New England - Cape Cod and the Islands Fishing Reports

The canal has begun to give up some fish according to Tony at Maco’s Bait & Tackle who said the people chunking were taking some bass and we heard of a few guys tossing eels in the west end who were taking bass in the 30-inch class. There was an uptick in the success rate of the black sea bass bonus season and the tautog bite has been improving considerably with a few nights of cooling weather. Many of their customers are coming in for tails and to replace their soft baits as the bluefish have been making runs in the canal and west end hotspots. While there has not been much in the way of albies, the bones are working west end bait pods and numerous bones in the 4- to 6-pound class are being caught. Tony, along with this reporter is hoping the predicted northeaster does not blow out the fish before they are ready to migrate.

The canal has not been asleep and AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods said there have been fish moving through but not necessarily showing on top. The guys fishing chunked bait and using heavy jigs have been scoring on some quality fish. This week there was a school that worked the canal almost to the end of the west side when they hit a school of bait and began surface feeding. There were a few people that took advantage of this situation. There are customers who are taking advantage of the bonus black sea bass and tautog in the west end and inside the canal. There has been blues working the west end and along the coves on the Falmouth shoreline from Woods Hole to the old Hog Island channel. The freshwater fishing has been good and getting better with the cool temperatures. They are marking some merchandise down and if you visit and pick up their red tag items you will be saving some money.

We spoke with Steve from Dick’s Bait and Tackle who said he was pleased to have weighed in a new state record albie taken by longtime customer, Sherry Countryman who brought a 19-pound, 9-ounce albie in for the Derby weigh in. Then his righthand man Doug, who usually fishes twice a day also weighed in an 11.80-pound surf blue followed by Todd Steckbeck who brought in a 6.38 bone. Those three entries are all on the Derby top slots. The shark problem seems to have abated just in time for the Derby and that’s a good thing. There has been a lot of big albies in Nantucket waters but those fish could be off their east side rips after a blow. The bottom fishing has been decent when weather permits and the freshwater fishing is always good. Steve and Doug can usually be seen out casting live eels on most mornings before they open the shop. Our friend Dana signed up for the Derby there and we hope he visits there to weigh in a qualifying fish. The Derby days on the Vineyard are always exciting times, so stop in to register, pick up some tackle and get the latest from people who know where the action is.

The Cape Cod Bay bass fishing has been very good according to Jeff who has customers from boat and surf doing well there. There were numerous visitors to their Canal Bait & Tackle location to replenish their stash of soft baits and pick up their silver 5-ounce canal jigs which have been quietly scoring fish in the heavyweight class. There was a good charge of stripers moving down from Plymouth and those people who can handle stormy weather might be rewarded as those fish push pogies right up onto the beach. While albies have been scarce there are still quite a few bonito being caught in the canal and the west end.

Christian from Falmouth Bait & Tackle has been readying his boat for some tuna fishing and hoping this coming storm does not cause any adverse changes. There have been some decent blues along the Falmouth shore and a few guys reported catching some bonito and a few albies in the 10-pound class. There are stripers in the harbors and rivers and one guy working along the Elizabeths has been catching a mixed bag of bones, an albie or two and running into schoolies pushing small bait up around Tarpaulin Cove and Robinsons Hole.

We spoke with Nate from the Sports Port who said there were pogies being pushed into the beaches around the Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck area where surf fishermen scored some stripers in the over 30-inch class. There have been reports of bonito and some albies along the sound shore from Falmouth up to Hyannis and Chatham. The freshwater fishing has been very good and getting better as Nate has been doing well on bass and pickerel in local ponds. The bottom fishing has been good with sea bass and tog being reported at Bishops and Clerks and other rocky bottom. Blues of various sizes were reported off Succonnesset Shoal.

Capt. Rich Antonio from Black Rose Fishing Charters said he was shark fishing last week and hooked a 400-pound mako which put up a good battle but only made one jump before being brought to the boat and released. He is finding albies and bones between Yarmouth and Hyannis and looks forward to some good fall fishing if the weather cooperates. Give him a call.

Ian at the Goose Hummock Shop said his week off was spent fishing on both side of the Cape and he was into bonito on a steady basis and landed a few albies, one that was well over the 12-pound mark and kept up the battle for almost a half hour in the kayak. He caught that albie on a ½ ounce Mighty Fish jig. The Cape Cod Bay side has loads of pogies and plenty of stripers which the predicted northeast storm might drive in very close to the beach. The sound fishing has been consistent with blues, bones and a few albies but the boat traffic once a school is located puts most yakkers out of the game and can create some dangerous conditions. Boaters off Nauset were reporting a good school of nice-sized stripers as well! Stop in and check out their huge tackle display.

Capt. Jason of Little Sister Charters said limits of tog and black sea bass with bonito, blues and stripers in the mix were the order of the day. He has been putting his clients onto some great fishing and this fall looks to be a good time to schedule a trip. Jason has been fishing these waters and knows where to spot-lock over a rockpile. Give him a call to get on his mailing list and perhaps sign up for one of his popular open boat trips.

The bonito were around but Capt. Carl with Westport River Outfitters said he went out into upper Buzzards Bay and found some obliging albies chasing bait. The one in the photo he sent me appeared to be in the 6-pound class. He’s been catching black sea bass and tog on bottom fishing trips and has openings for what will be the best time to be on the water this season.