Cape Cod and the Islands
Region

August 31, 2007

Buzzards Bay

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

Albies are in Buzzard's Bay but they haven't gone past Wing's Neck. The bait is there, however, and the temperature is right – I like it around 72 degrees or higher – and that means the false albacore should continue to push into the Bay.

The fish have been hitting well around Falmouth where I've been fishing lately. Anytime when it's calm, you can find fish. We don't like to chase birds forever, but when it's rough, the birds can see the bait and the fish. We try to do no running and gunning. We try fishing above, below, and beside them instead.

The fish feed in circles, and if you watch for a while, you can figure out how to intercept them without chasing. Plus, for every 30 fish you see on top, there are 200 more below. We like to fish a full sink line, in order to get in and down deep. Also, when I'm fishing, I cover the water with long quick casts, to keep my fly in the action as much as possible.

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Joe LeClair reports:

While most people have been pounding the water looking for hardtails the last few weeks of August it is only now that the kids schools have started back up, and most boaters are going to be turning their interests back to soccer games and family duties, it is now when the hardtails will be everywhere !!! Today we chased them and caught skippies, albies, and BONITO (mmmmmmm). The bass fishing has remained EXCELLENT !!! except when the sun is shinning really bright with no clouds. By the sounds of it the Bluefin Tuna surface bite is starting back up on time and I hope to put another 50 Bluefin in the boat in September and October like we did back in June and July.

The Cape Cod Canal

No fly fishing reports from this region this week.

The South Side

The Western part of the south side, especially Vineyard Sound, is definitely where the action is. While you can still find bluefish in just about any rip you try on the southside, the albies and bonito have taken holdto the west. Try the mouths of places like Waquoit, Green Pond, Eel Pond, Pooponesset and Cotuit. Also check out rips when the water is really moving in places like Succonesset, Middle ground, and Hedge Fence.

Martha's Vineyard

Captain Phil Cronin of Capawock Charters of Martha's Vineyard reports:

Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Report August 23 to August 29, 2007: This past week has been incredible fishing. First it was Bonito thrashing through the water in wolf packs and now albies gorging on peanut bunker. In fact, the exotics are getting fat and lazy on the great abundance of bait that is found almost everywhere I go. So lazy are they that I fear it will be getting harder and harder to trick them in to a strike. We must have thrown in to hundreds of albies for the last two days and managed only 3 to the boat. They were big for our waters averaging about 10.25 lbs.

The bones on the other hand have been fairly easy to catch as we have boated numerous speedsters this past week. The lure of choice on my boat has been the YoZuri Livebait for the bones and the Maria’s for the albies. The fly of choice remains the Scotty fly for both species.

Bluefish have been displaying tremendous blitz’s at times. Today we witnessed what can only be described as the most amazing blitz I have ever seen. For better than an hour we watched water churning to the feeding frenzy of 5-9 lb blues as far has the eye could see in all directions (maybe a slight exaggeration here) and believe me, they would take anything that hit the water. My anglers got so exhausted catching them that they just about begged for mercy. Needless to say, we left fish to find other fish if for no other reason than to allow time to recuperate.

In all the years I have been fishing Vineyard waters I can not remember seeing as much bait as I have over these past days. Most of what we run across is peanut bunker but every now and then we see large schools of silversides and sandeels. If, and that is a big IF, the bait holds the way it has, we are in for a hell of a fall and one hell of a derby. So far it is shaping up to be a memory maker of a fall fishing season. Get out there and fish.

Capt. Brice Contessa of Fishing the Vineyard reports:

Report 8/30:

The bonito and albie fishing has reached a fever pitch out here. At this point we're catching alot of both, usually landing each in the same general area in the same day.

Last year was a bit slow for us on this type of action, so the excellent fishing this year has been a development that we've welcomed with open arms.

At one point the other day it got so good that even Yankee fans were getting the bites!

Capt. Brice Contessa

www.fishingthevineyard.com

 

 

 

 

Jaime Boyle, also of Fishing the Vineyard reports:

Here are some pix for the vineyard report. Fishing couldn't be any better with many fly pole slams being completed this week. Sorry for the short report, but I gotta get some sleep.

Nantucket

Capt. Bill Toelstedt of Nantucket Outfitters reports:

Not much to report here on Nantucket in terms of fly-fishing ...With all nice weather and calm winds we have been taking advantage and heading offshore for shark and tuna. This past weekend we scored well on Mako's ...as the boys from the FDNY landed 6 Mako's in 2 days of fishing. Mostly small ranging from 75-175 lbs...but fun either way. Only one jumped for us but everyone was looking so we all got to see it! Monday we headed out in search of Bluefin and scored fairly well as we landed 3 of 5 hookups...all of the tuna were in the 45-47" range...

Capt. Shawn Bristow was out east several times this past week and scored well on the tuna each time out!

And yesterday we headed out with Dave Linton and his crew on the "Lisa B" in search of big sharks!! We were rewarded with 2 monster blue sharks well over 300# and a good sized Mako that Dave's son Chip fought well as it nearly spooled out our Tiagra 50W!
We also had a WHITE MARLIN swim right at us and under our boat... unfortunatly we thought it was a shark at first and did not have time to get a bait ready... but it was very cool to see... especially since it was like glass out there and he swam right under us!!
The bonita bar has definately changed over the past week... there is still bait... but the fishing is sporadic at best... hopefully when we get out of this east wind pattern maybe it will comeback to life a bit. i have heard of albies at the vineyard and one caught here on great point. other than that i have not yet seen one... but i hope to soon! capt. bill

Capt. Bill Toelstedt
Nantucket Outfitters, LLC

Capt. Lynne Heyer of Cross Rip Outfitters reports:

Happy almost Labor Day. I have mixed emotions of the summer coming to an end. I am tired and happy but also happy to slow down a little. Time to catch up with sleep and give my feet a rest. I am not sure how many folks got my quick email the other day of an Albie being caught off Great Point a few days back, but I did get a report of that happening. The guys also caught 5 or 6 Spanish Mackerels too. I have not heard of any more Albies since. Today the Bonito Bar was really slow for me. I gave it about an hour plus and we got one hook up but no fish to the boat. We then ventured down the South Shore and cranked the Blues on spin and fly. Lots of 10#ers down there and they gave a great fight! .

I also want to mention two great events coming up; the first is the Nantucket Slam Tournament September 9-11. This is a charity event to help raise awareness and funds for Cystic Fibrosis. It's two days of fishing and is always a great adventure. For more information please contact the folks at CF 800-966-0444. Please come and help catch the cure for Cystic Fibrosis

The second tournament is the Nantucket Inshore Classic, Sept.15-October 13th. This tournament is in conjunction with the Nantucket Anglers Club and all the local tackle shops. The tournament benefits the Anglers Club Scholarship fund. For more information on this tournament call any of the tackle shops here on Nantucket, the Angler's Club or visit www.nantucketanglersclub.com for more info or to sign up.

It's a great time to fish so make time and enjoy it while you can.

Cross Rip Outfitters

Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches

Joe Fitzback of Top Rod Tackle reports:

There have been some big bass finally feeding near shore off of Monomoy near the cut into Pleasant Bay. The biggest sand eels haven't come in from offshore, but there are lots of smaller sane eels. We have to have a big rain before there are more peanuts around. For now the bass are feeding well, but you have to be out ealy because the action happens before 9 AM.

There haven't been many bonito caught -- you have to fish in the channel near Bearse's -- and false albacore a rare occurence. You need to have a Southeast wind or a Northeast wind for a while to blow some bait against Monomoy.

North Side

There's a classic post on Reel-Time this week about wher to catch bluefish in Cape Cod Bay. I liked it not only for how helpful Reel-Timers were being to a fellow fisherman, but also for the shere ubiquity of the bluefish this week!

Provincetown, Wellfleet, Billingsgate, Barnstable Harbor, Billingsgate, and Scorton are all mentioned as being great place to catch big bluefish. I've also heard about big blues up at Herring COve and at Race Point. Sounds like a good recipe to me!

To read for yourself, visit the forum and the thread.

Also, around Barnstable, Reel-Time moderator Bob Parsons reports:

Barnstable has plenty of bait but there are not the blitzes you see on the south side. Like last week, there continues to be some action in or around the mouths of a few of the creeks. I did find some small bluefish way up in the marsh.