Cape Cod Fishing Report - June 16, 2016

Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay

Being between moons this week meant weak tides, which translated into lackluster fishing in the Cape Cod Canal. AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods said the fishing was fair through the week, but improved Thursday morning with smaller stripers and bluefish feeding on big squid and sand eels in the Canal. AJ said the SP Minnows were a good match for the sand eels and produced the most action on Thursday.

The best bite in the Canal is happening after dark with eels reported Billy at Maco’s. He expects the large “minus tides” brought on by the full moon to suck some mackerel into the Canal, which should give the fishing a shot in the arm.

In Buzzards Bay, the sea bass fishing is hanging on, reported AJ, but fluke fishing is heating up. Billy at Maco’s heard one report of some very nice fluke taken in Buzzards Bay this week. The area outside the Canal channel is a popular spot for fluke.

The sea bass have been picked over, but catching some fish for the table is still possible. It’s not like a few weeks ago, when it was possible to quickly fill out a limit with 18- to 20-inch fish. Now, fishermen are picking through more shorts to find a few 15- to 16-inch fish for the table. Top-and-bottom rigs baited with squid or clams are getting the most bites, but a bucktail jig and Berkley Gulp combo seems to weed out some of the smaller fish.

Cape Cod Bay and Outer Cape Cod

Once again, Cape Cod Bay is the hotspot this week. Boats around Provincetown found schools of hungry stripers feeding on the surface and down deep. Going prepared with a mix of vertical jigs and topwater lures is the best bet.

Elsewhere in the Bay, live-lining mackerel is just about automatic for hooking quality stripers reported Billy at Maco’s. Barnstable Harbor is holding fish, both at the mouth and inside the bay according to the report from Forestdale Bait and Tackle. Chunked mackerel has been a good bet for culling out a keeper, but fishermen are finding fast action with small jigs and plugs.

Paul at Blackbeard’s reported that surfcasters are catching great numbers of schools on the back beaches from Eastham to Truro. Small plugs matched with a teaser are working. Keeper-sized fish have been few and far between, but catching double-headers of the schoolies has been a common occurrence.

South Side

Fluke fishing is picking up reported the crew at Forestdale. Succonesset Shoal and Wreck Shoal have been likely spots to find them.

Bluefish action has been sporadic off the South Side. The blues did pop up in good numbers at Horseshoe Shoal, but from the beaches, it’s been a much slower pick. Some have moved inside Cotuit to feed on the schools of bunker in the area.

Bluefish are being caught occasionally at Dowses Beach reported Amy at Sport’s Port in Hyannis. Some stripers have mixed in as well. Amy had also head of some fishermen working the South Side beaches near the mid-Cape catching stripers in excess of 30 pounds while fishing after dark with eels.

Other keeper-sized stripers were reported at Popponesset.

South Side bait fishermen have been dealing with an abundance of dogfish lately, reported the Forestdale crew. Using lures will limit the number of dogfish you have to deal with.

Martha’s Vineyard

Peter at Larry’s Tackle Shop said the falling tide at Wasque has been a good bet for bluefish lately. Boaters are also connecting with blues and some bass by fishing the rips and the Sound. Middle Ground is worth a shot suggested Peter.

Stripers are around, Peter said, but you have to work for them. Fishermen putting in their time fishing the beaches at night have come up with some good fish in recent days.

The incoming tide in Edgartown Harbor is still producing squid. Peter recommends adding a little split shot to the line above the squid jigs in order to get down in the current.

Offshore

The best action is out east reported Captain Steve from Chaser Offshore Fishing. Fishermen caught some big bluefin east of Chatham this week, with rigged ballyhoo being the best bait. Spreader bars produced no results, Steve said, with the fish, some as large as 600 pounds, showing a clear preference for the ballyhoo.

Southeast of the Vineyard, from the Claw to the Fingers, there have been some tuna spotted, but anglers have not been able to connect.

Steve said Wednesday was a great day east of Chatham, but things cooled off some on Thursday.  He expects the action to pick up as more tuna move into the area.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod

As the tides get stronger, more bait and big stripers will move into the Cape Cod Canal. In the meantime, taking some live eels and working the South Side beaches from Popponesset east could be the ticket to a big striper outside the crowds.

Boat fishermen could work the rips around the Vineyard for stripers, or look for surface feeding schools in Cape Cod Bay.

When fishing the South Side, however, be sure to bring some fluke rigs, as the flatfish bite has been heating up.