Storm claims last cottage on Cape Cod beach

Storm claims last cottage on Cape Cod beach

Countdown to clave.

Made arrangements. Will be coming down on Wednesday afternoon. Have my flylines cleaned and ready. Some new flies tied. Wayne is going down on Monday. Mel is coming in on Thursday night. Bill Jolly on Friday. Have some new recipes. All we need is a few fish to cook.

Freakin' White Sharks better stay clear. They can have the seals. All I want are stripers!

Bill

Cape Cod beach town vexed by shark sightings

* Story Highlights
* Shark expert confirms at least one large shark sighting Friday
* Species unconfirmed, but "most likely" was a great white, expert says
* As many as five large sharks were seen on Thursday near Monomoy Island
* Expert: On average, sharks kill about four people per year, worldwide

updated 11:11 a.m. EDT, Sat September 5, 2009

* Next Article in U.S. »

From Kristen Hamill
CNN
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(CNN) -- The ocean water around Chatham, Massachusetts, is playing host to some unwelcome guests this holiday weekend: sharks.
Only 41 unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the U.S. since 2008.

Only 41 unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the U.S. since 2008.

At least one large shark sighting was confirmed Friday by Greg Skomal, shark expert for the state's Division of Marine Fisheries.

That sighting occurred off the eastern shore of Monomoy Island, a National Wildlife Refuge off the southern elbow of Cape Cod, according to Lisa Capone, Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs press secretary.

The species, though not confirmed, was "most likely" a great white shark, she said.

The sighting came a day after Skomal reported as many as five large sharks were seen near the island, about a mile or more away from Chatham's Lighthouse Beach, a public swimming area.

Capone said Skomal was searching the area of the island Friday afternoon, though weather conditions were "not ideal," with fog and wind.

Meanwhile, officials were advising residents and visitors to be cautious while visiting the beaches this weekend.

"It is the eve of the last holiday weekend of summer, and we want to make sure folks on the Cape are aware," Capone said.

Chatham's Harbor Master's office issued a public notice after the sightings Thursday, saying the waters surrounding Chatham are "now a year-round home to a few thousand seals." Seals are a main source of food for large sharks, and as recently as August 28, a large shark was seen feeding on the body of a seal near Chatham's waters, the notice said.

It advised people to avoid swimming near seals.

A statement issued Friday by Chatham town officials said "beaches will be closed immediately" if a shark is sighted.
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* 5,000-pound shark washes ashore on Long Island

Paul Zuest, general manager of the Chatham Bars Inn, said he and his staff also have been instructing their guests to be cautious. The hotel, about two miles away from where the sharks were spotted, has posted signs providing information on the sightings.

George H. Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File, said that on average, sharks have killed four people annually worldwide for the past several years.

"The chances of us as individuals entering the sea and not coming back as a result of a shark attack are slim to none when you consider the millions upon millions of people that go into the sea each year," he said.

The museum's shark attack file lists 41 unprovoked shark attacks in U.S. waters in 2008, with one fatality, in California. Most of the attacks, 32, occurred in Florida.

Massachussetts has recorded only four shark attacks since 1670, two of which have been fatal. The last fatal shark attack in Massachussetts occurred in 1936.

Striperhead Conclave 09

First day teaching and my schedule is bad and means a day less at the cape than usual. Will leave noon on Thursday, Oct 1. Arrive around 6. if I can swap labs with another person I might be able to come down Wednesday.

Have some flies tied. Limbered up the arm casting at Pompham Beach two weeks ago. Was in Manchester/Arlington Vermont area for the weekend at a wedding. Drooled over the Orvis Helios rods but managed to walk away. they really are lightweight. Did pick up two flies on sale as patterns. They are weedless. Often at Brewster on high tides we get alot of "grass" on outgoing tides.

Who is coming down for the clave? Mel Adams wants to, not sure if he is a definate. Jill Jolley is coming, as is Wayne.

Bill

The Big ones go North, too

Port Maitland resident reels in ‘fish of a lifetime’
Port Maitland resident Richard “Buck” Owen holds up a 57-pound striped bass he caught fishing the morning of July 29. Tina Comeau photo
Port Maitland resident reels in ‘fish of a lifetime’
Richard 'Buck' Owen lands 57-pound striped bass
By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD



NovaNewsNow.com

The first day of fishing for Port Maitland resident Richard “Buck” Owen turned out to be the fishing trip of a lifetime last Wednesday.

While fishing the morning of July 29 up near Weymouth, Owen – on his first fishing trip of the season – snagged a 57-pound striped bass. He was fishing alone so he didn’t have anyone to share his excitement with. But when he came home with the proof people were impressed.

“The store was just opening in Port Maitland where I live,” he said. “I pulled in and everyone was looking at it and saying, ‘Wow, that’s a big fish.’”

Owen took the fish to Seakist Lobster Ltd. in Overton to have it weighed on a certified scale, just in case it was a record catch. The fish, which measured 49 inches long (4.03 feet, or 1.24 metres), tipped the scale at 57 pounds – just shy of a provincial record from last year. In 2008, angler Christian LeVatte landed a 57.9-pound striped bass in Cape Breton.

Asked he how felt to have missed the record by 0.9 pounds, Owen said it was okay.

“It’s still the fish of a lifetime,” he said.

Owen was standing on the shoreline when he cast his line. A few minutes earlier he had caught a 10-or-12 pounder but had lost it. Using a lure that looked like a mackerel he tried again.

“I cast the line into the current and it hit and it didn’t splash or anything. It was swimming right at me and I was reeling real fast trying to catch up with it, “ he said. He thought he had lost his catch but then the line became tight.

“I could see it because the water was crystal clear,” he said. He caught a flash of it and thought it was a 20 or 25-pound fish.

“They have to be 26.8 inches long to keep it. I said, well, that’s a 20-or-25-pounder, that’s going to be a really nice fish.”

Owen fought the fish for around 15 minutes. As he watched it move back and forth he realized his guesstimate on its weight was off…by about 25 or 30 pounds.

The bass tired before Owen did. He got it on its side, grabbed it by the gills and hauled it up. By this point he was standing waist deep in water in his hip waders.

“When I got onto the beach I was holding it up here,” he said, pointing up past his waist, “and the tail was dragging on the ground.”

Asked last Wednesday what he intended to do with his catch, he said, “Probably eat it.”

But with so much fish, he said he might invite a few friends over to share in the feast.

PONTOON REPORT

First venture out in my new boat last night was interesting to say the least. I should preface this report by saying I have not really ever rowed a boat before, so the ensuing comedy of errors is all part of the learning curve. Hard to row in a straight line when you are dragging your anchor in the water, you row in circles. I think I prefer to row so I can see where I'm going rather than where I've been. The seat must be secure to the frame other wise when you get half way across pond the seat moves and you have to limp to shore to secure it thank god for leatherman tools. There are some really good features nice anchoring system, basket behind seat allows for carrying all the essentials, beer cooler for water of course and food, with a 400 lb capacity that can be allot of extras. There is even a trolling motor bracket. If anyone has experience with pontoons please call me @ 603.305.9726. As far as the fishing was concerned I did manage a nice 14" brook trout(native) no stockers in this pond. Drakes were hatching in small quantities at odark 30. I have never seen a hatch this up close and personal before, surprised that any of them are able to get off the water with all of the surface commotion they make before lift off. Huge cloud of flies in the air, I am guessing that they will be spinners that night. I was fishing close enough to shore to have a conversation with a woman hiking near the pond turns out she is the Attorney General for the state of Maine.Got off the water well after dark only to meet up with her again and her sister Dora who happens to be Secretary of Health for the state of Maine, very nice people, very laid back and unassuming. Thats all for now, more to come I'm sure

ps need to name boat ant suggestions?

Pontoon boats

Well guys I have been in Millinocket, Maine since Memorial day working at the local hospital ( got laid off my regular job) . The fishing when its not raining has been pretty good, mostly Landlock salmon and Brook trout with a few smallies thrown in for good behavior. Getting back in touch with freshwater fishing, something I promised myself to do before the forced job change. Unfortunately the rain and lack of local knowledge has kept me off the water more than I care to admit. One of my fellow co workers lent me a float tube/ pontoon boat for use while I was here, loved the idea for fishing the ponds in Baxter stae park. I have since stepped up to a small pontoon boat with oars, my first venture with the new boat will be Daicy Pond in the park this afternoon. I will follow up with a fishing / boat report tomorrow should be interesting, Drakes coming off the water around o-dark 30. I will be in Millinocket for atleast 6 more weeks, so if you have a mind to travel north call me on my Cellphone 603-305-9726 I am staying in my camper and have room for 2-3 more people.

Tight lines

Anthony

Brewster Ma., Monday, 06/8/2009

Arrived on site at about 2 pm and checked into the Nickerson campground in Brewster. The forecast for the upcoming week was not the best for anything requiring warmth or sunlight. But today was good. It was sunny and in the seventies. The wind was less than 10 knots. It might be the best chance I had for sight fishing on the flats for the entire week.

So I set up camp in a minimal fashion and hurried to the Pleasant Bay town launch. Sorting out how best to manage a solo launch, I got the boat in the water and tied off. I situated the tackle and dressed the rods and then got the boat engine running. The sun was already lowering in the sky. The tide was outgoing, and would limit the risk I might take in pushing the boat too far up on the sand flats. Getting beached on an outgoing tide would mean a six hour wait for the incoming to release me. Not a pleasant thought, as it was almost five o’clock already.

There were wade fishermen at Minister’s Point, along with another piece of sandy real estate in the bay… More than I would have expected there to be on a Monday afternoon, so I was hopeful. I explored the flats from The Narrows and beyond, and eventually out to the open cut in the barrier bar. Last year’s storms had breached the bar to the open Atlantic, and one distraught resident saw his cottage swallowed up by the sea. But the extreme change in the configuration of the beach had created new, direct access point into upper Pleasant bay for ocean side, cruising Stripers to utilize. No birds were in sight, and the water was somewhat murky as it can be in Pleasant Bay on the outgoing. So much for sight fishing…

I had begun to wish that I made the trip down here a day earlier, so I could have been out here in the morning on the incoming tide, with the sun high. I did some blind casting, and came up with one schoolie striper and 2 followers. After a while, I brought the boat back to trailer, and returned to the campground, happy enough that I had motivated myself to get out on the water and get the equipment organized. The week lay ahead.

Tuesday 06/9/2009

The NOAA forecast was glum…. Cloudy, raining cold and windy…. I half expected to spend the whole day in the Yurt, journaling and sketching. But the morning was bright, and the wind not too awful. Again, thinking of the possible limited opportunities for getting the boat on the flats this week, I had a quick breakfast and headed out. Rain was supposed to be definite for the afternoon. This time I put in at Oyster Pond to access the Monomoy Islands area.

I rounded the bend at the end of the Oyster River, cruised the edge of Common Flats, as was my custom, then crossed the channel and began searching the shallow water out from Hardings Beach. Eventually, a small cluster of terns began the feed actively, signaling that baitfish were being driven to the surface. As you might expect, the sight of the bait busting the water’s surface, followed by the backs of bluefish, sent enough adrenaline through my system to make a mess of my tackle. The wrong fly, no wire leader, and that goddam Orvis Wonderline balled up in a knot. I Wondered who invented this horrid flyline.

The blues were not doing a good job of breaking the water’s surface, although the sand eels were, offering themselves to the hungry terns. Instinctively, I ditched the eight weight and the cursed Wonderline in favor of a nine weight rod and a sink tip line to get the fly down to the fish… hurry, hurry, the fish are feeding, moving, feeding, moving…

Still there was no wire leader, and the nine weight did not have a holder for my trolling motor’s remote control. Crap. More fumbling… with the loose controller. Eventually, I got a fly down enough in the water so that a bluefish saw it, struck the fly, and the game was on. A distinct sense of relieve came after hooking a fish. Now the main concern remained the lack of a leader… I hoped that he was hooked well, but not too deeply, so that the monofilament leader stayed away from the razor teeth. A long 8 minutes later, after adjusting the reel’s drag and discovering a grinding noise in my Lamson , the blue was in the net. Nice. Something for the grill… at least that was done.

The feeding frenzy continued, and after getting the fish in the livewell, I organized again, and followed the birds and their activity back across the channel to Common Flats. The fish proved to be more and more elusive, and the feeding birds were thinning. Then a small bunch of terns got active further up on the flats. I raised the outboard and urged the trolling motor and the boat toward the working birds. Soon the trolling motor was chewing sand. Thankfully I was on the incoming tide today, and did not worry much about stranding. But I couldn’t maneuver around the high spots to get close to the ruckus. Then the feeding frenzy moved toward me. Those were stripers! Beside the excitement of finding the preferred target of Striped Bass over bluefish, it was amazing to see Stripers busting on bait in the spring. But these fish were literally in 12 – 16 inches of water, and any activity at all brought them half out of the water. They were going nuts on the ample amounts of sand eels, as were the birds from above. It was exciting to watch. The fish were schoolies, with a few medium sized fish mixed in, no bruisers from the northward Atlantic migration. I picked up a couple and released them. The world was beginning to get right.

About that time, the predicted showers began; I donned a rainjacket, and eventually began to get wet anyway. It was just past noon, and given the fact that I felt I had stolen the morning from the weatherman, I decided to give it up when the wind started to crank and I heard distant thunder. I went back to the Campground cold and wet, but satisfied at the morning activity.

Wednesday 06/10/2009

The day started at 4:30 AM. Not my choice. The campers in the next yurt are a family who seem to believe that completely allowing three young girls cry and scream and stomp their feet is a normal form of communication, and beyond any reproach. The tactic must work well for the children’s needs, because they used it as a “go-to” tool at the rate of about once every couple hours. Never having children, it seemed odd that my thoughts would wander to considerations of parenting practices. I wonder what type of adults that this child rearing approach might produce, and pity the men that might wind up having to deal with these screaming female gems. A huge empty campground, and this is how I drew the lot… and the tantrum family is staying all week. The six year old, destined to be an opera singer, gave her greatest performance to date, at the wee hours of the morning. I would be sure to use my earplugs each and every night henceforth.

Still cloudy, the skies held their bounty, and I launched the boat again into Oyster Pond, and headed back to where I had seen action yesterday. Intermittent spats of unexpected sunshine allowed me to see short expanses of sand under the water ahead of the boat, but no fish were evident. After a couple hours of blind casting to rips out from Hardings Beach and along Common Flats, I had only enticed a couple followers and hooked up on two schoolie stripers. Yesterday’s bird activity was missing and so was the adrenaline rushes. They were replaced by the lull of a sneaking boredom and the issue of suspending disbelief.

Eventually, I found myself wondering if I shouldn’t head back in, and trying elsewhere. Before I did, though, I headed over toward the barrier dune below Chatham. With the aid of the trolling motor, I was able to maintain a decent line of drift, parallel to the line of South Beach. I began to see groups of four to five mid sized stripers (upper 20 inches) and a few bigger fish, following the edges of the shallow bars just offshore. Reaction time was short, because visibility was low, and the fish were spooking on the boat. They would appear off the bow, just after I had committed a blind cast amidships to the port side. Damned. After about an hour into the drift, I had the luck of having the fly and rod in hand, at the ready, at the same moment that I spied a single good size grey ghost slipping along a bar to my right. I let go a gentle cast three feet ahead of, and just to the right of, the fish’s line of sight. The fact that I was able to do this, in fact, was another bit of luck. Frankly, my casting skills suck.

I twitched the fly as the fish neared it, and began my retrieve, pulling the imitation in hasty, jerky spurts away from the Striper. Man, that fish jumped on that fly like a beagle on a pork chop!! A quick, reaffirming double tug inline on the Wonderline to set the hook and the reel began to emit noise at an increasing rate and heightening crescendo. I was into my backing in no time. As I stood balanced on the casting platform of the boat, rod butt plated in my hip, maintaining pressure on the fish in ever changing directions, the back pain, boredom, and disillusionment of the day disappeared. The daybreak tantrum of the campground brat and resultant loss of sleep suddenly seemed like a pleasant way to start the day. As the back and forth contest progressed, with the bass gaining ground in long powerful runs against the reel’s drag, and me reclaiming ground by cranking in line whenever I was able to lead him toward the boat, I began to think about the weak links. Was the fly tied on correctly? Maybe I should have changed the leader this morning. Was the fish hooked well?

The connection between backing and flyline passed through my rod guides three times, and eventually, the fish was brought to bay and netted. Nice fish! He measured 29 inches and broke the three year dry spell I have had of not catching any keepers. Minimum size is 28 inches, and I have been able to manage only 27 inchers over the past couple seasons. I made sure he was revived and released him back to the flats. This day had been justified.

Thursday 06/11/2009

The earplugs worked fine, and I managed to arise at a more reasonable hour, about 6 am. Showers and thunderstorms were the call for the morning, with some possible clearing for the afternoon. It was chilly. Low fifties. I headed out to one of the bays on the southern shoreline of Cape Cod Bay. I had had good luck there before, and really liked the choice of sand flats that were available for sight fishing.

It was showering lightly and was cold when I arrived at the launch, but met up with a fly fisherman pulling out. It was nearly low tide. He stated that it was a bit snotty out by the hook in the flats, as the outgoing tide was combining with the wind to make a nuisance of the chop. Footing would be difficult. Thunder was booming a bit in the distance, and my doubts about heading out this morning began. I waited in the parking lot a while, and then reasoned I should head out as long as the winds were low enough to allow it, and launched before the lowering tide would make it too difficult.

I was cold… it was wet… drizzle and light showers turned on and off. I headed toward the area I wished to greet the incoming tide from, and began to blind cast toward the edge of the flat. A couple followers and then I hooked up with a schoolie. I hoped that this would bode well for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, the next couple hours turn to misery. The showers picked up. I had minimal raingear on, and got wet. Twice the rain really opened up, completely drowning me. My clothes picked up ten pounds of water weight. The booming started again, fog was creeping around the shoreline, and although I had not seen any lightning, I reasoned that nothing here was worth it. I was freezing and began to head back in. Before I made it to the harbor area, the rain slacked off. The distant sky seemed to be lightening. Blue patches appeared. I remembered the dry bag stowed under the casting platform. Rummaging around, I found a complete change of dry clothes, and in the middle of the harbor, started my day over. With warm and dry clothes, a brightening horizon and a change in tide, I headed back to the target area. Still, the bright sunshine that was needed for sight fishing eluded me, but I began to blind cast to likely spots. No birds to help spot activity.

I managed two schoolies, one in the mid twenties and a number of followers reluctant to bite. The beastmaster flies I had been casting seemed to grab their interest, despite their obvious difference from the abundant sand eels on the flats. But the few bait fishermen in the channel were having some luck with American eels, 6-8 inches in length. Reports were that several keepers and a couple 40 inch fish had been caught by them in the past couple days. Perhaps the beastmasters were triggering the eel reaction.

The deep edge of the channel that ran along side the flats seemed to be where the bigger fish were emerging from, so I began to cast from the shallow water into the trench and retrieving after letting the fly sink. Abruptly, a dark shape charged from the depths and inhaled my fly. The ensuing battle on the edge of the channel was reminiscent of yesterday ice-breaking contest, and when it was over, a 32 inch fish was landed. Once again, the mental struggle I had with perseverance was rewarded. I kept this fish, wanting some for the grill, and the goal of making some seviche with Striped Bass. When I find an internet café to post this, I will download a recipe’ (my favorite one doesn’t seem to be in my laptop’s memory) and make some up while I am still here and the fish is fresh. One o’clock, an aching back, and a Bass to filet, I heading into the harbor, trailered up and headed back to the campsite.

Friday 06/12/2009

Regrouping day... steady rain at the rate of 70%, and winds kicked up to 20 knots or better. At least it is a warm front, and the temperatures will near seventy also. Will spend the day journaling, sketching washing and drying wet clothing, and sending off reports and emails at the local free wireless spots.

Tomorrow says only a chance of rain in the am, sun in the pm, and 5-10 knot winds… should be able to get back out and fish the weekend before wrapping up and returning on Monday.

Great Report for the Upcoming Week

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Andrew Kefalis weighed in this 41-pound Cape Cod Canal Cow at Red Top last Monday.

June 4 , 2009

By Rick Bach

Bass, blues and bait are thick in Cape Cod waters as we ease into the first week of June, and promising reports are coming in from the Canal to the Race.
This past week the fishing slowed down a bit on the Canal, but promises to pick up again with a good set of tides starting this weekend and into next week. The full moon should also have stripers strapping on the feedbag. Stan at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay weighed in a 34-pound striper taken out of the Canal on an eel this week.
Red and black Slug-Gos are seeing their share of action in the canal, as are RonZs. A silver RonZ was responsible for a few big fish this past week so it might be worth tying one on. The 10-inch, 3-ounce version seems to work the best in the Canal current.
Bucktails with red and pink pork rinds are taking their share of fish in the Canal as well.
Have a few extra leaders tied up and don’t forget the pliers because blues are moving into the Canal in greater numbers every day. Some of them are gators, according to Bruce at Canal Bait and Tackle in Sagamore. Gator bluefish to 34 inches are being taken, although most are in the 3- to 5-pound range. These fish will fight as hard as anything that swims so have some fun if you find them, especially the big ones.
There are still some squid and macks hanging around in the ditch, but the squid are coming in at night and the mackerel are hanging on the outside. The majority of the mackerel that were pushing through the Canal a week or two ago are making their way up to the Weymouth area, according to Mike from M & D’s Bait and Tackle in Wareham.
On the west end of the Canal, sea bass and scup are present in good numbers, and some stripers are being caught on live-lined scup. On the other end of the Canal, flounder are being caught, including a few decent fish, to 17 inches.
One feel-good story has an 80-year old fisherman taking his first saltwater fish off Scusset Beach this week. The interesting part is that it was a 6-pound ‘tog. Chalk it up to beginners luck.
Starting on Tuesday, there is a very good-looking set of morning tides that should have action picking back up in the Canal. Topwaters at first light are likely to produce some fish this week. Michael at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle inFalmouth said that he thinks an east tide in the morning might be the best time to hit the canal.
On the south side of the Cape, the bluefish are in thick. A south wind will push them up against southern beaches, crashing bait, and the fishing can be fish-every-cast good. Word in the On The Water office was that this was the case on Monday night and that bluefish were getting hammered by a throng of South Cape anglers. However, on Tuesday night the wind died down to a whisper and there wasn’t a bent rod to be seen on the beach. With fish moving around chasing bait this time of year, the wind can be a crucial factor in the location you choose to target.
Oregon Beach in Cotuit turned up a 42-inch fish recently, according to Jay at Mashpee Bait and Tackle.
On the more secretive side of things, a source says that fishermen have been very quietly pulling big fish out of Quicks Hole recently, so it might be worth wetting a line there to see if the rumors are true.
In Cape Cod Bay, is sounds like things are really getting going. Mackerel and sand eels have got bass beating up bait from Billingsgate to the Race. Though there haven’t been reports of any cows, it’s likely that at least some of the larger fish that moved through the Canal last week should be making their way into the Bay this weekend.
Barnstable Harbor is absolutely loaded with sand eels according to Jay at Mashpee Bait and tackle. Sand eel imitations on umbrella rigs are taking their share of bass, but the action has been hit-or-miss. “It’s like somebody’s playing with a light switch,” Jay said, describing how the fishing has been turning on and off suddenly over the past week.
A 42-pound striper came out of Barnstable Harbor on a RonZ this week, according to Matt at Chatham Bait and Tackle.Pogies provide a good example of the inconsistency Jay’s talking about. They will show up in certain areas, and be gone the next day. Anglers that have spotted them are saying that they’re balling up tighter than they have been, a sign that they’re getting ready to move offshore.
A few nice stripers were taken on chunked mackerel on the inside of Barnstable Harbor. Sand eels are likely your best bet for quantity of fish, but live-lining a mack might just turn up a heftier specimen.
Live-lining scup has been working for the anglers that can find the scup, but the season for this bottom fish has gotten off to a slow start.
Richard at the Hook Up in Orleans said that there have been a lot of fish in the 26- to 30-inch range in the bay, but there are fish in the 40-inch range roaming around as well. “It’s only getting better from here on out,” he said.
Bluefish are making their presence felt in the bay, with some bigger fish showing up as well. There haven’t been too many of them, but a few very big bluefish have surprised some bay anglers. Boat fishermen have been having some success of Sunken Meadow Beach in Eastham.
Up on Race Point in Provincetown, things are getting going, Rich at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle said. He described the fish as “skittish,” but said that they can be caught. Yo-Zuri mag darters and Gags Grabbers Mambow Minnows are taking some fish, from schoolies up to keeper-sized stripers. Sebile’s new line of lures, specifically the Magic Swimmer, were bringing fish up from the depths off the Race this week, according to a source inside the On The Water office. Check out this double-jointed bait’s erratic action next time you hit the beach.
RonZs offer a good sand eel imitation and have been taking their share of fish off Race Point as well, Rich said. One angler kayaking off the beach said he saw some giant stripers swimming right beneath him.
“It’s been one of the best springs we’ve seen in years!” Rich said.
On the back side of the Cape, there are some stripers being taken here and there from the surf, although nothing consistent. A few fish in the 30-inch range have hit the sand, according to Paul at Black Beard’s Bait and Tackle, but the action has been spotty at best, he said. Garret at the Goose Hummock said he’s heard of a few keepers coming off Nauset Beach, but nothing spectacular. The action in the bay has been much hotter.
Down on the Vineyard, the trick has been finding the fish, as they’re constantly on the move, Steve at Larry’s Bait and Tackle reported. Smaller fish are surrounding the island now, with schoolies being caught more consistently. Good-sized scup are being caught on Sabiki rigs. The squidding has been slow. Bluefish in the 4- to 8-pound range are showing up off the Vineyard. If you’re looking for a place to fish on the Vineyard this weekend, his Wasque Point tossing bucktails and bombers. It’s your best shot at a big striped bass and a bruiser 8-pound bluefish isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Fishermen who prefer their water a slightly deeper shade of blue will be excited to hear that it’s officially tuna time. A 71-inch fish was taken on Stellwagen Bank this week and there have been more reports of big bluefin busting on top. It will probably be another week or so before these fish show up in any significant numbers, but they’re coming.
Freshwater fishermen can break out the spinnerbaits. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass are moving off their beds, and the bite is heating up, Jay at Mashpee Bait and Tackle said. The trout bite remains hot on the Cape, and with reduced pressure on local ponds there might not be a better time to savor the sweetwater.

Best Bets For the Weekend

It would be hard to go wrong wetting a line on the Cape this weekend. A promising set of tides in the Canal should have some drags humming. Enormous schools of sand eels have got stripers feeding actively in the Bay, and big fish are cruising around Race Point. Bluefish are in on the southern beaches, and when the wind is right, they’re giving anglers all they can handle. The sea bass bite is red hot, and scup are even starting to show up. Largemouth and smallmouth bass and trout are still active, as water temperatures haven’t warmed enough to slow them down. And tuna are finally arriving on Stellwagen. So pick your species, tighten that drag, and hit the water. Judging from a 57-pound fish that fell in Montauk on Friday morning, there are bigger fish on their way to the Cape.

The Stripers Are In !! The Incoming has begun!

With The "Incoming Excursion" for Striperheads only a week away , the fish have arrivved to meet us!

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Not all the big bass are coming from the Canal. John Shushereba landed this 42-inch bass on a black Creek Chub plug from a Falmouth beach.

May 28, 2009

By Rick Bach

Fishing all around the Cape has been red-hot lately, but for sheer size and numbers, if not solitude, there’s no better place to be than the Cape Cod Canal. For the past three or four days, plenty of stripers, and big ones at that, have been pulled out of the ditch. It appears as if a school of big striped bass, making its way through the canal into Cape Cod Bay, has hung around through a few tide changes to feast on mackerel and herring.
We’re talking about big fish here. We have two reports of 50-plus-pound stripers, one pulled from the land cut by a shorebound fishermen, and another taken from a boat outside the west end of the canal.
The boat-caught fish weighed 56.4 pounds, according to Mike from M & D’s Bait and Tackle in Wareham, and the 52-pound fish was taken near Bell Road, according to Bull at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay. There have been reports of fish exceeding 40 inches being caught throughout the Canal.
It’s not so much a matter of what you’re throwing as it is being in the right place at the right time as these fish ride the heavy current of last weekend’s new moon chasing bait. Rubber shad-body lures have accounted for a lot of success. Topwater lures are also taking fish, especially early in the morning. Gibbs Pencil Poppers and Yozuri Mag Darters are taking fish, according to Bruce at Canal Bait and Tackle in Sagamore. “Blue-and-white seems to be the magic color combination,” he said, adding that the canal was full of bait, including mackerel, sea herring, and pollock that the bass were gorging on. Soft-plastic baits like the RonZ on 3- or 4-ounce jigheads are taking their share of fish when the current picks up and the topwater bite turns off. Rich at Falmouth Bait and Tackle added that some of his regulars are catching fish around slack tide on the Sebile Magic Swimmer, and he’s been selling more since the action’s been heating up.
A tide moving from east to west seems to be producing the most fish, although the canal’s been pretty hot on almost all tides. These fish have been in the canal for the past few days, but Bruce is predicting the action will stay steady at least through the weekend. There have been bluefish in the canal, although they’re not thick, so it’s a good idea to use a fluorocarbon leader of at least 40-pound-test and keep an eye on it if you’re getting into fish. Tie a few extra leaders and have them ready to go to save yourself some time if the action is hot and heavy. The blues have mostly been medium-sized, in the 3- to 5-pound range.
On the south-facing beaches, the action has been there, but very location-specific. Jay at Mashpee Bait and Tackle said that your best bet is bouncing around as much as possible, not wasting too much time in one location if the fish aren’t there. Chris at Badfish Outfitters in North Falmouth added that earlier this week the fish and wind were pushing pogies right up onto the beach, and anglers were picking them up and live-lining them. With a stiff south wind, they couldn’t cast very far, but the fish were one top of them, and Chris said he weighed in three fish 30 pounds or bigger caught on south-facing beaches.
On the other side of the Cape, Barnstable Harbor has been hot, with big schools of mackerel and sand eels drawing in the bass. Jay said that while fishing the harbor this weekend, he rigged up an umbrella rig with DOA soft-plastic jerkbaits that did a great job imitating sand eels and had a good deal of success with stripers. Live-lining mackerel has also produced some decent stripers in Barnstable Harbor, according to Bruce at Canal Bait and Tackle.
Cape Cod Bay hasn’t seen the really big fish yet, but expect that to change as big stripers make their way through the Canal and discover a bay full of bait. Fish to 35 inches and 20 pounds are coming out of the Bay on a regular basis. Dan at the Hook Up in Orleans said that the areas around the Brewster Flats were producing fish consistently on soft-plastics such as Slug-Gos and RonZs. He said that most of the fish hitting on the surface were smaller, between 25 and 30 inches, but when they let the bait drop to the bottom, they found bigger fish. They took eight keeper-sized stripers to 38 inches.
Garret at the Goose Hummock in Orleans said the bluefish haven’t showed up in numbers in the Bay just yet, and anglers are taking mostly stripers. He said fly-fishermen were having success on the flats. From all accounts there is no shortage of sand eels in the bay so any lure or fly you can get your hands on that will mimic this bait should work wonders. Try using something with some flash and a slim-profile design. Smaller Slug-Gos and RonZs should work for spin-fishermen while deceivers are a good bet if you’re bringing the fly rod.
The backside beaches are producing some fish, but the action has been hit-or-miss, mostly due to mid-day tides. Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet has turned up a few keeper stripers but at other times has been absolutely dead. A good rule of thumb is not to stick it out too long if nothing seems to be happening. On Nauset Beach in Orleans, fish have been few and far between.
Fishermen targeting Race Point have had some success according to Leo at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle. If you make a run to the Race, try throwing Gags Grabbers Mambo Minnows in the chicken scratch pattern. The lure has apparently produced a few keeper-sized stripers there.
Down on the Vineyard the fishing has been variable but not dead, according to Steve at Larry’s Bait and Tackle. For the last week, variable winds have pushed the fish, and the fishermen, around, but there are stripers to be found. “They’re just not stacked up in any one location,” Steve said. Steve said he saw two 35-pound stripers come in this week. One was caught on a 12-inch black Slug-Go.
Steve said there have been two classes of fish making up for most of the action on the Vineyard: fish that are right around 28 inches, and fish between 18 and 25 pounds. However, late at night, larger fish that are feeding on scup farther offshore are moving into within range for surfcasters and that’s when the bigger fish are hitting the sand.
The groundfishing is heating up around the Cape as well with scup season opening this past Sunday. Some bruiser sea bass are being weighed in around the Cape and Islands. A 7.5-pound fish came out of Edgartown Harbor on the Vineyard last week and an 8-pounder was weighed in at M & D’s that came off of Cleveland Ledge.
Mike at M & D’s said the trick is to drift until you locate the fish, quickly mark your location and concentrate your efforts there. Fish are holding tight so exact location is important. Squid-tipped green Spro bucktail jigs have been producing, Mike said.
Cleveland Ledge has been the go-to spot for bottom-fishermen. Many fish have come in front of the Ledge, so don’t get discouraged if you’re not positioned right on top of it.


Best Bets for the Weekend

The short answer: The Canal. The Cape Cod Canal is your best bet at a big bass this weekend. Prepare yourself for a crowd because it’s no secret that big stripers push their way through the ditch right around this time of year but there should be plenty of fish for everyone. Pencil poppers, RonZs, rubber shads and jigs with Slug-Gos are all good bets to turn the heads of some of the bigger stripers cruising the canal. Boaters might want to check out the east end of the Canal and Barnstable Harbor as migrating bass push through to feed on sand eels and mackerel, or head out for sea bass and scup in Buzzards Bay.

If you’re shorebound but the Canal isn’t your cup of tea, pick a few beaches on the south side of the Cape and bounce around. You might find some of the baitfish-busting action. Winds out of the south and west should pick up temperatures but might make casting difficult so tie on something with some heft if you’re heading to a beach along the southern Cape.