The unofficial end of summer is upon us, but by many accounts fall-like weather and fishing has already arrived on the Cape.

Cape Cod Bay Fishing Report

The fishing in the Bay is best described as hit or miss, according to Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle. When the fishermen “hit,” either by trolling tube-and-worm rigs or drifting live eels, the fish have been big, with many 30-plus-pounders being boated. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said the evening bite has been very good for boat fishermen on Cape Cod Bay.

Cape Cod Canal Fishing Report

Morning action in the Canal continues to be good. Many anglers reported small squid being chased to the surface by stripers. White lures have produced best when the bass are living up to their nickname, “squidhound.” Todd at Falmouth Bait reported that most of the bass were in the 28- to 36-inch range. Some bigger fish were landed, however, and Jill at Red Top Sporting Goods in Wareham reported weighing a 30-pounder from the canal on Thursday morning.

Topwaters are working, but fishing deep with Crippled Herring or other jigs is catching fish as well. Swimming plugs like the Sebile Magic Swimmer is another good choice. After dark, eels are catching a few quality stripers as well.

The occasional bluefish are moving into the Canal. Anglers fishing soft plastics are almost guaranteed to have a bait shortened by a bluefish, but topwaters are tempting some of the big blues as well.

Buzzards Bay Fishing Report

The waters of Buzzards Bay are still very warm, which has been great for catching small bluefish and blue crabs. You can find both species stacked up in the harbors and estuaries in Buzzards Bay. A flash light and a dip net is all you need to get a few crabs, while a small spoon or sliver of bait under a bobber will tempt the small blues.

South Side Fishing Report

Fluke fishing is great, and anglers can count on catching plenty of shorts, with a good shot at a keeper or two in both Nantucket and Vineyard sounds. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said there have been multiple keeper fluke taken from the area surrounding the red buoy outside of Waquoit Bay.  That’s close enough to shore that even kayak fishermen can get to them.

Black sea bass are biting well at Horseshoe Shoal and Middle Ground, according to Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle. The fish are even feeding on the surface in these two areas, a phenomenon that I’d never heard of before this year.

Scup fishing is so-so in the sounds, reported Jeff, but Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said the scup being caught are big ones.

Some bigger bluefish have been popping up off the South Side. Jeff at Forestdale reported a few big blues in the Popponesset Spit area, where they’ve been accompanied by some keeper stripers. Tom Shoal is also giving up bigger blues for boat fishermen.

School stripers and snapper blues are biting well in the Santuit River according to Jeff.

The Lady K out of Onset, happened upon a big school of weakfish while targeting fluke off the Vineyard this week.  The school of weakfish was so thick that everyone on board was hooking up.  The fish ranged from 16 to 20 inches. Just remember the daily possession limit for weakfish is one fish per person. So after you’ve kept one for the cooler, enjoy catch and release fishing for this colorful species.

No reports of albies being caught just yet (with one exception off Nantucket), but plenty of fishermen have reported seeing albies. Bonito fishing is still reliable at the Hooter, and these fish seem to be spreading out into more spots along the South Side of the Cape.

Lower Cape Fishing Report

Dan at The Hook Up in Orleans hadn’t heard much about stripers, and neither had John at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle in Provincetown. The only beach action John had heard of was some schoolie stripers at Coast Guard Beach. Bluefish have also been conspicuously absent off the Lower Cape. An overall lack of baitfish is most likely responsible for the poor inshore fishing. A good fall storm or fall water temperatures should bring the good fishing back to Provincetown and the Outer Cape over the next couple weeks.

Bluefin Tuna

The bluefin bite is picking up big time. Anglers fishing jigs are connecting with multiple bluefin each day. Captain Eric Stewart has been finding them on the troll as well. On Wednesday, Stewart landed six tuna out of ten bites. The bluefin ranged from 48 to 71 inches. The Sword has been the hotspot this week.

Offshore

Still great fishing in the canyons. Bigeye tuna and longfin albacore are filling up the fish holds of boats, and the occasional wahoo or billfish is putting the icing on the cake of what has been an excellent offshore season.

Freshwater

Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle said anglers caught a few trout while fishing from shore in Peter’s Pond this week, indicating that water temperatures in freshwater may be dropping a bit. Largemouth bass fishing with shiners has been excellent, with plenty of 15- to 18-inch fish being caught.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The South Side of the Cape definitely has the most options this weekend, from schoolies and snappers to big fluke and bonito. Canal morning action should continue through the weekend. Just stick it out until late morning as the productive tide has been a couple hours after sunrise. Trophy striper hunters would do best to drag tube-and-worm rigs between the East End of the Canal and Barnstable Harbor.