It was a wild weather week leading up to the July 4th weekend.  Persistent showers and east winds buffeted the Upper Cape as June came to an end.  The winds turned south and southwest as July began, bringing three days of thunderstorms that roared through the area. As a result, a lot of boaters and beach anglers stayed home.

For those who ventured out, there were huge schools of bluefish from Menahaut Beach in Falmouth as far east as Hyannis and Yarmouth.  From shore or boat at any time of day, a top water plugs quickly raised blues that ranged from 4 to 8 pounds.

Anglers seeking bass are heading to the traditional summer hotspots: Gay Head where a fresh pogie or lived-lined scup are the baits of choice; Woods Hole Passage where fresh bait or jigs will produce; or Tom Shoal where jigs and tube and worm are productive.  Anglers willing and able to make a longer trip are heading to the Monomy Flats south of Chatham were big schools of big bass are chasing squid.

Fluke season opened July 1 but shorts greatly outnumbered legal fish, which must be at least 18-1/2 inches.  Small fluke can be caught on the Middle Ground or Lucas Shoal but deep water holes, even over 100-feet, are where the doormats can be found.

Scup fishing continues to be consistent just about everywhere, whether fishing from a boat or a pier or jetty.  Black sea bass fishing has slowed as the fish have left their spawning grounds and spread throughout the local waters.

In the fresh water ponds, trout fishing is pretty much over until the fall.  Fishing for bass, pickerel and panfish is very good.  If there is a silver lining in the dreadful weather, it has kept ocean and pond temperatures remarkably cool for the beginning of July.