Albies seemed to bookend the Cape this week, with good fishing to the east around Monomoy, good fishing to the west along the Elizabeths, and tough fishing in the middle. My most recent albie trip was Tuesday, and we spent the morning chasing around single breaks until finally all hell broke loose directly in front of my kayak. In my excitement (read: panic), I became hopelessly tangled, and watched the blitz fizzle out, never to surface again. Such is life.
According to Captain John Clothier of Fish Chatham Charters, fishermen working the waters around Monomoy had no shortage of albie shots this week. One fisherman John talked to reported catching all he wanted on the fly out there.
Monomoy also held some “over-slot” bass this week, especially for fishermen lingering into the dark.
John’s focus has been on bluefin, however, and he reported a pickup in the action eat of Chatham this week, having landed commercial-size fish every day. He even caught one recreational-size fish. There have been more of the smaller bluefin reported off Nauset and Crab ledge, and even south of the Vineyard and west of Cuttyhunk over the past week. Unfortunately, winds are going to keep fishermen from reaching the tuna for the next few days. John expects them to have shifted around following the weather.
On Martha’s Vineyard, bonito fishing has been better than the albie fishing lately, with some large bonito being caught. When I talked to the crew at Larry’s Tackle, there was an alleged 12-plus-pound bonito headed for the scales. I’ll post confirmation here when I get it.
Albies have been few and far between for shore fishermen on the Vineyard, blues have been running small, and bass fishing is so-so. The bright spot has been the Spanish mackerel fishing, which remains very good.
Albies are still kicking around Buzzards Bay, according to the report from Maco’s. Some are even ripping through the Canal.
Bluefish have been “out of control” in Buzzards Bay and the Canal, with some as big as 10 to 12 pounds being taken according to Jeff at Red Top Sporting Goods. Many are running smaller, though, Jeff said. The blues have been bigger than the bass though, as it’s been mainly schoolies.
The striper fishing is improving on the South Side, however. Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle said he’s heard of good fishing around the pond and harbor mouths bordering Vineyard and Nantucket sounds. Small topwaters, like the Rebel Jumping Minnow, have been working well at first and last light. After dark, Evan said fishermen have been using eels with success. Evan noted that the albie fishing around Falmouth had slowed down, as schools of fish seems smaller, blitzes were shorter-lived, and competition (due to the beginning of the Martha’s Vineyard Derby) was intense.
Evan had heard of reliable fishing for bonito continuing at the Hooter, with fish to 9 pounds being caught. Blues have been biting well along the Elizabeths, with some good-size fish in the mix.
Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod
On Thursday night, winds are swinging around to the north and staying that way into next week. This means big seas and tough conditions around much of the Cape. Weather like this in the fall can fire up the fishing or send fish packing. Fortunately, it’s early enough in the season, that this weather is more likely to have a positive effect on our fishing. Expect the albies to be shuffled around, perhaps relocating to the South Side where the gnarly weather will undoubtedly move more baitfish out of the backwaters and into the Sound. This should bring some bass down from the north, and if they collide with any peanut bunker flushing out of the bays and harbors, they won’t be in any hurry to leave. The big blues that settled in this week could move on, or, they could do what blues do best, and feast with reckless abandon.
Tuna fishing should stay good, but they’ll likely move around a bit with this weather. I’m hoping the influx of smaller bluefin stick around, but I’m confident the giants will be here and still be hungry after the seas lay down.
I’ve been fishing in the western part of Buzzards Bay just about every day this week and have only seen a handful of blues on a single school of bunker. Mostly albies and a few schoolies hugging the surf, so I’m wondering where this “out-of-control” bluefish action is happening, cuz I haven’t seen it
Lot of schoolies , some 28 to 32inch keepers and lucky caught 3 25lbs plus this month. Head out tomorrow night .
^^^ of course these guys are saying stuff like this. They pretend there’s nothing wrong with the striper stocks, steer everyone to albies and BSB and talk about phantom “out of control” fishing. Did any of these clowns fish here in the early 2000’s. Peanut bunker getting pounded all over from Labor Day till Halloween. Birds all over. Try to find widespread action like that now. It’s not happening your not missing anything cause it’s just not happening. OTW you can say the fishing is below average over the last decade. It’s ok to report the truth
We fished Monomoy hard Sunday morning in the Wind saw a few blitzes caught one Albie between three of us Its time to be honest the fishing this season is horrible too many fisherman too much pressure this publication and anyone who is serious about the sport should be writing to NMF and MA Division of Marine Fisheries to impose more not less regulations on quotas and schedules so we can get our stocks healthy again this is the only way to improve the fishery and insure that the next generation has a chance catch and release the species we all take for granted
If commercial guys only get Monday, Wednesday give the recreational guys Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. See how the rec guys do.
“To put those percentages in numbers, recreational fishermen are estimated to have caught 41.2 million striped bass in 2017. They kept 2.9 million and released 38.2 million. Of those 38.2 million released, it is estimated that 3.4 million did not survive.” On The Water 2018