Cape Cod's school tuna bite has been phenomenal over the past few years. Fish of all sizes and shapes have infiltrated Cape Cod's waters each season.. Worldwide landings of tuna may be down, however Cape Cod landings remain consistently strong. Many commercial and recreational fishermen all say that the amount of tuna currently present around Cape Cod rivals the 1980's "hey day" of tuna fishing..
Most of the action on school sized fish will be centered on Stellwagen Bank. Yet the trek to the Bank is not always necessary for a chance to tie into a decent fish.
The waters east of Plymouth have held large numbers of tuna the past couple of autumns. If the half beaks return, there will probably be tuna again this fall within just a few miles of the Plymouth coast.. When tuna are targeting half beaks, the bluefins will often propel themselves straight clear of the water. A 300 plus pound tuna coming clear of the water is an impressive sight to say the least.. Keeping your eyes peeled for signs of tuna during the ride to and from the Bank can pay big dividends.
Throughout the past decade, spin fishing for bluefin tuna has dramatically increased in popularity. Spin fishermen routinely "jig and pop" on Cape Cod with fantastic results.. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. On some trips the bluefins remain deep. Jigging metals will often prove to be the ticket to connecting when the fish are not showing on the surface.. Just be sure to beef up your split rings and hooks to tuna standards.
Most important is developing a gameplan that works well with your budget, crew, and boat. Keep in mind that taking a tuna on spinning gear is very taxing on an angler's body..
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. Live lining mackerel under balloons as well as fishing the colorful speedsters under a kite is always popular amongst the fleet.
Live pogies can be cast or gill netted in the back waters of many of the area's 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.. Another option is to befriend one of the region's talented live pogie suppliers. For a reasonable cost these guys will fill your livewell with menhaden-granted they are able to find the pogies in the first place.
Many Cape Cod fishing veterans claim that live bluefish is the best bait to use when targeting giants. Bluefish are referred to as "tuna candy" in this neck of the woods.. 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 bays to the tuna grounds is another challenge .
Areas the Race at Provincetown, Buzzards Bay, and the Cape's southside are all great spots to catch blues. Snapper bluefish also make fantastic tuna bait and can be found in many Cape estuaries.. However the extra mileage and time spent making the run to Provincetown or Buzzards Bay for bait really puts a dent in the gas tank, as well as eating up valuable tuna fishing time.
Catching bluefish before a tuna fishing trip and holding them in bait cages is a smart way to guarantee fresh bait the morning of a tuna trip. Transporting snapper and juvenile bluefish from Buzzards Bay to Stellwagen is an entirely different matter; however it can be done and has paid off big for us in the past.
Most of the action on school sized fish will be centered on Stellwagen Bank. Yet the trek to the Bank is not always necessary for a chance to tie into a decent fish.
The waters east of Plymouth have held large numbers of tuna the past couple of autumns. If the half beaks return, there will probably be tuna again this fall within just a few miles of the Plymouth coast.. When tuna are targeting half beaks, the bluefins will often propel themselves straight clear of the water. A 300 plus pound tuna coming clear of the water is an impressive sight to say the least.. Keeping your eyes peeled for signs of tuna during the ride to and from the Bank can pay big dividends.
Throughout the past decade, spin fishing for bluefin tuna has dramatically increased in popularity. Spin fishermen routinely "jig and pop" on Cape Cod with fantastic results.. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. On some trips the bluefins remain deep. Jigging metals will often prove to be the ticket to connecting when the fish are not showing on the surface.. Just be sure to beef up your split rings and hooks to tuna standards.
Most important is developing a gameplan that works well with your budget, crew, and boat. Keep in mind that taking a tuna on spinning gear is very taxing on an angler's body..
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. Live lining mackerel under balloons as well as fishing the colorful speedsters under a kite is always popular amongst the fleet.
Live pogies can be cast or gill netted in the back waters of many of the area's 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.. Another option is to befriend one of the region's talented live pogie suppliers. For a reasonable cost these guys will fill your livewell with menhaden-granted they are able to find the pogies in the first place.
Many Cape Cod fishing veterans claim that live bluefish is the best bait to use when targeting giants. Bluefish are referred to as "tuna candy" in this neck of the woods.. 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 bays to the tuna grounds is another challenge .
Areas the Race at Provincetown, Buzzards Bay, and the Cape's southside are all great spots to catch blues. Snapper bluefish also make fantastic tuna bait and can be found in many Cape estuaries.. However the extra mileage and time spent making the run to Provincetown or Buzzards Bay for bait really puts a dent in the gas tank, as well as eating up valuable tuna fishing time.
Catching bluefish before a tuna fishing trip and holding them in bait cages is a smart way to guarantee fresh bait the morning of a tuna trip. Transporting snapper and juvenile bluefish from Buzzards Bay to Stellwagen is an entirely different matter; however it can be done and has paid off big for us in the past.
About the Author:
Captain Ryan Collins fishes for striped bass and Bluefin tuna off Cape Cod, MA. Visit his blog, myfishingcapecod.com for insider trolling for bass.
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