On Cape Cod different fish species arrive at different points in the season, and certain strategies work better in certain areas.  If you plan to fish Cape Cod this season, then it can help to be informed as to what works where and when.

Each fishing season is a completely different animal.  However fish like striped bass, bluefish and bluefin tuna do follow "somewhat predictable" seasonal patterns (HUGE emphasis on somewhat predictable).  The key to catching them is to place yourself in the right spot, at the right time, with the right bait and the best technique.

Of course making this happen in the real world is much easier said than done.  Work schedules, family life and a multitude of other "distractions" can keep us off the water and on dry land during a hot bite.  This is particularly true if you are only able to fish Cape Cod during summer break or on the weekends.

The below info-graphic should help solve the where, when and how problem.  Keep in mind it's impossible to forecast exactly when good bites will occur, but this info-graphic should at least help a little bit!

Think of it as Cape Cod Fishing 101, or as a quick reference guide if you are unsure what's around when.  If you find it helpful then definitely let me know in a comment below.  I will happily pump out  more info-graphics covering more species and other types of fishing - if you think it would be a good idea.

To embed this info-graphic on your own blog or website, simply copy the below code and paste it into your HTML editor:

 <a href="https://myfishingcapecod.com/fish-cape-cod-like-a-pro/"><img src="https://myfishingcapecod.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/MFCC-Inforgraphic-Final1.jpg" alt="Fish Cape Cod Like a Pro" title="Fish Cape Cod Like a Pro Infographic" width="578" height="5338" /></a><br/><a href="https://myfishingcapecod.com/">Courtesy of My Fishing Cape Cod</a>

Understanding the above is really just the tip of the iceberg if you plan to fish Cape Cod efficiently and effectively.  Here's a few more quick tips to elaborate on each of the above mentioned months.

April

Aside from schoolie striped bass and tautog, Atlantic mackerel will also start filtering into Cape Cod's water throughout this month.  For the most part it is still way too early to be live-lining mackerel for big bass, but if you do go mackerel fishing it can't hurt put a livie out while your jigging.  You never know what might happen.

Check out this article for more helpful info on finding and catching mackerel.

May

Big bluefish also move into Vineyard and Nantucket Sound during the month of May.  I'm not usually a huge fan of bluefish (especially when live eel fishing), but top water plugging for bluefish is a blast early in the season.  The action can be hot and heavy, especially if the blues have squid pinned up close to shore.  All you need is a top water plug with one hook, that casts really well.

Check out this article for more intel on the spring bluefish bite off Cape Cod.

June

Scup are a bunch of fun to catch, especially if you have kids with you.  A good 1-2 punch would be to have the kids catching scup, and Mom and Dad live-lining the scup for stripers.  Bass love eating scup, and each season some cows are taken on livies.

If my memory serves me right, I believe scup spawn during May and June.  Odds are you won't have any trouble finding scup if you fish little pieces of squid around rock piles in Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound.

July

The best time to fish for black sea bass is May through summer.  In places like Buzzards Bay where the water becomes obnoxiously warm during July, black sea bass can be a viable option.  The warm water will push most large striped bass out the area, but the black sea bass (also known as rock bass) tend to stick it out.  Target areas of structure like rock piles, piers and shipwrecks and fish with small jigs or squid (or tip a jig with squid).  That ought to do the trick.

August

Snapper bluefish, which are essentially "baby bluefish" inundate the creeks, harbors and estuaries on the southside of Cape Cod.  These small blues can be a blast on super light tackle and are relatively easy to catch.  Use very small offerings or fish with live chubs.  Snapper blues also work well as live bait for tuna, which we'll talk more about below.

September

This is going to sound ridiculous, but if you want a shot at hooking a tuna from shore then I think September will give you your best shot.  Head down to the Scusset jetty at the East End of the Cape Cod Canal between September 7th and September 20th.  Over the past 8 or so seasons, this stretch during September has produced dozens upon dozens of tuna sightings relatively close to the Canal and sometimes inside the Canal itself.

Yes, some of these sightings are Ocean Sunfish.  Believe it or not Mola-Molas, or Ocean Sunfish are they are commonly called, are capable of launching themselves from the ocean.  Many people confuse their splash for that of a giant tunas.'

However other tuna sightings are legitimate.  A few years ago we hooked up and eventually snapped off a bruiser tuna just a handful of miles from the East End, fishing a live snapper bluefish underneath a balloon.  My Dad and I used to chase them around in our 19 foot skiff, casting at 150-200 pound tuna with striper gear.  One season when I was around 12 or 13, while fishing in our 12 foot aluminum 6 horsepower, I had a giant tuna take a swipe at a bluefish I had hooked right next to the boat.

If you have a small boat and want to give tuna fishing a try, then this is the time for you.  Work the near shore area off the East End of the Canal and keep your eyes peeled.  You never know unless you go!

October

If you're a Canal guy, then October is prime-time.  Actually this past season, prime-time stretched well into the month of November.  If we are lucky, the sea herring and other large bait fish will return to the Canal again this October/November.  Things vary a lot from year to year, but if this season is half as good as 2012 we should be in for a treat.

This past fall I was lucky enough to land a 27 pound bass on November 1st, which was the latest I have ever caught a keeper from the Canal.  Click here to check out the video and fishing report of that memorable, last keeper of the season.

So what do you think about the info-graphic?  What topics would you like to see covered in greater depth here on the MFCC blog?

Let me know in a comment below, or by posting a thread in our forums.

Tight lines and take care,

Ryan