Dear Fishermen and Friends,
As we are getting towards Mid-July waters have started to warm and as a result our fishery is changing. This change is not a bad thing, in fact in the last three days we have been inundated with fresh bait. We have had the second wave of sand eels and the fish are feasting. Most everywhere you look on the water, the terns are having a field day and when you see terns, there is often fish below! Now most know the warming waters lead to less bass, while true, it also has led to more bluefish than we have seen in the last 6 years. We are again hearing many anglers boasting about catching blues every cast off the beach. The south shore in the last few evenings has been like the "old times."
This does not mean that Striped Bass are gone, just the opposite in fact, they are still here, just not as thick. If you pay attention while at the beach you will see them swimming through your legs eating sand crabs. You can catch these fish during the day, you just need to have patience and get away from the people.
That said, If you are focused on Striped Bass these days, your best bet is to find moving, active water or/and to fish at twilight/night. The South Shore continues to hold a decent number of fish, especially with all the bait. Generally, target these guys in low light situations, because that is when they are most active, but guys are catching them all day if you know what to do. These fish are tight into the shore, in very turbulent water, so you’ll need to fish at a 45-degree angle and focus on the crashing waves.
In order to target the big fish, it's best to fish at night. Bigger bass are smarter and generally sit in the deeper colder water during the day and come up into the shallows at night. These fish stalk their prey slowly, so no need to rush your retrieve. Whenever anyone asks me how fast to retrieve a plug at night I always go as slow as you can go and then go half that speed. Seriously, just the smallest movements get the biggest strikes. Ask Chuck Duce, who landed a fat 37” fish in the harbor this week. Chuck is an incredibly patient and experienced fisherman. He’s been fishing these waters all of his life. Don’t let this fish fool you, many nights he goes without catching a fish, but that is why he is rewarded. There is nothing like having experience in our or any fishery. We all have a lot to learn and time on the water is the best teacher. Great work Chuck!
As the bass inshore are getting more selective, we feel very fortunate to have so many Bluefish around the Island. In recent years, this has not been the case. We have had fewer and fewer fish. While it doesn’t seem like the old days, its pretty darn good. If you are fishing on the East or South side of the Island, there are lots and lots of slicks. A slick is an area where a school of Bluefish are eating and the remnants look like an oil slick on top of the water. It also has a very distinct sweet smell. If you see a slick, stop and fish right near it with a top water plug. You’ll love the action it produces!
There are also a lot of Bluefish at Great Point and in the inshore rips. Great Point has long been a fun destination for anglers who are comfortable on their boat fishing the rips but don’t want to run too far offshore. In recent years, this historic fishery has felt more like a desert, this year has been the opposite. A friend was telling me that he caught four species at rip in a matter of a few hours. He boated several bluefish easily. He caught a handful of bass and caught a Black Sea Bass as well. Lastly, he caught two keeper Fluke!
And if you are looking for bass and are comfortable on the boat, Monomoy still has them as do the western edges as well as old man. We still have lots of bass around the island, you just need to go find them. That said, great point is producing as well.
The bottom fishing continues to be very very good. It’s exciting for us at the shop as it feels like the pendulum is swinging. For years, it felt like we had to convince people to bottom fish, these days we are seeing anglers ask us more and more what they can do to get into it. The easy bet is to fish the east side of the Island. Fish in 25-30 ft of water anywhere from Wauwinet to Sankaty and drift with the tide. Make sure to mark every fish you catch, as you’ll start to see a pattern. Fish concentrate over structure. While you may not see it on your depth finder, there is likely a pile of cobble laying on the ocean floor attracting the fish.
Our fishery is changing by the day and we urge you to adapt, because that is the fun part of fishing. Our favorite thing to do is to explore and figure it out. Go wet a line and enjoy this amazing stretch of weather.
Go wet a line.