Cape Cod Fishing Report
As expected, the bonito bite is the best thing going for anglers around Cape Cod this week. From the bayside to Buzzards, and the Elizabeths to Monomoy, they’re here in numbers and they’re chewing. However, the bones have been very picky at times depending on what they’re eating.
There are a good deal of baitfish fueling the August bonito run so far, including juvenile herring, sand eels, silversides, bay anchovies, and even some peanut bunker. Anglers who’ve encountered bones on silversides and peanuts are having a much easier time connecting and catching in numbers, while small herring, sand eels, and anchovies are sending many hardtail enthusiasts rummaging through their jigs and flies for the right presentation. On spinning tackle, 3/4-ounce Joe Baggs Peanut Resins, 2-inch (3/4-ounce) Hogy Heavy Minnows, and 1/2-ounce Fish Snax Hard Snax are getting looks when the bones are eating small stuff. Heavier slim-profile epoxies, like those from Game On and Fat Cow, are good choices when their forage is just a little larger than “rain bait”. On the fly, small profiles like Surf Candies, Albie Whores, Mikkelson’s Epoxy Bait Fish, and similar micro bait patterns will produce steady results in most scenarios. Consider a deep-bodied pattern, like a Salty Minnow or Stryker’s Peanut Bunker, if the bones are really keyed-in on peanuts and ignoring the aforementioned patterns.
The Cape side of Buzzards Bay, from the Canal to the Elizabeths, holds plenty of bonito right now, but they also span the south side. That’s not to say there are so many bonito you could practically walk across them, but there are pockets of action in areas that attract bones year in and year out. Start your search outside of harbor mouths, inlets, breachways and salt pond flumes on an outgoing tide to look for schools of baitfish that will be pushing out of the backwaters. If that doesn’t pan out, expand your range and focus on points, wind- or current-swept coves, and rips. Virtually anywhere that small baitfish become vulnerable is worth a few casts with epoxy jigs and small minnow plugs, even if there are no fish visibly feeding on the surface. Give each area some time before moving on, because bonito often blitz briefly and intermittently. There’s a fine line between sitting in dead water waiting for something to happen and scoping out a zone that looks and feels fishy. Blind cast, use your electronics, and scan for birds and bait before moving to the next spot, then repeat.
If bottom fishing is on your agenda, sea bass fishing with jigs and Gulp-tipped rigs on deep structure in Nantucket Sound has been good recently. There are some nice fluke to be caught, too, if you exchange the sinker for a bucktail jig heavy enough to hover just off the bottom. Anglers casting downsized versions of those bucktail rigs from shore along the beaches of Nantucket Sound are also picking up plenty of short fluke with keepers occasionally in the mix.
Further south, the Nantucket Shoals are giving up keeper fluke per usual, but anglers are not seeing the typical double-digit fish that regularly come from these fabled fluke grounds. Most boats that are steaming offshore these days are heading out for bluefin tuna a bit further west, where yellowfin are starting to mix in on the midshore grounds, or continuing on to the canyons for more consistent yellowfin and bigeye.
Here’s this week’s rundown from a few of our local shops and charters:
Kaiden at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said the Canal has been productive for the last 5 days, but it’s all about quantity. There are sustained feeds from small bass up top from early morning into mid morning, both in the west end and the east end. The fish are feeding on small bait, including sand eels, but they are still hitting pencils and the usual larger topwater presentations. It’s actually nice to hear of some schoolies-size fish in the ditch for a change. Kaiden added that they had bones in the Cana, too, but they pushed into Cape Cod Bay. Fortunately, there are plenty more in Buzzards. On the south side, he added, you have scattered pods of bonito out to Monomoy, and bottom fishing on deep structure has given up some bigger sea bass. There’s also a good fluke bite from shore down there, with a lot of shorts and occasional keepers taking Gulp on jigs and bucktails. The boats targeting doormats at Nantucket Shoals are seeing decent results, but not a ton of double-digit fish lately. As far as tuna, Kaiden said the bite has slowed down a bit out east. He had 3 fish on UVT pink glows jigs last week, but he’s heading south tomorrow to look for rec-size fish from Butterfish Hole to Habbs Ledge.
Captain Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing out of Westport told me he and his charters have been catching bonito all over the place, and he’s finding some big bass in deeper water lately. The bluefin bite has been solid, but he’s been plagued by giants, with the occasional rec-size fish barely under 73 inches. Black sea bass and fluke fishing continues to be reliable, but it’s a deep water bite mainly, so if you’re not catching keepers in 40 to 60 feet, fish deeper. There are also rumors of a few random pods of albies around, Ray added, and some mahi are showing up down south, from the Dump to the high flyers a bit north.
Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle in Falmouth reported that every day this week, bonito seemed to be in different places. He heard of them from the south side of the Vineyard to the Elizabeths, to over off Edgartown and across the pond to the south side of the upper Cape and lower Buzzards Bay. Evan said the bones are not only on the move, but they’re on a variety of bait depending on where you find them. Locally, Evan said, they are eating tiny peanut bunker about the size of a fingernail. Over by the Vineyard, he said the bonito were puking up silversides, and down off the Elizabeths his customers had them on bay anchovies. The fish have been finicky as a result of the tiny bait in some scenarios, but the bonito eating silversides have been much more cooperative. Results have varied depending on where the fish are and what they’re eating. Evan also said there are some stripers being caught on eels at night down along the Elizabeths. Regarding tuna, Evan mentioned that one of his customers caught 13 bluefin on poppers down by the Dump, and ran into smaller fish south of Nomans on the way in. The canyons to the east, he noted, like Welker, have been giving up good yellowfin, but there are also some moving into the shipping lanes to the south.
Captain Ben Sussman of In The Net Sportfishing out of Osterville told me his charter on Monday had good a lot of good shots at bonito out east in Nantucket Sound, although the fish were a little picky. They wound up with 5 bonito and a handful of big bluefish on epoxy jigs, tins, and Yo-Zuri Hydro Monster Shots to end the day. Wednesday was a different story; he headed west and covered dozens of miles in slick-calm conditions to find only some small bluefish and a few quick up-and-down bonito feeds. With a little bit of breeze and chop, Capt. Ben thinks it could have been a much more productive morning. He is now able to trailer the 25′ Grady and has some flexibility to where he can launch, so give him a shout to book a trip.
From Martha’s Vineyard, Captain Kurt Freund of Fishsticks Charters out of Vineyard Haven reported: “It has been a busy week, with eight trips since my last report. Thursday morning, I fished with Don Wertlieb, his son and daughter-in-law and two grandsons. We started out casting to breaking fish right in the harbor, but did not hook up. We spent most of the rest of the morning drifting and jigging for fluke and sea bass. The boys were excited to catch a few dogfish along with the fluke and sea bass, but the highlight of the trip was a dusky shark that ate one of our fluke baits.
Thursday afternoon, following a lead from a reliable source, we caught the first two bonito of the season. The fish were breaking under birds and were feeding on silversides and small peanut bunker, so silver and chartreuse epoxy jigs did the trick.
Sunday afternoon we found small bluefish breaking under birds out in open water in the middle of Vineyard Sound. Again, epoxy jigs and small metals were the go-to lures and we landed six of the little choppers before the feeds subsided.
Wednesday morning’s trip with Jeff Peterson and family started slow but ended strong. We searched unsuccessfully most of the morning, but stuck with it and our persistence was rewarded when we finally found a flock of terns working over some bluefish and sea bass, landing five nice blues and one keeper sea bass.
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From Martha’s Vineyard, Stephen D’Angelo at Kismet Outfitters in Edgartown reported: “The dog days of summer are officially over. After a slower stretch in July, the fishing has really picked up over the past week, and we’re seeing a great mix of species and surface activity around the island. Bonito are here, and they’ve been providing some of the most exciting fishing of the season. Look for birds and surface activity, especially early in the day. They’ve been feeding on smaller forage and can be a little picky, so downsizing has been important. White flies with a wider profile have been particularly effective too. It’s hard to go wrong with a white Albie Whore or chartreuse Surf Candy.
Bluefish are also around and have been showing up under birds, especially early in the morning. We’ve been finding blues mixed in with bonito schools, which can make for some fast and unpredictable fishing. A wire leader has been a must when the blues are around, and we’ve even landed a few bonito and striped bass while fishing wire.
Striped bass fishing has really picked up on the flats and in shallow water. Crab and shrimp patterns have been productive, while sand eel patterns have also been getting attention. A moving tide remains key, but the fishing has been good throughout the day rather than being confined to a short morning window.
Black sea bass have also been getting in on the surface action. They’ve been showing on top, particularly after a bluefish blitz, and there has been plenty of surface activity from sea bass in the rips as well that have lasted for most of both incoming and outgoing tides.
The dog days are behind us, and the fishery is starting to feel like fall is just around the corner. We have openings over the next couple of weeks for both boat and shore trips, and this is a great time to get in on the action. The fishing is picking up, but we’re not dealing with the number of boats and anglers that we typically see once the fall run is in full swing.
If you’ve been thinking about getting out on the Vineyard this summer, now is a great time to do it. There’s plenty of action around, a good mix of species to target, and a little more room on the water to enjoy it.”
Riverview Bait and Tackle in South Yarmouth reported: “Bonito and Black Sea Bass have been the best options in the sound lately for Riverview’s regulars. After a spotty early season, the bones made a strong appearance at Monomoy on Sunday morning, and action hasn’t slowed significantly since. Customer Vinny Simmarano hammered them on Joe Baggs peanut resins!
Surf sharkin’ efforts are also at an all-time high. Customers have begun to see sand tigers in addition to the typical browns caught on the Dennis, Yarmouth, and Hyannis beaches. Shop staff Noah recently re-upped the store’s stock of handmade shark rigs, and the eel tank is brimming with the best shark bait imaginable.
Striper action has been slower at Monomoy for Riverview’s regular captains and customers. Many boats have switched to targeting funny fish on casting gear instead of trolling tubes or dragging divers and hoochies for bass; these techniques seem to be the only way to get on a consistent bite currently if an angler is dedicated to striper success. Stop in this weekend to fill your tackle trays with epoxy jigs for bones, and to get the latest scoop on the imminent arrival of false albacore in the sound!”
Captain Matthew Dempsey of Salt Reaper Charters out of Dennis said the striped bass bite in Cape Cod Bay is slowing down a bit with the higher water temperatures lately, but thankfully, there are other species worth pursuing. Small bluefish are starting to fill in and bonito numbers are on the rise, which has provided his recent charters some nice mixed-bag opportunities on light tackle. Bluefin tuna fishing, he added, is also heating up, and everybody knows bluefin love bluefish. If you have a commercial permit and you catch a few blues in the bay, consider sending one out on a deep rod for bluefin. Captain Matt thinks it won’t be long before the striper fishing in the bay bounces back from the recent warmup, but until then, we have better numbers of bonito and bluefish to keep rods bent. Give Capt. Matt a call to inquire about his upcoming availability if you want to book a trip.
Captain Elena Rice of Reel Deal Fishing Charters out of Truro reported: “Keeping our clients’ lines tight this week demanded agility from our captains while striped bass fishing shifts back and forth between live bait and jigging artificials through the early morning hours, depending on the day. As the typical later summer behavior unfolds, striped bass are favoring ocean waters, requiring more travel time than in recent weeks—although this extra effort is being rewarded with some nice-sized stripers. The bluefin tuna scene is still dominated by large medium to giant-size fish, offering plenty of excitement; we look forward to the arrival of some smaller fish to break out the lighter tackle. This week also offered an uptick in humpback whales and sunfish sightings, which always adds an extra layer of awe to the already stellar Cape Cod fishing experience! The summer isn’t over yet and we have openings starting on Saturday, so be sure to book your time on the water soon.
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
Although there are bonito just about everywhere right now, the south side of Cape—from Monomoy to the Vineyard and the Elizabeths—will probably be the best place to search for them this weekend. Winds are forecasted out of the north on Saturday before switching back to west/southwest overnight, so Vineyard and Nantucket sounds should be relatively calm until Sunday, especially in the lee against the Cape-side beaches.
In other news: it’s Falmouth Road Race weekend. Upper Cape anglers launching anywhere in Falmouth on Sunday should plan to splash the boat very early and return late morning, once the roads reopen to vehicles. The wind is supposed to pick up in the early afternoon, so if you’re in a small craft, keep an eye on the sea conditions throughout the morning.
I’m going to stoke the hardtail excitement a little bit here. With rumblings of albies in the area, it’s possible we’ll see the first ones of the year caught this weekend. A couple years back, Evan Eastman and I watched the Road Race unfold from Vineyard Sound while chasing down scattered pods of albies, so we’re right on schedule for their arrival. Keep your eyes peeled, have a set of binoculars on the boat or in your car, and remember to be respectful of other kayak anglers and boaters when chasing down blitzing bones or albies.
Have fun, be safe, and good luck out there.