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Cape Cod and the Islands
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We anglers probably would not be so relieved, except that June was really pretty awful, mostly on account Hardtail enthusiasts were pleased to see Captain Shawn Bristow's hog of a bonito, but these fish will remain hard to target, as anglers have not caught them in numbers yet even at the Hooter, so the erly fish are likely just strays. You may have a better chance at catching small bluefin tuna in fact, as those targetting bluefin have hooked up up and down the coast from New Jersey to Montauk to Block Island and Chatham and Cape Cod Bay. Striper fishing too is picking up, if not in the warm Nantucket Sound, certainly off of Chatham and the Islands. In some places, krill is concentrating fish, and in others, squid and sand eels are doing the trick. Have fun out there exploring the cape, and please send me pictures and tales of any fly fod-caught fish! Thorne Sparkman, Publisher |
of the weather. Well this is shaping up to be an excellent weekend, with light southwest winds, and stable conditions.| NEWS |
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Buzzards Bay
Joe LeClair reports: This past week I had the opportunity to fish with Mark Sedotti and friends from NYC. Mark has been fishing for large Stripers with me for the last 6 years and I always look |
for Striped Bass was excellent with several trophy size Stripers caught on fly this past week. In addition the shallow water fishing for smaller bass has really become more interesting to me. Unfortunately many of these schools of large fish will be targeted by the Commercial fisherman this week so I will need to find new places that are holding big bass for the rest of the summer. I have already started looking and have found Stripers are holding in many places I do not usually find them.
forward to catching fish with Mark. We worked a school of Monster Bass with the fly rod and Mark attempted to hook up with some of these fish with a 11 weight and a popper. This has to be one of the most exciting ways of catching Bass. Mark had several 20 lb. bass througout the day and late in the evening Mark had a massive bass take the popper. I estimate the fish to have weighed around 40 lbs. It was very difficult fishing conditions and we were in the rocks. Unfortunately Mark lost the fish, but it was very cool non the less. I commend him on his excellent casting and fishing skills and look forward to fishing with him again.
The South Side
Jim Young, of Eastman's Sport & Tackle in Falmouth (508-548-6900) reports that the beaches are quite quiet with the water so warm, so you may have trouble if you are looking to catch some other than little fish in the rivers and estuaries. If you are targeting some bigger fish from shore, Jim suggested Fay beach in Falmouth, where a some flats extend out a way, then drop to a deeper eel grass flat, not far from Nobska which could hold some bigger fish. When fishing these inshore spots however, fishing at night, or at a minimum in low light conditions should increase your odds considerably. For boat fishermen in Nantucket Sound, Jim recommended fishing a depthcharg or similar leaded fly line, and plying places like Quicks Hole and Robinson's Hole in the Elizabeth's with a big, BIG fly to get he fish' attention. Other than that, Middleground has a few fish, as do other rips like the Horseshoe, but bluefish are harassing anglers' offerings there. As for tunoids in Nantucket Sound, Jim was skeptical of even the isolated reports of bonito, even from spots like Menemsha, as the anglers around Noman's and the Hooter have not been reporting "bycatch" of bonito yet, which is the typical progression as the season marches on. |
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Martha's Vineyard
Jeff Sayre reports: The next night was the same. There was a light rain and the fish fed heavy right up to dark Steve Purcell of Larry's Tackle reports: |
along the shore at a secluded beach he likes to fish. That's all I needed to hear. The next afternoon I went with him and as we approached the beach the water was alive with feeding stripers. It was 5:30 in the evening so you could see fish in every direction from right at the shoreline to 300 yards out. These weren't big bass but every one of them was between 24 and 34 inches. It was a fly fisherman's dream. Especially after the aweful June we just endured! They were so thick at times that the fly would snag fish in their backs for a second. When bass are on krill they aren't the easiest things to catch but if you keep at it you'll get your share. I was hooking up on a white bunny fly as well as a snake fly while my buddy was spin fishing and hitting them on small poppers. The action was great up until dark and then it died right off. It's nice when you can get your fill by 9:00 PM and go home and get a decent nights rest.
and then it was over. The biggest of the night was just over 32 inches and these fish were fat from the feast. I also caught a tagged fish which was funny because the whole evening I had a feeling I was going to get one and just before dark I did. Yesterday we had a heavier rain and the wind turned from SSW to NNE and then NW which was onshore and it killed the fishing. We are looking at more SW for the next couple of days so hopefully it'll come alive again. I took some photos but the pictures don't really do the thing justice.
Nantucket
Capt. Shawn Bristow of Squaretail Outfitters reports: Lynne Heyer of Cross Rip Outfitters reports: On another note, author and fisherman Bob Rich is coming to the Island next week and we are going to have him signing his latest book, The Fishing Club, Bob will be in the store on Thursday July 20th 4-7pm. Stop by and check it out. I also want to remind people who might be thinking of fishing in the Nantucket Slam this Fall to please give me a heads up. This year’s dates are September 10-12, 2006. Remember that you are not only having fun fishing the great waters surrounding Nantucket but also helping to raise monies for a greater cause, Cystic Fibrosis. If you would like more info on the Nantucket Slam please contact, Karen Kelly, 800-966-0444. This will be our third year and every year the tournament gets better and better. Cross Rip Outfitters |
considerably and the focus is now on Tuna and Bonito. Though I have had some early success with the faster fish it has been almost two weeks since I have caught a tuna fish. My attention is now focused on finning blues by the thousands and fishing for bonito. I have been spending the morning east tide fishing for bones in there usual spots. The bait seems to be thick and deep both offshore and inshore. The Blues have found it with a few bonito mixed in. On July 11th I had a young lady on the boat and she landed an 11 pound bonito. The fish measured almost 30 inches in length. This was the only bonito taken that day, though we had several other shots at fish. She caught that bone in 12 feet of water on a yo-zuri swimming plug. Word has it a push tune fish is on the way, just a matter of time until they find the mother load of sand eels and squid which is abundant around the island at this time...
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Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches
Matt from Chatham Bait & Tackle (508-945-9779) reports that the striped bass have moved in in force, and now stretch from about one mile south of the sea buoy, all the way down to the rips. The fish are feeding on big schools of sand eels, and actually, they have been feeding on the surface for the last few days at least while the sky is overcast. Expect some boat traffic out there during a sunny weekend, though. There have also been bluefin being caught with increasing frequency at or around Crab Ledge 10 miles east of the Chatham lighthouse. The fish have been spread out, however, and generally on the move, so it pays to cover some water. Plenty of fish have been caught from 50 to 100 pounds, with a few around 125, and one of 200 mentioned as recent examples of bigger fish. The footballs favored by we fly fishermen could be anywhere in the area, including much closer to shore, and even mixed in with other gamefish, so keep an eye out for fish breaking the water like a missile. On the flats, bass are up on the west of Monomoy, but half way through the Summer, they can be difficult to feed unless a new slug of fish happens to filter in. Try a crab fly like a Merkin, or a green Diablo, and move it as little as possible. Intercepting fish from an ambush position helps as well, as does wading. Fooling large cruising fish with a long cast from the bow of a boat is less efficient as the Summer goes on in my opinion. Captain Tom George of Fish Pier Charters (508-280-3559) reports fish right along the beach outside the Chatham cut, with fish moving north and pushing into shallower water, 25 to 40 feet deep. These fish were near the surface until about 10:30 AM, but fishing for them slowed when the tide did. Tom also reported that on Wednesday, while fishing at Bearse's Rip, he found lots of fish, and lots of boats – one every 40 yards in fact. Nevertheless reports are still good. One commercial angler reported taking 25 34-inch fish from the area. Many of these fish are feeding on the abundant squid in the water. You'll see the fish boiling in the first wave of the rip, often with wheeling with gulls (rather than turns) when the squid are thick. Joe LeClair of North Eastern Anglers reports: Jeff Smith of Finaddiction Charters reports: |
been in the deeper water but finning on top which makes for some great top water action. Commercial season started yesterday and it will be interesting to see what impact it will have on the large schools of bass we have been on for the last 6 weeks. Tuna are showing somedays then gone the next. It certainly is worth keeping a few rods rigged on your boat in case you run into them. I am switching over from my skiff to my deep V boat this week and will be chasing bass and tuna with it for the remainder of the season. I had Lance Daveis and his buddy Chris this past week.
been in the deeper water but finning on top which makes for some great top water action. Commercial season started yesterday and it will be interesting to see what impact it will have on the large schools of bass we have been on for the last 6 weeks. Tuna are showing somedays then gone the next. It certainly is worth keeping a few rods rigged on your boat in case you run into them. I am switching over from my skiff to my deep V boat this week and will be chasing bass and tuna with it for the remainder of the season. I had Lance Daveis and his buddy Chris this past week.
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North Side
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