Cape Cod Fishing Report
What strange weather we’ve had! Residual smoke from the wildfires in Canada created a gloomy haze that blanketed the Cape for the better part of the week, and low visibility coupled with stiff winds have kept many boats at the dock lately.
My fluke trip to Nantucket Shoals was cancelled on Tuesday due to rough seas and a steady 25-knot southwest blow. So, I decided to do a little wading, which did not produce great results. Thankfully, my friend and co-worker Matt Ryan beat the skunk with a borderline keeper fluke that ate a bucktail jig right at his feet. OTW’s Jon Rust did much better over the weekend, before the smoke rolled in, catching a mix of short and keeper-size fluke with 4-inch Gulp Swimming Mullets that he added to his teaser. Jon said he had a fish almost every other cast, and every fish hit the teaser. Based on what he told me, it seems like the best bite windows for fluke have been just before and after slack tide, when the current is running a bit slower. That makes sense, considering the strong new moon tides this week. It also makes sense that each fluke he caught hit the teaser, because those exaggerated tides have brought quite a bit of seaweed, algae, and mung to the south side beaches and bays, making it difficult to present a jig without getting fouled up. Whether you’re drifting bucktails around Lucas Shoal or casting to fluke from the beach, keep a teaser tied on for a clean presentation—often, bigger fish will swipe at the teaser over the jig.
The squid bite is still going pretty crazy in Cape Cod Bay, and based on reports from local charter captains, it’s all topwater action. There also have been more bunker pods in the bay lately, so if you don’t encounter bass pushing squid up top, keep your eyes peeled for bunker schools on the surface or on your sounder. If you can snag a few, live-lining will be very productive around deeper schools—Captain Ben Sussman of In The Net Sportfishing caught them that way last week. But keep a few large glidebaits and spooks handy to cast into surface feeds.
Surfcasters are bouncing around Cape Cod Bay to position themselves for success on wind-blown beaches while looking for bass on squid tight to shore. Solid schools of resident fish, most of which fall in or over the slot size, have been moving around quite a bit. Pay close attention to wind direction and tide. In onshore wind on the bayside beaches, I like to hit the top of the incoming into early outgoing because the combination of wind and tide is more likely to push the squid in close. With a southwest wind in the bay, I’ll change my approach and fish the bottom half of the outgoing so I can wade onto sandbars and cover more water by casting with the wind at my back.
The outer beaches remain quiet for the most part. I’m sure there are a few diehard surfcasters plying the backside nightly, picking off a few fish here and there, but the bay has been the better bet for shore and wading fishermen seeking summer resident bass.
Over in Buzzards Bay and down along the south side of the upper Cape, schools of 3- to 5-pound bluefish continue to pop up sporadically, blitzing on sand eels along the beaches and inlets. The action is trickling into western Nantucket Sound and over to Martha’s Vineyard, too. There are larger, gator-class blues around, although they seem to be constantly on the move which is making them tough to pattern. If you’re running south through Vineyard Sound toward Nomans, you might run into the big ones, especially if you’re set up to troll.
Monomoy continues to produce solid results on the striper front according to the OTW crew that ran out there last Friday. They caught decent numbers of 28- to 35-inch fish on glidebaits, topwater plugs, and handful of different weightless soft plastics, but it was hard work. The bass bite is still decent out there, partially because the hazy, overcast conditions seemingly made the bass more willing to chew than they have been under high sun and blue skies.
Down south, beyond the Vineyard and west, the midshore bluefin bite still building. There’s plenty of bait, but the tuna have yet to really set up in a reliable pattern so anglers making the run are scratching a few fish here and there.
Here’s this week’s rundown from a few of our local shops and charters:
AJ Coots at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said there are a pockets of fish showing up here and there in the Canal, but the action is not as good or consistent as he thought it would be considering the moon tides we’ve had this week. It has been a late morning bite, with fish moving into the west end and feeding on a mix of abundant mackerel, some squid, and rain bait. All the fish he and the shop staff are seeing have been breaking on top in the morning, but there are guys are catching on jigs and swimming plugs when the bass aren’t showing on the surface. If you can make it down there anytime between first light and 10 am, bring pencils, Magic Swimmers, and squid or mackerel-colored soft plastics/jigs. There are also schools of 2- to 4-pound blues roving around Buzzards Bay—not snapper size, but plenty of fun on the fly or with light spinning tackle. They’re a good size for the smoker. Scup and a few keeper sea bass are keeping bottom fishermen busy in the bay as well, but there’s not much happening on the fluke front.
Captain Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing out of Westport told me he’s been mixing it up lately, splitting his time between stripers, fluke, and sea bass with the occasional bonito here and there. Striper fishing, he said, is pretty dull for his recent charters apart from trips to Block Island, but he is finding some decent action in areas of cooler water around Cape Cod and the islands.
Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle in Falmouth told me not a ton has changed since last week. The big news has been the influx of bluefish, particularly in Buzzards Bay. Anglers heading out for sea bass and fluke are finding the best action from keepers in deep water down in Vineyard Sound and toward Nomans. He had a handful of customers that caught big keeper sea bass down there this week and they also trolled up some bigger blues. South of the Vineyard, the tuna bite has yet to take shape. There’s been some life, but not super reliable action. It may be worth checking the southwest corner of the Dump, he said, where some bluefin have been popping up sporadically.
From Martha’s Vineyard, Captain Kurt Freund of Fishsticks Charters out of Vineyard Haven reported: “This weekend, I fished the Fluke for Luke tournament with my teammates, Hans and Jacob Riis. We made the long run out to the Nantucket Shoals on Saturday, but were surprised to find the fishing very slow. We moved around, and on the advice of a trusted friend, concentrated on areas near the draggers, but only managed two fluke, one a 20 1/2” keeper and the other a short. (You know when I bother to add the 1/2”, the fish is pretty small!) We also caught a spiny dogfish, but that was it. No sea bass, no sea robins or anything else. We stopped on the way home and finally found some sea bass, including several keepers up to 2 1/2 lb, but nothing really big. On Sunday, we stayed closer to home and did somewhat better. We got a few more keeper sea bass and two more keeper fluke. But the highlight of the weekend was that one of our keepers was over 6 pounds. Hans was briefly on the leader board with that fish, but got bumped to fourth place with mere minutes left in the weigh-in.”
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From Martha’s Vineyard, Stephen D’Angelo at Kismet Outfitters in Edgartown reported: “As summer settles in on Martha’s Vineyard, the striped bass fishery has shifted into its typical seasonal pattern. While the larger migratory schools have thinned out, resident bass are feeding consistently during the early morning hours in classic summer holding water. The bass have largely moved off the rips and settled into schools feeding on abundant sand eels, with more gulls working over bait making it much easier to locate actively feeding fish. Keeping an eye on diving birds has been one of the most effective ways to find bass, particularly during the cooler hours of the morning. Sand eel patterns continue to be the fly of choice, and anglers willing to get out at first light are finding quality opportunities before the heat of the day slows the bite.
The Island’s flats have continued to fish well, with resident striped bass cruising shallow water throughout the tides. Crab and shrimp patterns have been the standout producers as fish key in on the abundant crustaceans found across the flats. Long leaders, accurate presentations, and a stealthy approach continue to make all the difference when targeting these fish in the clear summer water.
Bluefish have also made a solid showing across the Island. While gator blues have been somewhat unpredictable—appearing one day and disappearing the next—there are plenty of smaller bluefish around. These fish provide fast-paced action and are an absolute blast on lighter fly rods, making them a perfect target for anglers looking to bend a rod and enjoy some exciting summer fishing.
As always this time of year, the best fishing is happening during the cooler parts of the day. An early start, matching the abundant sand eels, staying mobile, and keeping an eye on working birds will put you in the best position to find feeding fish.”
Riverview Bait and Tackle in South Yarmouth reported: “After a lull in inshore bottom fishing, the bite has picked up all across Nantucket Sound! The tire reef just outside Bass River, and other well-known structures in the sound, have produced knothead sea bass for Riverview staff member Mike over the past week. Larger fish can be culled from schools of shorts with big 6-inch Gulp Grubs in nuclear chicken and pink shine.
From the surf, brown shark fishing after dark remains the best option to hook into a drag-screaming monster with your feet planted firmly on the sand. Shop crew member Noah and customers Brian and Anthony had a four-shark night fishing Riverview’s custom rigs and large dead eels last weekend.
Captain Matthew Dempsey of Salt Reaper Charters out of Dennis said there is still a lights-out squid bite going on in Cape Cod Bay, with over-slot striped bass blowing up on them at all hours of the day. Oddly enough, there is no bird action, so when the bass and squid aren’t showing themselves, the skipper has been trolling hoochies to locate pods of fish. However, most of the time there is steady enough action that his charters have been using topwater plugs, like Hogy XL Dog Walkers, almost exclusively. Much like when stripers are chasing squid in the rips on the south side, pink and amber patterns are must-haves—they are clearly outproducing bone or white lures like the Doc. Give Captain Matt a call to inquire about open dates and trip rates while the bite is hot.
Captain Elena Rice of Reel Deal Fishing Charters out of Truro reported: “After a very brief lull in activity, the striped bass fishing is on fire again to a whole new level! The bait presence off the outer Cape including squid, bunker and sand eels has these fish in a frenzy; our boats are doing very well casting topwaters and fishing live bait. You would think the fish would get full, but so far our recent fishing charters are enjoying amazing activity throughout the day. The lure of choice remains consistent—Hogy’s Dogwalker (amber, olive, bone – in that order) is producing regular strikes. Many nice over-slot fish were caught and carefully released this week—definitely PBs for several of our clients! You want to join in on this, so be sure to grab our next opening coming up on Sunday.”
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
Friday and early Saturday look like the best weather windows for boats to get out this weekend. By Saturday afternoon, the forecast calls for southwest winds gusting to 30 mph as some heavy rain moves in and gives us a good dousing overnight. Of course, that’s subject to change, but striped bass and bottom fishermen with small crafts should still plan to head out early in the morning before conditions deteriorate.
Striper anglers who can trailer their boats should consider launching in Cape Cod Bay to duck into the lee and search for bass on squid or bunker. Bring pink and amber topwater plugs along with glidebaits and gear for live-lining. Anglers docked on the south side or in Buzzards Bay can run down to the Elizabeths to pitch eels into the rocks or to jig for fluke and black sea bass in Vineyard Sound. That way you can at least duck out of the wind a bit against the islands and have following seas on the ride in.
It’s supposed to be pretty gnarly out there on Sunday, so the best shot at some productive bottom fishing will be on Friday or early Saturday, before the weather takes a turn for the worse and the wind really kicks up. Head into Vineyard or Nantucket Sound to drift for fluke, sea bass, and scup. If the sea bass and fluke are uncooperative or MIA in 40 to 50 feet of water, try dropping some heavier rigs or jigs around reef and wreck structure in 80 to 90 feet. Some of my favorite late-fall tog spots to hit with Capt. Harvey Russell of My Brother Charters are sure to hold better sea bass this time of year. It’d be wise to bring diamond jigs with all the sand eels around. They are all over the bays and salt ponds on the upper Cape right now.
Abundant sand eels in the backwaters should also equate to decent fluking. Tie on a sparse bucktail jig and tip your teaser hook with a Gulp sand eel to show the fluke slender profiles that imitate what they’re eating. Even though the shallow fluke bite has been hit or miss, it’s not a bad idea to hit your local bay or salt pond this weekend when the wind is howling over open water.
Finally, for rec. tuna fishermen and anglers participating in the Cape Cod Bluewater Classic, Friday—the final day of the tournament—is probably the best window to run south of the Vineyard or east of Chatham to search for bluefin.