The Branham family of New Hampshire had the unfortunate luck of booking a Cape vacation in late June, when the sun seldom shined and the winds blew out of the east and north for days on end.  But for 7-year-old Keegan Branham the conditions actually made for decent shore fishing and netted him his first keeper bass — a 17-pound, 5-ounce striper. Fishing from the rocks below Falmouth Heights, Keegan also caught a second keeper, this one weighing just over 12 pounds.  Check out his picture in our photo gallery.

In-shore waters are finally warming up with striped bass heading for the cooler deeper waters.  Beach anglers will do best during the night or at first light when water temperatures are the coolest. Boat anglers continue to find fish on the Middle Ground but the best bites have come at Tom Shoal, Devil’s Bridge off Gay Head and along the Elizabeth Islands.  Woods Hole Passage is also producing bass.

The bluefish blitz has waned but they can still be found in good numbers from the entrance to Waquoit Bay and to the east.  Look for breaking fish or simply troll a swimming plug.

Scup fishing is very good.  All it takes is a sea worm and little patience to come up with a mess of platter-size scup from almost any jetty or pier.

For fluke anglers, the season will finally open July 1 with a limit of 5 fish at 18-1/2 inches or better.  Those fish will typically be found in the deep water of 50 to even a 100 feet.

Fresh water fishing for bass is slowing down as summer settles in.  Shiners are effective as well as soft plastics bumped along the bottom.  Trout fishing is now matter fishing in the deepest reaches of the local ponds.