Cape Cod Fishing Report - June 22, 2017

The steady stream of keeper-sized stripers through Cape Cod waters continued this week, aided by an influx of sand eels in Cape Cod Bay and off the South Side.

Though the action around Barnstable Harbor slowed, John from Cape Cod Bay Charters said that the fishing around Wellfleet picked up with 28- to 40-inch-plus stripers. Live mackerel have been the best presentation, and the macks haven’t been too tough to find reported Captain Dan of Salt Shaker Charters who has been catching macks in front of Sesuit. Dan has been doing well with small keeper bass in the bay by wire line jigging and using live macks. He has also been finding some larger fish in deeper water.

Schools of mackerel are bringing stripers into the Canal in the mornings reported Spencer at Red Top. The fish have been a wide range of sizes, with many 18- to 32-inchers, with a few 20-plus-pounders mixed in. Spencer said pencils are working best at first light, and after that, jigs are producing the most fish.

Sea bass are still all over Buzzards Bay, along with jumbo scup reported Jeff at Maco’s who answered the phone by saying, “Fish are everywhere!” Jeff also noted the good action in the East End of the Canal this week.

Captain Josh of Lincoln Brothers Charters said the best of the black sea bass fishing is moving south in Buzzards Bay as the larger sea bass make their way back to deeper water. Josh reported more fluke mixing in with the sea bass.

The fluke fishing is definitely improving reported Jim at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle. Jim also reported good action with 25- to 30-inch stripers at Middle Ground, L’Hommedieu, and Hedge Fence. Jim said there are 2- to 4-pound blues feeding at L’Hommedieu, and bigger ones at Horseshoe Shoal. For the bass in the rips, topwaters and swim shads are working best.

Captain Mort of Fishtale Sportfishing is still catching fish around Hyannis, with keepers mixed in with the schoolies. He’s hearing that Nantucket is still the place to go for big blues.

The crew at Sports Port had word that Dowses and Craigville beaches were loaded with small stripers swirling on the surface and taking topwaters. They also reported that fishermen are catching bass and blues at Bishops and Clerks, and scup and sea bass at Colliers Ledge.

On Thursday, Captain John of Fish Chatham Charters found schoolies and bluefish in the rips at Monomoy. Earlier in the week, under foggy conditions, John said there were some larger bass in the rips, with fish form 30 to 35 inches.

Short bass are all over Martha’s Vineyard according to the report form Larry’s Tackle, with the largest fish being taken up-island and at Wasque. Blues have been feeidng on the recent influx of sand eels, and like the bass, some of the biggest ones are being taken at Wasque.

Coop at Coop’s Bait and Tackle said besides the small stripers all over the island, fishermen are finding some 20- to 30-pounders fishing off Gay Head or by running over to the Elizabeth Islands. Coop noted that the fluke fishing is improving.

Captain Kurt of Fishsticks Charters reported similar action to last week with Middle Ground and other rips loaded with bass and new classes of fish apparently moving in. The fish are hitting a variety of lures including soft plastics, swimming minnow plugs, darters and topwater plugs. Multiple hookups are common.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod

It should be a great weekend to break out some light tackle to target the keeper-sized stripers that are hanging all around the Cape. The shoals off the South Side are still fishing very well, and Billingsgate continues to pump out good numbers of 30- to 32-inch bass. Match your lures to the forage, which in Cape Cod Bay is primarily sand eels, and off the South Side is a mix of sand eels and squid.

Fluke fishing is improving, and it’s prime time to hit some of the closer shoals off Falmouth and the Vineyard. Count on finding lots of short to just keeper flatfish on top of the shoals, while your best shot at a doormat is the deep water nearby.