Cape Cod &

the Islands

April 30th, 2003

Conservation doesn't end with Stripers...

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Tight Lines!

Dave Churbuck

Buzzards Bay

From schoolies in West Falmouth and along Old Silver Beach to bigger bass around Hog Island and inside Pocasset, the action had been pretty consistent and figures to remain so with the blow probably not much more than a 24 hour interruption. Albies have also been taken with some regularity around West Falmouth and off Scraggy Neck, as well as the west end of the Canal, around Onset, Widow's Cove, and near the Maritime Academy.
Spending much of his time in these waters, Captain Bob Paccia of Shoreline Guide Service offers his insights this week:

With the sun coming up later each morning and setting earlier each evening, even the most casual observer is aware that the summer season is about to end. Our first tropical depression of the season has churned up our waters and is another indication that things are about to change. The stage is now being set for the Fall Migration.
It is time now to get all of your gear into top condition. Don't be a procrastinator as the big bass, bluefish and the pelagic speedsters, false albacore and bonito, are entering the picture. Don't take a chance on missing out on your one opportunity to catch a trophy fish of a lifetime because of preventable equipment failure. I see it happen so often that I make it a point to check each client's equipment before each charter. Often I'll find wind knots in leaders and tippet material, frayed loop connectors, poorly tied or incorrect knots, dull hooks etc, etc. These are all the things that you might expect from novice anglers (right?), but unfortunately, I often find many of the same problems in the equipment of some very experienced fishermen. Remember, Murphy's Law works double-time on the water. I too, have been guilty of not taking that extra minute or so to re-tie a knot or remove a wind knot or sharpen a hook, etc, etc and wham, in an instant, my one chance for a great fish is lost. Filling the air with expletives will not make you feel any better when you know that you have no one to blame, but yourself.
The Bay is full of bait and the large striper and bluefish are willing to leave the safety of the deep water and drop-offs and work the shallows to fatten themselves up for their migration journey. Bonito and false albacore too have zeroed in on the balls of bait that awaits them on the edges of the shallows.
Call 508-697-6253 or e-mail captbobpaccia@attbi.com for information.

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Monday was a gorgeous day as Paul Dauk and I worked Woods Hole and the pods of albies we had to ourselves. I had spent a good number of hours tying up special funny fish patterns, only to return to my old stand-by, a small two feather white Deceiver with two pinches of bucktail rolled around the shank with pearl Krystal Flash and long pearl Flashabou added for attraction. John Kollett showed me his go-to albie fly which he was introduced to at a fly show this winter, and it certainly looked good: plain white marabou tied as a tail with pearl Estatz or Crystal Chenille wrapped from mid shank up to the eye of the hook.
Paul has experience with albies and it was great to see him put the fly in the strike zone and watch as the fish swept right to it. We had good breaks all morning long until the tide started to slack and then they began to move once the current picked up.
There are also bass working peanut bunker and silversides in the Hole, with bluefish to boot. The bass aren't that big, but they provide some entertainment while waiting for the funny fish to erupt.
Robinson's had been a good albie and bonito spot, with bass also working the corners thereabouts.
To be frank, I can't offer much Elizabeths news since folks are more interested in funny fish, which have been from Nobska to Waquoit, and spots in between, although not in any great numbers and with any consistency in any spot; a cruise along this stretch, especially on the drop, is always a good bet.

The Cape Cod Canal

I sat at the mud flats this morning and watched albies busting to the west and could count the seconds before they were busting right in front of the riprap. Bill Cottle, a fine flyrodder and president of Cape Cod Salties, came up with a slam yesterday from the flats, with a bass, bonito, and albie for his efforts. Bill emphasized that small white patterns are working best. He also mentioned that when the fish broke several hundred yards to the left, they starting blindcasting and were rewarded with hook-ups, a pretty clear sign that they were moving around pretty quickly.

The South Side

A mix or smattering of bones, albies, and Spanish mackerel were working from South Cape to Succonesset to Popponesset earlier this week, but they were moving fast and proved to be tough to pinpoint. Schoolies have also been pretty thick in the outlets, with good amounts of bait around as well.
Funny fish had also made it late last week and into the early stretches of this week to Cotuit and beyond, with Osterville and Craigville good spots in particular. Shorebound anglers can get a shot here as well from the jetties, but be advised that there are also small bluefish around that can make short order of your carefully tied offerings.
Bass provide action in the rivers, especially the Centerville, in the morning, while Bass River has also been fishing well at present.
Frankly, this entire stretch should see increased action from now until the early parts of October as the cooling waters and shorter stretches of sunlight encourage fish to put on their feedbags as they stage in preparation of their migrations to the old wintering over grounds.

Martha's Vineyard

Captain Leslie Smith of Backlash Charters was probably as eager as anyone on the island for the winds to die down, and for good reason given her report this week:

Albies and bones remain the hot items around Edgartown Harbor, with large schools working from Katama Bay, through the anchorage and outside the harbor to the windmill.  Unfortunately, there have been upwards of thirty boats pursuing the pods, with just enough run-and-gunners to make it difficult for everyone.  I only have so much patience playing the bumper car game, so I spent time finding fish away from the crowds.  Cape Poge and Wasque  have rewarded, as well as State Beach and East Chop.  Hedge Fence and Wasque have had some big spanish macks as well.  Shore fishermen have been taking their share of fish from the beach at Edgartown Harbor light and Cape Poge Gut, and from Memorial Wharf.  The Derby officially starts on the 18th and this year there are two grand prizes - the boat will go by luck of the draw  to one of the four winners in the boat division;  a Chevy truck will go to one of the four shore winners.  Good luck to everyone!

When the Derby starts,  folks will be working feverishly in search of the elusive Grand Slam, which few flyrodders have been able to master over the years. Jamie Boyle has already landed an albie which would more like top the final leaderboard at 16+ pounds and some folks are wondering if Don MacGillivray's state record 19+ pounder is in jeopardy.

Nantucket

Bill Pew at Bill Fisher Tackle noted that the wind had pretty much shut things down, even at Great Point. The combination of gale force winds and moon tides had the water two feet over the dock at Captain Tom Mleczko before it reached high tide. Bluefish had been shaping up pretty well along the southside before the blow and false albacore had been caught in front of the Jetties and were pretty thick around Madaket, which isn't too surprising given all the peanut bunker that are around.

The word from Lynne Heyer at Cross Outfitters is that husband Jeff had picked up a slam two days ago, with a blue, bass, and albie inside the harbor. There have been both bones and albies at Brant Point and bass and false albacore from the beach at Eel Point. Albies and bones had been a Smith's Point, although they had their spotty moments inside Madaket. The flats have some nice bass on them and Miacomet Rip was very active before the storm. There are a lot of baby herring around as well as krill, with the best flies the Crease Fly and epoxy silversides for the funny fish and Clousers, whether brown, chartreuse, or olive for the bass.

The Outer Beaches, Chatham & Monomoy

Paul Wingardner was back on duty in Orleans and noted that there had been a good mix of blues and bass around South Chatham, as off Stage Harbor where they were mixed in with bonito and false albacore. South Beach continued to fish well for boat anglers who could hang out well off the beach where the bass and blues have been most prevalent. Chatham Light has been OK, with the Monomoy flats still slow but that should change with cooler water around. Tom recommended the Monomoy Flatwing as a pattern to consider, as well as the Pamet Special.

The word from Paul Newmier in Eastham is they are seeing an occasional fish from Coast Guard and Nauset Light beaches, with bluefish fairly prevalent around Nauset Inlet. Sand eels and live eels are working at night, with fish also showing at first light. Be advised that there is no one hotspot and you will have to move around to find the fish. Paul did add that Ballston has been one of the most consistent spots.

Emilio Rogel was weighing in bass of 22 and 24 pounds which had just been caught at Herring Cove when I called on Thursday, a spot which has also seen very good bluefish action on fish from 10 to 14 pounds. Stripers are also being caught with some regularity on the back beaches starting with the Race and running down to Head of the Meadow. The change to cooler air and water seemed to spur the bass into feeding today and the hope is this is the beginning of some hot fall action. Sand eel patterns, everything from two to 10 inches, are definitely the first choice, although there are pods of peanut bunker and juvenile herring around as well.

The North Side

When the wind comes hard from the northwest, you have to figure the fishing from Sandwich to Barnstable to Brewster had to be pretty good. Old Harbor has had peanut bunker pushed up against the beach for over a week, but sometimes the bait is so thick you can't get the fish to look at the fly; SeaHabits, small Deceivers, and Mushmouths would be good choices, as would working the edges rather than trying to compete with all the bait in the middle of the action. Be advised that parking here is tough on the east side since the road in is private and some yahoos have elected to run over the marsh grass and muck things up.

The east side of Scorton Creek would also be worth a shot, especially in the bowl that forms there, and folks are also talking about Barnstable picking up, with fish at times right up on East Bar. Try sand eel patterns and don't overlook the flats and grass banks inside Sandy Neck as well as the mouths and grass banks from Chase Garden Creek to Mill Creek and beyond. Popping bugs can produce some big reactions in the early morning around high water.

Paine's Creek and the Brewster Flats still have good schoolie action and there have been some bluefish around Sunken Meadow.
Then again, many anglers have been salivating about getting a shot at the schoolie bluefin that were racing from just off the edges of northside beaches to a relatively short seven mile jaunt out. Large, flashy flies, such as the Mushmouth series, will produce and make sure you tie on the proper big game hooks. Don't undergun when going after 30 to 40 pound bluefin and beyond since a 10 weight is almost too light when you are working 15 pound albies, and bluefin are a lot tougher and larger than their smaller cousins.