Cape Cod Fishing Report - September 10, 2015

Even though the weather feels like summer, the fishing feels like fall. The false albacore fishing is on fire as albies continue to lay waste to schools of peanut bunker from Chatham to the Elizabeth Islands. Striper fishing is running hot and cold, bluefishing is picking up, and bluefin tuna action is on the rise.

Albies have been feeding at the mouth of Waquoit Bay reported Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle. At times, they have even moved into the bay itself, feasting on peanut bunker.

Some albies rounded the corner into Buzzards Bay this week. They were found in the coves and harbors rather than off the points, since the peanut bunker—the primary forage right now—tend to congregate in these areas.

The Canal saw a run of albies Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The fish were spotted breaking in the West End, as far as the Bourne Bridge reported Red Top Sporting Goods. Several fish were landed by shore fishermen. Maco’s Bait and Tackle said schools of blitzing albies have been spotted off the Massachusetts Maritime Academy outside the west end of the Canal.

The albies have been picky at times, especially when a big number of boats are on the fish. Good casting soft plastics like the Albie Snax or the 6-inch Slug-Go have been key to hooking up, especially when all the boats around are throwing metals or jigs.

Striper fishing is fair. Boat fishermen are still tracking down some schools in Cape Cod Bay reported Jeff at Forestdale. The best action seems to be off Barnstable Harbor. Trolling tube-and-worm jigs is working, but fish are occasionally appearing on the surface, and casting soft-plastics and plugs produces fish.

Race Point hasn’t been giving up many stripers lately, but bluefish are all over the place. Boats are catching huge numbers of the blues off the Race, and the fish are hitting the beach as well, allowing surf fishermen to get in on the action. Topwaters and metals are working for the blues.

Bluefish are also being caught in the Cape Cod Canal occasionally. The striper fishing in the Canal cooled off over the past week. Big schools of Atlantic sauries, commonly called halfbeaks, made for some explosive blitzes last Friday, but these fast-moving pelagic baitfish had disappeared by Saturday. Some stripers are still being caught in the Canal, but the action isn’t fast and furious. The new moon will bring breaking tides back to the Canal over the weekend, so that action could heat up big time as the stripers get ready to head south.

Bluefin action has picked up off the backside of the Cape. Captain John of Fish Chatham Charters has been catching numerous 65-inch and larger tuna on the troll. On Saturday he landed three tuna over 70 inches. The larger tuna have been farther offshore, but close to shore near the Golf Ball, there have been big numbers of smaller 40-inch bluefin.

Martha’s Vineyard is albie central according to the report from Larry’s Tackle. Edgartown Harbor, East Beach, Menemsha jetties and the Gut are all producing big numbers of false albacore. Coop of Coop’s Bait and Tackle caught a couple albies before opening up the shop on Thursday. Coop said Edgartown Harbor is on fire! A few bluefish are being caught off Leland’s reported Larry’s. Coop picked the backside of Nomans for the top spot for blues right now. Striper fishing is slow around the island, but with tons of peanut bunker around, when the bass show up, the fishing is going to be fantastic.

Canyon fishing is going strong reported Castaway Charters. The nighttime chunk bit is on in Atlantis Canyon. Trolling during the day is producing some billfish. Coop said the tuna troll bite was slow on his most recent trip to Hydrographers, but he caught plenty of other fish, including a swordfish, a marlin, a wahoo, some tilefish, and plenty of mahi-mahi.

Scup fishing is good in Nantucket Sound. Some fishermen are topping off their day of albie fishing by catching a few platter-sized scup on squid or clams. Fluke fishing is okay in Buzzards Bay, reported Maco’s. There are still plenty of black sea bass around, but the season for them is closed.

Trout fishing is great, reported Jeff at Forestdale. Jeff heard of an 8-pound brown trout taken off the dock at Peter’s this week. Ashumet, Mashpee-Wakeby, and Hamlins are all producing trout as well.

Best Bet for the Weekend

From the surf, your best bet is to head to the Race to cash in on the bluefish blitzes. Plus the northeast wind forecasted for Friday might just push some bass back into the waters off Provincetown. From the boat, it will be tough to suggest chasing anything but albies. The weather and seas may make it difficult to chase bluefin this weekend, but you can have that experience in miniature by chasing false albacore off the South Side, around the Vineyard or in Buzzards Bay.