Striped bass are flooding the in-shore waters of the Upper Cape.  The first migrants showed up the weekend of April 24-25 in estuaries and rivers feeding Buzzards Bay.  Most fish were school-sized between 20 and 24 inches, although a few 30-inch fish were mixed in. Some fish headed directly to the Canal herring run where a 32-inch, 15-lb bass was taken.  An 8-lb blue fish was caught in the Westport River.

Since last weekend, bass have moved into Woods Hole and Nantucket Sound.  An angler fishing from a kayak in Woods Hole took a 30-inch bass  on a soft plastic bait.  Schoolies are now showing up off all the south side beaches from Falmouth Harbor east to Cotuit.

The squid run is underway but very erratic, according to most reports.  Rough weather has kept the commercial boats off the water for several days.  With calm seas the boats have tended to head into Vineyard Sound.  The squid run should pick up during the next two weeks and bring in bigger bass to Nantucket Sound.

If history repeats itself, the first blue fish should show up the first week of May in Nantucket Sound, often off South Cape Beach and Cotuit.

With warm weather predicted for the May 1 weekend, a lot more people will be fishing and a lot more information will be available about the 2010 season.

Good luck.