Fall Run Still Yielding Good Fishing
Welcome to another fall run edition of the My Fishing Cape Cod Podcast presented by Cape & Islands Mitsubishi and The Olde Cape Carwash. In this episode, we are joined by Eddy Kooyomjian of Monomoy Tackle.
As October winds down, there is still fishing to be had for anglers willing to bundle up and watch the for windows. Ed dives into the magic that is the fall run tautog fishery around Cape Cod and Rhode Island. Tog are another species having a great year in a standout bottom fishery. Ed provides positive reports on the fall run tautog fishery in both Buzzards Bay and analyzes the year that was out at Monomoy.
October Tautog
Eddy has obtained lots of standout tautog reports from Captain Jay Cianciolo. MFCC members will know Jay as a captain for Laura Jay Charters out of Sandwich, but he also runs his own guide service in Newport, Rhode Island. Jay spoke at length about how strong the tautog fishing has been off the Rhode Island coast this fall.
According to Jay’s report, the bite has been so good that boats are making the trip up from as far south as New York and New Jersey to fish the greater Newport area. On a broader level, tog make an excellent late-fall opportunity once the striped bass fishing has wound down. For anglers who spend the summer and early fall chasing bass, tog offer a natural next chapter.
Tog Closer to Home: Buzzards Bay
You do not need to make the trip to Rhode Island waters to find tautog. Ed notes the Buzzards Bay region, an area he scoured for sea bass and tautog in the spring, is still producing excellent tog fishing when the wind cooperates. He has exclusively fished Buzzards Bay this fall for tautog with good success.
His approach is simple. He has been fishing the common rock piles that anglers also frequent in the spring, and the fish are still holding there. Ed did note that there have been quite a few short fish around, so be prepared to sort through undersized tog while also landing some impressive keepers. That is a good sign for the health of the fishery looking forward to 2027 and beyong.
Know the Regulations
One important regulatory note from Ed is the bag limit for tautog changed in mid October. Starting October 15th, the limit is 5 tautog at 16 inches or greater per angler. Only one of these 5 fish may exceed 21 inches in length. That is very generous for anglers looking to stock some meat for the fall and winter.
Ed also reminded listeners of a corresponding change on the other side of the bottom-fishing ledger. The small extension of the black sea bass season into the fall has ended, and that closure coincided with the tog limit going up. It's important to note this as sea bass are still being found in Buzzards Bay and in other areas and are often mixed in with tautog.
Monomoy Tackle Scudetto Jig
One offering that is still producing success around Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay is the Scudetto Jig from Monomoy Tackle. The shape of the jig gives it a wobble imitating a wounded baitfish on the decent. The silicone skirt and 3D eyes add to the wounded baitfish presentation. Available in 4 weights and several different colors. This season, the orange crab color has produced excellent results for many anglers.
These jigs can be jigged off the bottom while slowly lifting and returning them to the bottom. They also excel at being bounced off the bottom which makes them ideal to pair with rigs when fishing for bottom dwelling species. Tipped with a chunk of green or asian crab, the Scudetto Jig is an excellent fall run tautog option.
Why Tog Belong on Your Table
Ed argued that tautog is one of the better-eating fish that many anglers take for granted or simply don't know enough about. It has a fantastic flaor profile and has immense versatility in the kitchen. As the weather turns cold, tog make a great base for chowder, which Ed described as a comfort food for he and his family. The fillets also keep very well in the freezer, so a few good trips can supply meals for weeks or months. On top of all that, tautog are a great sport fish, which makes them a complete package for the late-season angler.
As for how much longer Ed will be out there himself, he expects one, maybe two more trips for tog. With frost arriving and Halloween 10 days away, he plans to bring his boat to winter storage by the first week of November. It is a tough moment for any boat owner, but as Eddy put it, one of the beautiful things about New England is that the cycle renews itself every year!
A Monomoy Year in Review
With tautog still prevelent and available in Buzzards Bay, Ed turned his attention to his home fishery out at Monomoy. Here are some insights and observations from his season:
Spring: A Fairly Normal Start
From the beginning of spring through Memorial Day, Eddy described things as fairly normal for what one would expect at Monomoy. Black sea bass were around, and the fluke showed up right when anglers thought they might. Some stripers were around too, though not in the crazy numbers of years past. Bluefish were absent during that window, which Ed said has unforunately occured the last couple of years.
Summer and Fall: The Striped Bass Lull
The striped bass fishing is what Ed says will define the 2026 season at Monomoy in his memory. During the summer dog days of mid to late July, the fishing got quiet and then stayed quiet. That was unusual, especially in a year without the offshore hurricane-related weather that sometimes slows fishing or pushes fish away. There was one big storm, the nor’easter a couple of weeks ago, but the striped bass bite never really picked back up into the fever pitch he has seen in the past. Ed was careful to leave room for anglers who had great days, and he expects some listeners to write in about exactly that. But for his own experience, and for Monomoy overall, the bass fishing was a little off.
Eddy floated a theory about where the fish went. Many guests on both the MFCC podcast and the Monomoy Saltwater Journal have reported great fishing in Cape Cod Bay, and Captain Jay Cianciolo described excellent striper fishing off Newport, RI and Montauk, NY. It raises the question of whether the big biomass that normally comes up to Monomoy bypassed it or stayed south. Nobody knows for sure, and Ed was quick to add that next year could look completely different.
Black Sea Bass and Fluke: The Season Savers
If striped bass were the disappointment, the bottom fishery was the bright spot. Eddy said the black sea bass bite off Monomoy in the summer was really, really great, especially because it came at a time and in places where you do not normally expect to catch them, right around the edges of the point. The fluke fishing was good for most of the season.
From a bottom fishery perspective, Monomoy looked exceptional compared to past years, and it held up through the summer and into the fall rather than fading.
Ed hears regularly from customers and members of the MFCC community who text him during and after trips. Many of them did the type of combo trip he likes to run: an early-morning striper search, followed by a late-morning switch to other species. Not everyone made the 10- to 12-mile run southeast. Plenty of anglers found sea bass and fluke tight to Monomoy, just east of Bearses Shoal, and in the Pollock Rip area. These are great fisheries for kids and anglers of every age and skill level.
Bait Was Everywhere
One of the more interesting takeaways in 2026 out at Monomoy was the constant presence of bait. Eddie said there was bait around the rips through the entire season, whether it was squid flowing in and out or sand eels. During the good fluke and sea bass days, big bait balls and bait plumes showed up on the sounder.
However, that bait did not translate into a hot striped bass bite. Ed encouraged anglers who keep a log to compare notes year over year, tracking bait, temperature, and tide, and then looking at what they caught or did not catch. On certain days and conditions when the bass fishing was great in prior years, the same setup did not produce this year, even though the bait and other species were present.
Funny Fish: Albies and Bonito
The funny fish picture was a mixed one. Bonito showed up again this season, and Eddy described the bite as solid. Anglers who put in the time found them, even if the froth may not have matched the past year or two. False albacore were more of a challenge. There were fish to be had, but not in the numbers or pods seen in recent years. The fish also seemed partcioularly finicky this season and the nor'easter in the middle of albies showing up didn't help the fishery.
Trends from Monomoy Tackle
Last season, the hard-shell peanut resin jigs and Funny Fish were all over the podcast. This year, the big takeaway was the Talon, which came up in reports from Eddy, Amy at Sports Port, and Bruno. Anglers were casting it into feeds and also trolling it, and Ed suggested its popularity could reflect the size of the bait in the summer and fall, or the windy conditions.
The peanut resin coated hard shells however still performed. Eddy noted that they did really well again at the Martha’s Vineyard Derby, which concluded last weekend, with plenty of anglers buying them beforehand or picking them up at the Vineyard shops that carry them. He called them a very consistent producer especially for folks on the islands this season.
Ed also made note of the amount of fluke gear sold, both to shops and online, which he takes as a sign that more people are discovering the fluke fishery and the different ways to target them. He also sold plenty of smaller jigs for light tackle jigging, which coincided with the strong sea bass bite. When he looked back at the data to make sure it was not just his own bias, the numbers backed it up. On the striped bass side, paddle tails did well, and Eddy credited some incredible videos that Ryan made with them.
Giving Thanks: Fluke vs. Cancer
Before signing off, Eddy brought up the Fluke vs. Cancer benefit, a cause close to his family. He thanked cousib Bruno Demir for organizing it and Ryan and MFCC for supporting it, and said it has become an event he looks forward to every year. To Eddie, it illustrates the beauty of fishing with friends and making new friends while supporting an incredible cause. He thanked everyone in the MFCC community for being so generous with their time and money.
Wrapping Up the Season
The season at Monomoy may be remembered for a quiet striper run, but it also delivered outstanding sea bass and fluke fishing. Everyone is hoping the stripers come back hot and heavy through the prime part of next summer and the fall run.
In the meantime, if the weather cooperates, get out there and enjoy what is left of this season. Tautog are a great option whether in Cape Cod Bay or Buzzards Bay. Make the most of every day left and enjoy the fall run!
Tight Lines & Take Care!