This week has seen some great fishing around Cape Cod. Larger stripers in the 20- to 40-pound range have moved into Buzzards Bay and the Cape Cod Canal as a result of the menhaden influx.
Racer bluefish have moved in, and although they’re scattered and unpredictable, throwing topwater on the wind-blown beaches is a good starting point. Earlier this week, Jimmy Fee caught a bluefish that spit up a shredded squid during hook removal. These fish were not the biggest, but they were remarkably fat for a fish that is otherwise lean and mean.
I can’t say for sure, but it seems like the bluefish that hung around Long Island and the L.I. Sound for a few weeks have made their way north; or at least started heading this way. Bluefish reports have quieted around my hometown waters, so I’m hoping that means the gators are here to stay for a bit.
Half of the OTW crew got out for some winter flounder fishing this week on Cape Cod Bay with Bad Dog Sportfishing. They had a steady pick and limited out, but it was tough work and kept things interesting for them.
Earlier today, Chris Megan and Kevin Blinkoff headed out to the Monomoy Rips to catch tons of 30-inch bass feeding on squid. The size wasn’t exactly what they wanted, but the consistency was there.
Jack Renfrew of Falmouth has been catching slot bass left and right. He’s using white paddletail swimbaits to imitate spearing in the back bays until the water warms enough to find fish out front.
Amy at Sports Port in Hyannis said one of her young employee’s stuck a 48-inch bass on topwater off a rock pile in Buzzards Bay. With plenty of bunker around, the bass will be hitting topwater anywhere there’s concentrations of bait. Amy also said black sea bass fishing has started strong, and there’s big scup with them in the Vineyard Sound. Anglers are catching seabass on a mix of artificial and bait. Some favorites in the shop have ben Spro bucktail jigs tipped Gulp, and high-low rigs with squid. In the harbors and bays, Amy reported slot and schoolie stripers on topwater and soft plastics.
Derek from Seastriker Charters in Yarmouth said they’ve been on big stripers and lots of black sea bass outside the Hyannis area in the Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds. For stripers, they’ve been trolling large, popping plugs which has yielded them steady catches in the 36- to 41-inch range. For black sea bass, bottom jigging with bucktails and Fishbites trailers has been producing quality and consistency, with most fish around 18-19 inches. Remember, the limit is 4 fish per angler at a minimum of 16-inches.
True of Fishnet Charters in Buzzards Bay reports a great black sea bass bite in Buzzard’s Bay, and said when he wasn’t on the sea bass, they were getting after bluefish on topwater. The bass, however, were more picky on topwater in his experience. They swirled on his offerings, but would not commit to eating. Mel also got out this morning for some tautog fishing, but the bite was slow and yielded only a few keepers.
Devlin at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay, said there’s lots of big bass in Buzzards Bay in the 20- to 30-pound range, and they’re beginning to slowly push through canal. Bunker schools seem to be sticking around the bay longer, which will keep the bass on the canal’s West End for the most part. Black sea bass fishing has been good in Buzzard’s Bay and Vineyard Sound, and there are even some scattered reports of weakfish. Topping off the action, there are lots of blues around the beaches of Cape Cod. They’ve been eating squid and bunker.
Maco’s Bait and Tackle in Buzzard’s Bay reports that early morning is the time for topwater stripers in Buzzards Bay; otherwise, the bass have been tough to trick on top. Black sea bass has picked up in the bay, with most fish piled around 30-40 feet. If fishing shallower, you’ll likely find scup stacked in around 25-feet of water.
Canal Bait and Tackle in Sagamore reports stripers around 20 pounds throughout the canal, along with some giant bluefish. For anglers not hitting the canal, Buzzard’s Bay has been producing quality sea bass and should continue to do so through Memorial Day weekend.
Derek from Seastriker Charters in Yarmouth said they’ve been having luck trolling popping plugs, which has been catching them stripers between 36- and 41-inches. They’ve also seen great success with black sea bass between 18- and 19-inches on Spro bucktails with Fishbites trailers in the Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds.
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Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
This weekend will see an immense amount of pressure on almost all species of fish in our local waters. Expect crowds on both ends of the Canal, and limited parking at your nearest beaches. My recommendation—which won’t come as too much of a surprise— is to go off the beaten path.
In anticipation of crowds everywhere, I’ll typically try to plan a secluded adventure for myself. Maybe I’ll hike out to a distant jetty to try for stripers, blues or even some tautog. Or perhaps I’ll take my kayak for a paddle to a nearby island and spend a day fishing sweetwater. The beauty of this time of year, is that everything is biting. Whether you head to the beaches, the rips, back bays, rivers or ponds, you’re likely to find something hungry enough to hit the hook this weekend.
Memorial Day is arguably the busiest weekend of the entire fishing season, next to Labor Day. When on the water this weekend, whether land-based or boating, be courteous and cautious of other anglers and your surroundings. Be patient with one another, and remember that we’re all out there to enjoy the same resource.
Stay safe and catch ’em up.