“It’s been a weird season.” That’s the general consensus among the Cape Cod bait and tackle shops right now. A week away from the 4th of July, and it still feels like the Cape Cod striper season has yet to really get started. Other than the big pile of fish off Provincetown, the striper fishing around the rest of the Cape has been spotty. There have been some short-lived bites in the Canal, off the South Side and around the Vineyard, but the great June fishing we’ve come to expect never materialized in most areas.
Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay
With the exception of the Memorial Day blitz, the Canal had a similarly slow start in 2013. June, for the most part, was a bust. In early July, things broke open, and every set of breaking tides brought excellent fishing right through September. This season could be following a similar pattern of stripers moving into the Canal later in the season.
This week, there were good reports coming from the East End of the Canal. The fishing from the Sagamore Bridge west has been slow, once again suggesting that these stripers are moving into the Canal from Cape Cod Bay, following mackerel. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle reported a good surface bite Thursday morning with stripers taking topwater plugs. The bass, Todd said, were mostly around 30 inches, with some fish up to 36 inches in the mix. A good bite also reportedly took place in the East End on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.
Mike at hRed Top Sporting Goods also mentioned the stripers in the East End of the Canal. He said the fishing is improving, but admitted that earlier this season, it couldn’t have gotten much worse.
Pencil poppers and Sebile Stick Shadds have been working when the bass are feeding near the surface, but the rest of the time, anglers have been able to find fish by bouncing jigs on the bottom.
Sea bass appear to be thinning out in Buzzards Bay reported Mike, but scup are still plentiful.
South Side and Islands
Some strong south winds helped put the bluefish back on the beaches on the South Side of the Cape. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle heard of a lights-out bluefish bite on Popponesset Beach. Todd said Oregon and South Cape Beaches were likely holding fish as well.
Boat fishermen are doing very well with the bluefish, regardless of the wind direction reported Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle.
Stripers are also popping up on the South Side. The bays and salt ponds are holding big numbers of schoolies. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle heard from one angler who caught nearly two dozen small stripers on light tackle at Menahaunt Beach. Jeff at Forestdale has been finding lots of schoolies inside Popponesset Bay, with some fish falling just shy of keeper size.
A few keepers have been taken on the South Side beaches, including a 35-incher.
On Martha’s Vineyard, boat fishermen are catching stripers between 30 inches and 35 pounds, but the fishing is spotty reported the crew at Larry’s Tackle Shop. On the beaches, the bite has been slow, with a few fish to 32 inches showing up after dark.
Fishing for blues is hit or miss from the surf at Chappaquiddick.
Bottom fishing around the Vineyard is good, with sea bass still biting well and fluke starting to pick up. Keeper fluke are being found in very deep water off Lucas Shoals. There are plenty of fish on top of the shoal, but the vast majority seem to be throwbacks.
Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle weighed in a big fluke taken by a fishermen looking for sea bass in Vineyard Sound.
Cape Cod Bay and Lower Cape
Barnstable Harbor continues to have consistent fishing for stripers of all sizes. Inside the Harbor, fishermen are casting small Slug-Go’s and catching schoolies. Fishermen drifting live mackerel or mackerel chunks off the mouth of the harbor are connecting with some bigger bass.
Billingsgate Shoal is beginning to hold some stripers as well. Fly and light-tackle fishermen are connecting with bass at Brewster Flats as well.
There is a big school of stripers moving between the Golf Ball and Race Point reported Eric Stewart at The Hook Up in Orleans. The stripers have been feeding on sand eels, and diamond jigs are working.
Jim at Nelson’s Bait & Tackle said the big numbers of bass off Provincetown have been easy to find, but tough to catch at times. Despite boats marking the fish, the catching has been spotty. Jim reported feeling his Savage Sand eel bump into bass as he jigged it one day, but getting no bites.
It seems like the fish are feeding in small windows, and the boats that are out there when the bass decide to feed are getting into some great fishing. The fish are even pushing bait up to the surface at times.
When the fish are biting, diamond jigs are the best bet, and umbrella rigs are the next best choice. Fishermen live-lining mackerel are having the best luck even when the bass shun artificials.
Most of the Race Point bass are 32 to 34 inches, with some larger and smaller fish in the mix.
The beach bite was quiet this week according to Jim.
Tuna
The waters east of Chatham are holding a few very big tuna, Captain Eric Stewart said. Fishermen have been hooking them occasionally, but not landing them. South of Martha’s Vineyard there is a big school of smaller bluefin. Eric tallied 20 bluefin during last weekend’s TunaFest, which was enough to earn him top honors in the contest. A total of 139 tuna were caught during the bluefin-only tournament, with most of the fishing ranging from 31 to 50 inches. Eric expects these fish to eventually settle into the waters off Chatham.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The water’s off Provincetown and down to the Golf Ball still have the largest concentration of stripers around Cape Cod. That said, they aren’t always biting, and even though fishermen are marking fish, they may not get any bites. Barnstable Harbor may be the best bet for action. Bring a mix of tackle and make live-lining mackerel your Plan A. If the bigger bass (or the mackerel) are no-shows, switch to Plan B, catching schoolies on light tackle inside the harbor.
With fluke fishing heating up, you may want to put these flatfish on your to-do list this weekend. Target deep water, 70 feet or more, with big strip baits for the best shot at keepers.
The bluefish and schoolie fishing on the South Side is the most reliable bite for shore anglers.
Lastly, Mike from M and D’s in Wareham is raising funds to help a fellow fishermen and disabled veteran who has fallen on hard times. You can find out how to help at the Go Fund Me page Mike has set up, http://www.gofundme.com/ap1wj4.
Leaving for Cuttyhunk tomorrow for a surfcasting trip. How has the shore fishing been down there? Thanks for any reports and info
Tight Lines
Where is the GOLF BALL? I’ve never heard of that spot.
On the backside of the Cape in North Truro, there is a radar dome visible from the ocean that looks like a giant golf ball. Lots of fishermen call the general area “the golf ball”.
South of P-town, on the outer side of the Cape…maybe 5-8 miles south of Race Point. It’s called that because of a massive weather/satellite(?) unit on the bluffs of Truro that looks like a Golf Ball. Good bft location later in the season as well.
Wow its quiet around here
What should I be fishing for/ what baits should I use on the beach in Harwich off of shore drive. Any chance of small shark/rays or striper/blues or anything else close in? Will this strong wind help/hinder the fishing?
going off shore fishing the end of this week into beginning of next week i yarmouth near the red javket whats my best bet for bait to use off shore? all reply would be welcome every year i go i seen to only catch small sand shark…thanks