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Cape Cod Fishing Reports
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Dakota Jecevicus and Capt Steve Coulter steaming for home
aboard the
Sea Creature out of Hatteras, NC.
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Cape Cod Fishing Reports
09/06/13 |
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As you read in Hap's report, the bluefishing in the
Bay is great. There are stripers on and off by Barnstable,
and the Canal bite is good. The fish are chasing mackerel in
the Canal. Other than that, the striper fishing is slow all
over. Chatham has slowed down, and there are only some small
fish being taken on the backside beaches.
The school Bluefin bit is going strong south and east of
Chatham. Fish to 60" are being taken trolling, casting, and
jigging. I have not heard of any big fish being taken.
Stellwagon is quiet...not much of anything going on there.
Have a good weekend! Dave
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Rock Harbor Fishing Report
Capt. Hap Farrell |
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09/05/13 |
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Good September Fishing...
Labor Day has come and gone. As far as I’m concerned it was
lackluster as far as holidays go. The weather could have
been better. However, it did not stop us from fishing.
Speaking of fishing, the blue fishing could not be better.
Plus, we don’t have to go far to find them. They’re a little
west of the Old Target Ship out to the west about 3 miles.
The umbrella rig is the best method to use but single
swimming plugs or hootchies work also. I don’t know about
other places because I haven’t gone there, I haven’t needed
to. Just because the summer season comes to an end does not
mean the fishing does.
Traditionally this time of the season produces some really
good striper fishing. For the past three years this has not
been the case. They do show up at times but it’s so erratic
that no one can predict it with any accuracy. Lately a few
bass have been found on the south edge of Billingsgate
Shoals on the dropping tide. Maybe two or three amongst all
the boats out. The one area that sometime produces any
stripers is the west bar off Barnstable Harbor. Even this
area is unpredictable. One day they are there and only for a
short time and then it’s two or three days before they show
back up. From what I’ve heard the big school of stripers off
Chatham where most of the commercial bass were caught has
slowed down quite a bit. Maybe they have started south
already. I hope not.
I may have mentioned this before but when the bass fishing
is slow I take my clients up along the Eastham shore, or
where ever the blue fishing is active, and use my light
tackle. This last week was such a time. I have Jim and Debra
Stewart and their sons Matt and Sam out on a half day trip.
First we got all the bluefish they wanted using my regular
trolling tackle and then I pulled out my light gear which is
like using fresh water tackle. Each family member landed a
nice size bluefish with this tackle. Of course the kids
handled the gear better than the adults, they always do. One
other thing I do is try out some new gear I may want to
develop. Last Monday Albina, a young Russian girl who has
migrated to this country and I have had out fishing before,
tried out a rod I made using an Acid Wrap or Robert’s Wrap.
This tackle is new to this area and I wanted to see if it
works as advertised. According to Albina it does. It makes
dealing with big bluefish much easier than our conventional
tackle.
The McNally group, Kevin and his son Kyle, were out with
John Williamson and his son. Kyle, who is 10, had only been
fresh water fishing before. When I put him on my light
tackle, which is nothing more than a trout rod with braid
line, he was at home. Of course these bluefish are a bit
bigger and fought harder that the fish he was used to but it
did not faze him. Kyle fought a number of these bluefish
without slowing down, so he has the title of angler of the
week.
If you’d like to get in on some of this great bluefishing
especially using this light tackle give me a call at
508-240-8267. |
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08/29/13 |
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Rock Harbor Fishing Report
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
Labor Day is Upon Us...
Labor is here, boy the summer just whistled by and fall is
just around the corner. This does not mean the fishing has
slowed down too. In fact, the bluefish should pick up real
soon when the small herring start coming out of the ponds
they have spent the summer in. When they do the bluefish and
hopefully the stripers will feast on them until they start
migrating south.
Lately the bluefishing has been really good just outside
Rock Harbor. The main body of fish are to the southwest of
the Old Target Ship location in 22 to 28 feet of water. They
will hit single hootchies on mono but really like the single
hootchie on 200 foot wire with the knot between the wire and
backing half way between the rod tip and the water. Trolling
at around 5.5 to 6 knots is the best speed. Of course the
umbrella rig will work well also. Some of the other areas
that you can find bluefish are on the North Edge of
Billingsgate Shoals, Up by the Path, off the Brewster Flats
and a few up by South Sunken Meadow. Single hootchies in the
shallower water or jigging or umbrella rigs in the deeper
water over 18 feet.
The striped bass. Where have they gone? Well, there a some
being taken on the West Bar over by Barnstable Harbor. If,
and I mean "if", you find them there jigging is the best
method to use. However, you must clean the jigs on a regular
basis because there are a lot of sand dollars on the bottom
and they will foul your jigs quickly. I'm hoping the bass
will become a more frequent visitor to this area when the
water cools a bit during September.
This last Saturday the Rock Harbor Charter Fleet was host to
a number of veterans who are still in the service or
recently discharged. We took them out on a half day of
fishing Cape Cod Bay. Needless to say they all had a good
time and landed a number of fish. This is the third season
we have done this and it will continue for many years to
come. Being a veteran myself I can understand how important
it is to be shown this kind of appreciation for the service
done. "Those who have fought for life have a savor for
living the protected will never know."
This last week I had a father, his son and a friend of his
son's out on a half day trip. They had been out before and
were familiar with the style of fishing we do out of Rock
Harbor. So, I pulled out my lighter tackle to give them an
experience they had not had before. This tackle made it
easier to fight and land the big bluefish we were finding.
At one point we used rods that most would use trout fishing.
Believe me when I tell you that Kevin Peters and his crew
learned the true aspect of sport fishing.
If you want to take on these big bluefish we are finding in
Cape Cod Bay come down to the Goose Hummock. Talk to any of
the guys in there and they will get you set up. If you want
to troll around some lighter gear then most use they can
also help you out.
If you are looking for information on what is happening with
the bluefin tuna, check out Capt. Brett Wilson's report in
this newsletter, or go to Offshore Pursuits for the latest
news
If you want to get out and try some the fishing we do in
September give me a call at 508-240-8267 and I'll get you
out fishing Cape Cod Bay. |
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08/29/13 |
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Fishing with Capt. Brett Wilson...
Captain Brett Wilson
Hindsight
Sportfishing
08/29/13
The fishing right now is great, and we don't have to run far
for the action. We have been fishing around the old target
ship on the 4 hour trips, making a killing on bluefish and
black sea bass, with the occasional keeper striper thrown
in. On the 8 hour trips we can head to Barnstable and try
for some decent stripers.
Not much of anything going on with the commercial bluefin.
The biggest fish buyer in the area hasn't received a fish in
4 days. There are some rec fish being caught around the
Regal Sword, east of Chatham, with the occasional bigger
fish thrown in. There are also some fish in the mid 40"
range that have been caught out there.
Prime time for giants is fast approaching. If you want to
try your hand at a trip to George's Bank, or even an inshore
tuna charter, you have to make your calls soon to try and
set things up. The new Hindsight Sportfishing website is
done.Check it out! Thanks! Brett
Capt. Brett Wilson
Hindsight Sportfishing.
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08/29/13 |
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The Cape at large...Cape Cod Fishing Reports
08/29/13
After Hap 's and Brett's reports, there isn't a whole lot
for me to say concerning the Bay.
The best bass fishing still appears to be off Chatham, the
south side is still covered up with some nice bluefish, and
the Canyons are still red hot.
The Canal has a morning bite going on. The bass are chasing
squid, so any approximation should work. Eels at night are
also producing a few decent fish.
The Bluefin Blowout tournament out of Gloucester last
weekend produced no fish, out of 45 boats, and 2 days of
fishing. There were some hooked, but nothing landed. It
isn't any better anywhere else at this point. Some smaller
fish are being caught off Chatham, with an occasional bigger
one mixed in, but it is hit or miss.
I have heard nothing good about the backside beaches. There
just isn't a whole lot going on right now. What ever your
plans are for the long weekend, have a good one! Dave |
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08/09/13 |
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Hindsight Sportfishing |
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Capt. Brett Wilson |
Scott with one of 25 sharks caught in 2 days aboard the
Hindsight with Capt. Brett Wilson and Capt.
"Woody" Wood |
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We just finished a great shark fishing trip# We started off
Chatham and moved south from there# We landed a 250 lb# Mako,
and plenty of blue sharks. Some we fought on 12 lb. test
line. The mako is the picture on the right.
We are headed to the Canyons next week for a couple of days#
The fishing in Atlantis Canyon is pretty hot right now#
Plenty of big eye tuna, dolphin, marlin, albacore, and maybe
some wahoo too! It should be a great trip# After that it is
back to the bay for a week or so to finish up some bass
charters, then way east for a few days# The season is upon
us!
During our last charter we did some bass fishing off
Chatham. The commercial season has ended, so the fleets are
gone. but, the fish are there. We had one to the side of the
boat that was all of 50 lbs. And there have been reports of
fish in the high 40's being taken often# Chatham is
definitely the place to be fishing for striped bass right
now.
The backside is loaded with bluefish and seals# Not much for
bass around with the seals, and if you are fishing for
bluefish, you need to battle the seals to land a fish.
The same scenario is playing out in and around P-Town.
Offshore around the corner and down the beach, the boats
fishing offshore are starting to catch some bass. There are
a few tuna starting to show up also. Very few at this
point...
The tuna bite east of Chatham is spotty at best, and the
same can be said for the Bay and up on Stellwagen. There are
fish being landed, but it is a crap shoot at this point.
Bass fishing in the Bay is still spotty. There are all the
bluefish you could want, but you have to work for the
stripers.
Time is fast approaching when giant Bluefin is the na#e of
the game. Please remember that the very few tuna fishing
slots still available will fill very quickly. If you are
even thinking about it trying a trip, give me a call and I
will see what we can do. |
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08/09/13 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
Capt. Hap Farrell |
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August Fishing...
August has usually meant good striper fishing with a good
charge of bluefish either in along the Eastham shore or up
by the Path on the Welfleet/Truro line or both. What we are
finding is an improving daily landing of striped bass, found
on the north edge of Billingsgate Shoals. Also, as of this
last Sunday, there was a good charge of bluefish up by the
Path. There was only a small amount of bluefish up along the
Eastham shore and into the Welfleet Harbor area. The fishing
is not quite as active as it was this time last season but
it's still pretty good. No matter what, the charter fleet is
still finding the fish it needs for it's clients.
The one thing that is unusual about this season is the lack
of stripers up around the P-town area. It was told to me
that a few days before the commercial season started there
was a big charge of stripers from Wood End up to the Race
and around the corners a bit. They weren't real active but
they were there. One day they were there the next they were
gone and the stripers have not really come back since. Maybe
what will happen is very much like deer season. When it's
over they will return. If so we should see them show up next
week.
Before I give you my thoughts on what may happen next week
I'd like to inform you on an important happening. Capt.
Steve Ellis, originally from Brewster has sold his boat, the
"Watanya" and moved to Georgia. A few years ago he bought
some property down there and built a small house. He would
spend the winter in Georgia and charter his boat out of Rock
Harbor up here during the summer. His family, the Ellis
family, is one other the original families of Cape Cod. He
has been involved with the charter industry for around 40
years owning his own boat for much of that time and has
worked in other types of fishing also. He says that where he
is in Georgia is much like the Cape was 40 years ago. He and
his sharp wit will be sorely missed and Cape Cod has lost
another one of its loved characters.
What I think will happen next week is more and more bluefish
will show up on the north edge of Billingsgate Shoals. Some
stripers will move in also but not the real big ones, not
yet. There will be a few more keepers taken mixed in with
the bluefish. Jigging will be the best method for landing
both fish. On the dropping tide the bigger bass will move up
on top of the shoals but be scattered over the whole
southwest section. There will be a decent amount of bluefish
up around the Path especially on the flood tide.
I had the Forest family on a half day trip this last week.
The didn't want to keep any fish but did keep track of who
caught what. There was an older gentleman who had come with
them and they referred to him as Grandpa. Well, he just sat
quietly in the fishing chairs moving around as each hooked
up. When they tallied up who caught what and how much, it
was Grandpa who won out. So, Grandpa Forest is the fisherman
of the week. Another group, Lew, Mark, Spencer, and Ali had
a good day. It was Ali who took the most fish in this group.
If you'd like to get a shot at your own striper or bluefish
call me at 508-240-8267 and I'll try and get you out.
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08/09/13 |
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After Hap 's and Brett's reports, there isn't a whole lot
for me to say. The best bass fishing is off Chatham, the
Canyons are hot, the Bay is spotty, and the Bluefin bite is
a pick no matter where you go.
The south side is alive with bluefish, with a few bass
starting to show. The Canal is slow, unless you consider the
statement below!
One interesting tidbit is a fish on Facebook...a sailfish no
less, that was supposedly caught in the canal. I read it in
a couple of places...both credible. Who knows...!
What ever your plans are for the weekend, have a good one!
Dave |
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08/01/13 |
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Hindsight Sportfishing |
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Capt. Brett Wilson |
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We are fishing our way around the backside to Chatham today.
Will be by tying up in Harwich Port for the next three weeks
or so. I believe we have one day open between now and the
middle of August, and a few inshore tuna trips available
after that. If you have any plans on trying to get a tuna
trip in with me this year, you have to call me at
305.481.1291 soon. What trips are open will fill quickly.
The tuna bite is beginning to pick up again east of Chatham.
Both recreational fish and commercial fish are being landed.
It is not on fire yet, but it is picking up.
There are also some fish in the Bay, and there are some
being caught on Stellwagon. It will only get better from
here.
The bass fishing is beginning to pick up in the Bay. The
fish are starting to come back up on the shoals. We did real
well a couple of days this week fishing behind the sea
clammers as well.
The
new website is done. We are sill populating the
galleries, but it is otherwise done. Check it out! Thanks!
Brett
Capt. Brett Wilson |
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08/01/13 |
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Rock Harbor Fishing Report
Capt. Hap Farrell
Fish on the Move...
Every year we go through a period of time when the fish do a
little moving around. It makes life a bit of a challenge for
us, that is the charter fleet. We had some really good
bluefish fishing up off the Path and also inside off the
Eastham shore. There are still some bluefish off the Sunken
Meadow area but they are small and not real active. The
stripers have moved off the shoals are now in water from 25
feet out to 35 feet off the north edge of Billingsgate
Shoals. They sometimes show up on the south edge for a few
hours just before low water.
I think much of these actions the fish are taking are due to
the size and movement of the tides. We are coming off a full
moon and therefore big tides. This means the movement of the
water in the Bay is at it's most dramatic. This will move
the bait around and therefore the fish. This last set of big
tides are larger than other tides this summer so this whole
thing keeps us on our toes. One thing we have the most
problem with is backing our boats into our slips. The tide
really affects a boat that is almost 13 feet wide fitting
into a space that is 14 and 1/2 feet wide. Believe me that
is a challenge.
One of our worries is where the bluefish have gone. We had
them both up by the Path and in along the Eastham shore for
a while and then they just vanished. There are really small
bluefish tight into the meadow but they are had to catch. On
last Monday on the full day trip one of our boats went up by
the Path to see if any fish had moved back in there. He saw
the fish in 20 feet of water but they would not hit his
lures. These may be new fish and that will happen when they
first get into an area. At least I hope so.
As far as the striped bass are concerned there are a few
around. On the half day trips we've found them on the north
edge of Billingsgate Shoals in 25 feet of water and up on
top of the shoals. They seem to be spread out with a few
fish in each bunch. Jigging or the umbrella rig are working
the best. Most of the keepers are between 29 to 36 inches.
Nice healthy fish. P-town is almost completely void of fish
right now, which I hope changes soon.
This last week I had a couple of special trips. The first
was a group from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Ashley Gage, from
Orleans, and Mollie Bunting, from Harwich, pitted themselves
against the fish we have in Cape Cod Bay. They both were
very successful by landing some good size striped bass with
ease. The second angler who did well was Ryan Evans. He was
the youngest in the group but the most successful. Ryan
landed two stripers on one umbrella rig. The biggest being
around 30 inches and the other just under the legal length
of 28 inches. He made sure everyone ate well that evening.
One other group I had out was the Gray family. They come
every season. Cassandra, who always lands the biggest fish,
did it again with a nice 36 inch striper. All these fish we
found on the north edge of the shoals.
If you'd like to get a shot at your own striper or bluefish
call me at 508-240-8267 and I'll try and get you out.
As the season progresses keep track of the tuna fishing with
reports on Offshore Pursuits. Dave will have reports form a
number of tuna boats but the more important one will be from
the Hindsight operated by Capt. Brett Wilson. He is one of
the better tuna fishermen in our area.
Thanks Hap!
www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com |
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08/01/13 |
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The Cape at Large.... |
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The best action around this week is the bass fishing off
Chatham. The commercial season is still on, so expect crowds
(fleets!). The schools are apparently moving quickly
through, so take the time to look around. You may find some
fish all to yourself.
The fishing off Monomoy continues to be "red hot", as I was
told. Lots of decent size fish to be had.
The South side is covered up in bluefish. Enough said
there...Fun to catch, and plenty of them.
The Canal is slow right now...the bite is expected to pick
up with the coming moon. There are a few fish being landed
at night on eels, but certainly nothing to write home about.
What ever your plans are for the weekend, have a good one!
Dave |
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06/21/13 |
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The Cape at large... |
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Other than Cape Cod Bay (see Capt. Hap and Capt. Brett's
reports below), the fish of the week is bluefish. The
striper bite has slowed down on the sound side, and in the
canal. The bluefish bite, on the other hand, is pretty hot.
The Vineyard is surrounded by bluefish, with some keeper
bass down below. In the Sound, Bishop and Clerks has been
mentioned as a good spot for some keeper bass.
Nothing showing up in the rips yet, but it will be soon!
There are big schools of good sized bass up the beach on the
backside, with fish to 25 lbs in the mix. The boat crowd is
doing the best, but there are reports of decent fish being
taken from the beaches in P-Town.
As Brett mentioned, the tuna bite has all but shut down.
Some blame the moon this weekend, some the tides. I was told
by an old timer many years ago that the reason the tuna bite
was slow during a big moon is that the fish gorge themselves
on squid under the full moon. Fact or fiction, that is what
he told me. I haven't heard a better explanation yet!
Whatever you plan on doing this weekend, good luck! Dave |
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06/21/13 |
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Hindsight Sportfishing |
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Capt. Brett Wilson |
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We just now got done cleaning up from or 12 hours of trips
today. We did a 4 hr this morning, and an 8 hr after that.
Same routine tomorrow.
Things were slow on the 4 hr, but picked up for the 8 hr. We
fished the south edge and did quite well on bass to 37". We
also loaded up on bluefish. They are definitely around now.
There is said to be a good bass bite off P-town. As I said
last week, fortunately we haven't had to run that far yet.
It is a good time to be stacked with bass charters. The tuna
bite that started so hot has broken up. The bait moved off,
and the fish with them. the Hyannis TunaFest started today,
and out of 60 boats, only 2 fish were killed. Quite a change
from a week ago. We have a couple of school tuna trips
coming up in the next week or so, so we will look around and
see what we can see.
If you would like to try your hand at some of the great bass
fishing we are experiencing, or some school bluefin tuna
fishing, give me a call at 305.481.1291.
Please remember that the tuna fishing slots fill very
quickly. if you are even thinking about it, give me a call
and I can answer any questions you might have. Thanks!
The
new
Hindsight Sportfishing website is done. We are sill
populating the galleries, which will be done this weekend, but it is otherwise done. Check it
out!
Thanks! Brett Capt. Brett Wilson
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06/20/13 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II |
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The fishing season is well underway. The bass have
definitely taken up residence in the Bay. Now is when they
start settling down to more permanent areas. This next week
will somewhat indicate where that will be. Last weekend and
during this last week a good size pod of fish having been
occupying the area west of the old Target Ship and a bit
south of the south edge of Billingsgate Shoals. The birds
have aided us in their exact location. At times the stripers
may move right on the South Edge and even a little ways up
on top of the shoals. This does not mean that there aren’t
also fish along the Brewster Flats and down near Barnstable
Harbor. P-town can also hold fish especially in by Hatches
Harbor on the flood tide. This time of the season the
stripers start moving into other areas as the water warms
up. The North Edge of Billingsgate should be the next area
to support large schools of fish.
On Monday, a crew aboard the Triton, operated by Capt. Steve
Peters, had one of the best days fishing they have had in
years. From what Capt. Peters described to me on the radio
was basically “It’s awesome, just awesome...” I would say
that this coming Fourth of July Weekend will be just that. A
memorable weekend for bass fishing Cape Cod Bay. The two
trips I had last weekend were pretty good also. There were a
few boats out and we all did well getting our limits for the
crews we had aboard. No really big fish but some were close
to 3 footers.
If you plan to do some fishing this weekend on your own
vessel I would check out the areas near the harbor you
launch from. I feel with the warming water these fish will
really show themselves this weekend.
Get your trolling rods ready especially those with wire. The
umbrella rig on 200 feet of wire is working very well in the
deeper water over twenty feet. You have the deep water
outside of Barnstable Harbor and out towards the Fingers.
The area west of the old Target Ship, by the south edge of
the shoals and off the Brewster flats. Up by P-town check
from Wood End to Long Point or along the shore down to
towards the Pamet River. For those who want to cast look for
working birds and watch to see if they stay active long
enough to get to them. One piece of advice, don’t charge
over to every bunch of birds you see. You actually put down
fish doing this and hinder the fishing for the other
anglers. Work your way into the area and slowly move into
the fish. This way you can work them for much longer.
I’ve been told that the south side, the Sound side, of the
Cape has a good charge of bluefish. This means there is good
possibility that they may be in the Bay by early to mid
June. I hope so, I have a number of folks who want to target
those fish with light gear. At any rate it looks as if we
will have a very good early season run of stripers in the
Bay this year and that’s a good thing.
If you’d like to get in on some the early fishing in the Bay
call me at 508-240-8267 and I’ll try and get you out. If you
want to keep track of the tuna movements keep checking in on
the Offshore Pursuits web site for information from Capt.
Brett Wilson
Thanks! Hap
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The Cape at large... |
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Before I start, I need to share a link to the best giant
bluefin tuna video I have ever seen. Capt. Brett Wilson,
fishing George's Bank last year aboard the
Hindsight, "spoon" feeding a 700 lb. giant bluefin tuna.
If you watch closely, you can see the fish jump on the bait!
Pay attention to the initial run...awesome!
Speaking of bluefin tuna, there were a few fish caught this
week. Rumors of 75" and smaller fish being jigged up
(vertical jigs) off the Highland Light area are rampant.
There were also fish caught on spreader bars there and off
Peaked Hill.
As I said in the opener, depending who you talk to, there
are either lots of fish around, or they haven't seen much. I
guess when the stick boats start chasing them on Saturday,
weather permitting, we will see. The forecast doesn't look
good, but guess you never know.
According to reports, there was a nice run of big stripers
in the Canal over the weekend. by Monday, the fish were in
the Bay, and the bite dropped off.
The Sound side is starting to heat up. Bigger bass, and
bluefish are being taken from the area around Woods Hole and
south, with nothing being said about Monomoy and vicinity
yet.
There are bass and bluefish being taken all around Martha's
Vineyard. Decent bluefish are more prevalent than the bass,
but the fishing is good. I talked with one of my suppliers
the other day, and he caught 27 nice stripers off the
Vineyard over the weekend.
To everyone's dismay, from striper fisherman to giant
bluefin tuna fisherman, the squid are all but non-existent
this year in the sound. Yet to come...? Doesn't sound like
it.
I haven't heard much about the backside at all this week.
Last week there were reports of fishing being taken at
P-town and around the corner, but I haven't heard a word
this week.
Hopefully the weather cooperates this weekend. If so, good
luck. If not, there is always next week!
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05/30/13 |
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Rock Harbor Fishing Report
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II |
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Memorial Day Weekend Blitz |
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This last holiday weekend was a blitz. A blitz of clouds,
rain , and wind. With the exception of Monday, this weekend
felt like late March rather than the end of May. For the few
boats that did make it out the fishing was very good. The
stripers were still in the same place, on the south edge of
Billingsgate Shoals and in areas just west of where the old
Target Ship use to be. One of the boats did find some fish
down by the area known as the New Grounds. This area is 2 to
3 miles west of the Target ship and about a mile of so north
of the Brewster Flats. If you look on a chart it is a
plateau area with a drop off to the west, The fish get up on
the New Grounds on the flood tide and on the dropping tide
they gather near that drop off to the west.
There was an unusual fish caught during the Memorial Day
Weekend. On Saturday during the full day trip one of the two
boats that did make it out landed a big bluefish. It turns
out that one of the Barnstable boats caught one in
Barnstable Harbor also. One Monday, which was a very nice
day a couple more were landed. This is very early for these
fish to show up in the Bay. It might be worth a look in the
shallow water off the Eastham shore to see if there are any
amount of them there. That’s where they are usually found
first.
Memorial Day, Monday, was a really nice day. Hardly any
wind, lots of sun, and nice warm temperatures. When the
boats left the harbor one headed for the deep water off the
north edge of Billingsgate Shoals. Capt. Steve Ellis, aboard
the Watanya, was taking a chance on finding fish in the deep
water. Well, it was a good bet. Out in 50 feet of water he
found two to three schools of good size stripers. This is a
bit early for them to be out there so this is good sign. We
all got some of those fish and then headed back to the south
edge when the tide changed to see if the stripers would show
up there and they did.
This last Tuesday I got Michael Wong and his wife Karen out
for the half day trip in the afternoon. After looking on the
south edge of the shoals we headed to the deep water. In
that same 50 feet of water we found a number of small
bunches of stripers which were very hungry. It was not long
before we landed the 4 keepers they could take home. This
was Karen's first time out fishing like this. I told her she
would land the biggest fish and she did. A nice 37 inch
striper with a slightly smaller one on the same umbrella
rig.
The main places to look during the up coming week would be,
of course, the north edge of the shoals. However, there are
many small schools of stripers west of the old Target Ship.
These fish are up on the surface and can be cast to. The old
stand by umbrella rig works well. You can also try trolling
single plugs. The white or green mackerel bomber seem to
work the best.
The umbrella rigs I use, which I’ve found to be the best,
are sold at the Goose Hummock. The six arm rigs work the
best for the stripers where the four arm rigs work very for
the bluefish. You can use either a swimming plug or a spoon
on the center trailer. Both work very well. Use them on
either 200 ft. wire set up or 150 ft wires depending on the
water depth you are in. Trolling speed is around 4 knots.
As the season progresses keep track of the tuna fishing with
reports on Offshore Pursuits. Dave will have reports from a
number of tuna boats but the more important one will be from
the
Hindsight operated by Capt. Brett Wilson. He is one of
the better tuna fishermen in our area.
If you’d like to get in on this early season fishing give me
a call at 508-240-8267
and we’ll try to put one of those good size stripers on the
end of your line. |
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08/30/12
Summer is Ending, The fish Are Not...
Capt. Hap Farrell |
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Labor Day is upon us and this is a signal that the summer is
coming to an end. The fish don't know this, they are just
getting going. The little herring fry are starting to come
out of the runs and the bass and bluefish will soon be ready
to greet them with open mouths.
Before I get into what is happening in Cape Cod Bay I would
like to bring up a few points. This weekend is a holiday
weekend so I figure there will be a little partying going
on. Remember, running a boat intoxicated is equally
dangerous as driving a car. The one thing you have to
realize you can not get out of the boat and walk home.
Please be careful and have a designated operator.
The big bluefish have made their presence known. A few days
ago we found some on the north edge of Billingsgate Shoals
out in 35 to 45 feet of water. They are umbrella rig
destroyers. Get three of the fish on a rig and it comes in
looking like a pretzel. They can also be found off
Barnstable Harbor out is 60 feet of water off the West Bar.
I have not been up to the Path but I imagine they are there
also. The small herring are starting to come out of the runs
now so when the two meet there will be a commotion.
The striped bass have made their presence known down by
Barnstable Harbor. However the bite only lasts a hour or so
and it's in the very early morning, just after sunrise.
Single hootchies trolled fast or jigging are the two methods
that work the best. There are some big bass mixed in with
the bluefish out in that 60 feet of water also. There are
some stripers in the Square, 45 to 50 feet of water off
Great Island, but you have to jig with very long wires (450
ft.). They mainly show up on the dropping tide. Umbrella
rigs may work also but you will load up on bluefish with a
striper now and then. P-town is another spot that is
producing stripers but not like last season. Most have been
taken in front of the Bath House but here too there are so
many bluefish they are hard to get to. The stripers aren't
there all the time either. It is somewhat of a gamble to run
all the way up there.
I went down to the Barnstable area twice this last week. The
first trip was a full day trip so we worked the area and
were able to pick up a few nice stripers. Kevin O'Sullivan
and his family landed six nice bass and a good number of
bluefish. The biggest striper was 44 inches and a good 25
pound fish. The next time I went was a few days later on an
early morning half day trip. It's over 14 miles to the first
area we fish so I had to push the throttle up a bit. Another
boat, the Luau, went down also. When we got there we noticed
the fish were hard on the bottom so we went right to jigging
which produced a few good size bass near or slightly over
the 40 inch length. Right at the end one of the Barnstable
boats found fish up on the most eastern end of the West Bar.
We hit them with single hootchies trolled faster than normal
and hooked up a few more striper. Steve Vanasse, his son and
family, lucked out. Steve's son landed a 48 inch striper
which was very close to being 40 pounds. A nice fish.
If you'd like to help search for these fish in Cape Cod Bay
call me at 508-240-8267.
Keep track of the Offshore Pursuits web site for information
concerning the giant bluefish activities. Dave keeps track
of the day to day movements of these fish.
If you’d like to help search for these fish in Cape Cod Bay
call me at 508-240-8267.
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www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com |
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08/30/12 |
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Capt. Bruce Peters |
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Capeshores Charters |
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"Hi Folks,
Yesterday was one of the bluebird beautiful fall days, with
amazing blue skies and puffy white clouds. The striped bass
took about an hour to get biting as the tide flow gathered
velocity, but once they started it was game on ! We had
multiple drifts of 3 and 4 rod hookups as we drifted our
sand eels across the sand bars of the rips. Unfortunately we
had no one else to share this amazing fishing with as there
wasn't another boat anywhere near us ! We caught a limit of
12 stripers and one bass for myself within 2.5 hours of
leaving the dock. The average size of the fish we landed was
36 or 37 inches. Nice bass for the end of August, no ?
The day before I was tuna fishing with a group that included
an excellent sushi chef and his pals from the Worcester
area, and I learned a few things about the cuts of the fish
to make sushi. I had always thought that the "Chutoro" was
part of the belly flap, but it is actually found in the
lesser loin, between the red backbone "Maguro" and the
fattier belly flap or "Toro". We managed to land the limit
of two bluefin, one between 27" and 47" and the second one
at 55", between the required slot size of 47" and 73". Keep
in mind these are "charter" or "head boat" boat rules. On a
"recreational" or "angling category" boat, you are only
allowed to take ONE fish between 27" and 73". We managed to
catch these fish within 5 miles of our dock on Tuesday, so
get on out there and catch one !
As we get into the fall days, the tuna bite will accelerate
and if you have been wanting to add a tuna trip to your
experiences, now is the time to reserve a day for your
group. By the end of next week we will have lost many of our
tourists as the schools reopen to enlighten the youth of
America, and the waters off Cape Cod will be less crowded
but still teeming with fin fishes for your angling exitement.
Bluefin Tuna, Striped Bass, Bluefish, False Albacore,
sharks, seals, whales and other marine life await you and
your group.
Come aboard ! Catchem' UP !
Capt. Bruce & Marilyn S" |
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This weeks fishing reports are on the home page of
Offshore Pursuits. |
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After this week, we will start to publish weekly to this
page also. Thanks. Dave |
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09/22/11 |
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The Cape at Large... |
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You can read about the bass and bluefish in the Bay in Hap's
report following this report..
The back side beaches are seeing the action pick up.
Bluefish blitzes and decent sized bass are popping up all
along the back side. There are still bass outside the new
cut in Chatham also.
Fat Alberts (southern for false albacore) are covering up
the southside. The sound, Monomoy, Nantucket, and all around
the Vineyard are holding fish. There are bass and bluefish
mixed in as well.
The exciting news is the bluefin tuna bite. It is heating up
all over. There are football being taken off Nauset in 40'
of water, fish to 60" being taken inside Crab Ledge, some
giants are said to be coming from the BB/BC area as well.
Peaked Hill is giving up some giants as is Stellwagon Bank.
The real hotspots are Cape Cod Bay, between the Fishing
ledge and P-town, straight out from the bath house. Giants
as well as school fish are feeding amongst the draggers that
are working the area. Yesterday there was a fleet of 50 to
60 boats working the area. The day before yesterday there
was a 120" fish landed that tipped the scales at 1000 lbs.
plus! With the weather predicted to be decent this weekend,
it should be a parking lot! The other hotspot is way east on
George's bank. many boats are coming in with three fish.
Don't be fooled into thinking that these fish are hopping in
the boat as they were last year at this time. The boats that
are successful are working hard to get their fish. Knowledge
is the key here, as is proven by the same guys bringing in
the big fish trip after trip.
If you have the boat and the tackle, Cape Cod bay would be
my choice for the weekend. Live bait on a kite in search of
that 1000 lb'er!
Good luck this weekend, what ever you are chasing! Dave |
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09/22/11 |
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Capt. Hap Farrell |
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More Fall Fishing... |
The days are getting shorter. The sun up later in the
morning and goes down earlier in the evening. There is a
chill in the air when I go down to the harbor and aboard the
boat. The radio is strangely quite. No one is on the water.
This does not mean the fish are gone, just the economy’s
effect on our September fishing. When we do get out there is
now problem finding either the bluefish or some nice sized
stripers.
We’ve had some good trips out of Rock Harbor. Fortunately
the striped bass have moved closer to home. We need not go
to Barnstable Harbor or up to P-town to find striped bass in
the 20 to 30 pound range. All we need to do is check out
Billingsgate Shoals and if they are not there go out to the
Square and start jigging there. We are forced to use our
long jigging wires (450 ft.) in the deep water but it is the
best way we’ve found. Now and then when the schools of fish
are closer to the surface the umbrella rigs will work but
the larger bass are on the bottom in 40 to 50 feet of water
and you need to use the long jig wires to get to them.
As for the bluefish, they are mixed in with the stripers in
the deep water but they can also be found in along the
Eastham shore. This is my favorite area to fish for
bluefish. You can use light trolling tackle in there and on
occasion find fish to cast on. My favorite way is with the
light action trolling tackle such as rod and reel
combinations using 6 lb. test line. This is a real challenge
for any angler.
Some of the areas to check out. As the season comes to close
the bass and bluefish have, in the past, gathered in certain
locations. The best known is Billingsgate Shoals and next is
the deep water off Great Island and around the square area.
There the umbrella rigs or the long jigging wires work best.
One other area is the Brewster Flats and just off the edge
of the flats. This area has not been very productive so far
this season but with the herring coming out of the runs, it
just might come alive.
My bet is either the shoals or the deep water off the
shoals. So, I’ll see you out there at least a few more times
this fall. Good luck...
If you want to keep track of what is happening off the outer
beaches give the Goose Hummock a call at 508-255-0455. To
fish Cape Cod Bay call me at 508-240-8267. |
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www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com |
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08/25/11 |
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com |
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There is a school or small number of schools of big stripers
swimming around Cape Cod Bay. At times you can find them off
Barnstable Harbor. Either on the East Bar or, most likely,
the West Bar. If not there look to the “Fingers”. The next
are in off the north edge of Billingsgate Shoals in the deep
water. That is 45 feet or deeper. You will mark them on your
fish finder but that doesn’t mean you will hook up. They are
acting finicky, very finicky.
The boats that do well in the deep water off the shoals find
that just after the tides starts in for about 2 to 3 hours
is the best time. Jigging with 450 foot wire works best. The
umbrella rig will have some results but mostly big bluefish.
Once the tide has started in a while, like two hours before
high water, the fish seem to spread out. Where these big
fish go is anyone's guess.
For those who just want to have some fun catching bluefish
go up on the flats East of the #3 and #5 cans in about 13 to
18 feet of water and troll small hootchies or swimming plugs
around at 5 knots or so and you’ll find some small bluefish
to play with. These fish are the good eating size and fun to
take on with lighter tackle.
We are having a special event at Rock Harbor this coming
Sunday, the 28th. At 8:30 am. the Rock Harbor Charter Fleet
will be taking some our veterans out for a half day of
sportfishing. This is being set up by “Cape Cod Cares for
the Troops” and being sponsored by the Rock Harbor Charter
Service and the Elks. It is not really a tournament but I’m
sure we will keep track of the biggest fish caught that day.
I believe the whole fleet is involved so come down and give
the troops a good send off and come back at around 12:30 pm
to see them return with their catch. It is the least we can
do for someone who puts the life in jeopardy in our name.
What to do for this next week? It’s hard to say. If you are
fishing over the lower water and want to check out the West
Bar off Barnstable Harbor I think I’d take the ride. If not
there go out to the deep water off the north edge and stay
in 40 to 50 feet of water and troll up towards the Path. If
you see fish on the bottom with your fish finder set out a
long wire (450 feet) and jig in that area. The bluefish
should be in by the Path and, during the flood tide, in off
the Eastham shore.
I had some local folks our on a half day trip last week. It
was Erin Shupenis and her father Ray. Erin works for the
town of Orleans during the week and waitresses at the Land
Ho on weekends. Erin landed three bluefish on the umbrella
rig she was fishing with. We did have a striper on but it
got off right at the boat. The Luau landed two striper and
the Fair Lady landed a bass that was almost 36 inches. Both
boats also landed some bluefish also. |
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If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at:
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211. |
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08/04/11 |
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Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com |
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August Doldrums... |
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It’s the beginning of August. The summer is more than half
over and we are starting to run on emergency power. We wake
up, and head to the boat, even if we don’t have a trip,
because we don’t know where else to go. The beaches are
crowded, the roads are crowded and we are just hoping to get
out on the water. Even some of the areas out there are
crowded.
The fishing is good, not great, but we are keeping everyone
happy with a decent load of stripers and some bluefish mixed
in. The main area we start fishing is the north edge of
Billingsgate Shoals. If we don’t find much there we may go
out to the deep water and troll rigs or single hootchies
around looking for bluefish. At times we find some fish and
land a half a dozen or so. Then we go back to the shoals and
work the south edge looking for the stripers again. So far,
we’ve been successful at our endeavors. For whatever reason,
P-town has been fairly quiet lately.
There are tons upon tons of bait, mainly sand eels, on
Billingsgate Shoals. It has been a long time since there has
been this much food concentrated in one area. This is what
seems to be keeping the bass on the shoals. There has been
one or two days when the sand eels have moved off and they
took the fish with them. So, if you get out to the shoals
and do not find the bait there, go right out to the deep
water and look around. As far as P-town is concerned, look
to next weekend before the fish move back in any volume.
Before I get into the groups who fished this last week I’d
like to tell of a young woman who has fished with me for
many years and is now working for me as a mate part time.
Emily Ewen and her father Chris started fishing with me six
years ago. Emily was eleven then. Now she is seventeen. Last
season she expressed an interest in learning to mate on the
boat, so we trained her some. This season, with a bit more
training, Emily was ready to take a trip by herself. When
asked if she was nervous her reply was “I’ll do the best I
can”. That’s all I or anyone can expect. She was good to her
word. She did the best she could and it was more than anyone
could expect. She will be a busy young lady come next
summer.
I had a number of families out this past week. I had the
Gilbrides, the Grays , and the Jagemanns amongst other.
Carrie Gilbride is the daughter of Dave and Mary Smith. Dave
mated for me years ago one fall before he passed. The
Jagemanns are friends of the Gilbrides, and their daughter
Casey and Izzy are friends so when they fish together theyt
are known as the Dynamic Duo. The Grays are another family
that regularly go fishing and their daughter Cassandra
turned out to be the fisherman of the week.
Capt. Chuck Cataldo, of the Fair Lady had a spilt trip this
last Tuesday with Chuck Conlen and Gerald Correau plus
friends. They did very well with a good number of good sized
stripers. This trip came through the Rock Harbor Charter
Service (508-255-9757), the Booth at Rock Harbor. |
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08/04/11 |
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The Cape at large.... |
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As I mentioned, the Canal has been the bright spot this past
week with some nice fish moving in with the big tides.
Reports indicate soft plastic shad imitations are the hot
bait right now.
There are some big bluefish being taken off Monomoy, along
the backside and around the corner...The striper bite has
slowed off Chatham There are some fish around, but not
stacked up like they were.
As you read in Hap's report, the fishing in the Bay is
decent, but you have to work for what you get.
The bluefin bite has slowed way down off Chatham for now.
There are a few fish being landed, but nothing like last
week. There are some fish being taken off Peaked Hill, and
more on Stellwagon. There are also reports of fish moving
into the Bay. I have heard from a reliable source that one
boat for sure headed to Georges earlier in the week.
Mechanical problems kept him from reaching his destination,
but I am sure he had a very good reason to be headed in that
direction.
Good luck to all of you this weekend! Dave |
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07/28/11 |
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NOTICE: |
The National marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closes the
northern area Angling catagory fishery for large medium and
giant ("trophy") BFT for the remainder of the 2011 season.
Fishing for, retaining, possessing, or landing large medium
and giant BFT (measuring 73 inches curved fork length or
greater) north of 39 degrees 18 minute N. lat. (off Great
Egg Inlet, NJ,) is prohibited effective 11:30 p.m. local
time, on July 29, 2011.
Click here to read the full notice. |
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07/28/11 |
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Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com |
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It was the 24th of July when we, the charter captains, could
officially say the bluefish are here in force. They have
turned up in different spots off and on up until now. Once
we found them off the Eastham shore and the fish were gone.
Next we’d find them out in the deep water and then they were
gone. Two weeks ago they showed up off the Path for a few
days and then they disappeared. Now they have shown up from
the Path south to Henderson’s Rock from 15 feet of water out
to 30 feet of water. Tom Smith, who commercially fishes for
these fish told us they have been moving into the Bay for
the last few days. Now if the bass is slow we still have one
of the hardest fighting fish, the bluefish, to chase around.
From what I hear the big commercial size bass are still
hanging out in front of the new cut in Pleasant Bay. The
larger fish are measuring from 36 to 44 inches but you have
to cull through some smaller fish. Either jigging with a
long wire or vertical jig with Ronzi’s is what is working
best. In the Bay we are doing equally as well but the bass
are a little smaller, perfect dinner size. From 29 to 34
inches. We, the charter captains are kind of glad we don’t
have a lot of big fish around. Less boat traffic to deal
with. Jigging on top of Billingsgate Shoal is still the best
game in town. P-town is slow right now, but that will change
when we get back to the bigger tides I think.
There is one thing that is a little troublesome. There is
still very little action in the area along the Eastham shore
and around the #3 and #5 cans near the entrance to Welfleet
Harbor. Traditionally this area always held a good amount of
bluefish and was a good place to take a family with you kids
so we could put them on fish they could handle easier. It
still only has fish now and then. Not on a regular basis. No
one knows why this is.
What will go on next week? Hopefully some larger stripers
will move in on top of the shoals. The large schools of bass
will come back to P-town especially from the Race down to
Wood End and more bluefish move into the Bay. It’s a good
possibility that one or more of these things will happen.
The big tides are starting up soon and this will push the
fish back to where we can get to them. Get your jigs and
umbrella rigs ready. Make sure your wire rods have fresh
wire and the reels are in good shape.
I had two groups out this week that were lots of fun and we
did well. Marcos Maranda, from Harwich, brought his crew out
for a full day trip. The weather was a little off, cloudy
and slightly drizzly at times. The fishing was fantastic.
They easily got their limit plus much more. The Brazilian
sausage was equally as good as the fishing. The second trip
was a booth trip. A father and son and father and daughter.
Zack, who’s eleven, and has fished out of Rock Harbor before
and Meghan, who has experience fishing in the Florida area
but never for stripers, loaded the boat. Zack, an old hand
at this type of fishing was equaled by Miss Meghan whose
experience showed in her ability to handle these majestic
fish. |
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If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at:
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211. |
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07/28/11 |
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The Cape at Large... |
The striped bass fishing is pretty slow, EXCEPT for Chatham.
The bad news is that anyone fishing for striped bass is off
Chatham. Off the new inlet to be exact. Diamond Jigs are the
lure of choice. Be prepared for tons of company though. When
things get slow, troll umbrella rigs or jigs. There are
reports of fish moving up the beach, but not much past
Nauset.
There are bluefish everywhere. Big fish in the rips off
Monomoy and Handkerchief Shoals. Schools of big fish off the
Race and in the Bay also.
The good news is that the bluefin bite is good. East of
Chatham on Bird Bars or Hatteras Creature's. Reports of
multiple fish days are becoming more common. Big fish on
Peaked hill and up on Stellwagon. Live bluefish on kites or
under a balloon are working well. Still have not heard of
much going on in the Bay as far as the bluefin go.
Make sure you read the top of this page and click to read
the full notice regarding the closure of the northern area
Angling category fishery for large medium and giant
("trophy") BFT for the remainder of the 2011 season.
Have a great weekend and good luck! |
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07/26/11 |
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Capt. Bruce Peters
Capeshores Charters |
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Hi Folks,
I've been a little busy lately with the charters and havent
had time to give a real fish report. I usually do a long
tuna trip or two bass trips a day. I am being frustrated
with the folks that call or email and ask if aI have an
opening for tomorrow am or the day after etc. Just like a
great hotel or a great restaurant, a great charter service
reserves in advance. Capeshores Charters reserves in advance
for one reason. We have the best striped bass and bluefin
tuna fisheries on the east coast within 30 minutes of the
harbor entrance ! Please be smart and call ahead for your
reservation. Currently the next openings are 7/30 & 31, 8/1
(pm), 8/3, 8/6, 8/7, 8/14, 15, 16, 17, & 18.
As for the fishing, I caught over 40 stripers yesterday on
the 4 hour trip with a husband and wife charter on 14 pound
test ! On Saturday we hooked and lost 2 nice 60 inch bluefin
before 8 am ! On the 19th and 20th we caught a nice
retainable tuna on each day ! The fishing for stripers is
phenomenal, with many boats catching lots of stripers on the
bottom. We are using butterfly and diamond jigs to get the
fish. Each fish is fat with sand eels and if you can get the
technique down you will catch plenty of fish.
If you would like to get in on the action, email me at the
address below (bruce@sportfishingcapecod.com)
and make a reservation. There are lots of openings available
for August and September and the fishing just off Chatham's
shorelines will continue to be great through September into
October.
Thanks very much,
Bruce & "Marilyn S" |
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07/21/11 |
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com
07/21/11
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Coming Back Home |
It is about time. The fish are starting to make their
presence known again. Last week the bluefish showed up along
the Eastham shore in strength. They were hitting the
hootchies like old times. More bass and bluefish are showing
up in the deep water and this time umbrella rigs are working
as well as the long jig wire. All we need is a big flood of
large bass on top of Billingsgate Shoals to top everything
off. That would be nice.
In years past every time we had a hard northwest blow, 15 to
25 knots or more, the schools of striped bass in the deep
water would be pushed up or come up on the shoals the day
after. The fishing would be really good for a few days.
Jigging or even single hootchies on wire would be the most
productive. We have not really had that happen yet. We had a
small taste of that happen this last Tuesday and it did help
the fishing some.
The commercial season is not affecting Cape Cod Bay too
much. It seems there are a few good sized schools of
commercial size bass parked off the new cut on the outer
beach. No one is sure how long this will last. One good
heavy easterly could shut off the whole thing. Last year
P-town was the place we found a lot of big bass and then at
the end of the commercial season they showed up off Nauset
Inlet. Maybe it will go in reverse this season.
I hope the bluefish continue to move into our area. I’d like
to see them in the shallow water from Great Island up
towards the Pamet River. Also, the tuna fishermen would love
to see the smaller bluefish show up because they make better
live bait than the larger ones which are around now. The
smaller bluefish may bring the giant bluefin tuna into the
Bay which would round out a good season. This would be a
great thing.
One question I’ve been asked a lot is, “where have all the
big bass gone?” I think that the migration habits of fish
are cyclic. There will be seasons when we have a lot of
bluefish around and only a smattering of stripers, like
years ago. The things reverse and we have a lot of stripers
around and the amount of bluefish wanes down some. Right now
I think we are in the middle of this cycle. Not a large
amount of stripers and a small amount of bluefish. It is a
theory of mine with no scientific basis behind it, so take
it for what it is worth.
This last week I had a group from Big Brothers & Big Sisters
out for a half day trip. Zoee Terry, Emma Mitchell, and
German Hercules tried their hand at the good bass fishing we
have on Cape Cod Bay. We landed three nice bass with German
landing the biggest. It was 38 inches long and weighed 22
pounds. This is the second season I’ve done this and it will
definitely not be the last. It is a treat to watch these
kids fight what could be the first fish they have ever
caught. |
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If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at:
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211. |
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07/21/11 |
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Striped Bass with Tom McCombs and
Sweet Lips Jigs |
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Dave,
Cape Cod Bay, Race Point and Herring Cove have been slow for
the last week. A huge hatch of sand eels has taken place and
they are thick from Wood End to Race Point Beach, this
should make the fishing better. Birds, bait and maybe some
fish? Yes there we a few keeper bass caught yesterday
between Race Point and Wood End! Things are looking better.
The back side has big bluefish and a few bass, jig between
the pot lines where the water is 30 to 40 feet deep. We
caught blues up to 15 pounds and a few keeper bass. The
black and red jigs were getting the most action but the
keeper bass were taken on green and white jigs.
Chatham seems to be where the best action is, just try to
find a place to launch the boat with available parking, not
easy. I am hoping that today's SW winds will move the fish
back to the Race.
Tight Lines, Tom
Sweet Lips Jigs
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07/21/11 |
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The Cape at Large |
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As you have read, the striper fishing has slowed a bit with
the exception of the new cut in Chatham. Problem here is
that it is commercial bass season and you will have lots of
company. The Race and cape cod Bay may turn on any day, and
that may be your best bet.
Offshore is where the action is now. From the SE corner of
Stellwagon to the Golf Ball fish are being taken on the
troll and with live bluefish and pogies under a kite or a
balloon. The
Carlson Fuku Bird Bars are by far the number one
producer on the troll. Peaked Hill is giving up fish to live
bait. ten miles off Chatham the fleet is doing very well
with mixed classes of fish. Slot fish to giants, both
trolling and using live bait.
Cape Cod bay is loaded with little footballs, but no big
fish reported yet.
10 miles SW of the Vineyard around the fingers area there
are a ton of bluefin in the 40 lb. to 80 lb. class to be
had.
If you have the boat to get there, the hot spot to be right
now is in the canyons. reports from Atlantis, both west and
east are loaded with stories of big yellowfin, big eye tuna,
mahi-mahi (all you could ever want), white and blue marlin.
There are good reports of makos being taken off Martha's
Vineyard...some to 700 lbs. Just in time for this weekends
monster shark tournament!
Whatever you are fishing for, good luck! Dave |
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07/07/11 |
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The Cape at Large |
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The Canal is pretty slow right now, although there are a few
fish being caught. Gay Head is still producing nice fish on
the chunk, with Tom Shoals holding fish also.
You read Bruce's report...the bass are on the rips off
Monomoy. Nantucket Sound is covered up with big bluefish,
and there are bass outside the inlet in Chatham.
Not a whole lot going on off the backside, but fresh
sandeels fished on the bottom are worth a shot.
The Race is holding fish, with the boats doing better than
the surf crowd.
On the tuna front, the big fish are coming from the SW
corner of Stellwagon to Peaked Hill. A lot guys are fishing
kites, with the rest fishing under baloons. East of Chatham
is giving up slot fish to splash bars, especially to the
Carlson Fuku Bird Bar.
There are small fish being taken South of the Vineyard, and
reports of a few small yellowfin being caught at the Dump.
Good luck this weekend. Dave |
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07/07/11 |
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
www.capecodbaycharters.com
capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com
07/07/11
4th of July Striped Bass Blitz
Since I've been fishing out of Rock Harbor I've heard the
the famous 4th of July blitz of striped bass or bluefish
that happens on this weekend. To be truthful, I've never
seen what has been described to me. That is, seeing big
stripers crowed in on Billingsgate Shoals and go nuts. When
you can troll through this area and hook up on this big
majestic fish with ease, knowing you'll be landing a nice
big fish. As we looked forward to this last 4th week end we
all hoped this would really happens. Well, it didn't.
The bluefish have finally arrived up in the South Sunken
Meadow area. They are not there all the time, but it's worth
going up there and checking it out. When they are, it is
gang busters and these fish are not small. Right now red and
orange hootchies or most any swimming plug will work well.
With the swimming plug on mono troll it around 4 1/2 to 5
knots and with the hootchies just under 6 knots will be the
most productive. No one has looked up in the area around the
Path or the shallow water along the Welfleet/Truro line, but
these large bluefish may be there also.
Each year the stripers seem to pick a spot where you are
most likely to find them and a method that seems to work the
best. Right now there seems to be two spots like this. I'm
not talking about P-town. That area will always be a good
spot like the Bath House area, Race Point, and between Wood
End and Long Point are those areas. The two areas down
closer to Rock Harbor and Sesuit would be the West End of
Billingsgate Shoals and the deep water off the north edge.
This area in the deep water is called "The Square".
Jigging in the deep water can be a real hassle. You have to
use really long wire to jig in 50 feet of water. We put 450
feet of wire on with a good sized reel with plenty of
backing on a fairly stiff rod. The fish are usually spread
out and you have to be marking them on the bottom with a
good fish finder. Lately, we've found schools of bass out in
this deep water and they will not take umbrella rigs or any
other lure system other than the jig. Hopefully, this will
change. It takes a long time to reel in 450 feet of wire,
especially with a 35 inch striper on the other end.
I had Jen Franzen, who manages Cloud Nine Video Rentals in
the Orleans Market Place, out fishing with a friend of hers,
Nate. They both landed a number of striped bass with more
the six being legal sized to keep. They kept the four
largest and released the others. We started out on the west
end of Billingsgate Shoal taking one keeper size bass there.
Then we went out to the deep water off the shoals and landed
5 more good size bass. Than came back to the west end and
hooked up of more fish. We kept these two new anglers fairly
busy. The will sleep good when they back to their homes. It
may not have been a fourth of July blitz, but it was still
very good fishing.
If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at:
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211. |
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Capt. Bruce Peters
Capeshores Charters |
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07/05/11 |
Exploding with Striped Bass !
Hi Folks,
Happy Fourth of July ! Fireworks were first used to
celebrate the Independence of our new country in 1777. It
seems this year the striped bass that we all love to fish
for have celebrated their arrival to the Monomoy area the
week of the July 4 holiday as well. Bearse's Shoals and the
rips there all have breaking bass and birds on them for the
last couple of days. Handkerchief Shoals too has good
numbers of bait, birds and bass. Stonehorse Shoal also will
have good action particularly on the incoming tide. The fish
range in sizes from 30 to 45 inches, and on our light 14
pound test spinning gear are lots of fun to catch. We had
our limit today in less than two hours and were throwing em
back. On other boats, you can catch em quicker using a heavy
rod and cranking them in over the top of the water while the
captain continues trolling, but i like a more delicate
approach to catching them. There are also some good bass
numbers off Chatham harbor and Nauset in the open waters if
you can find the bait and mark the fish on your fish finder.
The Bluefin tuna had shut off for a few days last week. Many
top fishers never caught a fish 3 or 4 days in a row. Today
there was again a decent bite in the morning, as long as you
were away from the bass and blues and kept your lines clean.
I expect decent tuna fishing from here on out, as there were
small slot fish mixed in with the larger fish, showing us
younger year classes. (a positive sign)
Give us a call for some great striped bass and bluefin tuna
fishing. There are still a few openings available for the
week of July 12 - 16.
Good Luck,
Capt. Bruce & "Marilyn S" |
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06/23/11 |
A bunch of tuna "slot" fish have moved in east of Chatham
mixed in with the 75 to 80 inch fish that were there last
week. This is good news for those who want to take a fish
home.
The striper fishing is picking up in the rips off Monomoy,
with the next couple of weeks looking to get even better.
Read on for more info...
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06/23/11 |
Fish Can’t Read...
By: Capt. Hap Farrell |
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Stunmai II
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Well, it is officially summer now. Schools are letting out,
the vacationers are starting to arrive and the fish are
waiting to be caught. So, those of you who are waiting to
catch them you are in luck. Seriously, the bluefish have
arrived in strength on the south shore of the Cape and are
working their way into the Bay. The lead schools have
already arrive and are settling in. The striped bass are a
little reluctant to make room for them but they realize they
will have to.
The bass are still in the New Ground area and during the
flood tide can be very active. Just look for working birds
and work into them slowly. One thing we, as charter
captains, see every season are the chargers. Those skiffs
that see working birds and go full bore to them and start
casting into them. What they don't realize in doing this
they put down more schools getting there and spook the
school they are trying to get to. Working up to them slowly
and into a position either up wind or up tide from them and
then drifting into them will give the angler much more time
with an active school. More often than not the school of
fish is only up for a short time anyway.
Some of the other active areas are the south edge of
Billingsgate Shoals, during the dropping tide, the deep
water on the east end of the shoals out to 50 feet, and in
by the #3 and #5 cans by Billingsgate Island itself.
Remember, you can only see the Island at low water. P-town
is very active, especially in by the Bath House on an
incoming tide.
A quick note. The Blessing of the Fleet at Rock Harbor last
Saturday went better than expected. There were a good number
of people in attendance and many boats in the fleet were
blessed. Next year should be even better.
There are more and more bluefish showing up mixed in with
the stripers. During the middle of last week the New Grounds
was quite active with a number of schools of bass working
the surface. There were a few bluefish mixed in. I ended up
landing at least two to three each day. I expect they will
show up in on Stony Bar any day now.
Things are going to start settling in in the next week and
all the regular areas will start to get active. Just a
little warmer and more sun and I think we will have a good
season. The deep water off billingsgate Shoals should be the
area to fish for next week. I think that whole area will
explode with both bass and bluefish. I had the Facinnelli
family out last Tuesday. They are from Tampa, Florida. Jim,
the father, is an avid fisherman and has his own boat down
there. Well, we showed how good the fishing is up here. His
whole family did well landing 8 nice stripers and one good
size bluefish. His son, Dominick, out did everyone by
landing more fish than all of them. Not bad for a nine year
young man.
If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at:
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211.
Thanks Hap!
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06/23/11 |
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Capt. Bruce Peters
Capeshores Charters
Cape Cod Stripers & Tuna
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Hi Folks,
The Bluefin bite is on ! There are both small and large fish
mixed together in the area, making it perfect for folks that
want to take a fish home to eat. The keeper size is one
between 27" & 47 " and one fish between 47" and 59". Before
this week most all of the fish caught were over the 59" size
and were being released. But this last week a bunch of new
smaller fish showed up, which is a great sign of further
healthy year classes and makes for a happier charter when
sashimi is served at the end of the day !
Reports yesterday were of three and four fish landings on
many boats. The fish bit throughout the day, with several
landed in the middle of the day when the tide was still
running hard. A very good sign ! Most of the fish are
between the Crab Ledge and the BC buoy and are being taken
on splash bars in all colors. Im partial to black, but
rainbow, and pink w blue dots is working too. Last trip we
hooked up on the black splash bar and the brown and pink
bar, both on the short rigger.
I went striped bass fishing yesterday at Handkerchief Shoals
and had a limit of fish before the charter was halfway
through. Most all of these stripers were between 27 and 34
inches, and we did catch one bluefish. I fished bait on my
15 pound test spinning gear, drifting the baits naturally
through the rips to catch these fish. There were not many
gulls working the rip at all. I expect things to
dramatically improve over the next two weeks there.
Call for more info or to make a reservation. Thanks very
much,
Capt. Bruce & "Marilyn S" |
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06/23/11 |
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The Cape at Large... |
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The Canal fishing is slow...but if you do try go at night.
The most consistent action is coming after dark.
As you read in Haps report, it sounds like the Bay is the
place to be this weekend.
There is some action on the backside fishing sand eels on
the bottom.
Capt. Bruce told you about the hot bite east of
Chatham...That should only get better also.
The Vineyard is covered up in bluefish. There are some nice
bass being taken off the backside of the island. Middle
Ground in the sound is giving up fish to wire and jigs. Some
decent fish have been landed.
As I said, the Bay seems to be the place to go for the
weekend. Good Luck!
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06/03/11 |
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The Fishing Report |
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The fishing is picking up coast wide. The billfish bite last
week was incredible off Hatteras. One boat I know of saw 10
blue marlin and landed 4, landed 4 sailfish and 2 white
marlin. He also lost a 700 lb'er at the boat yesterday. What
seems to absent are the meat fish. The dolphin fishing is
terrible as of yesterday. They are saying that the long
liners are now targeting the dolphin and are taking them in
big numbers. Hopefully that will change.
The Big Rock starts the 10th...that should be a good show...
I just got of the phone with a customer who told me that
they were covered up in yellowfin the other day. Nine rods
went off at once, with seven fish landed. He says they
ranged from 25 to 45 lbs. Not bad...
Further up the coast off the Cape is looking good. As you
read in Haps report, the Bay is coming alive.
The tuna have showed up also. I was informed a few hours ago
that here was an 80" fish taken off Chatham, 4 fish caught
on Stellwagon, and one on Jeffry's.
If the late spring bite they had off Hatteras is any
indication of what this summer is going to be then Hang on!
From bass to bluefin, whatever you are targeting, good luck!
Dave
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06/01/11 |
The Bluefish are Back...
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
In the past few days I heard a voice on the radio say, “I
just took a bluefish.” This is a good sign for our upcoming
season. The bluefish add a challenge to the fishing in Cape
Cod Bay. The bluefish is one of the harder fighting fish,
for its size, in our area. It is the mainstay for the
charter business in the Bay. These fish are found in both
shallow and deep water and will hit a number of different
lures. Also you can use different methods to catch them.
Casting surface plugs, fly fishing, trolling plugs on mono,
using umbrella rigs, jigging with wire, and vertical jigging
are some of the more popular methods. It is good to hear of
their arrival.
The striper fishing has been pretty good this last week. Not
many boats have been out but the ones who were found all the
fish they needed. It is not so easy that you just have to
put a lure in the water, troll for a bit and you will hook
up. You have to work for these fish. The south edge of
Billingsgate Shoals, near where the wreck buoy used to be,
and the New Grounds, west of the Target Ship buoy, have been
the most productive. This last Monday, John Shaklicks, on
the Luau, found both bass and bluefish in near Stony Bar
during the high water trip. This area, which is just north
of the #3 can is a well known area and usually produces
fish. However, lately this area has been kind of dead. Maybe
the fish are finally moving in this spot.
What will happen this weekend and next week? I love trying
to figure out what fish will do. It’s almost like being a
weatherman or a broken clock. You’re bound to be right once
in awhile. So, here goes. The water is warming up fast.
These bluefish that have been spotted in on Stony Bar will
become more active. They will spread from there out to the
shoals and then to the north edge. They should and I mean
should become really active in the shallow water along the
Eastham shore. Swimming plugs and the umbrella rig will work
best for now but hootchies will be the lure of choice.
The stripers should still stay active inside on the New
Grounds, the South Edge, in Barnstable Harbor, and in on
Stony Bar. The new areas to check out should be the top of
Billingsgate Shoals, the North Edge, and out in the deep
water off the edge up by the Square, which is 50 feet of
water off Griffin Island. Swimming plug, preferably the
white or black Bomber, the umbrella rig on 150 foot wire, or
even jigging should work well. All this is changing fast but
things will settle down in a few weeks.
If you’d like to get in on some of this early season fishing
give me a call either at home (508-255-6211) or on my cell
(508-240-8267). Don’t miss out on some good tasting striped
bass filets.
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05/26/11/11 |
Stripers Settle In...
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
If you haven’t noticed we have not had much sun this month.
It is really affecting both the fish and the fishermen.
This cloudy and cool weather keeps the water from warming up
and therefore the striped bass from moving around much. This
doesn’t mean the fishing isn’t good, it just could be
better.
The main areas right now are in by some of the small
estuaries in Barnstable Harbor and just outside the mouth of
the harbor with the outgoing tide where there are some
schools of bigger fish. The Brewster Flats are active
especially where Paine’s Creek empties out along the edge.
On the flood tide the deep water west of the Target Ship
Buoy is active and during the the outgoing tide closer to
the Ship Buoy and north of it can also be productive. I have
not heard much about P-town but I imagine in by Long Point
and Woodend on the outgoing would be a place to look and
possibly in by Day’s Cottages could hold some fish.
As anyone who has fished Cape Cod Bay knows, things can
change quickly and this part of the early season is no
exception. Once we do get some sun, and we will, and the
water warms the large schools of stripers should move to the
North Edge of Billingsgate Shoals. You can find them out in
as much as 40 feet of water. These fish are usually of the
larger variety. This does not mean that the other areas like
west of the ship and the Brewster Flats will go dead. They
will still stay active, just not as many fish and more of
the undersize fish than keepers.
Other areas like the East Bar off Barnstable will liven up a
long with the deep water out by the Fingers. The Path and
the deep water off the Path will hold some fish. Plus, the
first bluefish should show themselves in by Stony Bar and
off the Eastham Shore. These bluefish could also show up in
the deep water off the shoals from 30 out to 50 feet. In
other words, the Bay will come alive. Next week will tell us
what is going to happen and how fast. Lots of sun and things
will move very fast so look to the deeper water. No sun,
stay in the shallow water until the water temperature comes
up some.
Last weekend I had Tim Jagemann and his crew out for a half
day trip. We did pretty good. Not as good as last season but
we had a spring then. We still landed a good number of
stripers and were able to keep six of them. More than enough
for dinner for a number of families.
If you’d like to get in on some of this early season fishing
give me a call either at home (508-255-6211) or on my cell
(508-240-8267). Don’t miss out on some good tasting striped
bass filets.
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05/26/11/11 |
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Capt. Bruce Peters
Capeshores Charters
Cape Cod Stripers & Tuna
Hi Folks,
There are large amounts stripers around now, schoolies are
everywhere and Cape Cod Bay has some bigger fish. The squid,
scup and butterfish have moved into Nantucket Sound but
hardly any mackerel have shown at all there. The trap
fishers in the Sound are having a hard time with seals
sitting at the mouth of the traps and preventing any fish
from entering. The seals are voracious, eating only the
bellies of the fish they prey on. Shareen Davis has an
aerial photo taken on her website (http://shareendavisphotography.com/index.cfm?page=2)
showing 3 or 4 seals feeding on a school of pogies. If you
don't think they can do the same to schools of striped bass
you are mistaken. Hardly any stripers come into Pleasant Bay
anymore due to the seals camped out at the mouth of the
entrances. Think of seals at the entrances this way: If you
walked home from work every day and found a couple grizzly
bears on each side of your driveway, would you walk up to
the house ? I wonder if the gamefish status proponents
consider seal predation in their estimates of declining
catches?
The macks seem to be in decent supply at the southern sides
of Cape Cod Bay and should be there for another week or so
according to my friend Steve Ellis. He said there were good
amounts of them yesterday north of Sesuit Harbor in Dennis.
All of the Cape's estuaries and embayments are warming
rapidly and teeming with life, bait and stripers. Most are
on the small side, but lots of action is to be had with
small lead head and grub baits. It might be a good idea to
not use treble hooks or even bend the barbs down, on the
singles, to not hurt the fish needlessly.
The tuna should be arriving in a week or two, last year a
74" bluefin was caught 3 miles off the beach at Chatham on
June 1st. Also reported that day there were sightings of a
decent show of topwater bluefin in Cape Cod Bay. This year
according to the NMFS, "Starting April 2, 2011, NMFS
adjustments the daily retention limit for private vessels to
one school or large school BFT (measuring 27 to less than 59
inches) per vessel per day/trip and for charter/headboat
vessels to one school BFT (measuring 27 to less than 47
inches) and one large school BFT (measuring 47 to less than
59 inches) per vessel per day/trip". The general category
boats are allowed two large medium or giants per day until
the quota is caught. There is still some uncertainty
regarding what the 2011 BFT quota will be. NMFS proposed a
controversial rule change of subtracting the estimated
discards of the pelagic longline fleet off the top of
combined total quota of all categories, in effect
drastically reducing the quotas we all fish under, and
allocating a huge amount of discard permanently to the
wasteful practices of the PLL fleet. We will see what
develops as NMFS heard from many unhappy tuna fishers on
that one !
Charter bookings are going quite strongly now that the sun
has started to show itself. Call or email to set aside a day
for your group. Some days and tides are better than others !
Don't wait till the good days are gone !
Hope to see you this year,
Capt. Bruce & "Marilyn S"
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