The dog days of summer are nearing their conclusion as August is presenting Cape Cod anglers with warm sunny days, cool fall-like nights, and plenty of unique fishing opportunities. Recent reports from AJ Coots of Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay paint a picture of diverse fishing opportunities from the Cape Cod Canal to the offshore windmill areas south of Martha's Vineyard.
Cape Cod Canal: Adjusting Tactics
The Cape Cod Canal, traditionally a striped bass hotspot, has been experiencing a challenging year. However, anglers who are willing to put in the effort and adjust their approach are still finding success. The key lies in understanding what's working and adapting accordingly.
Chunking remains productive for those willing to commit to this patient fishing method. Mackerel continues to be the go-to bait, with tackle shops still moving significant quantities to dedicated canal anglers. The chunk bite requires persistence, but it's consistently producing results when other methods fall short.
The real excitement comes with the arrival of bonito, which have recently appeared both in the mid-canal area and at the western end. This marks the beginning of the "funny fish" season – that exciting period when fast-swimming pelagic species begin their migration through Cape Cod waters.
Lure Selection for Small Bait Scenarios
The bonito are feeding on extremely small baitfish – likely sand eels, bay anchovies, or silversides. This presents both opportunities and challenges for anglers. When fish are keyed in on such small forage, presentation becomes critical.
Metal jigs emerge as the lure for canal fishing during these conditions. While a 20-gram epoxy jig might be too light for surf tackle, a two-ounce metal jig provides the casting weight needed while maintaining a profile similar to a 30-gram epoxy jig. This allows shore anglers to effectively target fish feeding on small bait while still being able to make long casts with heavier surf gear.
The key is lightening up your leader and downsizing your presentation to match the natural forage. This simple adjustment can mean the difference between a frustrating day and a successful outing.
Cape Cod Bay: Deep Water Strategies
Cape Cod Bay fishing has been more challenging this season, with none of the massive bluefish blitzes that characterized last August's fishing. However, there are still viable strategies for success.
Live-lining pogies in deeper water remains the most consistent approach. Anglers are finding success by heading out a couple of miles from shore off Plymouth or Duxbury, locating schools of pogies, and live-lining them for striped bass. While this method requires patience – some anglers report fishing for hours without a strike – it's currently the most reliable technique for the bay.
An alternative approach involves fishing outside Barnstable Harbor, where anglers can live-line mackerel or pogies for slot-sized and above-slot striped bass. This area has been producing more consistent action than the northern sections of the bay.
Trolling off Provincetown represents another productive strategy, particularly with the abundance of sand eels in the area. Anglers should consider tube and worm combinations or umbrella rigs for this approach.
Buzzards Bay: Diverse Opportunities
Buzzards Bay continues to offer the most diverse fishing opportunities. Beyond the bonito action, southern Buzzards Bay is still producing striped bass for those willing to work for them.
Sea bass fishing remains solid in traditional locations like Cleveland Ledge and around the tip of Stony Point dike. These structure-oriented fish provide consistent action when other species prove challenging.
The fluke fishing off Mashnee Flats has been particularly noteworthy, offering excellent table fare for those targeting this delicious flatfish. Fluke represent one of the region's premier eating fish, rivaling sea bass for quality.
Offshore Action: Windmills and Beyond
The area around the offshore wind turbines south of Martha's Vineyard has been the season's standout fishery. Recreational bluefin tuna fishing has been exceptional since mid-July, with recent trips producing consistent action.
Jigging vs. Trolling: Current Patterns
Interestingly, jigging has been significantly outproducing trolling in recent weeks. While trolling traditionally dominates offshore fishing, current conditions favor vertical presentations. Soft plastic jigs, particularly harness-style jigs and similar designs, have been more effective than traditional metal jigs like sand eel and butterfly-style offerings.
Speed jigging technique – dropping jigs to the bottom and rapidly retrieving them – has been the most successful approach. Some anglers are also finding success with modified sea bass jigging techniques using bucktails.
The fishing has been so good that even with fleet sizes exceeding 200 boats on busy weekend days, anglers are still finding success. Interestingly, smaller weekday fleets often experience better bite rates, suggesting that fishing pressure does impact tuna behavior.
Mahi-Mahi: Bonus Opportunities
The mahi-mahi bite around weather buoys within the windmill area has been exceptional. Schools of 60-80 fish have been observed, though they can be finicky. Once you catch the dominant bull from a school, the remaining fish often become more cautious.
For mahi success, consider downsizing your approach. Small circle hooks with squid pieces often outproduce larger lures. Some innovative anglers have even used pieces of caught mahi as bait to catch additional mahi – a testament to these fish's opportunistic feeding behavior.
Shark Encounters: An Unexpected Bonus
The offshore waters are also producing excellent shark fishing. Recent reports from AJ include a thresher shark caught on a six-ounce pink harness jig that provided a two-and-a-half-hour fight on spinning gear – demonstrating the incredible diversity of the current offshore bite.
Giant Bluefin: A Reminder of What's Possible
While recreational fishing focuses on school-sized bluefin, giant bluefin tuna continue to patrol waters south of the windmills, east of Cape Cod, and throughout Cape Cod Bay. These fish represent the ultimate prize, though the season's duration remains uncertain due to quota considerations.
Looking Ahead: Timing and Tides
With a full moon occurring on August 9th (the sturgeon moon), tidal conditions are optimal through mid-August. The stronger tidal flows associated with full moon periods often trigger increased feeding activity, potentially improving fishing across all areas.
False albacore season is quickly approaching, though these speedsters typically don't arrive until water temperatures begin their seasonal decline. Early reports from around the Elizabeth Islands often precede their appearance in Buzzards Bay by days or weeks.
Tactical Recommendations
Success in current conditions requires adaptability:
- Lighten your leaders when fish are feeding on small bait
- Carry both metal and soft plastic jigs for offshore fishing
- Consider chunking with mackerel in the canal during slow periods
- Target deeper water for live-lining in Cape Cod Bay
- Don't overlook sea bass and fluke as reliable alternatives
The diversity of current fishing opportunities demonstrates why Cape Cod remains one of the Northeast's premier fishing destinations. While some traditional patterns have been disrupted this season, adaptable anglers are still finding excellent fishing across multiple species and locations.
Whether you're chunking mackerel in the canal at dawn, speed-jigging for tuna south of the windmills, or live-lining pogies in Cape Cod Bay, the fishing opportunities remain diverse and rewarding for those who understand how to adapt!
Tight lines, take care, and thank you for listening!