in some nice 32 inch plus fish….try the berkley alive peeler crab or the ron-z sand-eel and hold-on!…….blues out by gurnet and the power plant…..some nice fluke around….gotta love this time of year yanks!! Happy 4th!!
How often were people catching stripers by the powerplant and what side of the powerplant?
Catching mostly 5 lb blues with an occasional striper.
Fished off Monomey Tuesday giant bluefish and bass to 38in. hitting large black/green squid bars. No bluefin but maybe 100 wales feeding and enjoying life.
Something I will never forget having such majestic giants lifting their heads out of the water and look at you as if to say “good morning boys” then slip back down to their world.
I hope you get to see it.for your self kind of a life changing experience.