Pogies are also called menhaden or bunker. They are often referred to as the most important fish in the sea, because they are filter-feeders, and they help keep the water clean.
Pogies are also an important food source for whales, birds and many species of fish. In particular, live-lining pogies is an extremely effective way to catch the largest striped bass in any given area.
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Throwing a cast net is often the most effective way to catch pogies, and it’s a skill captain Cullen of Cape Star Charters learned as a kid, fishing alongside his dad.
An important tip is to make sure the cast net is loaded properly with no tangles. Cullen uses a Tim Wade custom net, but he also recommends the 12ft mullet net from Betts.
Back on June 3rd 2021 I had an opportunity to film the entire process in action. During this trip Cullen stayed on the bow ready to throw, while My Fishing Cape Cod member Aaron Perlmutter drove the boat.
After about an hour of searching we eventually found a school of pogies that were hanging off the bow of a moored sailboat. All we had to do now, was get close enough for Cullen to throw.
Click play below to watch!
Cast netting has been in use, with various modifications, for thousands of years, and it’s a technique used by fishermen every day all around the world.
Castnetting takes a lot of practice to master but the skill is extremely valuable for catching bait on Cape Cod.
The net sank directly on top of the school, and the pogies were caught as the net was hauled back in. Our next task was to fill the livewell, and release the remaining pogies alive.
We then headed off to find some big stripers.
As mentioned above, members of My Fishing Cape Cod get access to the full 12 minute video from this trip. In this video we use the live pogies to catch huge striped bass during the first week of June 2021.
If you're logged-in as a member, then you can access the full video by clicking here.
If you are not yet a member, then all you have to do is start a membership to get access.
Tight lines! 
Great post. I saw so many schools of pogies on the south side last year without a care in the world. I couldn’t believe nothing was bothering them.
I know what you mean! I’m
often surprised too how schools of pogies will often have no predators on them.
One possibility I’ve been thinking about which might help explain this, is how it doesn’t take a lot of pogies to fill the belly of a bass. I think a lot of times the predators only need to feed on adult pogies for a few minutes to get their fill.
Contrast this to when bass are feeding on tiny peanut bunker, when the feeds will sometimes last all morning long. It takes a lot more time for the bass to get full because the bait is so much smaller.
Thanks for the comment. Hope all is well!