Cape Cod Fishing Report - August 9, 2018

Cape Cod Fishing Report

Fishermen are a contrary bunch, myself included. If you regularly read this report, you know that I’ve been missing my bluefish this season. The blues had been surprisingly scarce in many of their usual haunts around Cape Cod, and at least in this angler’s case, that absence had made the heart grow fonder.

However, over the past week, the influx of bluefish has chopped my eels, snipped my leaders, and sliced my soft plastics. In Buzzards Bay, where boat fishermen are trolling up the occasional king mackerel, I can’t move my kayak fast enough to get away from the 1-pounds blues that have recently arrived in big numbers. It was a reminder how savage the bluefish is, and how complicated our relationship with them can be when they aren’t the day’s target species.

Captain Mort of FishTale Sportfishing was spending Thursday re-rigging after Wednesday’s bluefish barrage at Monomoy. Mort said there was a 50/50 mix of bass and blues, and that the blues were blitzing on the surface.

The smaller blitzing blues I saw in Buzzards Bay would make a fun match for a 6- or 7-weight fly rod, or a light freshwater rod, rigged with a small metal or popper.

The evenings have brought some larger blues to the south-facing beaches like Popponesset and South Cape Beach according to John from Eastman’s Sport and Tackle.

On Martha’s Vineyard, blues are still all over Chappy, reported Cameron at Larry’s Tackle. The blues have been mixed sizes, but there are many small ones.

In addition to the influx of blues, the other big change to the fishing scene on the Cape this week has been the monster schools of small bait. Thumbnail-sized peanut bunker are all over Buzzards Bay, the Elizabeth Islands, and the South Side, while herring fry are moving through the Cape Cod Canal. And schoolie bass have taken notice. The report from Red Top said there were big schools of smaller stripers blitzing on those small baits this week, while a couple waves of larger (and frustratingly picky) bass have also been chowing down on these baits. Smaller plastics, retrieved quickly, have generated some bites from the picky stripers.

Andy at Canal Bait and Tackle said that in addition to big numbers of 18- to 30-inch stripers, there have been some 25-pounders in the mix. Andy said that the small herring fry have also brought in plenty of mackerel to feed on them, which Andy thinks could bring in some more big bass.

Bonito numbers continue to improve, but the bite isn’t on fire yet. Cameron at Larry’s Tackle reported a pick out at the Hooter, and good action off Edgartown Harbor and State Beach. John at Eastman’s said there have been bonito caught at Halfway Shoal and along the Elizabeth Islands. Captain Kurt of Fishsticks Charters had clients Pablo and Ella catch the first two bonito of the season on his boat. Those bonito were caught at Horseshoe Shoal, where Kurt has been having good luck with bluefish from 4 to 14 pounds.

Boat striper fishing has been good. Captain Mel True of FishNet Charters has been finding huge numbers of 30-inch bass around the Outer Cape. Live mackerel have been the ticket, and Mel advises catching plenty of bait. One day this week he tallied more than 60 stripers.

Bottom fishing for black sea bass and fluke has been fair said John at Eastmans, who recommended fishing deeper water for the best shot at bigger fish. This week, there were two 13-pound-plus fluke taken around the Cape. One, weighed in at Sports Port Bait and Tackle, was caught south of Nantucket, where double-digit fluke are caught fairly regularly.

The other, a 13.5-pounder caught by Marcy Rossi, was taken in Buzzards Bay and weighed in at Red Top. Marcy’s fish hit a bucktail tipped with squid, and is the biggest fluke I’ve ever heard of from Buzzards Bay.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod

There’s many options to choose from this weekend. Big new moon tides should keep the action going in the Canal, just be prepared with a variety of offerings in case you encounter picky fish on small bait.

While you might not catch a 13-pounder, you can find keeper fluke in deeper waters around the Cape, in Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, and south of Nantucket.

Bluefish action is good all over. Take light tackle to Buzzards Bay for all the 1-pounders you can catch, or beef up the gear and head for Horseshoe Shoal, where 10-pounders are being caught.

The interesting thing about the bonito reports, is that while no one was reporting big numbers, reports of these fast-swimming summer visitors have been coming from all over the South Side and Islands—Nobska Point, the Elizabeth Islands,  Halfway Shoal, Horseshoe Shoal, Hedge Fence, Edgartown Harbor, and State Beach are just some of the areas where bonito were reported over the past week or so. It’s time to start looking. And don’t be surprised if in your search, you find a king mackerel too. The kings are being caught with surprising regularity. Fish in the warmest water you can find for the best shot at a king. And read more about these southern visitors HERE.