Eastman’s Sport & Tackle

In most years, saltwater anglers suffering from a winter’s worth of cabin fever can count on catching the first of migrating striped bass during April.  But not this year.

As of May 1, the big schools of bass had yet to reach the Upper Cape waters.  A few anglers — very few in fact — had reported taking an occasional “schoolie” from early season hotspots: the Cotuit Narrows, the upper reaches of Waquoit Bay, Buttermilk Bay and the Weweantic River in Wareham.  There were even reliable reports of large bass shadowing schools of herring in the Canal.  These fish, however, could very well be holdovers which are now just starating to stir.

The squid have yet to migrate through Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds. Water temperatures are still in the upper 40’s so it may take a few more days and degrees to usher in the migrating fish.  The bass are reportedly as close as Point Judith in Rhode Island.

Tautog fishing has also been off to a slow start, although bigger “tog” did move into Woods Hole this past week. Complicating this fishing is the scarcity of green crabs, which the trappers blame on the colder than normal sea temperatures.

Freshwater fishing, however, has been very good.  Trout fishing in any stocked pond is consistent throughout the day.  Bass and pickerel fishing is also excellent.

Predictions: the school bass will arrive by May 8, the first bluefish will show off South Cape Beach by May 15, and the bigger bass will set up on Middle Ground by May 20.

Welcome to Eastman’s 2009 fishing reports for Falmouuth and the surrounding Upper Cape area.

It’s April 9 and freshwater offers the only real fishing opportunities.  The state has stocked local ponds at least once with primarily rainbows, some browns and a few brookies.  That said, fishing has been slow because of the relatively cool spring weather to date.  A week of sunshine and southwest winds or breezes should significantly improve angling chances.  Until then, Powerbaits, night crawlers or trout worms fished on the bottom are the best bet.  From time to time a live shiner will result in a larger trout (or even a landlocked salmon at Peter’s Pond in Sandwich) or smallmouth bass.  Lure and fly fishermen should also fish slow and deep.  In Falmouth, Grews, Mares and Ashumet ponds have been the most consistent for trout fishermen.

The saltwater season is a week or two away.  Tautog should move inshore to wrecks, rockpiles and piers by the weekend of April 18-19.  Green crabs will be the bait of choice.

Migrating school-sized striped bass should arrive around Patriots’ Day.  In the meantime stripers that wintered over may start feeding in the warmer bays and estuaries.  This morning (April 9) about 2 dozen gulls and another dozen diving sea ducks were working a large school bait fish inside Bourne’s Pond.  Holdover schoolies?  Migrating fish? Good questions?

Striped bass will first show in shallow water over dark bottoms.

By the end of the month keeper-sized bass (28 inches) will be caught and the first bluefish will have arrived.  For the blues and early schoolies, the beaches along South Cape in Mashpee, Poponnesset and Cotuit are early season hot spots.

With the arrival of November,  the 2008 saltwater fishing season is coming to end for the vast majority of anglers.  Most people have pulled their boats from the water and only a handful of hardy anglers are plying the local beaches.

For that dedicated crowd, there are fish to be caught through Thanksgiving.  Most harbors and creeks still have bait and good concentrations of school bass, with the occasional keeper thrown in.

Along the beach fronts and the Woods Hole passage, schools of larger bass are migrating through the area.  The secret is to be there when the fish are there.  To be successful you have to go often and hope to hit the migration just right.  If you do, you’ll be into some great fishing.

The Cape Cod Canal is probably the best bet for late fall striped bass fishing.  Conditions in the Canal require heavy duty tackle but there usually are fish to be caught every day during early November.  If you’re lucky, you just might be there when the fish are up on top from bank to bank.

As the saltwater season winds down, fishing in the fresh water ponds improves.  Trout are much more active than they were just a few weeks ago.  Bass are feeding heavily to fatten up for the winter months.  With the lower water temperatures and lower light levels, ponds can be fished successfully at almost any time of the day.

Striped bass and bluefish are starting their fall migration.  Schools of both species have been passing through the Canal.  At times, the fish have hung around for several days and have provided good action for both plug and bait fisherman.  Bass are also moving through Nantucket Sound and are holding well in Woods Hole and along the Elizabeth Islands.  Smaller fish — up to 35 inches — are being taken on top water plugs.  Drop something live to the bottom and bass of up to 30 lbs are being taken regularly in the Hole and along the Islands.  Nat Chaukley this last week just missed out on a 50-pounder when he used a live pogie to boat a 49-lb, 10-oz bass.

For funny fish fans, the west side between Woods Hole and West Falmouth has featured the best false albacore action during the past several weeks.  Albies and some bonito have also turned up infrequently off the Waquoit jetties and along the south side beaches.

Scup season closed last week but some big scup are still being taken by beach anglers. With the water cooling, tautog should be moving into their fall haunts.  A green crab is the bait of choice.

After weeks of very poor fishing, there are signs that fall fishing may live up to its traditional potential.

Striped bass have started to stir from their deep water haunts.  Schoolies and a few keepers are being caught from the local beaches.  Early morning and late evening anglers are doing the best on bass with bluefish and the occasional shark or dogfish mixed in.

Boat anglers pitching live eels along the Elizabeth Islands are coming up with bass in the 20 to 30-lb range.  Anglers heading to the holes off Gay Head and Squibnocket would be wise to take some fresh pogies.  The commercial crowd chummed and chunked pogies for nearly two months in those spots and that’s what the fish are looking for.

Bonito and albies are still scarce on the Cape side of Nantucket Sound, probably because there is little bait in the water. The ‘funny fish” are holding well around the Vineyard and well as off the west end of the Canal.

Black sea bass fishing, which held up very well during the summer months, continues to be strong. Boat anglers are finding plenty of sea bass around just about any type of structure.

Having suffered through one of the worst August fishing months, everyone has their fingers crossed that these early signs of renewed activity will lead to much better fishing this month and next.

As the Labor Day weekend approaches, the fishing doldrums of August continue.  Beach fishing, except at night, is practically non-existent.  Even the boat crowd is having to work very hard and very deep to catch legal-sized bass.  It looks like 2008 is going to go down as one of those years when the traditional fishing patterns never materialized.

Striped Bass

That the commercial striped bass season will still be open in September says a lot about how difficult it is to find, hook and boat keeper bass. The best technique — the one being employed by the commercial crowd — is to fish deep holes, set up a chum slick of fresh pogy bits and then send down a fresh chunk.  The holes that are hold the biggest concentrations of bass are from Gay Head down to Squibnocket.  If chunking isn’t your cup of tea, then try pitching an eel along the Elizabeth Islands, either during the night or at dawn or dusk.

Bluefish

There are good numbers of bluefish throughout Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds but they keep moving around.  This past week the biggest schools were holding on and just off the Hedge Fence Shoal.  Buzzards Bay has been holding more but smaller fish with consistent action from Woods Hole up to the west end of the Canal.

Funny Fish

Bonito have been around for more than a month but the fishing has been very sporadic.  It was only in the last week of August that the bonito have been consistently showing up around the Vineyard.  However, the first false albacore also arrived during the week and they might quickly crowd out the bonito.  To date, there have been no sightings of funny fish on the Cape side of the sound or in Buzzards Bay.

Bottom Fish

With fluke season closed, scup and sea bass are the only games in town.  Scup can be found around most jetties and buoys and can provide fun fishing for anglers of all ages.  Sea bass can be found around wrecks and rock piles.  The best sea bass fishing by far is in the Buzzards Bay where charter captains and recreational anglers report steady catches of sea bass up to 5 pounds.

In a word, saltwater fishing is very, very slow.

As we enter mid-August, bluefish are about the only game in town.  Snappers can be found in most rivers and bays and bigger blues are roaming Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay.

Bass fishing, even in the traditional cold water spots like the Hooter and Squibnocket, is difficult.  Even the best charter captains are working very hard to come up with legal bass.  Best techniques are eels fished at night or live pogies dropped down to schools holding on the bottom.

With fluke season ending August 15, bottom fishing is pretty much scup, which can be found holding around any kind of bottom structure or navigation buoys.

Bonito reportedly have shown up at Hedge Fence Shoal and several were taken by anglers trolling near the Hooter.  False Albecore have yet to make a confirmed appearance.  But fishing for the “funny fish” should take off over the next several weeks.

(Webmaster’s Note: Our apologies for not updating the fishing report for several weeks.  An unexpected tick-borne illness put your correspondent out of action for several weeks.)

Persistent southwest winds have pushed water temperatures up significantly during the first two weeks of July.  Striped bass have retreated to deep holes and colder water, but bluefish continue to be found throughout the loca, in-shore waters.  In other words, the summer doldrums are here and will persistent until late August.

The warm waters, though, will bring the so-called “funny fish” — Atlantic bonito, false albacore and, with luck, Spanish mackerel.   (There was one relatively reliable report that a Spanish was taken the first week of July off Hyannis.)  Bonito will first show up off the southeast corner of Vineyard, where anglers trolling deep diving plus will take the first “bones” of the year.  Within days, the bonito and then false albacore should flood  Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds and Buzzards Bay.

Striped Bass

Decent bass fishing demands a boat trip — to Wasque Point and the Hooter, Gay Head and Devil’s Bridge and Squibnocket Point and Noman’s Island.  That’s where the commercial anglers are heading for consistent fishing.  Bass can also be taken during the night and very early morning hours along the Elizabeth Islands and thourgh Woods Hole.  Deep water jigging, tube and worm, eel, live or fresh pogies and scup are producing.  The real trick is to put yourself in the cold water where the fish are holding.

For shore-bound anglers, night fishing is the best bet for taking a keeper bass (or perhaps a big brown shark).  A fresh pogie or mackerel chunk is the preferred bait.  A swimming plug or soft bait like a Hogy or Sluggo fished slowly will also work at night.

Bluefish

What would we do without them?  Many anglers will complain about them, but bluefish do offer consistent boat and shore fishing throughout the doldrums.  Schools of blues are common throughout the local waters.  Best fishing time is probably the last hour of light, although breaking fish are likely to show up at any time of the day.

Fluke

This year’s story continues to be the same — there are decent numbers of fish around but the vast majority are below the 17-1/2-inch limit.  The deep waters — 80 to 120 feet — along Lucas Shoal and off Quick’s and Robinson’s Holes have been the best spots for the bigger fluke.

Freshwater

Despite the warm water, largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is holding up in most of the local ponds. Daybreak and dusk are the best times to fish.  Soft plastics crawled along the bottom or the edge of lily pad beds have been the most effective baits.

Striped Bass

Anglers seeking striped bass will have to change their routines and tactics as we enter the hot month of July.  For boaters, Tom Shoal and Wasque Point to the east and southeast of Vineyard are the best bets for fish.  Jigs fished with wireline outfits or tube and worm rigs have been producing there.  Cooler water — and more bass — can also be found off Gay Head to Devil’s Bridge where jigging and tubing are also producing.  Along the Elizabeth Islands, eels fished in the dawn, dusk or night hours are very effective.  For shore anglers, the best advice is to at dark, when a chunk of fresh pogie should lead to a keeper bass.

Bluefish

As usual, the summer heat seems to attract the summer blues which can still be found throughout the two Sounds and Buzzards Bay.  Most blues are under five pounds but there are occasional schools of 8 to 10-lb fish around.  Top water plugs, metal casting lures and chunk bait will all work.

Fluke

Lots of fluke around, except that most are short of the 17-1/2-inch minimum.  The best fluking for bigger fish is in the deep water side of Lucas Shoal and along the 60 and 80-foot contours heading toward Devil’s Bridge.

Bottom Fish

The game is pretty much scup which are abundant throughout the area.  Sea worms fished on a #2 hook just off the bottom is effective.  Black sea bass, now dispersed throughout the area, are harder to come by.

It seemed to take awhile but summer is here, by the calendar and the emerging fishing patterns around the Upper Cape.  The wet, cool Spring had kept ocean temperatures relatively cool well into June.  But the arrival of the Summer Solstice also has brought more typical late June fishing conditions.

Striped Bass

Bass are no longer easy targets in the shallow, inshore waters.  Beach fishing is best done at night or in the early morning hours.  Chunks of fresh pogies or frozen mackerel or herring are the best bait choices.  Swimming plugs fished slowly after dark will also work.

For boat anglers, bass are setting up in the cooler waters along Tom Shoals, off Wasque and Squibnocket Points and from Gay Head to Devil’s Bridge.  In most cases white or green jigs are the baits of choice, with a tube and worm fished during the slack tides. Night trolling or pitching eels along the Elizabeth Islands should also produce keeper-sized bass.

Bluefish 

Blues are taking over much of Buzzards Bay, Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds.  For anglers targeting the toothy fish, that’s great; for anglers trying to jig up a bass or fluke, that can be a bane.  Blues are holding on most of the shoals, with best action east of South Cape Beach.  If you encounter blues, almost any bait will work.

Fluke

Now just two weeks old, the fluke season is good but not great.  Traditional spots like Middle Ground and Lucas Shoal are holding a lot of fish below the 17-1/2-inch size limit, but also a lot of weed and bluefish.  For fewer but bigger fish, veteran fluke anglers are working 60 to 100-foot holes and contour lines.  Their bait of choice is often a whole squid.

Sea Bass and Scup

Scup fishing is very good, with many very large scup being reported.  For beach anglers, most jetties are holding scup which make great sport for both adults and children.  Sea bass are now spread throughout the local waters and require a fair amount of patience.

Freshwater 

Bass, pickerel and panfish — in that order — are word from the freshwater ponds.  Smallmouth bass continue to provide very good action on both artificial and live shiners.  Lures and shiners are also accounting for catches of very large pickerel in the warm ponds.  Panfish are easy targets with night crawlers and grubs.

Gallery

Check out our photo gallery for pictures of some recent catches.