Fishing Reports for Cape Cod

fishing the waters of cape cod and beyond, Offshore Pursuits provides current fishing reports, charter information, premium fishing tackle, news, and forums.

Features

Services

Partner Opportunities

Featured Products

Capt. Segull's Nautical Charts

Capt. Segull's Nautical Charts cover the North American coastline from the Penobscot Bay, Maine south to Louisiana and Texas, including Bahamas and Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico.

Capt. Segull's Nautical Charts are designed for the serious sport fisherman. All charts are laminated, waterproof and in full color. Average chart size is 19.5" X 26.5". Charts highlight: latitude and longitude (GPS), Loran lines, contour lines, shore services such as fuel docks, loading ramps, pump-out stations and restaurants. Also highlighted are fishing holes with local names, coordinates of buoys, inlets, reefs, rigs and wrecks.


Cape Cod Fishing Reports

Dakota Jecevicus and Capt Steve Coulter steaming for home aboard the Sea Creature out of Hatteras, NC.


Cape Cod Fishing Reports 06/12/14

There back...! Good news and bad news...The good news is that the bluefin tuna are back! Lots of fish, in lots of places. The bad news is that they won't bite. The stick boats are getting nice fish...500 lbs +, but only a few rod and reel bites so far. I am told that it is like it was years ago...big fish early in the season. Hopefully they stick around! Good luck! The Cape at Large... Cape Cod Bay Fishing Report Fishing with Capt. Brett Wilson Fishing the South side with Capt. Brian Courville


Rock Harbor Fishing Report Capt. Hap Farrell
09/05/13

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.


08/29/13

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.

08/29/13

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.

08/29/13

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


08/09/13
Hindsight Sportfishing
Capt. Brett Wilson
Scott with one of 25 sharks caught in 2 days aboard the Hindsight with Capt. Brett Wilson and Capt. "Woody" Wood

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.

08/09/13
Rock Harbor Fishing Report Capt. Hap Farrell

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.
08/09/13

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

08/01/13

Hindsight Sportfishing
Capt. Brett Wilson

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

08/01/13

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

08/01/13
The Cape at Large....

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


06/21/13
The Cape at large...

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


06/21/13

Hindsight Sportfishing
Capt. Brett Wilson

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
06/20/13
Rock Harbor Fishing Report Capt. Hap Farrell Stunmai II

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









The Cape at large...

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!
05/30/13

Rock Harbor Fishing Report Capt. Hap Farrell Stunmai II

Memorial Day Weekend Blitz

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.



08/30/12 Summer is Ending, The fish Are Not... Capt. Hap Farrell

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.
www.capecodbaycharters.com capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com



08/30/12
Capt. Bruce Peters
Capeshores Charters

"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"
This weeks fishing reports are on the home page of Offshore Pursuits.
After this week, we will start to publish weekly to this page also. Thanks. Dave

09/22/11
The Cape at Large...

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

09/22/11
Capt. Hap Farrell
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.

www.capecodbaycharters.com capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com


08/25/11
Capt. Hap Farrell Stunmai II www.capecodbaycharters.com capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com

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.

If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at: 508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211.

08/04/11

Capt. Hap Farrell Stunmai II www.capecodbaycharters.com capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com

August Doldrums...

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.

08/04/11

The Cape at large....

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

07/28/11
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.

07/28/11

Capt. Hap Farrell Stunmai II www.capecodbaycharters.com capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com

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.

If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at: 508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211.

07/28/11
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!

07/26/11

Capt. Bruce Peters Capeshores Charters

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"

07/21/11
Capt. Hap Farrell Stunmai II www.capecodbaycharters.com capthap@capecodbaysportfishing.com 07/21/11
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.

If you want to get in on this good fishing call me at: 508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211.

07/21/11

Striped Bass with Tom McCombs and Sweet Lips Jigs

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


07/21/11
The Cape at Large

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





07/07/11
The Cape at Large

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

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.



Capt. Bruce Peters Capeshores Charters
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"

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...
06/23/11
Fish Can’t Read... By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
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!
06/23/11


Capt. Bruce Peters Capeshores Charters Cape Cod Stripers & Tuna
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"

06/23/11
The Cape at Large...

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!

06/03/11
The Fishing Report

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
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.

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.
05/26/11/11

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"

Featured Charters

Hooked up with Capt. Brett Wilson on the Hindsight

Hindsight Sportfishing

Bluefin Charters

Featured Charters Cape Hatteras

Nice white marlin caught aboard the Tuna Duck out of Hatteras NC

Tuna Duck White Marlin

Featured Charters Cape Cod

Big Fish Spotlight

900 lb. Giant blefin Tuna caught aboard the maverick with Capt. Jack Riley, Capt. Randy Black, and David Dodsworth

1038 lb giant caught aboard the Hindsight with Capt. Brett Wilson and first mate Woody Wood

Capt. Brett Wilson hauling a nice bluefin tuna aboard!

Cape Cod Fishing Reports