New England - Cape Cod and the Islands Fishing Reports

Our friend Tony at Maco’s Bait & Tackle said it was a busy weekend with more than the usual number of regular customers getting ready for the last fishing holiday of the summer. The canal has picked up again with blitz action on small fish during the day and some 40-inch fish being taken on chunks. There have been scattered reports of albies in western Buzzards Bay and along the west Falmouth shoreline to Woods Hole. Other anglers report seeing them porpoising but not being able to get them to hit. Larry was staring at a 500-pound delivery of fresh sea clams he has to sort and put into containers. Stop in and get your fresh bait, live eels and directions to where the action is.

We spoke with Greg from Red Top Sporting Goods who said the canal began showing signs of life this week with schoolies blitzing and some much larger fish being taken on chunks of cut bait. There are also bluefish and bonito at both ends of the ditch and some improving bottom fishing in western Buzzards Bay. There are still quite a few customers who are freshwater fishing and doing well with black bass and pickerel while a few others are chasing brown trout in low light conditions. The fishing is only going to get better so stop in, say hello and check out their large and diverse inventory.

The bonito finally decided to take their Vineyard vacation a week early. We spoke with Doug from Dick’s Bait and Tackle who said there were finally bonito and small blues all around the island and the hot spots were the south side beaches and then Menemsha and the east side harbors. The bass fishermen have given up bait fishing due to the number of sharks in close and chewing. If you are not using a plug you might not get to land a striper and if you do it may turn into shark food. Doug said there are more reports of albie sightings but only a few catches as that species is moving looking for a large congregation of bait before they begin their slashing. The shop has all the sign up literature and pins and hats so if you are going to the island for the Derby stop into Dicks to register and pick up some tackle as well as valuable information.

The big fish began moving down from Plymouth and Jeff from Canal Bait & Tackle said there are big bass on pogies from Scusset Beach to the east end and out into Cape Cod Bay where fishermen in boats were live lining pogies and catching 40-inch bass. Those fish have made forays into the east end but there are schools of bass feeding from the east end all the way up Cape Cod Bay to P-Town. There have been a few blitzes in the canal with mostly schoolies or smaller blues tearing it up but the guys soaking bait have taken some larger stripers. The closest the albies have come was the Falmouth Shoreline and up to Nobska and along the Elizabeths although everyone is hoping for them to make the trip through the canal. A few customers have taken albies up close to the Bass River area.

We spoke with Mike from Falmouth Bait & Tackle who said there were reports of catches of albies and bonito along the sound side from Osterville to Falmouth Harbor and to the east. There has been some topwater action along the eastern part of the Elizabeths where bonito and smaller blues were working their way towards Woods Hole. The boats that were able to make it to the canyons were catching some quality yellowfin tuna to 187-pounds, with some skippers reporting yellowfin over 200-pounds with some Allisons and mahi on the flyers. The shop has some great inventory for the blue water travelers so stop in and say hello.

We spoke with Chris from the Sports Port who was totally upbeat about the quality of the saltwater fishing his customers have been experiencing. One of his customers, a 70-year old gent caught a 12-pound albie at Monomoy where other albies have been taken. The bones and blues have been blitzing from Osterville and Bass River along the Falmouth shoreline. Oyster Harbor has been giving up some small weakfish and schoolies. The freshwater fishing has been great with some very nice largemouth being caught. Stop in and look around they are open seven days a week.

Capt. Rich Antonio from Black Rose Fishing Charters is a skipper who can fish for any species at almost any time you choose. He may be catching stripers and albies at Monomoy or chasing haddock or tuna in Cape Cod Bay. The fact is he catches fish so give him a call to get in on the action.

Ian at the Goose Hummock Shop knows how frustrating it can be to chase albies from a paddle canoe and how great fishing for them can be when you are silently in the middle of a blitz. There are some good sized bass in Cape Cod Bay and some of them are schooled up under pogies. The best action for albies, bones and small blues has been along the sound side from Osterville to the Falmouth harbors and jetties. There were also rumors of a few small weakfish from those same areas. The freshwater fishing has been very good as he caught a bunch of bass in the one to two pound class then caught a four pounder, all on a topwater lure. Captain Phil is in Florida so the yellowfin and Mahi are safe for at least another week.

Capt. Jason of Little Sister Charters had just wiped down his fillet knife after working on a pile of fish that included tautog, sea bass, bonito and stripers. That mixed bag is a pretty good representation of what is available outside of Westport Harbor. The action is only improving with every degree the water temperature drops. Give him a call to get on his list or to book a slot on the boat.

Three generations of Fisherman readers spent a day on the water with Capt. Carl of Westport River Outfitters who said the father, son and grandson were more than pleased with the adventure and the mixed bag of species they caught. There are bones, sea bass, jumbo scup and stripers and bluefish that have been surface feeding most of the time. Give Carl a call and take your own Westport adventure.