Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay Fishing Report for 5-22-2014

The bluefish action really ramped up around Cape Cod this week.  Huge schools of choppers hit the South Side and Buzzards Bay, and the fishing was awesome enough to help anglers forget the slow start to the striper season.

Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay

Eric at CMS in New Bedford said there have been 3- to 4-pound bluefish all over the South Coast of Massachusetts. The stripers in that area are getting bigger, with many being caught between 24 and 28 inches—an improvement over last week’s 16- to 20-inchers. Some keepers have been caught along the South Coast as well, and fish up to 20 pounds have been rumored.

Eric also said the scup and sea bass fishing is great. Both species are running big with scup in the 2-pound range and sea bass topping 5 pounds! As the water warms, some larger tautog have also moved into the rockpiles.

Mike at M and D’s in Wareham said the fluke season is off the a good start, as a fishermen weighed the first doormat of the season on Thursday morning. The fish, Mike said, was caught off Bird Island. Sea bass fishing in the area has been excellent as well, Mike reported.  The scup fishing took a bit of a hit this week, as the hordes of bluefish put the porgies on the run.

Small stripers are still the primary catch in the Canal, Mike said, though a few fish over 30 inches have been caught.

Jill at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay echoed the lackluster striper bite in the Canal, saying she’d heard of no keepers on Thursday, and only a few earlier in the week. There have been enough schoolies to keep things interesting.

South Side and Islands

Late last week, the bluefish hit the South Side of Cape Cod and began feasting on squid, scup and bunker, and they haven’t slowed down since.

The hot spots have changed on a daily basis, but at most South Side beaches from Falmouth to Dennis, fishermen stand a fair chance at catching blues—sometimes very many.  Boat fishermen and kayak fishermen have also been getting in on the fun. Poppers are working well, but metals or swimming plugs are getting more hits.  Fly-fishermen have also been hooking up.

The bluefish have ranged in size from 3 to 10 pounds, with most right around 6.

Sea bass are biting well in the sounds, including some big ones up to 5 pounds.

Stripers up to 20 pounds have been caught on the South Side reported Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle. Short stripers are striking lures, but for a keeper, Jeff said bait is the way to go. Sea worms or cut bunker are both working.

The bluefish have shown up on Martha’s Vineyard at spots like East Beach, Edgartown and Menemsha reported Coop at Coop’s Bait and Tackle.  Small stripers are all over the island as well, Coop said. Some bigger fish showed up Wednesday, including a 25-pounder.

The squid fishing, which was very good a week ago, dropped off this week. Most likely, the squid are too busy escaping the bluefish to do much feeding.

Outer Cape and Cape Cod Bay

Fishermen have had no problem finding and catching big horse mackerel in Cape Cod Bay according to Dan at The Hook Up. Fishermen sending those mackerel back out with a striper hook through their nose have not been catching yet, but that is bound to change.

Boats out of Rock Harbor have been catching stripers on Billingsgate Shoals where lots of bait has set up, reported Dan.

Keeper stripers have made their way all the way to the tip of the Cape. Rich at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle in Provincetown reported a 37- and a 33-inch striper taken from Race Point this week. Another keeper was taken out of Provincetown Harbor. The beaches all around the Outer Cape are loaded with schoolies, Rich said.  The fish are small, ranging from 12 to 26 inches. They have been hitting small plugs like the Daiwa SP Minnow and jigs like the Tsunami Swim Shad.

There is a ton of bait off the end of the Cape, Rich said, both in the form of sand eels and mackerel, but there have not yet been any bluefish.

This Week’s Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Fishing Report

To start your summer off right, check the South Side beaches for bluefish. Bring plenty of poppers and metal lures, and make sure they come with a single hook, and not trebles.

For finding keeper stripers, dunking bait on the South Side is a good bet, as is throwing swimming plugs along the Outer Beaches.  Between keepers, plenty of schoolies are bound to keep you busy.

For that holiday fish fry, take the boat on Buzzards Bay for sea bass, fluke and scup.