It's difficult to beat bluefin tuna fishing on Cape Cod. The tuna fishing over the past few years has been nothing short of spectacular.
The sheer amount of tuna in Massachusetts Bay over the past few seasons has been staggering. Impressive schools of juvenile tuna, along with giant tuna visit the Cape each season. They feed on the plethora of mackerel, herring, sandeels and whiting (to name just a few of the many prey items) that are plentiful off Cape Cod. Many of the tunas are caught in places accessible by smaller boats. Fish over the 500 pound mark are caught each year from boats more suited for striped bass fishing.
There has been a lot of hype in the media about bluefin tuna being depleted and on the verge of extinction. However the population of tuna off Cape Cod has only increased in recent years. Spotter pilots, recreational and commercial fishermen have observed more fish now than at anytime in recent memory.
Cape Cod fishermen are lucky, because much of the action is found just minutes from many of the Cape's harbors. This allows boats of all sizes to get in on the bite. If the weather cooperates, impressive catches from not-so-impressive boats are common.
Impressive schools of tuna fed heavily just north of the Fingers in Cape Cod Bay during June of 2010. The tuna were a mere 6 miles from the Barnstable coast. These fish proved difficult to catch, however the top water feeding frenzies were downright impressive.
During some trips, hundreds of tuna could be spotted across the horizon. The telltale splashes and whitewater could be seen from close to a mile away as the fish crushed bait on the surface.
This year the stage has been set for some epic fall tuna fishing. As is typical, the bait is here and it is plentiful. Cape Codders are crossing their fingers that the tuna fishing will break wide open throughout September, October and November.
My crew and I hope to focus our efforts on giant tuna this fall. We'll be using live bait to target tuna well over the 300 pound mark. Bluefish, pogies, and mackerel will be our go-to live baits. We'll use balloons and kites to present the bait.
Juvenile bluefish make one of the best baits for the biggest of bluefins. Catching 12-18 inch bluefish around Cape Cod is, regreattably, not always easy. Small bluefish can be found throughout the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Unfortunately these areas are usually a considerable distance from the tuna grounds. Another challenge is figuring a way to transport the blues once you catch them. Expensive bait wells and strategically placed bait cages certainly help. Luckily the time spent catching, storing, and transporting live bluefish often pays off in a big way.
Pogies may be a more realistic bait source for many. Pogies are most efficiently caught by means of gill and cast nets. However actually finding and catching menhaden is a lot easier said than done. Expect to put in many hours of searching and trial and error before locating and perfecting the art of catching live menhaden.
For those not up to dealing with the complexities of obtaining live bait, artificial offerings are a viable option. Artificial presentations may not be as desirable for targeting giants, however they still catch their fair share of behemoth fish. Trolling squid bars is one of the more popular techniques employed by the area's top captains. There are a variety of other trolling options available as well. The jigging and popping crowd always amazes the general population by wrangling tuna on relatively light spinning gear.
There are many different ways to target bluefin tuna. The best way to go about it is determining a method that works well for your boat and crew.
Fall is an exciting time to be on Cape Cod. The striped bass fishing and whale watching off Cape Cod can be equally dramatic as the bluefin fishing. Bass blitzes are common along the Cape's many beaches, as stripers "beef up" for their southerly migration.
Switching tactics and pursuing stripers is always a viable alternative if the tuna bite slows. On some trips 20-40 pound bass are caught on the same pogies and squid bars meant for tuna.
If the weather cooperates, the fall of 2011 has the potential to be one of the most productive times of the season for anyone wetting a line off Cape Cod.
The Cape has a truly world class fishery. The fishing opportunities are endless. Tight lines, stay safe, and good luck!.
The sheer amount of tuna in Massachusetts Bay over the past few seasons has been staggering. Impressive schools of juvenile tuna, along with giant tuna visit the Cape each season. They feed on the plethora of mackerel, herring, sandeels and whiting (to name just a few of the many prey items) that are plentiful off Cape Cod. Many of the tunas are caught in places accessible by smaller boats. Fish over the 500 pound mark are caught each year from boats more suited for striped bass fishing.
There has been a lot of hype in the media about bluefin tuna being depleted and on the verge of extinction. However the population of tuna off Cape Cod has only increased in recent years. Spotter pilots, recreational and commercial fishermen have observed more fish now than at anytime in recent memory.
Cape Cod fishermen are lucky, because much of the action is found just minutes from many of the Cape's harbors. This allows boats of all sizes to get in on the bite. If the weather cooperates, impressive catches from not-so-impressive boats are common.
Impressive schools of tuna fed heavily just north of the Fingers in Cape Cod Bay during June of 2010. The tuna were a mere 6 miles from the Barnstable coast. These fish proved difficult to catch, however the top water feeding frenzies were downright impressive.
During some trips, hundreds of tuna could be spotted across the horizon. The telltale splashes and whitewater could be seen from close to a mile away as the fish crushed bait on the surface.
This year the stage has been set for some epic fall tuna fishing. As is typical, the bait is here and it is plentiful. Cape Codders are crossing their fingers that the tuna fishing will break wide open throughout September, October and November.
My crew and I hope to focus our efforts on giant tuna this fall. We'll be using live bait to target tuna well over the 300 pound mark. Bluefish, pogies, and mackerel will be our go-to live baits. We'll use balloons and kites to present the bait.
Juvenile bluefish make one of the best baits for the biggest of bluefins. Catching 12-18 inch bluefish around Cape Cod is, regreattably, not always easy. Small bluefish can be found throughout the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Unfortunately these areas are usually a considerable distance from the tuna grounds. Another challenge is figuring a way to transport the blues once you catch them. Expensive bait wells and strategically placed bait cages certainly help. Luckily the time spent catching, storing, and transporting live bluefish often pays off in a big way.
Pogies may be a more realistic bait source for many. Pogies are most efficiently caught by means of gill and cast nets. However actually finding and catching menhaden is a lot easier said than done. Expect to put in many hours of searching and trial and error before locating and perfecting the art of catching live menhaden.
For those not up to dealing with the complexities of obtaining live bait, artificial offerings are a viable option. Artificial presentations may not be as desirable for targeting giants, however they still catch their fair share of behemoth fish. Trolling squid bars is one of the more popular techniques employed by the area's top captains. There are a variety of other trolling options available as well. The jigging and popping crowd always amazes the general population by wrangling tuna on relatively light spinning gear.
There are many different ways to target bluefin tuna. The best way to go about it is determining a method that works well for your boat and crew.
Fall is an exciting time to be on Cape Cod. The striped bass fishing and whale watching off Cape Cod can be equally dramatic as the bluefin fishing. Bass blitzes are common along the Cape's many beaches, as stripers "beef up" for their southerly migration.
Switching tactics and pursuing stripers is always a viable alternative if the tuna bite slows. On some trips 20-40 pound bass are caught on the same pogies and squid bars meant for tuna.
If the weather cooperates, the fall of 2011 has the potential to be one of the most productive times of the season for anyone wetting a line off Cape Cod.
The Cape has a truly world class fishery. The fishing opportunities are endless. Tight lines, stay safe, and good luck!.
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