Cape Cod Fishing Report
Well, that escalated quickly.
From the south side up into Cape Cod Bay, squid are here in force, and the bass are hounding them. Can we all agree that “Squid Hound” is the all-time best nickname for striped bass? It doesn’t seem to matter whether they’re eating longfin or shortfin squid, the bass just go nuts when they’re on these things.
After quite literally tens of thousands of shortfin squid—which are more common in the canyons—washed up on the beaches of Provincetown late last week, the survivors managed to find their way into the Cape Cod Canal over the weekend. There, they collided with a fresh wave of migratory striped bass in spectacular fashion. It’s old news now, and the squid have moved out of the ditch, but the boat crowd in Cape Cod Bay is sticking with what’s left of the schools.
I believe the majority of these fresh-arriving bass, most of which ranged between 30 inches and 30 pounds, are from the Hudson River. It’s anecdotal evidence—but one of the many fish I landed over the weekend had a tag from the Atlantic Striped Bass Cooperative Tagging Program and as it turns out, it was tagged by the New York State DEC in the Hudson River earlier this spring. Pretty cool to be able to connect with a freshly-tagged bass from my home state that made its way here to my current home.
We’ve received a few waves of fresh migratory bass over the past week. While many of the larger fish are chasing those shortfin squid in Cape Cod Bay, the south side rips have seen an influx of stripers ranging from the mid-20-inch class to slot-size, with a few over-slot fish to keep things interesting. They can be a bit finicky at times, according to reports from guides and captains in Vineyard and Nantucket sounds, but Albie Snax and poppers are tricking them. Further east toward Chatham, butterfish and mackerel (in addition to squid) are keeping stripers well-fed, which has led to improved action off Monomoy. The bite is still heating up over there, as are the water temps.
Gator bluefish have also made appearances from Buzzards Bay to the south side beaches. OTW’s Patrick Washburn caught a few hammers on pencil poppers in the upper Bay yesterday, and there are more blues hitting metals, poppers, and swimming plugs in the “surf” from Mashpee to Hyannis. And they’re not the only toothy critters out there taking metals and minnow plugs. Bonito are here, too, just not in great numbers. However, there’s been a good push of smaller baitfish—including sand eels, sea herring, and silversides— around the Cape this week as our water temperatures climb. Could we be in for another summer that belongs to bonito? Time (and angler effort) will tell. Grab your epoxies, metals, X-Raps and 13F or 15F SP Minnows and get to casting along the south side, or troll some deep divers as you bounce between bottom fishing spots.
Speaking of bottom fishing, sea bass, for the most part, are deep. There are pockets of keeper-size fish that seem to be sitting in 30 to 40 feet of water in Nantucket Sound, but most folks are finding fish for the table in 60 feet or more over in Vineyard Sound. Fluke reports have also improved in Vineyard Sound along the Elizabeth Islands, which is likely due to a healthy mix of squid and sand eels in the area. And if you’re looking for scup, well—they are everywhere. Head to a local jetty or harbor mouth with some squid-baited rigs and see if you can manage a few keepers.
Here’s this week’s local rundown:
AJ Coots at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said there are plenty of quality fish in Cape Cod Bay and people are catching them every which way. Trolling the tube-and-worm has been very productive when the fish aren’t showing up top—so much so that they’ve sold out of sea worms for now—but anglers trolling X-Raps are seeing good results as well. There are still quite a bit of squid out there too, and when the bass are pushing them on the surface, topwater plugs and plastics like Albie Snax are bringing some nice fish to hand. The Canal has been a little quieter; it’s nothing like last weekend, but guys are still catching on jigs during the day and there’s some surface action in the mornings. Chris from the shop landed a nice fish that was around 25 pounds today. Sea bass, AJ added, has been very good in Vineyard Sound, but the fish are definitely deep. The Buzzards Bay bite just never really took off—it seems like most of the fish in the bay are shallow, and they’re mostly shorts, so people are having to run further south to get their keepers.
Captain Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing out of Westport reported: “Things are settling into more of a summertime pattern. We’re still seeing migratory fish, but also have fish setting up in typical summer locations. Fishing is good with some off days here and there. There is a serious lack of smaller school-size fish—seeing mostly large to XL striped bass. Bluefish action has been good and there have been some epic feeds on sand eels. Shallow water sight fishing has also been good for fly and light-tackle guys in some areas. Black sea bass fishing has been great, as well as fluke.”
Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle in Falmouth told me that the south side striper action has been a little slower this week, which is likely due to a combination of factors including strong southwest wind and a lot of folks chasing the squid bite up in Cape Cod Bay. Middle Ground, he said, is still producing good results but it’s a smaller class of fish in general. The squid are haven’t gone anywhere though, and the sea bass and fluke have benefited from their abundance. Fluke fishing, Evan added, has been pretty good off the Elizabeths in Vineyard Sound over by Naushon Island, and there are some short sea bass around the same area—but the bigger keepers are coming from deep water way down south off Nomans, which is a long haul for sea bass.
From Martha’s Vineyard, Stephen D’Angelo at Kismet Outfitters in Edgartown reported: “The rips continue to fish well, especially for anglers fishing sinking lines with red/purple and orange squid patterns in the rips. With water temperatures climbing from the high 50s into the low 60s, the flats should really begin to come alive over the next couple of weeks.
While bait remains somewhat sparse, our clients have been able to stick some quality bass on gummy minnows, green crab patterns, and small Clouser Minnows. We’re also starting to see more sand eels showing up—a welcome sign that should make for some excellent sight fishing as the season progresses.
One notable factor this week is the exceptionally clean water. With very little plankton in the system, long, light fluorocarbon leaders have become a necessity, particularly when targeting fish on the flats. Both Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound have been productive, rewarding anglers who put in the time and make good drifts with the right presentations.
As water temperatures continue to rise and bait becomes more abundant, conditions are shaping up for outstanding early summer fly fishing across the Island. Whether you’re fishing the rips at first light or hunting cruising bass on the flats, the next few weeks should offer some of the best opportunities of the season.”
- Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Cape Cod & the Islands
Captain Ben Sussman of In The Net Sportfishing out of Osterville has been doing very well on sea bass in Nantucket Sound, with his recent charters catching easy limits of keepers on jigs. He’s finding good piles of them while drifting in 25 to 40 feet of water. Striped bass, he said, are still pretty loaded in the rips on the south side, but he and his charters are catching mostly slot-size fish lately and they’ve been a bit finicky. Still, Albie Snax continue to get the job done. Ben’s got some openings this weekend, on Friday and Saturday, and conditions look great so give him a shout to book a last-minute trip!
Tony at Sports Port Bait and Tackle in Hyannis said striper fishing in Cape Cod Bay has been crazy good from shore and boat. Anglers trolling tube-and-worm rigs are seeing very good results and at times, there’s some solid topwater action on squid. Shore fishing on the south side has been good too, with stripers feeding on squid and mackerel off the beaches. Gator bluefish are in the mix for the past two days, hitting topwaters, metals, and minnow plugs. Sea bass fishing in Nantucket Sound has been good, with diamond jigs and high-low rigs tipped with squid producing the best results. On the freshwater side of things, he added, bass and pickerel are chewing like crazy in the ponds. Small Rapalas and Berkley PowerBait Power Worms are working well lately.
Captain Matthew Dempsey of Salt Reaper Charters out of Dennis reported a good striper bite in Cape Cod Bay this week. The squid that infiltrated the Cape Cod Canal last weekend have made their way back out into open water, and the bass are right there with them. Those squid were feeding on sand eels and small sea herring, so if you find the small bait, stick with them for a bit, because the squid are likely nearby and the stripers will be too. Capt. Matt said they are catching a majority of their bass on XL Albie Snax, and when the bass are fired up, they’re willing to Docs. Give him a call to book a trip while the bite in the Bay is still hot.
Captain Drew Downing of Down East Charters out of Chatham reported: “Bass fishing has been pretty damn decent this week. Both flood and now ebb are seeming to be productive most days with fish hanging through the cold water tide because of the bait present. Water temps are inching up towards the 54-55 degree mark and that’s right in the wheelhouse for these squid. Again, some herring, butterfish, and macks around as well, which keeps the plug game going strong. Adjusting tackle, size, and presentation for different stages of the current has been important for consistently getting bit. Nothing up the beach just yet, and haven’t been offshore but will take a look next week.”
Captain Elena Rice of Reel Deal Fishing Charters out of Truro reported: “We thought the striped bass fishing was good last week, but wow has it exploded this week! Our customers have enjoyed some epic Reel Deal adventures catching more fish than their arms can manage, including some true slobs. The squads of squid patrolling all over the outer Cape are making the stripers frenzy as in this video from just this morning. All methods are working including live bait, topwater lures (particularly Hogy Charter Grade Dog Walker in Amber) and vertically jigging (with pink colors). We are loving June and so should you! We still have a few openings in the upcoming weekend for you to check out here.”
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
Good fishing opportunities surround Cape Cod right now. Stripers are in the rips on the south side, feeding on longfin squid, and there are bluefish—and maybe a few bonito—hitting tins, topwaters, and minnow plugs off the beaches. Sand eels and squid are fueling a better bite from sea bass and fluke down the Elizabeths, so Vineyard Sound is a good move for those who want to catch stripers in the rips and do some bottom fishing to put a few fillets on the dinner table.
Buzzards Bay is sort of quiet, at least in terms of bottom fishing. The sea bass bite just never really turned on over there this spring. However, there are plenty of scup to go around, bluefish are kicking around in the harbors from the mainland side to Cape, and there’s always the possibility of some fresh migratory bass pushing into the bay.
In Cape Cod Bay, big bass are following schools of shortfin squid in open water. The best bet for surface action is definitely in the mornings and evenings, but if last weekend proved anything, it’s that stripers are not very discerning when they collide with these visitors from the deep. They’ll push squid up top even under high sun and bluebird skies. That said, when they’re not actively feeding, trolling around with X-Raps or tube-and-worm rigs is a safe bet that will help to locate pockets of fish hanging lower in the column. Keep your eyes peeled for schools of small sand eels and silversides, too. Squid and mackerel have been feeding on them, and wind and sea conditions look mostly calm this weekend, so you might encounter schools of big baits eating small baits on the surface, which should attract the stripers.
Our weekend weather looks fantastic. The wind is laying down for a change, and at the time of this writing, the forecast is free of rain, so get out and enjoy it.