Cape Cod and the Islands
Region

October 16, 2006

Buzzards Bay

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

October 13th Shoreline Guide Service Report:

It ain't over until the fat cow sings.
The "fat cow" obviously refers to the trophy-sized stripers that will continue to migrate from northern waters through our Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay waters for the next three to four weeks. Barring an unusual number of severe coastal storms or a prolonged period of abnormally cold weather, we could have large migrating stripers passing through our area well into November. In the past, when the weather remained relatively mild, we've taken a good number of keeper-sized bass on Thanksgiving morning, and that's when a keeper had to be 36 inches.

Our water temperatures have been running higher than normal for this time of year and we've experienced a very quiet tropical storm and hurricane season. With an adequate baitfish supply ( including some larger baits such as mackerel, whiting and menhaden), the migration could be strung out longer than usual.

Yes, I know, the ducks and geese are heading south, we've had our first frost, the leaves are changing color and starting to fall and the damn department stores are all ready putting up their Christmas, excuse me, "Holiday Seasons" decorations. That must mean that it time to put the boat to bed. No Way!!! Weather permitting, there's still plenty of fishing to do before I'll give in to the "long dreaded winter season." The next few weeks especially on our waters, is a spectacular time to enjoy the beautiful backdrop of fall foliage. This is even more outstanding when fishing the mouth's of estuaries at sun up, when the wind is dead calm and the morning mist is rising from mirror smooth waters that are painted from nature's palette of autumn's brilliant leaves.

We'll remain on the water as long as the line doesn't freeze in the guides and the bait and fish are there.

So, get yourself out there and be careful.

A few important thoughts about late season fishing:

• The good news is that there aren't a lot of other boats on the water to compete with you at this time of year.


• The bad news is that there aren't a lot of other boats on the water to help you if you get into trouble at this time of year.


• Be sure to leave a float plan with someone who cares about you.


• Make sure that all of you safety equipment is working in tip top condition.


• Do you have a working VHF radio? Keep it on at all times.


• Do you have a cell phone?


• Wear your floatation devise all times.


• No alcohol. Believe me, it really doesn't make you warmer, just stupider.


• Remember, black ice, icy decks and docks can end your trip in an instant.


• If you see other boats on the water, make it a point to talk to them so that you both have someone to call in case of a problem.


• Be extra careful.

I want to give a special thank you to all of my clients for their support throughout the year. We've had a lot of fun and continue to learn from each other. Try to get through the winter and just remember, next year's not that far away. Is it???

Don't forget, we'll be teaching basic and advanced saltwater fly tying this fall and winter at "The Bear's Den Fly Fishing Company" in Taunton, MA. These are fun filled classes at one of the best fly fishing shops in the area. It will help us all to get through the "dreaded winter." If you're interested give Scott a call at 508-977-0700 and be sure to tell him that you saw it on "Reel-time.com."

If you have any questions give me a call at 508-697-6253 or e-mail me.

Tight lines, but not too tight,
Good luck,
Capt. Bob
http://www.Shore-line.com
CaptBob@Shore-line.com
508-697-6253

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Joe LeClair of North Eastern Anglers reports:

Thorne,

This past week has been the fifth solid week of GREAT bass fishing in a row, here in the Elizabeth Islands and Buzzards Bay. I have been fortunate to find fish out of the wind and in places were the fly rods will catch them.

In addition we have had the opportunity to chase some large Striped Bass mixed in with the Bluefish. I think we hooked into 6 bass 47-50 inches under these circumstances in the last couple weeks. Like all great challenges in the sport of fly fishing these fish are extremely difficult to catch. We managed to hook many more than we were able to land. On one afternoon outting we hooked into a massive Striper on the fly. We were fishing with the Scott STS 11 weight fly rod and the Islander LX 4.5 reel. I tied on a leader that was approximately 7' long and was mostly made up of 40 lb. florocarbon. I think the but section was 60 lb. floro. We hooked a very large bass on a very large fly and after a great hookset and and a great job clearing the line the angler attempted to stop the fish from taking too much line at my request. I think the backing was 40-50' off the reel and the fish came to a complete stop. Because I have seen this happen several times in the last few years with fish in this size class I knew exactly what this fish was doing. I yelled out to my client to do everything in his power to lift that fish off the bottom because he was trying to break the line against a rock or other sharp object. I was clear that this fish had wrapped the line around something and in just a few more seconds we were treated to the end of a 40 lb. leader with no fly and no fish. These fish are fish of a lifetime and even when they eat the fly and you do everything right, they can still get away. It is this difficulty that keeps me fired up about the sport of fly fishing for Striped Bass...

I am headed down to Florida in early November for a short trip before the hollidays, which I will spend back up here in New England. I am really looking forward to doing a little fishing on a new 2007' Action Craft 1890 SE with and E-tec 200 motor. This is my third flats boat in 10 years, but I have never owned a boat like this before. I am excited about both the Action Craft and the E-tec because they should work really well together. I will be back down in the Boca Grande area fishing this flats boat from Jan. 1st to June 1st again this coming year. Last year I did a great deal of fishing in both the Boca Grande area and fishing in the Everglades/ 10,000 Islands area. I hope to spend even more time fishing in the Everglades National Park area and target Tarpon on the fly rod during the months of March and April.

With the improved speed and fuel range on this new flats boat from Action Craft I expect I will be able to make a 35 mile run into the Everglades in 45 minutes and fish all day while only using around 1/2 a tank of gas. This means that I will be able to fish areas that were a real stretch for me in my last flats boat and I will be able to do it in 1/2 as much time.

The Cape Cod Canal

Eddy Merckx reports on the RT bbs:

Spent the past few days fishing the upper Cape. Not the most exciting fall fishing I've ever had, but it beat the hell out of working for a living.

Here's the run down:

Canal - Lots of fish, all schoolies. Didn't see any large taken, and I fished both ends a variety of times and stages. Plugs on top were the ticket, I took nothing jigging or throwing swim shads. Some bigger fish showed themselves occasionally, but well out of range of my pathetic casting ability.

Sandwich UDL - Fewer fish, but better quality. One keeper on the fly, a handfull of decent shorts, and some schoolies. Better fish all came in the vicinity of the mouth on the incoming.

Southside - some schoolies (surprise!) and a few healthy blues for a welcome change of pace.

That's probably the end of the fishing season for me, bow season starts Monday and I'll spend my free time trying to keep from falling asleep while sitting 20' up in a tree. Hope some of you guys slay the big girls when they show up!

The South Side

RTer Medidia*2 reports on some tough fishing on the BBS:

My long-time fishing buddy and I (we're talking maybe 15 years each fly fishing for stripers) just spent Thursday, Friday, and 1/2 of Saturday cruising around the Cape from early, really-early, before first light to late in the evenings, on the northside and southside(shorebound) of the Cape, with absolutely NO FISH, but lots of bait . . . . . . . Are we losing the touch, or are there really no fish to be had?

Martha's Vineyard

Steve Purcell of Larrys Tackle reports:

There's been bonito caught on the Southeast side of the island off the beach. Also, on East beach and at the gut, there are still a few albacore.

They opened Edgartown great pond, and there have been blitzes on the outside. All kinds of bait comes out of there: shad, silversides, herring, you name it. Sometimes it closes in two hours, but it’s been open for a few days and people have been fishing round the clock. Skok is out there right now. People set up where the water flows through the beach into the ocean, and fish the back of it on the incoming.

Menemsha is still fishing well for small bass in the pond. I know some guys that are going out there tonight with eels, and they have been catching some 20 to 25 pound fish at night.

Nantucket

When I asked Lynne from Cross Rip Outfitters if she wanted to talk about the fly fishing?

"If you want to! " she said laughing implying that the fishing had been really tough as I had been hearing.

"There were a couple high points in the fishing for albies off of Great Point: one day seven or eight were caught. Also, from shore out on Great Point, some anglers had a little success on bonito too. Jeff got a chance to chase a FEW albies at the West end o the island when a few pods showed up.

"Some of the guides have been fishing at night for bass and getting some big bass for the inshore classic tournament. The harbor is where the bass have been. There have also been tons of little blues around Miacomet Rip, and some at Great Point too. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow. That's also what I did Sunday of last weekend: we had bluefish all day, and saw a few albies, but caught all bluefish."

If you happen to be in Islamorada in the Winter, you should call Jeff and Lynne who guide up and down the keys before returning to Nantucket in Apeil and May.

Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches

Tom George of Fish Pier Charters reports:

Thorne-

As the fall run makes its appearance, a couple of fattened up big chomper bluefish are always a great way to bend the rod for one last time. Chatham has had some good blues, some porked up stripers and offshore at the Sword the medium tuna are still in the picture. The collective ear of the town is waiting to hear the word "Giant". I will be keeping going as late as I can, and will be ready for when the squidlers arrive off the southside in April...

Joe Fitzback wrote in to talk about his thoughts on the lack of bait and a Fall run. He should know too since he is the Herring Warden in Chatham. I asked him how his captains had been doing.

Not doing much. The albies were at Handkerchief shoal but not many, and not like years past. We didn’t have a lot of bait around, or rain to push the fry out of the runs. Usually when you get a couple inches of rain, the herring would come out in big schools. I’m an assistant warden of the herring run in Chatham. If it’s not raining in the Summer, we put up boards to keep the water in, then when there is a rain, we open up the gates to let the young-of-the-year herring out. This year we lifted the boards and there was nothing.

In years past, there would be little minke whales, and porpoises on that bait. We didn’t have that at all this year. A couple of weeks ago there was a limited run [of bass] that hit the outer beaches, but nothing to write home about. With the westerly wind, the bait was pushed out eight to 10 miles.

They were getting stripers 20 miles out this season tearing up the tuna gear. All the sand eels were way out, and that’s where the blues and bass and whales were. If we had had a northeast low, then some nice wind, that would set up the fishing better.

North Side

Curt Jessup of Cape Cod Outfitters reports:

DON'T PACK EM UP YET!!!!!! We had a great time this past week with special guest and friend Capt. Eric Wallace from Maine. Capt. Eric will be helping out on Cape Cod this next year and we will both be in the keys this winter. Eric will be there from Jan1 through April and I will be there March and April. You can catch us in and around Islamorada so if you make the trip, look us up and we can wet a line!!! This week has been one of great fish, fun and blitzes.

We were able to hook up some really nice bass along the Elizabeth Islands and had an epic day on the flats of Barnstable. Broke off two fish trying to get fly to bigger fish quickly!!!!!!! There are schools of 6 to 15 inch bunker moving through and fish are feeding aggressively at all tides except dead low and dead high. Stick close to shore and you will score!!!! As previously mentioned, I am off to Harkers Island, North Carolina in 2 weeks. We will be there through Turkey Day and back on the Cape through the Holidays. Our annual trip to The Andros Island Bonefish club starts Feb. 15 and ends Feb. 28. We have two separate weeks booked and I have 4 openings if anyone would like to join us. This is our 12th year at the club and can't wait to get back on the Island. Call me and I will explain details. I wish all of you a great Holiday season and thanks to Reel-Time for another great year.

But West of Barnstable Harbor, lots of anglers are lamenting the complete lack of bait, especially at places like the mouthy of Scorton Creek near Sandwich, which is an historically rich spot for the bait to build up and attract large Fall Run blitzes.

But wait this just in:

fished 10.7.2006 to 10.14.2006 tuesday morning with the cloudy morning start had the bass in close alomg with the bait, birds bass and bait, good hook ups in the 20 to 28 inch range mostly 20's later in the week the twinkies dominated. night fishing was slow. caught fish all week but nothing came close to the tuesday blitz. andrew