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Cape Cod and the Islands
Region
August 03, 2006 |
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Bonito settle in at the Islands
Some of the tried and true patterns are finally coming to fruition for the bonito this Summer: fish are  dependably being caught at the Hooter off of Martha's Vineyard, and also at Bonito Bar in Nantucket. Other less comforting patterns, but just as predictable is that the water is pretty much to warm to catch bass in the daytime in Nantucket sound anyway. Oh well!
What is more annoying about the heat, and now about the Northwest winds, is that the stripers are getting pushed offshore and you may have to go six miles or more east from Chatham to find bass. Tip: take a 14-weight and look for bluefin tuna!
Now that the bonito are here, it's an important time to think about fly fishing ettiquette. If you end up fishing among a dozen or more boats looking for busting bonito, think about a few things:
- Most of the fish are actually underwater, not busting, so resist the urge to chase as much as you can;
- If you watch long enough, you'll notice that you're always late to the party when you chase, and that the fish almost always cycle back to where you were anyway;
- If you watch the really sharp fishermen, they know how to reposition rarely and calmly, and keep their flies in the water as much as possible, and catch MORE fish than the worst chasers;
- Poor ettiquette ruins the fishing and the catching experience for everyone; learn the ettiquette for your spot -- it can be different everywhere, don't be afraid to ask -- that's the mark of a real angler.
I chase sometimes too, but we have to minimize that especially when other anglers are around, and you actually will improve your skills and your catches if you practice what I just preached...
Thorne Sparkman, Publisher
Reel-Time
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Buzzards Bay
Capt. Bob Paccia of Shore-line Guide Service reports:
Buzzards Bay striper fishing has been a lot better than expected this week, especially considering the record breaking temperatures that we've all had to endure. Huge schools of schoolies ranging from 12" to 25" have been feeding heavily on 1" to 21/2" bait (mostly baby alewives and blueback herring, sand eels and silversides) that been pouring into the canal and all the way to the Elizabeth Islands. Anyone who gets a kick out of explosive topwater fly fishing action are missing the boat, if their not getting on the water. There have been just enough bluefish amidst the scoolie bass to make it interesting.
It's also been fortunate for me, that the majority of my clients this weeks have been freshwater fly fishermen who want to get a taste of the salt. What perfect timing!
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The South Side
Longtime Reel-Timer Scoot posted this report about the Vineyard Sound:
Outnumbered and I launched at Green Pond around 6 am to a beautiful sunrise, and a choppy sound. First stop was Middle Ground, and breaking bluefish! Minimal boats in the area, and tons of 1 1/2 to 2 inch squid, had the fish on top for the taking. Needle fish seemed to work best, popping plugs didn't seem to get them excited enough, splashing through the blitz unscathed. Just when we felt our arms were going to fall off, the current went slack we decided to try...another spot.
We scooted over to Hedge Fence, and dropped the Yo-Zuri's in the water in hope of getting some bones. We weren't disappointed! Within minutes we are doubled up, me with my first bonito ever (I don't make it out of CCB as much as I should), and the Capt with another bluefish. After a few more blues we decide to call it a day.
Nantucket Sound is hot. Water is hot. Fishing is hot. Don't be picky over stripers -- they've moved into cooler waters -- but bluefish are ravaging Vineyard Sound, bonito are doing their thing at Hedge Fence, and the fluke have filled back in after getting Hoovered by the draggers early last month.
No sign of snapper blues in the harbors, but bait balls are forming up off of the harbor entrances which means bonito and spanish macks are soon to follow.
__________________
David Churbuck
co-founder Reel-time
Cape & Islands Fishwire Correspondent
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Martha's Vineyard
Steve Purcell of Larry's Tackle reports:
Boat report:
Bonito are finally being caught. Mostly at the hooter. Some have been caught along east beach,and middle grounds. Squid have been hatching on middle grounds and the bluefish are on them hard!!. Blues in the rips from 1 pound to 12. Bass and blues in the deeper water. Tuna and sharks are out there. Some good reports and bad. 2 trips ago got bluefin and Mahi. Saw plenty of sharks. Went out sunday and got skunked. So did one of my friends on a shark trip. I called it quits after 4 hours. Everyone on the radio was complaining. The east has been good one day on one day off.
Beach Report:
Good reports are coming in.
Fly rod report:
Dog fish has some good fishing. There is tons of crill and bass up there. If you have any tricks, you'lle get them. The ponds still are fishing good.
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Nantucket
Lynne Heyer of Cross Rip Outfitters reports:
It’s Hot and so is the fishing!!!!!
Capt. Shawn was out yesterday and his customers Jim George and crew landed, I think, 15 Bonito. Jim is that the count you got? I guess things are heating up. James Kilmartin also had a pretty good day on the Bonito Bar with a group of his college buddies and landed 5 Bonito. Jeff was on the flats yesterday and got his customer, Tom Butters, on a nice 12# Striper sight fishing. I had a gang out with myself and Capt Ken and we went down the South Shore and got  into a bunch of good size Blues. Capt. Ken’s group landed one Bluefish that was 14.5 #’s. I also had the Johnson family out the other day and we went down along Dionis and caught some small Blues and Bass along the shore. So if you want to cool off come and fish it’s always cooler on the water or wade fishing along the waters edge.
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Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches
The rips around Monomoy have still been producing somewhat, as has the ocean side of south beach, but  the fishing has been difficult for most anglers. The guys from Chatham Bait and Tackle (508) 945-9779 report that northwest winds and sticky hot weather has pushed fish from 6-8 miles offshore towards crab ledge. The only people catching them have been going way out, and fishing deep, which is not particularly good news for fly fishermen. There have also been precious few bonito reported in the area, although they should be in Hankerchief shoals by now. One recreational angler returning from the shark fishing tournament saw no fish on the way to the Vineyard, but coming back across the sound towards Chatham, they marked and saw a few schools, which raised hopes of a push of fish but nothing materialized. There were even a few signs of albies at the rips, but again, nothing came together. What there have been is tuna, but none of the right size for fly fishermen. There were dependable reports of 4 tuna over 125 pounds being caught 2 miles further out and south of crab ledge.
Tom George of Fish Pier Charters reports:
I fished at Hankerchief yesterday, and there were pretty many boats but most people were jigging with wire [not fly fishing]. North of Bearse's, at the "Rosebush" (editor's note: I think that's a nearshore gully near the dunes) a few people have been there on fly with sand eel patterns. Definitely bass, and not too far from shore.
Saturday, my cousin had a couple of knock downs past crab ledge, but they didn't catch one. They were all pretty big commercial fish.
Jeff Smith reports:
Took a day off between bass charters and went east and put a 69 inch fish in the boat. Looks like we are off to another great year for bluefin tuna for the sport guy!!
Bass fishing remains consistent with bass to 25lbs taken on plugs and flies on the outer cape. I've had several family charters the past few weeks with Joseph Liesman here with a 27lber caught on a homemade black needlefish.
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North Side
Curt Jessup of Capt. Curt Jessup reports:
(Editor's Note: this came from last weekend) 
The fish are getting tougher to come by but my anglers get better all the time. I had several groups out this week but Bruce and Jason really stand out. We had tough conditions with overcast skies and 15-20 out of the South/Southwest and I gave them the option: Go or No- GO!!! These guys are game and we hit the flats. Thanks to Bruce's keen eyesight (and killer cast) we were able to spot many fish within 20-30 feet from the boat even though our first two hours were totally overcast. We fished intermediate lines and 10 lb tapered leaders. I reluctantly gave up the mushmouth after 4 refusals and found a small epoxy sand eel pattern was just the ticket. These guys were great despite the tough conditions. We all had a great time and saw some killer flats fish. The water is warming and I am shifting gears prepping the Parker 23 for a busy bluefin /albacore/bonito season. I still have dates available and we are fishing 9, 10, 12 and 14 weight Sage/Loomis rods with Abel reels. This season on the flats has been one to remember and as i cover the flats boat I contemplate the fall striper migration and look forward to big schools of bass close to the shore in 2 feet of water. Now let's see -------20 lb shock tippet with a bimini to a forty lb butt section, finished off with another bimini and a huffnagle to 50 lb then the fly............................... off to burn lots of gas and nail those ocean speedsters!!!!!!! Be safe and catch em up!!!! My best, Capt. Curt Jessup
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