The rain was coming down hard this morning as a lightning storm moved through the region. However, the weather this past weekend was terrific for boating and fishing. Many anglers (myself included) were able to get on the water or onto the beaches over the past 48 hours.
If you subscribe to our weekly email updates then you might recognize the following information, because I included some of this report in the last email update I sent out this past Saturday.
Nevertheless, the following fishing report is just the "tip of the iceberg" as to what's been shared on My Fishing Cape Cod over the past week or so.
You can continue reading by scrolling below, or you can skip ahead to certain sections of this Cape Cod fishing report by clicking on this table of contents. 👇
Inshore Fishing for Stripers
Yesterday I went fishing with captain Cullen of Cape Star Charters and a group of members from My Fishing Cape Cod. Onboard for this trip was 4 year member Gretchen Stiers, who caught some beautiful fish using paddle tails.
Also onboard this trip was Darren Jacobs who joined My Fishing Cape Cod as a member 8 years ago in September of 2014! Darren took a year off from fishing in 2021 but I think he might be fishing a bit more often now after catching and releasing this awesome striper.
JR Hall was also onboard fishing with the lure he won at the May Long-Distance Casting Competition. This lure was created by member Chase Freeman who used a 3D printer to make the plug.
Thanks again Chase for donating some of your lures as prizes!
The early morning action yesterday was terrific and we all enjoyed some great action with striped bass. To learn more about this trip please visit this topic inside our members-only forum.
Fly Fishing for Stripers
Over the past week I've had success fly fishing for stripers from shore in Cape Cod Bay. I've been using a large 8 inch mackerel fly with my 9 weight fly rod and intermediate line. The best fishing for me has occurred during the last 1.5 hours of the incoming tide and the first 1 hour of the outgoing.
For these trips I wore my wetsuit and swam to boulders that are located 40-100 yards offshore. Fishing from atop the boulders provided me with a unique vantage point and casting platform, which allowed me to reach fish that I would otherwise not be able to reach if I was fishing from shore.
I haven't caught any "picture worthy" stripers while fly fishing from the boulders, but I have seen a few bass that were probably over 30 inches. The month of June is often very good for striped bass fishing in Cape Cod Bay, especially the eastern portion of the bay from Sesuit to Wellfleet.
I will keep trying and will keep you posted with how things go!
While on the subject of fly fishing, I wanted to let you know that on June 12th at 8:24pm MFCC member John Kingston posted this photo of a beautiful striper he caught fly fishing around a pogie school. John's been fishing with very large flies and a 10 weight setup. You can read more in the Fly Fishing 2022 topic inside our members' forum.
Bluefin Tuna
If you are interested in catching a tuna this summer then right now is the time to get ready. If you need gear and tackle, then go see my friend's at the Goose Hummock Shop in Orleans and they can help you out.
So far this season I have not yet gone tuna fishing, but I am hearing rumors of them being around. During mid to late June the waters south of Martha's Vineyard often produce good fishing for school size tunas and I hope to make several trips down there later this month.
Trolling with spreader bars is one of the most productive ways to catch these elusive fish, with green being a very popular and effective color. However, before going tuna fishing, be sure to educate yourself about the proper way to catch and release these fish, and be sure to not take more tuna than you need.
Recreational anglers hook a lot of tuna each year and it's up to us to make sure we do everything we can to ensure a healthy fishery for generations to come!
I just checked the forum this morning and there's already been some reports shared of tuna being hooked and one 60 incher being caught. You can learn more by visiting our 2022 Bluefin Tuna topic inside our members' forum.
Fluke
From now through early October fluke can be caught all throughout Cape Cod and the Islands. Fluke are aggressive hunters which lay along the bottom waiting to ambush their prey. One of the most effective ways to catch fluke is to drift fish with jigs and teasers and/or live bait.
Probably the most productive fluke grounds in the area are located to the southeast of Cape Cod around Nantucket, however fluke can also be caught in Cape Cod Bay, Buzzard's Bay, the canal, and in the Sounds.
When you hook a fluke, keep slow and steady pressure as you reel in the fish, as opposed to pumping the rod and horsing the fish in. Fluke have soft mouths so slow and steady is the best way to prevent the hook from tearing free.
My Fishing Cape Cod member Bruno Demir of Cape & Islands Mistubishi has already made several trips for fluke this June with great success. You can listen to Bruno's fluke fishing report by tuning-in to our latest podcast which was published this past Friday.
Winter Flounder
Speaking of flatfish, winter flounder are an often over looked species as most people around here are interested in fluke. From what I've gathered, the flounder fishing on Cape Cod was much better a generation or two ago, but nevertheless you can still catch them if you know where to go and what to use.
Flounder are a flatfish which scour the bottom searching for a meal. A simple way to catch them is to use a sliding fish-finder rig with a 3oz sinker and a clam, mussel or sea worm threaded onto a flounder hook. Your best bet for flounder will probably be in Cape Cod Bay, but it doesn't hurt to try other areas.
Drifting with the current, or anchoring up and chumming can both work. Just remember that the minimum size for winter flounder in Massachusetts is 12 inches with a daily bag limit north of Cape Cod of 8 fish per person, and a daily bag limit south and east of Cape Cod of 2 fish per person.
Patrick Cunningham and his wife recently found the flounder in Cape Cod Bay. For more recent flounder fishing updates, please check out these posts inside our forum.
Atlantic Mackerel
Summer weather is here and so are the mackerel. Mackerel fishing is a ton of fun, especially for kids. In fact, catching mackerel as a 6 year old is how I became so interested in fishing! I can still remember the excitement and how much fun I had going mackerel fishing when I was younger.
Right now mackerel can be caught in 50 or more feet of water in Cape Cod Bay and off the Outer Cape. Occasionally mackerel can also be caught from shore at the East End of the Cape Cod Canal. One of the most effective mackerel fishing methods to jig with sabiki rigs. Sabiki rigs feature a half dozen hooks (or more) with feathers, beads and/or shiny pieces of foil.
After locating an area holding macks, simply drift in neutral and slowly jig a sabiki rig in the midwater column. Using this technique it's possible to catch a half dozen mackerel at the same time, which can be an absolute riot for people who are new to fishing.
Recently we received a comment from Joe Gomes about ultra-light mackerel fishing that I wanted to share. According to Joe...
"Most fun I’ve had standing up; catching 1.5 to 3 pound Mackerel in Cape Cod Bay using my ultralight, 5′ rod and Mitchell 308. 10 minutes to land the 3 pounders!! Any rod you use for freshwater bass will be great fun and haul em in a bit quicker too. Great when smoked and eaten with a sharp cheddar and a cold beer. Tight lines."
Thank you Joe for sharing your light tackle mackerel idea, and for more about mackerel, please visit these posts inside our forum.
Surfcasting for Stripers
Nighttime is the right time to catch stripers from the beaches of Cape Cod. Yes it's possible to catch striped bass from shore during the daytime, but it's no secret that the best action occurs at night. Nevertheless if you are not interested in fishing in the dark, then sunrise and sunset are the next best times.
Last week My Fishing Cape Cod member Carol Girard-Irwin got her two nephews and great nephew into some great fishing along the beaches of the Outer Cape!
According to Carol...
Nothing could make me happier than sharing the beautiful place we live with family. I had my two nephews and great nephew here, and surfcasting runs in our blood. Everyone caught stripers on the backside here on the Outer Cape! Great memories made!
Each beach on Cape Cod is different, but in general I prefer the middle to end of the incoming tide when casting from shore along the beach. If I am fishing an inlet, then I prefer the middle to end of the outgoing tide.
So far this June members from My Fishing Cape Cod have caught fish of up to 45 inches from shore at night fishing Cape Cod's beaches. 1oz white bucktail jigs with a red grub tail, as well as black and purple swimming lures have been working very well.
For daily surfcasting updates, please visit the popular 2020-2022 MFCC Surfcasters' thread inside our forum.
In Conclusion
Today I also wanted to take a quick moment to recognize Pete Iodice, John Fortin, Martin Graham, Galen Donovan and Marc LaFleur who've now been members of My Fishing Cape Cod for 5 years!
I also wanted to recognize Tom Gorman, David Donnelly, and William Barabe (and many others) who just joined this past week.
Membership support is what keeps My Fishing Cape Cod going and I really appreciate having you all onboard as members. Thank you!
Tight lines 🎣
