The School Tuna Bite
The school tuna bite off Cape Cod has been remarkable over the past few seasons. Locations around the globe have sighted decreased landings of bluefin tuna, however the numbers of bluefins off the coast of Plymouth has increased annually.
Much of the action on school sized fish will be centered around Stellwagen Bank. However there are many tuna haunts other than Stellwagen that produce plenty of school tuna. Fortunately for small boat tuna anglers, the trek to Stellwagen is not always necessary. There are plenty of areas close to shore that offer a tuna angler a legitimate chance at hooking and landing a tuna. Finding tuna close to shore is nice when the wind kicks up, especially when fishing from a small boat.
The area just off the Plymouth coastline has supported impressive tuna action the past couple seasons, and there is reason to believe that it will happen again this year. Large schools of half beaks have attracted tuna surprisingly close to shore over the past few seasons. Keeping your eyes peeled for signs of tuna during the ride to and from the Bank can pay big dividends.
Some of the more popular methods for catching school tuna in our neck of the woods include jigging and popping using "beefed" up spinning gear. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. When the fish stay deep, jigging will present anglers with a reasonable chance at hooking up. Beefing up your tackle is a necessity when spin fishing. Substandard hooks and split rings will quickly be exploited by a hard fighting bluefin.
The key is to successfully taking tuna on spinning gear lies in developing a game plan that works for your boat, crew and budget.
Catching Giants at Cape Cod
The ultimate dream for many fishermen is catching a giant bluefin tuna. For most anglers, one of the best ways to target these bigger fish is by using live bait.
Mackerel should be available throughout June, although it may take a bit more searching to find them as the month wanes into July. Balloon and kite fishing are popular Cape Cod methods for presenting mackerel to oversize tuna. Fishing with a kite is the live bait equivalent to topwater plug fishing. Impressive strikes ensue when a tuna decides to crash a kite bait..
Menhaden are another option for live lining a tuna. Menhaden can be cast and gill netted in many of the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Finding and catching live pogies is not an easy task. Expect to invest a lot of time and effort in order to learn the trade. An easier option is paying for live bait. A few very talented Cape Cod locals sell live pogies throughout the tuna season. For a reasonable cost these guys will fill your livewell with menhaden-granted they are able to find the pogies in the first place.
Another option is to fish with live bluefish. The problem is that it always seems easy to catch bluefish when you do not want them, and extremely hard to catch them when you do need them for tuna bait. Transporting live bluefish from Cape Cod's back bays to the tuna grounds is another challenge .
My crew and I have had success catching bluefish before a trip at Race Point in Provincetown and in Buzzards Bay. The problem with catching live blues on the morning of a tuna trip is that one always runs the risk of not being able to find bluefish. Fishing for bait when you should be targeting tuna is never a fun predicament.
Catching bluefish before a tuna trip and holding them in bait cages is a smart way to guarantee fresh bait the morning of a tuna trip. Getting the bluefish alive to the tuna grounds is another challenge entirely. Yet putting in the effort can pay off big time, and can be the difference in catching a giant or going home empty handed. Nothing increases your chances of bagging a big bluefin like putting in the time and energy necessary to procure the best live baits.
The school tuna bite off Cape Cod has been remarkable over the past few seasons. Locations around the globe have sighted decreased landings of bluefin tuna, however the numbers of bluefins off the coast of Plymouth has increased annually.
Much of the action on school sized fish will be centered around Stellwagen Bank. However there are many tuna haunts other than Stellwagen that produce plenty of school tuna. Fortunately for small boat tuna anglers, the trek to Stellwagen is not always necessary. There are plenty of areas close to shore that offer a tuna angler a legitimate chance at hooking and landing a tuna. Finding tuna close to shore is nice when the wind kicks up, especially when fishing from a small boat.
The area just off the Plymouth coastline has supported impressive tuna action the past couple seasons, and there is reason to believe that it will happen again this year. Large schools of half beaks have attracted tuna surprisingly close to shore over the past few seasons. Keeping your eyes peeled for signs of tuna during the ride to and from the Bank can pay big dividends.
Some of the more popular methods for catching school tuna in our neck of the woods include jigging and popping using "beefed" up spinning gear. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. When the fish stay deep, jigging will present anglers with a reasonable chance at hooking up. Beefing up your tackle is a necessity when spin fishing. Substandard hooks and split rings will quickly be exploited by a hard fighting bluefin.
The key is to successfully taking tuna on spinning gear lies in developing a game plan that works for your boat, crew and budget.
Catching Giants at Cape Cod
The ultimate dream for many fishermen is catching a giant bluefin tuna. For most anglers, one of the best ways to target these bigger fish is by using live bait.
Mackerel should be available throughout June, although it may take a bit more searching to find them as the month wanes into July. Balloon and kite fishing are popular Cape Cod methods for presenting mackerel to oversize tuna. Fishing with a kite is the live bait equivalent to topwater plug fishing. Impressive strikes ensue when a tuna decides to crash a kite bait..
Menhaden are another option for live lining a tuna. Menhaden can be cast and gill netted in many of the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Finding and catching live pogies is not an easy task. Expect to invest a lot of time and effort in order to learn the trade. An easier option is paying for live bait. A few very talented Cape Cod locals sell live pogies throughout the tuna season. For a reasonable cost these guys will fill your livewell with menhaden-granted they are able to find the pogies in the first place.
Another option is to fish with live bluefish. The problem is that it always seems easy to catch bluefish when you do not want them, and extremely hard to catch them when you do need them for tuna bait. Transporting live bluefish from Cape Cod's back bays to the tuna grounds is another challenge .
My crew and I have had success catching bluefish before a trip at Race Point in Provincetown and in Buzzards Bay. The problem with catching live blues on the morning of a tuna trip is that one always runs the risk of not being able to find bluefish. Fishing for bait when you should be targeting tuna is never a fun predicament.
Catching bluefish before a tuna trip and holding them in bait cages is a smart way to guarantee fresh bait the morning of a tuna trip. Getting the bluefish alive to the tuna grounds is another challenge entirely. Yet putting in the effort can pay off big time, and can be the difference in catching a giant or going home empty handed. Nothing increases your chances of bagging a big bluefin like putting in the time and energy necessary to procure the best live baits.
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