The striper fishing did slow down a little this week in some locations, but between bluefish, fluke and tuna, anglers didn’t miss a beat. With the full moon and big tides coming this weekend, the bass fishing should bounce right back.
Zack at Red Top said the Canal fishing has been slow. There have been some schoolies around, but on Thursday, most of them were out of reach, feeding on small baitfish in the middle of the Canal. The best reports Zack heard this week came from bottom fishermen in Buzzards Bay who were doing well with keeper sea bass and scup.
Billy at Macos said fluke fishing in Buzzards Bay has been good, with fishermen taking good numbers of keeper fish by drifting with strips of squid or bucktails tipped with Gulp or a strip of cut bait from a sea robin or bluefish Billy also said some fishermen are having luck in the East End of the Canal in the early mornings or very late at night.
Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle said schoolie fishing is good from Barnstable Harbor to Scorton Creek. One fishermen trolling umbrella rigs outside Barnstable Harbor caught more than 40 stripers one day this week. Most were shorts, but there were a couple keepers in the mix. From the beaches, sandworms are working well for the schoolies. Small weightless soft plastics or flies will be the best bet for these bass.
Provincetown Harbor is loaded with squid and mackerel reported the crew at Nelsons. Fishermen are taking their boats out at night and loading up on the baitfish. The stripers have headed off to cooler water, hanging in 40-foot depths along the back beaches. Fishing eels or trolling tube and worm rigs have been the best bet. Even beach fishermen have been getting in on the action. The key to hooking bass in the surf has been heading out after dark. Bluefish have hit the tip of the Cape with a few mixing in with the bass. The blues have even moved into the surf a couple times, giving surfcasters a chance to hook up.
Boat fishermen are finding bluefish off the Cottages, and from Pamet to P-town.
The blues continue to bite well at Horseshoe Shoal reported the crew at Sports Port. Fluke fishing is also doing well off the South Side.
Striper fishing in Vineyard Sound is a little slow given the warm water, unless you are on the Vineyard. Pete at Larry’s Tackle said bass to 40 pounds have been taken recently by surf and kayak fishermen working the North Shore of the Island. Bluefish action has been steady at Chappy, with 6- to 8-pounders reported Pete.
The report from Coops was that Wasque was holding good bluefish. There had also been some good action on schoolie stripers at Lobsterville beach with the small bass blasting sand eels on the surface.
There have been a few bonito, reported the boys at Coops, but they are few and far between—no one seems to be targeting them just yet.
There have been some reports of fishermen catching good bass along the Elizabeth Islands, reported Pete at Larry’s. Getting close to shore and casting eels into the rocks has been the ticket.
Offshore fishing off Cape Cod has been excellent. Captain Pete from Castaway Charters has been doing well in the canyons, catching white marlin, 50- to 60-pound tuna and tons of mahi-mahi.
Speaking of mahi, there have been a mess of them just south of the Dump. Fishermen are catching tons of 4- to 5-pound mahi in that area. Bluefin have also been biting well south of the Vineyard. Tuna are also popping up off Provincetown and east of Chatham. Trolling and casting plugs and jigs has been working on the bluefin.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Don’t let the slowdown in striper fishing discourage you this weekend. The full moon tides are bound to bring some bass back inshore. Bait is stacking up in places like Cape Cod Bay and Provincetown and it’s just a matter of time before some big schools of stripers find them.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for bass by boat, take a ride down the Elizabeths or the along the backside beaches. Be sure to bring some eels. With the summer temperatures at their peak, and the water approaching or exceeding 70 degrees in most areas, many of the stripers will be seeking out cooler temperatures or deeper water.
If you’re looking for stripers from shore, the East End of the Canal or the beaches from Scusset to Barnstable. Fish early mornings for the best shot at fish.
If you have access to a boat that can make it offshore, that is the best bite on the Cape right now. Bluefin south of the Vineyard at Gordon’s Gulley and the Claw, along with some white marline. Farther south in the canyons, yellowfin and bigeye are being caught.