New England - Cape Cod and the Islands Fishing Reports

It was cold and damp on the waters of Buzzards Bay, but Capt. Sebastian of Fish Linked Charters was able to scratch up a few keeper tautog for his clients on one of his favorite rockpiles.  Water temperatures are still on the chilly side, but a few days of sun should turn the bite on and with scup and sea bass on the way fishing could get very interesting.

With water temperatures hovering in the 48-degree area Tony at Maco’s Bait & Tackle  said the first schoolie came on Monday the 15th and the first few tog came from boats in western Buzzards Bay. They have plenty of crabs and before long the cadets at the Maritime will be running over to the shop for crabs and worms. The freshwater bite has been good with an uptick in largemouth bass fishing. Stop in for the latest info and green crabs so aggressive you might need gloves to bait your hooks.

There were reports of fresh run schoolies caught in western Buzzards Bah this week, but AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods said the bite will really take off with a few more days of sunshine. They are selling crabs that have taken a few tog but I’ll bet by the first of the week someone will be bringing a state pin fish to the scales. The largemouth bass are just now beginning to hit much better and with most of the local herring runs showing good numbers of fish the first one in the canal run is yet to be seen.

The first schoolie was caught off the Vineyard this past Wednesday with more to follow as conditions improve. The white perch bite in the great pond has picked up with some good catches but according to Steve from Dick’s Bait and Tackle the trout still seem to have lockjaw and it doesn’t appear that the cormorants have had the time and  opportunity to eat them all yet. A stocking was on its way over last week, but the nasty winds and seas cancelled that trip. Steve’s friend’s boat will be read next week, and they will make their first trip to the north side of the island for tog. 

Jeff from Canal Bait & Tackle said his customers will be caching stripers in the west end in a few days now that the first schoolies have arrived in the Vineyard. We have heard from very reliable sources that there were schoolies caught in the Wareham and outside the Weweantic River this week. The water is still a bit chilly for tog, but a few boats have fished the shallow waters of the west end and have scratched up a few legal tog with no sign of scup yet. Those big pre-spawn scup should begin filling into the bay this week with the sea bass right behind them.  

The first schoolies of the season were reported from the rivers at the west end of the canal and I would bet there were a few taken in Green Pond by the time you read this report. The crew from Falmouth Bait & Tackle has most of their inventory on display and can set you up for all inshore and offshore pursuits. Give them a call.

Capt. Skip Bandini of Fish Bandit Charters is ready to make his first tautog trips of the season and has a few openings. Give him a call for details.

Despite rain and cold weather customers of the Sports Port are doing very well in the freshwater lakes and kettle ponds where most are reporting good large and smallmouth bass fishing with good numbers of trout. Chris said customers were buying crabs and some have found some tog in early spots such as breakwaters and docks where the sun warms the water much more quickly.  The word of the first bass from the west end of the canal and there was a nice pike caught in Wequaket Pond. Chris said he was selling a lot of winter flounder bottom rigs, so someone may have found a honey hole.       

Once the boat is on the hard and has its bottom washed and painted and the topside waxed Capt. Seamus Muldoon of Jailbreak Charters will be making some exploratory trips for squid. If you are interested in putting a trip together give him a call.

This was the weekend of the Goose Hummock Shop kids fishing contest which attracted 150 children that participate in this annual event in Flax Pond there the shop goes all out in their promotion of introducing children into fishing. There is food and numerous prizes and I have met children that told me their first fishing experience was getting started at this generous event. Ian, Erin, and Danny and numerous other staff were on hand to offer advice and encouragement. Locally it’s still the freshwater fishing that is bringing customers into the shop as the smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing has really picked up despite less than desirable weather. There are still holdovers in the Cotuit and Bass River areas to keep everyone busy until the first fresh run bass begin showing up at Falmouth and on their way to make the turn at Monomoy before hitting town Cove in Orleans. If its tuna, fly fishing or marine take a run to the Goose for all your needs. 

The wind, rain and overall weather has not been cooperating while sailing out of Westport Harbor. Capt. Jason of Little Sister Charters has ventured as far as Sakonnet and Little Compton ocean front where they caught a cod and the skipper had one short tog. No one I know of has caught any tog in the river or on the ledges out front just yet as Jason reported the temperature was hovering at a chilly 47-degrees. The inshore tog fishery is about to open up any day now. He will be in the Sesuit area the first week of May so give him a call for trip openings.

Capt. John of Grey Dolphin Sportfishing has all of his fillet knives sharpened and ready for the first flounder of the season. His boat is bottom painted and waxed and he will be making a few private trips to the flounder grounds to get ready for his first trips in early May. Stay tuned.