New England - Cape Cod and the Islands Fishing Reports

Tony at Maco’s Bait & Tackle said the canal has been giving up schoolies on top at various times of the day when they are into the fine bait that has been inside the ditch for the past two weeks. The guys chunking mackerel and bunker are catching the larger specimens, with fish up to 30-pounds in that mix. The tog bite has been improving but the water temperatures are still on the high side. Blues and bonito have been making forays into the canal but they have been working on the fine bait schools and require smaller presentations. The scup bite is good and improving with sea worms the top choice for the anglers catching the most and largest of that species.

We spoke with AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods where the shop was crowded with customers gearing up for the nice weekend. The canal has been giving up some multi species action in the form of bonito and school bass that have been appearing on top for up to an hour at a time and providing some enjoyable casting action. The people chunking mackerel are catching some bass that are at or way over slot at various times both day and night. There are bigger fish moving down from Boston and beyond and they are moving along the Plymouth and Scusset area providing a chance at a trophy. The offshore boats are working from the windmills to the canyons and there are some giants and a few recreational size bluefin in Cape Cod Bay. AJ sold off all the ballyhoo he had in stock just a few days before the weekend. Freshwater fishing is improving and the state will be stocking trout as soon as the weather cools and the water temperatures fall.

The word from Doug at Dick’s Bait and Tackle was of better numbers of bonito working tiny baits and albies that have been ignoring anything they are not tuned onto. The night bass bite on stripers has improved somewhat without much interference by the sharks that had taken over much of those grounds. There are some blues in the 6-pound class working around the island and some of them have taken up residence inside of State Beach, the Jaws Bridge and are feeding on big silversides over a finger long which are also plentiful inside of Edgartown. One customer was not having any luck with the usual funny fish metals and switched over an X-Rap and caught six bones in the 4- to 6-pound class on them. The local paper had a photo of spinner sharks engaged in their spinning ritual which is a rare occasion so far from their native waters. They are well stocked with everything you need to register in and participate in during the Derby.

Jeff from Canal Bait & Tackle said the beach fishing from Plymouth to the Cape Cod Bay shoreline has been very good with a class or larger stripers being caught and released. The big schools of stripers have begun moving down from north of Boston all along the Mass and Cape Cod Bay shoreline. Jeff is aware of the identity of the fisherman who found the angler that drowned in the canal this past week and agreed that can be a dangerous place. There are still bonito moving into the canal when the west tide turns east and providing some action for canal anglers who can reach them. He has the size and colors of the lures such as the black-purple bunker colors and weights that are getting out there and hooking up with fish.

Christian from Falmouth Bait & Tackle said the offshore yellowfin bite has been very good with Mahi and a few Wahoo showing up in the mix. Locally there are bones all along the shores of the Elizabeths and inside of Woods Hole where small bass have been breaking in the rips. There have been albie sightings all along the Falmouth shore but the fish are on fine bait and it takes a small lure to get a strike and even then they are still quite picky. The canyons are hot and there are reports of some good fishing at the windmills.

The saltwater action has been great according to Christian from the Sports Port who said there are bonito and albies working from Falmouth to the Monomoy rips but again those fish are very selective in their feeding. School bass are reported at the mouths of the harbors and inside the rivers where some bones are being taken. The freshwater fishing has been outstanding with loads of good sized largemouth on plugs and bait. The trout stocking will begin this fall as soon as water temperatures have dropped to insure a successful stocking.

Capt. Rich Antonio from Black Rose Fishing Charters has some dates open for multi species fishing which also includes tuna and stripers. The action at Monomoy for stripers, bones and albies has also been improving. Give the skipper a call for details.

Aaron at the Goose Hummock Shop told us that Ian was on a fishing vacation which could mean that he was chasing albies and stripers on both sides of the Cape. The bonito and albies have been working from the Falmouth shore to Bass River and along the ocean beaches to Nauset where some surf anglers got in brief action at the forktails invaded their area. Customers are happy to have the black sea bass extended season as it gives them a shot at larger size fall fish. The bass fishing in Cape Cod Bay to around the Race has begun to pick up for the surf anglers with stripers reported working from Billingsgate and into Wellfleet Harbor. There are tuna in Cape Cod Bay and Danny and Captain Phil are entered and will be fishing the tuna tourney there this Saturday. At the time of our conversation Phil was out chasing bait for the contest which begins and ends this weekend.

There are bones, blues and the occasional albie outside Westport Harbor where Capt. Jason of Little Sister Charters has been fishing for limits of black sea bass and tautog. When you add stripers, blues and bones to that mix you have what many consider a grand slam. Give him a call for details.

There are bones and small blues tuned into some fine bait along the Westport shoreline where Capt. Carl of Westport River Outfitters has been casting small metals on his spinners and occasionally his fly rod. Those fish have been picky but the occasional slot or larger bass he catches on plugs and jigs have been providing action for his clients. He has been hitting the tog in pretty good numbers with many of those fish making the minimum size. He has been finding much larger blues in and along the middle of upper Buzzards Bay to Dartmouth. He has some openings for what appears to be good fall run heading our way.