New England - Cape Cod and the Islands Fishing Reports

The shop has been loaded with customers according to Tony at Maco’s Bait & Tackle where heatwave temps don’t seem to bother them as long as they are holding a fishing rod. There was an uptick in canal action this week with numerous schoolies in the 20-plus inch class being taken in the length of the canal and some jumbo mackerel were pulling hard in the east end to mid canal. There were reports of catches of four pound blues and bones mixed in the upper Buzzards Bay area down to the west end jetties. There are more tog being taken in the rockpiles and anglers are managing to scratch up a few legal sea bass in the same locations. While sea worms have been a hot commodity lately, they have taken over an old distributorship that I once bought worms from ages ago. Times change, and the world goes round.

The canal has begun to heat up according to AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods where customers were taking advantage of the tax free weekend. The canal has some big horse macks in residence and there are bass on some of them from the east end to the mid canal. Lots of schoolies are in the ditch and no one is complaining about the size, just happy to see some small fish. There are schools of bones and blues of about four pounds working upper and mid Buzzards Bays heated waters. AJ said a few guys had caught a few slots and some overs chunking and jigging around mid-canal on the mainland side. Freshwater fishing continues to provide action, usually after sundown or early morning.

We spoke Deadly Doug at Dick’s Bait and Tackle who seems to work all day and fish all night. The fishing has ticked up considerably over the past week with bones and blues of about four pounds being taken from the Menemsha jetty and up towards the Gay Head rockpiles. The night bass bite just got a bit more contentious with the competition from the brown sharks which have surrounded the island and are inhaling all species of fish from scup to stripers. Looking into the waters around the fishing pier reveals some big toothy forms swimming around waiting to make an easy meal of a hooked fish. There were more blues off the south side and Wasque and some of them were mixed in with bonito of the four pound class. Doug watched a brown shark that almost beached itself to catch a short fluke a nearby fisherman was releasing. I wouldn’t walk much over my ankles in those situations.

The canal is picking up speed according to Jeff from Canal Bait & Tackle where horse mackerel were holding in the east end and providing action and bait for the chunkers. There are schoolies and slots in the ditch and the guys chunking and jigging are doing better than those topwater plugging. Clark was in the shop this weekend dispensing advice on what size braided line and mackerel jigs were best for the big macks. There are still loads of bass from Barnstable all the way up to Billingsgate and the tip of P-Town.

The boss man from Falmouth Bait & Tackle was in residence and providing information on where you might hook a rec sized bluefin on the way home while crossing the shipping lanes. There are reports of good numbers of schoolies showing up and some blues and mixed bones are being taken in eastern Vineyard Sound up into the rips off the Falmouth Sound shoreline. There were a few customers who got into some larger scup and sea bass this week and they may have been fishing the rips where the water is more oxygenated. Stop in for a crash course on what you might need for your first bluewater fishing trip.

We spoke with Christian from the Sports Port after we were introduced to his assistant who happened to be Amy’s son. There were reports of school stripers and blues from Falmouth to Hyannis and some reports of four pound bones mixed in with them. They are selling the heck out of funny fish jigs. From Falmouth to Chatham in those somewhat cooler waters there are more reports of schoolies and some slots being taken on night tides. The winner of their in-house freshwater fishing contest was Natham who is now trying to decide what size and brand boat and motor he will select for his prize.

Capt. Rich Antonio from Black Rose Fishing Charters is still on the striper bite and doing his best to avoid being sharked. My sources fishing Monomoy are leaving early as soon as the sharks show up. Rich has also been doing select bottom fishing trips and split trips for bass and bottom fish. Give him a call to get aboard.

Ian at the Goose Hummock Shop was up to his armpits in high grade tackle as customers took advantage of the tax free weekend shopping. He has been getting out in his kayak and beside the improved bite from the Brewster Flats to Billingsgate has been giving up some nice slot bass along with a welcome number of blues in the four pound class. Captain Phil has been making some trips to Crab Ledge which has been giving up some very good bluefin tuna fishing. Danny is still making up the offshore trolling rigs and finding time to fish the ponds inside of Nickerson state park for big browns and large yellow perch.

Capt. Jason of Little Sister Charters is back in the groove again as the three tautog limit was reinstated so he can provide limit catches of black sea bass along with some tog for his fares. This week’s warm weather has brought up a few mixed schools of bonito and bluefish with bones in the five pound class and the blues running from five to 10-pounds, the best average we have heard of thus far this season. Give him a call to get in on the action.

Capt. Carl with Westport River Outfitters took to the road this week and ended up at Billingsgate where he found loads of bait and plenty of small blues and bonito they caught a few slot bass and said many larger bass were being caught on the ocean beaches around P-Town. He fished in Westport waters on his return and had a limit of good sized sea bass. Give him a call for a day of adventure.