August 11, 2006

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August 11, 2006

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Time to make fishing a priority!

There is a tremendous number and variety of fish in the area of the Cape and Islands this week, and lots of bait for the fish to eat. Buzzard's Bay has been producing many smaller stripers who are gorging on bait. Chatham has a push of bass on the flats, and some hardtails off of Monomoy. Nantucket has bluefin fat and happy on squid, and the Vineyard has tons of bonito.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who can put some scientific facts, and/or fishing lore around the notion that fish can actually become intoxicated by eating squid. I find this to be a fabulous notion, suggested to me by Capt. Shawn Bristow, who has been catching big bass and and tuna in the rips, and supported by experience.

There ought to be something for everyone this week. With the high pressure, this should be a terrific fishing weekend. Please get out there, take pictures, and send them to me!

Thorne Sparkman, Publisher
Reel-Time

NEWS

Buzzards Bay

Capt. Bob Paccia of Shore-line Guide Service reports:

The waters of Buzzards Bay continue to get more and more productive as huge schools of baby alwives (3/4"-1"), blueback herring (1/2"-3/4" and baby bunker (1"-1 3/4") drift in and out with the tides from their protected nursery waters of the estuaries. The warm waters of August, especially those found in the sheltered bays and backwaters, help to provide plenty of microscopic plant and animal plankton to feed these rapidly growing baitfish.

As these babies grow larger and stronger, they tend to venture further out into deeper and more dangerous waters of Buzzards Bay. Their presence certainly doesn't go un-noticed by the ever-hungry predators. Tremendous schools of schoolie stripers and bluefish continually harass pods of bait and provide fly fishing and light tackle anglers a unique opportunity to experience some wonderful topwater action. It won't be long until bonito and false albacore join in the foray and create even more fly fishing craziness.

This is a great time to introduce youngsters and those new to saltwater fly fishing and light tackle fishing to experience some never to be forgotten memories. I usually go out of my way during August to introduce a good number of freshwater fly fishermen to the joys and excitement of topwater saltwater fly fishing. Sliders and poppers presented using floating and intermediate fly lines on relatively light equipment, helps make the move from fresh to salt an easy step. Cutting your teeth on surface-busting 15"-25" schoolie bass and bluefish is a great way to improve you casting, stripping and fish-playing skills. You quickly learn the techniques necessary to transition you from freshwater fly fishing to salt.

Some of my more experienced clients and I have done very well this past week, fishing predawn and early mornings using large American eel fly patterns fishing the deep holes along the canal. This is not the easiest way to fly fish for bass, but it's one of the best ways to catch a real trophy striper during the dog days of August. It requires using a 12"-18' heavily weighted eel fly fished on a heavy full sinking fly line and a short (5 1/2' to 7 1/2') tapered leader. Many people ask me why we use a tapered leader when we are using a deep sinking fly presentation. The answer is simple, only a good quality tapered leader will allow you to turn over any large or heavy fly. Generally I'll use an Orvis 20# test, 7 1/2 foot Big Game Striper fluorocarbon tapered leader. They have a very stiff but section and are superb at turning over large flies without the "hinging" that takes place with some lighter and more flimsy leaders. I never use a non-tapered leader.

Joe LeClair of North Eastern Anglers reports:

I ran an eight hour charter to cuttyhunk and M.V. caught some nice bass and blues. Then went back out in the afternoon and caught some fish with Corey "The Pie Man" Pietraszek.

Bass, Blues, Bonito, Skipjack, Bluefin all on a 9 weight in one day...

Captain Joe LeClair
North Eastern Anglers

Martha's Vineyard

Steve Purcell of Larry's Tackle reports:

Don McGillivray At the Hooter today, fly fishermen could have had a heyday on bonito. There were only about 8 boats, and we muct have caught 25 bonito. We were doing all blind casting, but the moment the lure hit the water, bonito would eat. There's also some sort of sand eel at Paradise (Editor's note: a section of the same general area). Bucky says state beach at the big bridge would be a good place to set up for bonito inshore. (Editor's note: Bucky is then heard in the background yelling: "anywhere there's a bird working there's a bonito.") Hedge Fence also has bonito and bluefish, and I caught some BIG blues at Wasque, try a popper for bluefish.

Nantucket

Lynne Heyer of Cross Rip Outfitters reports:

Good Monday morning everyone! Here’s what’s been happening. Bonito have been happening at the Bar. The weekend bite was a little tough with 30 boats parked their. Seems the Bonito became a little scarce. I was on the Bar Saturday with Deirdre Lord, Alex and the twins Bob and Bob. The Bonito just were not co-operating. We then went down to the Airport and proceeded to fight on fly some nice big blues. This past week I have been out with lots of families and have had a ball. The Flynn Family was a one of the best, we fished for Bones and I think we landed 15, then went swimming, nice relaxing day. Thanks Guys. Pictures will follow to everyone as soon as I can have a little time to down load them onto my computer.

Captains Jeff and Shawn have also had some great trips this past week. Lots of fly caught Bones, Blues and a few Bass on the flats. Jeff had out Warren Stern yesterday and they landed the Slam. Congrats to Warren. Captain Shawn has been very busy also. Earlier in the week he found a few Bluefins on fly with Sean McAvoy. Congats to both Sean and Shawn. Captain Bill Toelstedt has been having an interesting week. Some folks came into the store to ask about fishing. We signed them on with Bill and he had a little surprise on board. Seems the family had their Black Lab along. I am not sure how many fish the dog landed but Bill had his hands full.

Cross Rip Outfitters

Capt. Shawn Bristow of Squaretail Outfitters reports:

Sweet!... Now all I need is some time off the boat to right a report... Basically my clients are catching BFT on fly in the rips using squid flies... Just like the bass the tuna are busting on squid, making them drunk and easy to catch.... Fish are in the 35#-60# class... Perfect fish for a 12 wieght...

Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches

Tom George of Fish Pier Charters reports:

Getting out to some big bass on handkerchief, pretty rough and a good sized fleet. Have heard great reports on the tuna, but have not boated one yet either. Bass should be feeding on Sculpin right now so put some dark reds or purples in your bag, probably the hot orange/pink is starting to get a little old...

Capt. Tom

Chris Kokorda of Fishing the Cape reports a larger number of bass on the flats this week, which is a nice change. Fish near the cooler moving and water, and you should find willing bass the same way many of the anglers Chris was coaching did this week. Chris also reports more incidental bonito catches in the rips south of Monomoy.

North Side

Bob Parsons, Reel-Time's long time moderator, writes:

Barnstable Harbor, before the cool front I was getting plenty of schoolies on the flats in the harbor on the first of the incoming. With the cooler weather, fishing the edges on the incoming was productive. Not super fishing, fish here fish there on a flashy sandeel pattern.

If you come across a good feed either in the harbor or just outside and they are ignoring your fly, chances are they are feeding krill. I seen a few of these situations lately. Try a small white fly and you may at least alleviate the fustration of no hits with an occasional fish.