Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay Fishing Report 10-4-2012

Canal Loaded with Bass

Bluefin Tuna Return to Peaked Hill Bar

South Side Albie Fishing Fantastic

One thing that had been missing from the reports the past few weeks were big schools of smaller stripers. Well, the schoolies and small keepers hit the Cape in force this week. This is great news for anglers looking to get out and find fast action. I stumbled across a big school of blitzing 22- to 32-inch stripers on Sunday morning, while recovering from Saturday’s StriperFest Celebration on Sandy Neck Beach. More reports of schoolie blitzes came in from the South Side, the Elizabeth Islands and the Canal. Bigger stripers were a little harder to come by this week, but rest assured, more are on the way.

Cape Cod Bay Fishing Report

Seems like I wasn’t the only one finding schoolies off Sandy Neck. Mike from Bad Fish Outfitters said there are huge numbers of smaller stripers being caught by boaters out there. Most are shorts, Mike warned, but if you stick with it, keeper-sized fish are mixed in. Diving birds will point the way on some days. On others, watch the fish finder. Small jigs and soft plastics will be the ticket for boaters. From the beach, I scored on a small Redfin Swimmer.

Paul at Blackbeards in Eastham said he’s been hearing of bluefish in the bay, but that many boaters have already pulled their boats. That seems premature to me, as I expect some more good fish to be moving through.

Cape Cod Canal Fishing Report

No shortage of breaking fish in the Canal the past few mornings. On some days, the action lasted right to sunset. Blues and schoolie stripers made up the bulk of the action, but fish in excess of 20 pounds are feeding in the Canal as well, keeping things interesting. Pencil poppers accounted for some of the bigger fish, while an assortment of lures matching the small herring will catch the blues and schoolies. As an added bonus to the fishing, some interesting marine life has been tucking into the Canal lately. Just this morning I saw an ocean sunfish and a blue shark. Earlier in the week, pilot whales put on a show for anglers in the East End. Bluefin tuna have been moving in to snack on the bluefish as well. So while fishing, keep your eyes on the water—you never know what might move through the canal this time of year.

Nights are producing fish as well. Once again, schoolies are dominating the catch, but bigger fish are being caught occasionally. Live eels and jigs have been the ticket.

South Side of the Cape and Islands

Albies are still the big talk for anglers fishing the south side. Big blitzes continue to astound fishermen. Albies have been fairly aggressive this week, allowing for multiple hook-ups. The bulk of the action has moved a bit west toward Falmouth and Woods Hole, but albies are still popping up along most of the South Side. Captain Eric Stewart of the Hook Up in Orleans said the water surrounding Monomoy have had breaking albies and bonito on a daily basis.

While most of the albies have been caught by boat and kayak anglers, at least a few shore anglers have hooked up this week. Being in the right place at the right time is crucial to getting an albie on the beach on this side of Vineyard Sound, but it’s possible. Check the outflows and jetties for signs of breaking albies within casting distance.

At times the albies seem willing to hit all manner of metals and even small plugs, while at other times only the fly guys and some of the folks casting soft-plastics like 7-inch Hogys are hooking up regularly.

Up to Wednesday, the albie fishing around the Vineyard was excellent. Coop at Coop’s Bait and Tackle said an influx of bay anchovies has fueled the albie blitzes.

Bass fishing around Martha’s Vineyard has been slow. Surfcasters have been picking up a fish or two for a full night’s effort, and boaters haven’t been faring much better.

Bluefish have picked up the slack, however. Coop said 2-pound bluefish are everywhere around the island. Bigger fish are occasionally showing up as well.

Bonito fishing has been surprisingly good according to Coop. The fish are showing up in more places than usual, suggesting there are more bonito around.

Striper fishing on the South Side of the Cape is good. Fish are showing up at the outflows on the falling tide.

Sea bass fishing on the wrecks and structure in Nantucket Sound is good according to Paul at Blackbeard’s in Eastham. The blackfishing has been good as well.

Buzzards Bay and Elizabeth Islands

Schools of bass are harassing schools of peanut bunker along the Elizabeth Islands. Mike at Bad Fish found one school, but found them surprisingly difficult to fool. False albacore are also spread out along the islands, same with monster bluefish. The blackfishing is very good as well, with keepers coming easily.

Bay anchovies drew some albies into Buzzards Bay this week, and schools of stripers mixed right in, gulping down the small baitfish as well. Big blues have been moving throughout the bay also, making for great fun. Trolling may be the best way to find the blues, but if you see working birds, ditch the trolling gear and start casting topwaters.

Lower Cape Fishing Report

Unless you’re looking for bluefin, fishing down cape has been slow. Anglers fishing the beaches from Nauset to Race Point have been reporting only a few smaller blues for their efforts. Keeper bass are being picked up occasionally in the dark, but it’s been spotty reported Paul at Blackbeards. Then again, Paul said, there have been very little anglers giving it a go. Paul said there could be a “herd” of cow bass moving along the beach, and no one would even know. There is so much beach out there, so much great structure, that to say the Outer Cape beaches have no bass is ridiculous. It’s October, bass are moving south. Somewhere on the backside, there are bass feeding in the surf. Who’s going to go find them?

Last week saw very good fishing around Race Point, but according to Jim at Nelsons in Provincetown, things have slowed substantially. Tiny bass and small blues are all that’s left. But such is the hot-and-cold nature of fishing the fall run. In a matter of days, a new school of fish could show up and the fishing would light right back up.

Stripers are still feeding outside Nauset Inlet according to Eric at the Hook Up. Boat anglers are doing well with them. After dark, some of them must be moving into the beach.

Cape Cod Freshwater Fishing Report

The ponds on Cape have received their fall stocking of trout, and the trout fishing is very good. Often the new arrivals trigger more aggressive feeding behavior in the holdover trout from the spring, as they now have to compete for the food available. This is good for fisherman throwing spoons or small minnow plugs. PowerBait is always a reliable choice for freshly stocked trout as well.

Largemouth bass are feeding well also, taking a number of lures and jigs. Big bass are getting active as the water cools. Several 4- and 5-pounders were taken from Cape ponds this week.

Cape Cod Tuna Fishing Report

Jim at Nelsons has been watching breaking tuna while standing on the beach at Race Point all week. The tuna have been thick around Race Point and Peaked Hill Bar. Same is true off Chatham. Eric Stewart said the tuna are ranging from 26 inches to 600 pounds. Several year classes of bluefin are feeding out east right now. The BC Buoy has been the hotspot, but Eric said the most recent action has been way south of there and will probably push even further south as the month moves on. Skirted ballyhoo with ilanders and Bluewater Candy lures have been producing as well as Playaction Splash Bars. The bite has slowed with the moon, but Eric is predicting that it will pick back up.

Fishing Forecast

With so much going on, it’d be tough to pick where to go this weekend. For shore fishermen, there is a real chance at catching albies on the South Side of the Cape, but there is a better chance of catching blues or stripers in the Canal. For boaters, cruising along the Elizabeth Islands could provide lots of shots at albies and a good chance of catching a striper blitz. And the bluefin fishing is great and getting better. Get out there while you still can!