Cape Cod and the Islands
Region

August 08, 2008

Buzzards Bay

Capt. Joe LeClair from North Eastern Anglers reports:

Break out your 8 weights it is August ! While the fishing for large Striped Bass has slowed down the fishing for small Stripers and Blues is red hot. This past week we landed a mess of schoolie Striped Bass and Blues on 7 & 8 weights. At the same time the fishing just offshore for Large Blues has been spectacular. The larger blues offshore are 10-15 lbs. and great fun on a 9 weight with a floating line and a popper. In addition we have seen schools of small bluefin tuna about 25 miles offshore. They are hard targets and fast movers but when you are in them the are fiesty.
Captain Joe LeClair
North Eastern Anglers
http://www.flyfishsalt.com
(774)263-2675

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Funny fish...what more do you need to know? Figure the standard spots, including Woodshole, where the Ferry Captain must be overjoyed that the fish have arrived, Lackeys, and any of the spots up and down the coast you'd expect. The fish move, and you should be prepared to as well.

Got this late report in from NY Fishwire regular Joel Filner who was on Cape for the past two weeks:

A two week visit to Cape Cod brings back to me the early days of my saltwater adventures. How tough it is to begin anew in a different water, with tides, weather, terrain, structure, bait, seals, and access all to be part of the experience. We go once a year with college friends and this year was to be a longer stay in order to see a little more of the area and try to learn some new tricks.

Most years I found that fishing at night or early morning was the trick. The tides are very important on Cape Cod Bay as the height and rapidity of the flow makes for tricky wading. I was singularly unsuccessful wade fishing on the 4 attempts, with not a nibble, and the only day I actually saw fish in the water was the last day at noon just after the top of the tide and the blue fish were cruising the bait, small minnows, as the tide turned. Just barely within casting distance and they chose to ignore my fly. A spin fisherman waded out further and managed one fish at the end of his range, but lost him as the fish cut the line.

We did go out on a big boat on the bay, the Triton, out of Rock Harbor, once with my kids and once with my friends. The first trip all were successful, with 8 keepers, one 39 inch bass, and multiple blue fish for the half day. The second trip was much tougher, lots of blues, and only two bass, one keeper of 32 inches and one 26 inch fish. The captain commented that the second trip was more typical of the week, unlike the first week trip as the fish were not as active and further out than normal. All in all, a pleasant family/friend activity.

My treat was to go out with Joe LeClair out of West Falmouth for a terrific day on the water. We fished his local waters off the Vineyard and the bays and islands off Falmouth. It rained for a part of the morning but that did not deter the fish or the fisherman. New waters with a new guide and new fish made for a learning experience as well as a rewarding day to work with another pro on the water. For the first time I watched large schools of Bass feeding on or near the surface on Kril, over a long stretch of water along the shoals. They just could not be bothered with the fly whether in front of them or into the pods of fish. I lined them and down they went, soon to surface again, and to guess their direction is a trick only Joe could master, even then no real fish moving to the fly. We did hook up with smaller bass, some additional blues, and one Giant bass, who ran into the backing twice, moved the line, and broke off on the rocks below the surface. We both cried. Again learning the water is key as off Montauk or in the Peconic, or Gardiners bay, the bottom is not rocky or with any real structure so the big fish move to the deeper waters.

This fish headed for the rocks below, only about 15 feet, and my usual action would be to let him run, but Joe cautioned me to keep him up if possible, and of course my drag was not set as tight as it should be and the bass won. We also fished the tidal water where the flow of the tide over rocks makes for a great feeding ground for the bass in large numbers. Boating skill is required, but the bass were there. We increased the size of the fly to get the bigger fish and it worked well as the size increased with the fly. Again a learning experience. The day was worth the effort and the guide was worth the trip.

Gonna go back next year and if possible maybe a trip to the Cape in the Spring if I can tear myself away from our great fishery.

The Cape Cod Canal

The only report I have is from BobG and he labels it "Casting Practice" at the ditch.  The Cape Cod Times has 20" bass and small blues camped out at the East End.  Doesn't quite seem worth the gas for me to go check it out.

The South Side

Sam Riley reports:

No Bones About It!

Sorry for the late report but my sashimi skills have slowed some. Hit many of the usual Cape and Island spots today. No Bones were showing but I did find them on the troll. Look for Terns spazing out. If you find Blues move on.

Martha's Vineyard

Capt. Phil Cronin at Capawok Charters reports:

Martha's Vineyard Fishing Report - August 4, 2008

Weaning Off the Bluefish...

This past week has mostly been spent taking families out bluefishing. As I have said in past reports, it is hard work but most satisfying. The kids have all been great and it's nice to have so many parents willing to take on the challenges of light tackle angling. My hat goes off to all the mom's and dad's who have come along to help. The photos really tell the whole tale:

But after all this last week has had to offer, here is the big news:

THE BONES HAVE COME IN!

Yes that's the big news around the island. The Atlantic bonito, those drag screaming speedsters have arrived and you don’t have to travel far to find them. In fact, this past Monday they were in Vineyard Haven harbor in very good numbers. No longer will it be necessary to travel out to the shoals to target these fly rodders delight. Now we can target them close to island shores. It's time to fish the 'boneyard' so grab your gear and get in on the action.

Some more news to share is that I have been blessed with a grandson. Yup, Captain Phil is a grandpa and that is better than any fish I have ever caught so I will be off to Florida for a brief visit. My daughter and son-in-law live in Deland and I will be visiting them to see the baby for a couple of days.

There will not be any report next Monday but I hope to be chasing down those bones next week and keeping you in tune with what’s happening around the island.

Tight Lines and screaming drags,

Captain Phil Cronin

Capt. W. Brice Contessa at Contessa Fly Fishing and  reports:

Fishing The Vineyard Report 8/6/08
The story from team Fishing the Vineyard right now is sight casting for striped bass and blind casting for green bonito.
Fishing on the flats has been strong with a great deal of bass in a wide range of sizes available to sight casters on the island flats in the past week. Hot flies on the flats have been almost exclusively crab imitations, with lighter colors excelling over the sandy bottoms that are holding fish at the moment.
The bonito scene is the same as it has been; blind casting on shoals and rips but no fish jumping inshore. The fishing has improved though, where as last week we were picking away at a few mixed in with a lot of blues this week we’ve seen stronger bonito fishing with some spots holding far more bones than blues at certain stages of the tide. Needless to say we’d rather be fishing for them busting along the beach, but for now the blind blitz will have to do.

Capt. W. Brice Contessa
Contessa Flyfishing

Nantucket

No report from Crossrip Outfitters or Capt. Shawn Bristow at Sqauretail Outffiters this week.  They never miss a report...which means they must be very busy...hmmm, didn't they report bonito last week?

Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches

Randy Jones sends in his last report of the season - he's off to Pulaski for the upcoming Salmon season.

This is normally the most challenging time of the year to be fishing from shore. So if your having a tuff time of it, dont be to hard on yourself. Ive been doing extremely well for the time of the year and BOY, have these fish kept me on my toes this season. The entire cape is interesting this year. One day hundreds of Bass - Blues and the next only a few, then the next day they are back in big numbers again, etc... Im holding my own and feel extremely lucky to have been able to provide my guest's with fun, interesting, knowledge filled days with a few to "amazing" numbers of fish, while sight/blind wade fly/spin. Obviously mother nature has also been mean to me on a few trips where we didnt hook anything up. Fortunately, this is a rare occasion for myself and my guest's, but you never know, its fishing. :) Each day we always have a presence of fish.
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When sight fishing and conditions tide are good, we are seeing schoolie to some of those 15-20lb. Bass in 1-2 feet of water and lots of Bluefish in schools of 10 to 100. The 10lb. Blues are traveling mostly all by themselves.
Seeing small to large sand lances and silver sides, spearing and even some shad and bunker.
Look for the immature baitfish to start leaving the marsh, bays, summer nursery habitat now. Its that time of the year. With these amazing fast, exaggerated tides we are experiencing presently, you will see more bait and fish feeding reeeeel good. I'd call in sick to work and get out now and take advantage of these incredible tides.
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Finding a few to TON'S, (100'S) of Bass and Blues while wade fly/spin fishing the flats on Monomoy Island. No reason to venture elsewhere when we have an over abundance of all species and all sizes of these fish. Blind- sight does not matter. All wade with mostly fly with normally incredible fishing!
If you are having trouble finding fish at this most difficult time of the year, then how about saving on your car's gas bill and in 1 trip with me, finding out where the mother load's are at from shore with fly/spin. :)
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Birds working over BIG schools of fish, bait spray's, Fish slam'm bait on the surface, flashing fish, head stand's, tailing bass.
We are seeing BIG school's of fish while wade sight fishing the flats with fly rods in 1-2 feet of water and also seeing them in the deep stuff.
Most of our fish are coming on popper's, gurglers in white, white and more white. Subsurface are mostly white medium sized desceivers to imitate the adult Silver sides. Seeing some hugh school's of wide profiled bait along with the usual medium to thin profiles.
No matter high sun or dark days, best action happening with surface lures or surface flies on all species of fish. Best fishing is when the water has been moving.
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7/24
Hit TON'S of fish. Bass, but mostly Blues in the 3-6- 8 lb. range. Boy, what a fight!
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7/25
Hit TON'S of fish. Bass, but mostly Blues in the 3-6- 8 lb. range. Boy, what a fight!
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7/26
Hit TON'S of fish. Bass, but mostly Blues in the 3-6- 8 lb. range. Boy, what a fight!
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7/27
Morning was sloooooow, started off with a pod of approx. 20 Bass on the flats in 1 foot of water, just relaxing, taking a jacuzzi. Several cast's later they had had enouph and moved on. Did some blind and sight casting and had a presence of fish around. I found one, saw some, but it was not to be. We moved to another VERY normally lately productive spot and all heck broke lose. Fish on and on and ON! :)
It slowed a lil until I was able to find a school of both Bass and blues. Then it was hammer time all over again! Fish on and on and ON again. :)
Another one of may fabulous days on these incredible Monomoy Island flats.

7/28
Had a presence of fish all day. Flash's, boil's, splash's, could visually see them in 1-2 feet of water, etc...
Picked up a few here and there off the flats. Not as many around as the past couple of week's, that's mother nature for ya.
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7/29
Slooooow fishing. Had a presence of fish everywhere we fished, just not a lot. We hooked up one while sight fishing to the boil's, slurp's on the flats.
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7/30-31
Scheduled days off - Pheeew, my feets are sore :)
8/1
Amazing day! We absolutely hammered the heck out of those Blues and 15-20lb. Bass! Sight fishing in 12 inch's of water with fly rods at high noon! 100's of Blues in the 6 - 10 lb. range jumping, tail walking, somersaulting as they attacked our gurglers and poppers and fighting for all heck to get off our tight lines. Almost ripping the rods out of our hands! Ye-haa! Don't get much butt'a.
BIG Bass cruising the edges of the flats looking for their next meal. Dam. I love my job!
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This week we are having SUPER tides. Look for large number's of dumb freshies and larger school's than normal. Please be VERY careful. Dangerously high - fast tides this week. I helped to rescue another stranded and in danger wade angler the other day who foolishly put a fish in front of his own personal safety. Dada! Is a fish really worth your life?
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This well be my final report for the season. Thanks for spending your valuable fishing internet time with me. Appreciate, as always your kindest of words, continued support, referrals and business! Im headed back to the Salmon River in Pulaski NY, for Slam'n King Salmon and Steelhead. We fish for them from mid-Sept. all Winter long until the first week of May. Let's hook-up!
Until next season,
Happy Hook'n,
Randy
http://www.yankeeangler.com - Fishing Reports Page - Tips, Articles, Pictures, Reports and much more. Salmon, Steelhead and Saltwater. :)

Randy Jones
Cape Cod Hm (508) - 258-0312
Pulaski Hm (315) 298-5999
E-mail randysjones@earthlink.net
Web Site http://www.yankeeangler.com

North Side

On the whole, I'd go to the South side. Sorry, although the bay has shown signs of picking up, I'm looking for more than just signs. Well, you could fish for tuna. Don't even think about bluefish.