Areas to Check Out
Cape Cod Bay is a 604 square mile expanse of saltwater due south of Boston, MA. The Bay is encompassed by outer Cape Cod to the east, and the Massachusetts' South Shore to the west. Large bluefin tuna swim around Cape Cod Bay throughout the course of the entire fishing season. Surprisingly, giants have even been spotted well after most anglers have given up fishing for the season. Stories of tuna sightings through December are not far fetched. Big bluefins have free reign over the entire Bay. Yet there are a few well known areas that seem to produce more tuna than other spots inside Cape Cod Bay.
Most of the tuna will be spotted a considerable distance from shore. The Fishing Ledge, which sits about 10 miles outside the east end of the Cape Cod Canal, is one such location. Relatively speaking, 10 miles is not a far run in the tuna fishing world, and on a calm day the spot is easily accessible by smaller boats. The Ledge is positioned just about smack dab in the middle of Cape Cod Bay. We can safely access the Ledge in our 21 foot Hydra Sport in wind conditions of 10 mph or less as long as the wind is coming from the west or the south. If the Bay is as calm as a pane of glass, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for giant tuna cruising just below the surface of the water.
Big tuna will often create a V-shaped wake as they cruise just inches under the Bay's surface. It is possible to gauge the size of the tuna when they are cruising on the surface in this fashion. It may be smart to do so if you plan on targeting smaller tuna with lighter spinning setups. Although this is difficult to do, especially when the adrenaline is pumping.
Smaller tuna were sighted on numerous occasions just north of the Fingers during 2010. The Fingers is located outside Barnstable Harbor, and is much closer to shore than the Fishing Ledge. Tuna in the 150 pound range were commonly seen in this area throughout the 2010 season. Bluefins in the 150 pound range are much better suited for spin fishermen-compared to 500 plus pound goliaths. Nevertheless larger specimens will sometimes be found mixed amongst the smaller guys.
The area referred to by seasoned tuna anglers as the Square is another near-shore tuna haunt worth checking out. The spot is located in the deeper water to the west of Billingsgate Shoal and can be easily accessed by smaller boats on relatively calm days. One strategy would be to spend the early hours of a trip catching bluefish on the Shoal. Drifting the live blues later in the day in the Square may yield a surpise or two in the form of an explosive strike from a giant. However, not all of these bluefish may at first sight appear to be proper "bait size.".
Quite a few of these Billingsgate bluefish are on the enormous side of the spectrum. They may seem too big to use as bait. However a 1,000 pound bluefin certainly has no problem sucking down a 35 inch or longer bluefish. These larger specimens of the bluefish population make prime bait for giant bluefins.
Fishing with Kites and Balloons
Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. It's essentially the same thing as top-water bass fishing, except the fish is about 100 times bigger.
Paying attention to details is important when kite fishing for big bluefins. One poor knot or faulty swivel will be quickly exploited by a tuna. Loading a Penn 80 or 130 reel with braided line can help a kite to fly in even a light breeze. The drawback is that fighting a big bluefin on braided line can be a bit more challenging than on dacron or mono. Utilizing dropper lines will help to decrease the angle of the line you are using to fish the bait. Dropper lines can help big time if you plan on fishing multiple lines off the same kite. "Bridling" baits can help to increase the longevity of precious live bluefish, pogies and mackerel.
Balloon fishing works well when there is no wind, or when an angler wants to target tuna at a specific depth. It is possible to cover the entire water spectrum by fishing a bait on a kite, and other baits under balloons. Choose a weight that is heavy enough based on wind and current conditions. Attach the weight a distance up from the live bait on the main line by way of an elastic band. If the depth you desire to place your bait at is 80 feet, then 80 feet of main line is paid out. Attach the balloon by tying it onto a loop of main line. Tying the balloon onto the loop will allow the balloon to break free when a fish hits the bait. Float the balloon away from the boat and begin fishing.
Cape Cod Bay is a 604 square mile expanse of saltwater due south of Boston, MA. The Bay is encompassed by outer Cape Cod to the east, and the Massachusetts' South Shore to the west. Large bluefin tuna swim around Cape Cod Bay throughout the course of the entire fishing season. Surprisingly, giants have even been spotted well after most anglers have given up fishing for the season. Stories of tuna sightings through December are not far fetched. Big bluefins have free reign over the entire Bay. Yet there are a few well known areas that seem to produce more tuna than other spots inside Cape Cod Bay.
Most of the tuna will be spotted a considerable distance from shore. The Fishing Ledge, which sits about 10 miles outside the east end of the Cape Cod Canal, is one such location. Relatively speaking, 10 miles is not a far run in the tuna fishing world, and on a calm day the spot is easily accessible by smaller boats. The Ledge is positioned just about smack dab in the middle of Cape Cod Bay. We can safely access the Ledge in our 21 foot Hydra Sport in wind conditions of 10 mph or less as long as the wind is coming from the west or the south. If the Bay is as calm as a pane of glass, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for giant tuna cruising just below the surface of the water.
Big tuna will often create a V-shaped wake as they cruise just inches under the Bay's surface. It is possible to gauge the size of the tuna when they are cruising on the surface in this fashion. It may be smart to do so if you plan on targeting smaller tuna with lighter spinning setups. Although this is difficult to do, especially when the adrenaline is pumping.
Smaller tuna were sighted on numerous occasions just north of the Fingers during 2010. The Fingers is located outside Barnstable Harbor, and is much closer to shore than the Fishing Ledge. Tuna in the 150 pound range were commonly seen in this area throughout the 2010 season. Bluefins in the 150 pound range are much better suited for spin fishermen-compared to 500 plus pound goliaths. Nevertheless larger specimens will sometimes be found mixed amongst the smaller guys.
The area referred to by seasoned tuna anglers as the Square is another near-shore tuna haunt worth checking out. The spot is located in the deeper water to the west of Billingsgate Shoal and can be easily accessed by smaller boats on relatively calm days. One strategy would be to spend the early hours of a trip catching bluefish on the Shoal. Drifting the live blues later in the day in the Square may yield a surpise or two in the form of an explosive strike from a giant. However, not all of these bluefish may at first sight appear to be proper "bait size.".
Quite a few of these Billingsgate bluefish are on the enormous side of the spectrum. They may seem too big to use as bait. However a 1,000 pound bluefin certainly has no problem sucking down a 35 inch or longer bluefish. These larger specimens of the bluefish population make prime bait for giant bluefins.
Fishing with Kites and Balloons
Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. It's essentially the same thing as top-water bass fishing, except the fish is about 100 times bigger.
Paying attention to details is important when kite fishing for big bluefins. One poor knot or faulty swivel will be quickly exploited by a tuna. Loading a Penn 80 or 130 reel with braided line can help a kite to fly in even a light breeze. The drawback is that fighting a big bluefin on braided line can be a bit more challenging than on dacron or mono. Utilizing dropper lines will help to decrease the angle of the line you are using to fish the bait. Dropper lines can help big time if you plan on fishing multiple lines off the same kite. "Bridling" baits can help to increase the longevity of precious live bluefish, pogies and mackerel.
Balloon fishing works well when there is no wind, or when an angler wants to target tuna at a specific depth. It is possible to cover the entire water spectrum by fishing a bait on a kite, and other baits under balloons. Choose a weight that is heavy enough based on wind and current conditions. Attach the weight a distance up from the live bait on the main line by way of an elastic band. If the depth you desire to place your bait at is 80 feet, then 80 feet of main line is paid out. Attach the balloon by tying it onto a loop of main line. Tying the balloon onto the loop will allow the balloon to break free when a fish hits the bait. Float the balloon away from the boat and begin fishing.
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