Cape Cod Fishing Report
Last weekend’s nor’easter conditions brought big surf and fantastic fishing for surfcasters plugging the outer beaches and Cape Cod Bay. In the days following the autumnal equinox, daytime air temperatures were noticeably cooler and northeast winds persisted—many stripers from small schoolies to 30 pounders took it as their cue to begin the migration south. The Cape Cod Canal, in particular, fished very well on the heels of the storm.
As seas began to settle, it became clear that many of the mullet on the south side were blown out of the estuaries and salt ponds, with only a few spotty schools left behind. In a recent article I wrote for the Fall Run edition of On The Water, Rhode Island surfcaster Dennis Zambrotta noted, “An ill-timed tropical system can really screw up a good mullet run with unfishable surf. Some of these systems can last an entire week and wipe out the entire event.” Originating in the Northeast, our storm wasn’t a tropical system, but Zambrotta’s observation held true. Stripers were fired up and chowing on mullet prior to the storm, and since its passing, the action has dropped off just a tad. That said, there are still tons of stripers outside of the harbors and creeks in Cape Cod Bay, as well as in the backwaters on the Sound side, and they’re currently feeding on peanut bunker, silversides, and bay anchovies on top around sunrise and sunset.
Hopes were high that the storm would also bring more albies to the south side, though not much has changed on that front. In general, the albie run remains pretty sparse; there are fast-moving schools of big alberts bouncing around Nantucket Sound and popping up off the Elizabeths, but they’re picky as can be unless you catch them feeding in some sloppy conditions. It certainly doesn’t look like they’ll be pushing through the Canal into Cape Cod Bay this year.
Bonito are still available where albies are not, and bluefish are showing up in some better numbers in the Canal, Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay, and Vineyard Sound, with cocktail blues in the 3- to 5-pound range also joining stripers in the south side salt ponds and bays. Some larger blues are also being caught off south-facing beaches and by boat-based striped bass anglers in Cape Cod Bay.
Tuna reports have been pretty quiet due to rough seas and high winds, but that could change by the weekend. According to the forecast, winds will be shifting a ton—from east/southeast to south, to southwest, to northwest, and eventually, by Saturday, north/northeast once again. The changing conditions could provide one or two decent weather windows for close-to-home tuna scouting missions east of Cape Cod or just south of the islands.
Fall is here, and with striped bass on the move, fishing looks good this weekend. I’m hoping for a repeat of last weekend’s peanut bunker melee in Cape Cod Bay. I enjoyed some textbook fall run surf fishing in the wind and rain with Jimmy Fee and Devin Acton (@blowin_we_goin), and with that northeast wind kicking back up by Saturday morning this weekend, fishing the bay side beaches would be wise. You can spend your morning catching stripers before stopping by Falmouth Marine Park for On The Water’s StriperFest from 12-6 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod Bay & Outer Cape
Connor Swartz at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said it’s been quiet in Buzzards Bay with the high winds this week, which has left many people tied to the dock. Shore anglers are doing okay, though; there are cocktail bluefish hanging out in the west end of the Canal, and bass from slot-size to 40 inches mixed in with the blues. Connor said the larger fish have been tougher to come by since the couple days after the storm, but there will be more on the way. The boat anglers seeking shelter from the wind have been hoping some of those bass and bluefish would push out of the west end, but they’ve yet to do so. The east end, he added, is still fishing well, but not as good as it did on Sunday or Monday. The anglers finding success in the east end have been picking mostly school- to slot-size fish on jigs.
From the Canal, East End Eddie Doherty reports: “Fish have been scarce for some fishermen, but many Canal Rats were able to locate bass on the east flood tide like John “Captain” Morgan who reeled in a healthy 34-inch striper that attacked his green mack FishLab on the bottom and “Slap Shot Scottie” Ewell who fooled a slot & one above with his white FishLab swimming through every level of the water column. Attleboro first grader Sage Nicholson muscled in a 36-inch striper from the incoming east flow that fell for her blue mack Savage Gear Sandeel and during the same tide 6 surfcasters had their rods bend simultaneously with nice fish that looked to be at least 40 inches! The slower moving current at the onset of the west tide called for a lighter jig so Koon Tang used a 3-ounce bucktail tipped with white Zoom Salty Super Fluke to land some linesiders including a slot and a 37 incher. The bluefish invasion is keeping the tackle shops busy stocking soft plastics! Rob “Fishsticks” Pesa got bitten off a few times by the yellow eyed devils, but the hook on his Z-Man silver paddle tail finally found its mark in the mouth of a 32-inch bluefish on an east rising tide.”
Captain Elena Rice of Reel Deal Fishing Charters in Truro reported: “A relentless stretch of northeast winds (which felt like it lasted forever) kept the Reel Deal fleet on land until a couple days ago. Our team is back on the water and the fishing is fantastic! The vertical jig bite for striped bass went on for hours yesterday landing fish well into the double digits. The bluefin tuna scene is coming back to life with good signs of activity. An upcoming, potentially favorable stretch of weather looks to offer better marine conditions, so we can travel further (if needed) to stay on top of the bite. Also, the tautog are on their way back in—right on schedule! Be sure to get on the water before the next big blow. Whether it’s for bluefin tuna, striped bass or tautog, contact us to book your outer Cape Cod fishing charter as we have openings starting next week. Full calendar can be viewed here. “
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Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds/The Islands
Christian at Sports Port Bait and Tackle in Hyannis said things have really quieted down since the nor’easter last weekend. He said there have been some schoolies chasing bait off the local south-facing beaches, but the best fishing was leading up to the storm. There were some wild feeds from albies as conditions worsened with a handful of guys picking them right off the beach. The bay side, he added, has also been quiet in the way of striper reports since the storm. They’re hoping to see more bass move into the Hyannis area over the weekend, but until then, Christian’s been working on putting out trout gear. The stocking trucks have started making their rounds, so in a couple weeks (or perhaps, sooner) there will be a ton of fresh trout in the kettle ponds. The days following the stocking are usually best, although it can be very hit or miss as the fish tend to stay in schools. However, if you happen onto a school while shore fishing, you’re in for a good time on light tackle. Stocked trout aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it offers a nice back-up plan when saltwater conditions are poor and boats can’t safely get out.
Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle in Falmouth reported some “pretty darn good fishing”. Earlier this week he had a customer from Portland, Maine, come in who wanted to catch stripers, so Evan pointed him in the right direction and he ended up with a nice 34-inch bass on a popper, along with a mess of schoolies, in the salt ponds during the late morning. Evan said there have been some overshoots landed off the south side jetties, with fish up to 36 inches. Yesterday, amid heavy east winds, he found tons of albies off the Elizabeths all the way down to Cuttyhunk. Very rough conditions made for some amazing fishing; there were birds everywhere, fish everywhere, and tons of boats getting in on the action. Evan noted that the bait seemed a little bigger than it has been as of late; he said they were seeing juvenile silversides in the 2- to 3-inch range as opposed to the half-inch baits the albies had been keyed-in on thus far, which made the albies more willing to take a jig. The choppy and overcast conditions were very favorable, which led to sustained feeds and less-picky fish. He said there are a fair amount of albies off of the Vineyard in the sound as well, but they just don’t seem to be hugging the south side beaches like they usually do—and the north wind is not helping.
From Nantucket, Rick Ramos reports: “As anticipated, heavy east winds and swell have created access challenges at Great Point, leading many beach anglers to explore other areas of the island. Those who trekked to Smith Point have been rewarded with some fantastic bass blitzes. Be sure to pack your surf bag with a mix of soft plastics, IslandX, and a bucktail to effectively reach the fish in those deep rips.
The Nantucket Inshore Classic has motivated many anglers to push through the weather in recent days to find success. This week, Bobby King landed a 39.75-inch bass, Duncan Ryder with a 33.5-inch bluefish, John Colton with a 21.25-inch bonito and RK Russel with a 28.5-inch albie. Brian Majczak leads the overall beach division with 125 total inches.
In the beach fly division, Chris Krauter continues to make strides, landing a 26.5-inch bass amidst challenging conditions. He now has a total of 68 combined inches, and we wish him the best as he pursues that elusive albie! In the boat fly division, Johnson McKelvy has successfully boated all four species, showcasing his skill in a highly competitive field. In the Junior Divisions, Matvei Shubin leads the boat angler category, while Isla Grimes is currently at the top in the beach division.
While the weather has presented its challenges, Great Point remains the best spot for those aiming for a Grand Slam in the Nantucket Inshore Classic. There’s plenty of action left as the tournament ends October 12th so stay focused and adapt strategies as conditions evolve. Tight lines to all participants!
From the boat, Captain Corey Gammill of Bill Fisher Outfitters has noted that while beach anglers are finding success, boat fishing has been challenging due to the recent storm, which has muddied the water in many areas. However, he reports that the west end is still producing good bites of 30-33-inch bass. If you’re fishing from the boat, focus on locating clean white water, as the bigger surf tends to hold fish.”
Offshore
It’s been a very quiet week offshore with big swells and shifty winds making it tough to get out and return home safely, or put any sort of a bite together. You know tuna fishing is especially slow when we get a cocktail tutorial from OTW’s Jimmy Fee in the weekly offshore report. We’ll see where things pick up when wind and sea conditions reach a lull.
» Click to watch the most recent Northeast Offshore Report
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
If you’re looking for some weekend plans, do a little early-morning fishing on Saturday and spend the afternoon hanging out at On The Water’s StriperFest. Gates open at noon and the event lasts until 6pm. If you’re signed up for Striper Cup, admission is free! Otherwise, it’s just 10 dollars. Swing by with some family and friends for lunch, a boat ride on Vineyard Sound (courtesy of Yamaha Outboards), striper seminars, games, raffles, music, and much more.
Boaters in search of false albacore should consider a send to the Elizabeth Islands, as there seems to be no shortage of surface-feeding activity in that neck of the woods. These sustained winds have pushed a lot of bait along the east side of the islands, and the albies have taken notice. Striped bass fishing has also improved along the Elizabeths. Eels, swimming plugs, topwaters, and even those same epoxy/resin casting jigs used primarily for hardtails, are likely to produce stripers—especially if you catch them blitzing on silversides.
Surfcasters and shore fishermen can start poking around the outer beaches for southbound stripers as the seas calm and water clarity (hopefully) improves. There were some very nice fish in the 30-pound range caught out that way, as well as on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay, during last weekend’s nor’easter. Should those northeast winds persist—which it looks like they will after a couple days of shifting—expect good striped bass fishing to resume. The south side should also continue to fish well with the bays, rivers, and salt ponds flushing out more baitfish. Fishing minnow plugs, darters, big soft plastics, and eels in the ebb tide current around the mouths of these ponds and bays could produce some quality bass, or even a few rogue bluefish.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to try some shallow-water tautog fishing either. Scouting out early autumn spots in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound can often yield some surprisingly big blackfish.
That said, we’ve got a new moon coming on Wednesday next week. This is not the weekend to take off from striper fishing. Get out as much as you can leading up to October’s early new moon, and fish the days that follow it with just as much vigor. We’ll check back in next Thursday on the back end of the new moon.
Good luck out there, be safe, and fish hard.