Cape Cod and the Islands
Region

September 28, 2007

Buzzards Bay

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

September 28th, 2007 Shoreline Guide Service: So Many Choices, So Little Time…

What a wonderful time of the year… Buzzards Bay waters are teaming with baitfish including quickly growing sands eels, silversides, baby bunker, juvenile alewives and blueback herring, all of which are being blitzed by migration-driven stripers, bluefish, bonito and false albacore. So, what’s the problem? Well, the first challenge is trying to decide which one of these terrific game fish to target. It’s a great time of year for trophy-sized stripers that are feeding heavily in the shallows. If it’s top-water action that turns you on, it’s hard to beat the big bluefish with their surface-busting blitzes, which will surely test your popper, slider and gurgler fly-casting skills. Or, perhaps you want to engage in one of our ultimate challenges, funny-fish.

During the past few weeks we’ve been extremely busy and having a great time trying to meet all of these options. The fishing has been nothing short of spectacular. We have caught a lot of big stripers fishing the drop-offs and sight-fishing the flats. Our top-water charters have experienced some outstanding surface action thanks to some big bluefish that gave them some unforgettable aerial displays. This top-water bluefish action has been an especially mind-blowing experience for a number of our “first-timers” to saltwater fly-fishing. In fact, several of them are talking about putting their bass boats up for sale.

With all of this overwhelming striper and top-water bluefish action going on, what more could we ask for. Ask most of our repeat charters this question and you’ll receive one unanimous answer, funny-fish. That’s right, they want the challenge, frustration and heartache that these pelagic speedsters can provide just to get the braggin’ rights of hooking, playing and hopefully landing a few bonito and/or false albacore.

What’s the big attraction these so called funny fish that puts them so high up on the “want-to-catch list”? Let me ask you, what other 6 to 20 pound in-shore game fish do you know that can peel off 150 to 200 yards of fly line and backing from your screaming fly reel on their first run?

What other school of game fish do you know that can be coming at you 50 or 100 feet away, smashing panicking bait fish all the while on the surface, and by the time that you get your first cast off, they’re 50 to 100 feet behind you? Obviously, the answer is bonito and false albacore.

At times the water can be teaming with school after school of them and you can’t buy a hit. Other times, especially later in the season when the schools and bait have thinned out a bit, you’ll get many more hook-ups. Usually, when you finally think that you’ve figured them out, they’re gone and you won’t have a chance to let them have drive you crazy ‘til next year.

There is a lot of fishing left to the season, unfortunately its mostly crammed into the next two or three weeks (weather permitting). Don’t miss out, as it’s the best time of the year to catch a memory that will have to last you throughout the long upcoming winter.

I want to thank all of my charters for a great year. You folks are what make it fun for me.

Hopefully, we’ll be on the water until early November if the weather and fish hold out. Throughout the winter and spring we’ll be teaching saltwater fly tying classes at The Bear’s Den Fly Fishing Shop in Taunton, Ma and we’ll be doing the fishing shows. Hope to see you there.

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Joe LeClair reports:

False Albacore and Bluefin Tuna continue to be the story for Fall 2007' around here. It has been more difficult to catch large Striped Bass and monster Blues than the hard tails. We did get a few really great hours of Bass fishing in the last week with Stipers on the fly rod up to 39 lbs. so maybe the next 30 days will bring some bass into my home waters to round out what has already been a great fall. In addition if anglers are interested in catching Bluefish 12-18 lbs. on the fly there are several spots along the rocky shoreline here in Buzzards Bay that are holding some real monster blues.

I am heading back to Englwood, Florida in November for the reverse migrating tarpon again this fall. In addition we have had great runs of False Albacore and King Maceral in Southwest Florida in November and December. On the Gulf side we find schools of Cobia and Redfish in the fall they are great fish on the fly rod. Over the last 10 years I have come to realize that the weather in Southwest Florida in November is possibly the best weather of the whole year. It is often cool 70-80's with a light breeze and there are very few bugs in the everglades which makes it fishable again :) after a long summer of bugs. The Snook and Tarpon feed heavily in the Glades in the fall because they lay low in the winter months when the water temps drop below 70. I have been fortunate enough to find places in the Everglades where the Tarpon and Snook are crashing on schools of Mullet in November and it is one of the most exciting fly fishing experiences I have ever had.

Martha's Vineyard

Capt. Brice Contessa of Fishing the Vineyard reports:

Thorne...

The fishing tournement is in full swing and the fly rodding on the Vineyard is good, not great. Plenty of albies still around although the numbers seem to have thinned somewhat since our last report. Bonito remain in the mix inshore and further off the beach, which is exciting being that they're often hard to come by in the last couple of weeks of September. The bass fishing is decent in the boat and somewhat slow from the shore. The bluefish action is solid with Fishing the Vineyard's own Robby Morrison putting up a fish just short of 13# on the fly in the past couple of days.

It's been a great season, and we've enjoyed sharing our reports with you guys this year. Hope we can do it again.

www.fishingthevineyard.com

Capt. Phil Cronin of Capawock Charters of Martha's Vineyard reports:

Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Report September 25, 2007

What a fantastic false albacore run we have had this year! Is it over? Mostly yes but there still remain some opportunities as all the albies start to filter out. Certainly, we will not be running across those frothing masses of breaking schools that we had easy access to for the last month. Now we have to settle for small schools that remain keyed in on bait around island estuaries such as the gut, menemsha channel, and tashmoo. It’s also time to head them off at places like “the rock pile” along east beach when they make their migration move heading south. The last two trips I have been with Father’s and sons – my favorite type of charters. On both we were able to find some albies and hook up on fly rod and spinning gear. Also on both it was the first time catching and releasing an albie for the anglers.

As the albies move out its time to target large bonito and get back in to the bass mode. I’ll be spending my time out on various shoals looking for those “world class”, record breaking bones that have made the Vineyard famous. The last time I checked, around 17% of all IGFA records for Atlantic bonito came from our waters and most of the past MV Derby winning bones are caught around this time of year. It is time to slow down the pace, wean ourselves off the little tunny, and pay attention to other species.

During the last couple of weeks of the MV Derby mouths shut and secrecy as to spots and techniques is the norm. Anglers hang around the weigh-in station to try and pick up intel but be wary of loose lips as many times it is false propaganda to throw you off what’s really happening. Get out there and fish hard. That’s the best way to find that derby winning fish!

Nantucket

Capt. Lynne Heyer of Cross Rip Outfitters reports:

Fall is here. And this year I am welcoming it, so far been a beauty. Warm temperatures and sunny skies. The fishing hasn't been bad either. I am now locked up in the store this week, Dave has the week off, but last week I think I was out almost everyday. I had a couple really fun trips with Deirdre and Alex, finally getting them into something besides Blues. Alex landed 3 Albies and Deirdre landed one Albie, one Bonito and they both landed numerous Blues over the course of two trips. I also had a great trip with Lynne Scholz and Dick Verville, we fished all over the place. Ended up at Sankaty and Dick landed a 37" 16# Striper on fly. It was an awesome sight. It was even better when we let her go. We also chased the Albies and had some shots and hits just couldn't get one to stay on the line. So far the Fall fishing has been very good. I just heard from Spanky Kania he had Stripers in the Harbor the last few days. I also heard from a few guys that fished the Jetties that there have been fish there at night. Last night the wind howled from the South and has dirtied up the water so the fishing today was a little tough. Capt. Shawn got a few Albies on the Bonito Bar but it was slow. Capt. Jeff looked all over from Great Point to the South shore with some shots at Albies but not to many to the boat. Looks like the weather is going to be good till later in the week. Take advantage while you can, enjoy the weather and get out and fish.

Wrapping up the season I will have to say that for us here on Nantucket this year has been a good one. Pretty steady Striper fishing early, Great Bonito fishing, great Bluefishing and a pretty good Albie season so far. The weather the last couple days has been windy and the waters a little stirred up but we hope the next few days will quiet down and fishing should pick up. The Fall Striper bite is also picking up with some big fish being caught.

Jeff and I will be doing some traveling this Fall. First travel destination is West to Arizona, maybe a little fishing but mostly hiking and having fun in the the Red Rocks. We will return for Thanksgiving and the Christmas Holidays then start thinking about our Winter fishing destinations. Looks like we will be in the Keys again this Winter, fishing and guiding. Hopefully with a side trip to the Bahamas or maybe Belize. Thank you Reel-Time for posting the reports and I hope everyone has enjoyed them.

Thanks Thorne,
Lynne

Chatham, Monomoy and the Outer Beaches

Matt from Chatham Bait and Tackle wrote on his site:

9/26/07 What's on Tap! October is almost here and the striped bass are sticking their heads out along the shorelines and back in our bays and rivers. The water temperature has dropped and appears to be holding and soon to drop some more. The bass are going to quickly come back in and fall colors are going to be big. Top water plugs, pogy and herring baits, with live eels as well will be best served for successful catches. Currently the striped bass are in heavy at night and still moving out during the days. The albacore are swimming from stage harbor mouth to the southern tip of south monomoy. And bonito are hanging around the southern tip of monomoy and further south. The bluefish are littering the waters everywhere and creating quite the mess chasing bait fish all over. The blue fin tuna are still heavy out around Bob's tuna spot and regal sword, but crab ledge as well is still producing a fine number of small footballs.

North Side

Terry Nugent of RipTide Charters reports:

Today I had Rob Leva and his three buddies on the boat. The plan was to run out of Plymouth and get these four guys their first tuna. We met up at 0730 and ran out accross the bay. Things were very quiet so we did what I always do and went for a long ride.

We ran until I found a small flock of 10-12 birds. we slowed up and saw a few fish boil under them. The guys castout and Rob came tight on the first cast. After 30 minutes the curse was off the boat for the day and Rob had his first tuna ever, a nice 50" fish.

this would be the pattern for the rest of the day. Run 1/4 mile find 10 birds, cast under them and hook tuna. If the fish missed the lure or sounded that was it and you had to move on. There were no second chances today. Fortunatley there were so many pods of fish like this that if they sounded we just ran another 1/4 mile or so and hit the next pod of fish. The radar was invaluable today. I would mark 4-5 pods at a time and we played connect the dots as we worked each pod.

AS the day wore on the fishing remained very consistant and the seas layed down nicely. We were all in short sleeves by noon and we were getting 4-5 shots at fish per hour. All 4 guys were able to comfortabley and safely fish at the same time. In part due to the size of the boat and in part to their skill and care in casting.

When all was said and done we went 5 for 7 on fish from the high 30" range to 50". A pair of 50"s were kept for the guys to take home. We let the small slot fish go. The lure of choice today was the Blue Polish Sandeel. When the day was done 5 rods had them tied on. The fish really liked this lure today. We had one fish pull a hook on an inital run and one fish broke off due to a tip wrapped rod. We had 15-20 boils on lures where the fish just would not commit. The gus fought the fish well and nothing went over 30 minutes. Thats awesome for guys that have never landed tuna before. The water depth ranged from 90-over 700' deep.

Overall a fantastic day fishing with some grewat guys. When the day was done each and every one of the guys landed their first tuna. Rob managed to get two. I will have more photo's when the guys send them. They had me busy all day cleaning and prepping fish so they took most of the photos. Super job to one and all!