 |
Chatham is still providing first class schoolie fishing up in Pleasant Bay and around the end of South Beach and near the flats. Clousers and Kastmasters are performing well. There have been a few blues taken off Hardings Beach but they are unpredictable, and bait is clearly better than lures at this point. A few blues have even reached up into Pleasant Bay but no feeding blitzes yet. There are only a few keeper sized bass around and most of those are still in the Sound feeding on squid and herring and filtering slowly through the flats and up the outside beaches. But following this northeast wind, if we get a good sou'wester with the rain, the squid and bigger bass may come right around the corner this weekend into Chatham and the fishing could improve dramatically. Capt. Michael Eichenseer |
Kildee Hill Bait & Tackle
on Rt. 28 in Harwich |
In Harwich, Larry Nickerson says that the fishing is spotty along the southern coast from Red River Beach to Hardings. One day they'll be hitting at one place and then not again for a day or two while they feed at another. The tides haven't been good for night fishing this week which may explain the lower success rate. There are a lot of squid and mackerel around though, and Larry hears that Cape Cod Bay is loaded with bigger sand eels, 7"+. The fish being caught are bass up to about 34" and a few blues up to 32". He hasn't heard of fluke yet but knows that they're hitting in Naragansett bay in Rhode Island right now so they're on the way. He has heard that there are pogies around from Lewis bay to Bass River if you have a treble and a boat. |
Powderhorn Outfitters
at 210 Barnstable Rd., Hyannis |
Around Barnstable & Hyannis, Andy says that from Popponessett to Osterville the bluefish and stripers are hitting cut herring better than lures, though poppers have been better than most everything else artificial. Bass to 32" and blues of the same size are being caught but not in large numbers. From Craigville beach to Bishop's and Clerk's, squid patterns are producing the most fish, with parachutes and big leadheads in the lead. Good Tautog and Sea Bass fishing can still be found near the tire pile off Dennis and the Scup are big and plentiful on rocks and wrecks. In freshwater, mostly smallmouth are being taken while the largemouth warm up but someone caught a holdover shiner that turned out to be a 17 pound Carp! Some nice Tiger Trout are being caught too, up to 3 1/2 pounds, in the stocked waters. The bass are on their beds, be gentle with 'em. |
Nelson's
at 44 Race Point Rd. |
Emilio at Nelson's in Provincetown reports that the schoolies are just all over the place with bigger bass coming in now too. He weighed a 34 pound striper the other day that came off the back beach where they're hitting on swimming plugs. The Mackerel are coming in now too but are still few in numbers though the herring are still running well. He's even heard of a few Bluefish being caught on swimmers too on the backside. Nothing yet at the Jetty but that will be picking up soon enough. Emilio sees this as a very strong start to the season and thinks this might be a banner year for fishing. |
| Orleans | Orleans, flash! The fish are in and they are in in very big numbers and are good sized fish too! Schoolies are just thick outside Rock Harbor and along the coast and 44" Bass have been taken as far north at Lieutenant Island; a particularly good spot. The bait of choice is herring, despite the run of 7" to 9" sand eels currently seen everywhere along the shore. A few bluefish too have been taken on poppers and chunks along shore. The freshwater fishing is also excellent for both smallmouth and largemouth bass if you can tear yourself away from the surf. |
| Nantucket | Barry, out at Barry Thurston's Fish Supply on Nantucket reports good beach fishing down on the southeast corner of the island for bass up into the 30's. He recommends trying the big light colored lures for plugging; swimmers and the like to match the herring still coursing through the area. He remarks that the bass appear to be in bigger sizes and healthier numbers than in previous years (and may be a portent of an exceptional year to come). Barry notes that there are some squid in the harbor but not many blues around yet at all. On a different note, he adds that the white perch fishing is far from over and some very nice catches of perch are still possible. |
| Wellfleet | Ed Metterville at the Black Duck Tackle shop in Wellfleet reports that the fishing is super on the Atlantic side. LeCounte, Newcombe, Cahoun and Head of the Meadow ae all producing nice catches of keeper sized bass. The bait of choice is sand eels and and herring or chunks. (Nothing seems to be hitting black eels yet, anywhere.) Ed says that Cape Cod Bay is full of mackerel which should bring on the stripers in short order. In the harbor, at Mayo and Duck Harbor the schoolie fishing is very good on kastmasters with a bucktail. He's also heard of Fluke off Pamet River and flounder near the old target ship, if you can find it! |
| Falmouth | At Eastman's, Michael reports the bluefishing is slow but definitely better on bait than lures. But the striper fishing off the Elizabeth's is very good with "hairball" lures and squid strips or porkrind, jigging. Nice bass up to 36" and over twenty pounds are the rule. No flounder around to speak of and the season is still weeks away. Woods Hole still has Tautog near the rocks. the herringare running down in numbers but the draggers are still workin' squid offshore. Not many smallmouth ponds around Falmouth but the largemouth fishing is improving with one over seven pounds being weighed the other day. |
Cape Cod Canal
Canal Bait & Tackle |
Sheila at Canal Bait & Tackle says the fishing has been just "awesome". A few days ago they were catching so many keepers on every cast that folks were tired of catching after an hour or so. She's weighed at least four fish over 40" in the last couple of days that weighed in the twenties, not fat fish but healthy ones. The majority of Bass being caught in the canal are hitting bait, herring and chunks and the herring (alewives) are thinning out now but that only means that the second run of bluebacks will be coming along soon. There have only been a few cut-offs from bluefish lately, showing that they still haven't schooled up and started feeding in blitzes on the canal either. Good flounder fishing can be found on the east end of the canal, with a few tautog too. In all, the fishing is very good and getting stronger every day. |
| Martha's Vineyard | Cooper Gilkes, at Coop's out on the Vineyard reports that the fluke are arriving on the south shore of the Vineyard right now. The better news is that there are bluefish at Wasque and East Beach, fish up to 6 - 8 pounds are being taken consistently from there and from Cape Pogue Pond too. The schoolies are in all the estuaries around the island and while the herring numbers are diminishing the herring fishing for bigger bass is "very good". Try especially, the middle ground, Gay Head and Squibnocket. |
| Freshwater Around Cape Cod | The freshwater fishing is definitely improving for largemouths and smallmouths are moving onto their beds at water temperatures hit near fifty degrees. Good time to take the saltwater clousers over to the pond and hook up a few bronzebacks instead. |
Return to Cape Cod Outdoors
main page.