One of the most common fish caught on Cape Cod during spring, summer and fall is the scup. Scup are also often referred to as porgies. They are simple to catch and are a lot of fun.
Plus if you manage to catch some really big scup (12 inches and up) then you will be able to enjoy a wonderful scup dinner!
I LOVE pan fried scup! In fact I love it so much that I don't mind taking the time to fillet scup. However, scup can also be cooked whole on the grill, which is easier and quicker. To view more local Cape Cod seafood recipes, please visit our seafood page.
Here on Cape Cod scup are most commonly caught from a boat or kayak. However, certain members of this website have managed to pull some awfully large scup from shore. One member in particular, Todd Holden, has written extensively about catching keeper-size scup from shore using artificial lures. You can read some of Todd's posts by visiting our forum.
One of the best parts of scup fishing Cape Cod is the fast action. When you encounter a school of feeding scup it won't take long for you to start getting bites.
Ever wonder what a school of feeding scup looks like? Then check out this members-only underwater video I filmed of hundreds of scup feasting on green crabs.
Scup fishing Cape Cod is perfect for kids and anglers who don't have a lot of patience. Docks and jetties throughout Buzzard's Bay and along the southside of Cape Cod are great places to try.
Freshwater fishing gear will work great for scup fishing. A small hook baited with a small piece of squid, fished with a small weight is pretty much all you need.
Here on My Fishing Cape Cod we have a ton of scup fishing information that's been shared over the past 10+ years inside our private members forum. If you are looking for recent scup fishing reports, tips and tricks, then the forum is the place to go.
In the rest of this post I would like to reminisce by revisiting a memorable scup fishing trip my cousin Kevin and I made several years ago to the waters of Buzzard's Bay.
Mid-May Scup Fishing on Cape Cod
On May 18th 2018 my cousin Kevin (host of our podcast) and I splashed my 21ft boat the Miss Loretta for the first time this season.
I primarily wanted to make sure the engine and everything else was running smoothly, but I figured we might as well do some fishing while we were on the water.
Little did I know that the scup fishing would be on fire! Scup (also called porgy) are a hard fighting, beautiful and delicious fish. And right now keeper-size scup are moving in great numbers to the waters surrounding the Cape.
We began yesterday's trip by fishing outside the mouth of an estuary in 14 feet of water. The bottom was composed of rock, weed and mud. Immediately we began getting bites from sub-legal scup.
After spending some time with the small scup I decided to motor us out to deeper water. I chose a rocky reef that was located in 25 feet of water, and we soon dropped anchor right on top of prime scup and tautog grounds. In no time at all we started getting bites from keeper-size scup well above the 9 inch minimum.
We were having a blast catching these big scup! It was a nice change of pace from striper fishing. Plus I knew we would be eating well, because these big scup make for great table fare (check out this scup recipe to see what I mean).
After catching around a dozen keeper scup, my cousin Kevin and I started thinking about how nice it would be to add a few keeper tautog to the cooler. Luckily for us, the tautog moved in just before sunset!
Tautog are great fighters and are a ton of fun to catch. Plus just like scup, they are delicious to eat. The tautog last night came in a quick spurt. All our tog bites occurred between 7:20pm and 7:50pm, right at the tail end of our trip.
If you are looking for information on how and where to target tautog right now, then make sure to check out this new member-only Tautog Video Tutorial which I published just a few days ago.
You can also click the toggle below to see the gear and equipment we have been using to catch these spring-time tautog.
Gear & Equipment List
I am also happy to report that black sea bass are starting to show up. The Massachusetts black sea bass season does not open until May 19th, so all of the sea bass we caught yesterday had to be returned to the sea.
Also returned to the sea was the schoolie striped bass that surprised us by biting a green crab just before we headed back to the dock. Catching a striper while bottom fishing is always a great surprise. Check out all that sea lice!
In conclusion my cousin and I had a really fun trip, and we went home with plenty of fresh fish to cook up this weekend. I am really happy to report that some awfully nice, big, hard fighting scup (and tautog) have arrived in the waters off Cape Cod.
For more information about where we were fishing during this trip, members of My Fishing Cape Cod can click the orange download button below.
Member Download
Google Image Of The General Location Fished During This Trip
Interesting. I’ve never heard of catching Scup using lures.
One of our members, Todd Holden, does it all the time from shore. Here’s a link to some of his reports and articles inside our forum. I’ve never tried it, but I think it would be a lot of fun!
Ryan were is a good spot to catch SCUP of the rocks at the cape?
Hey Juan,
I’m not shore fishing scup expert, but I would imagine any of the inlets along the southside of Cape Cod would be good places to try, as well as the fish piers, like Dowses Beach and Smuggler’s Beach fish piers for example.
Gluck and LMK if you find some scup!
We fish from Jetty’s in the mid Cape (Dennis) and have no issues
Watching the video from Zurich, can’t wait to get on the Cape and my boat on Sunday ??,
Thank you
Enjoy Zurich Igor, and travel safe!
Great report, keep them coming. Headed out now to see what’s going on. We’ve been getting some nice tog.
I will definitely keep them coming! ??
How was your latest trip?
Nice video! What was Jason using to take the hook out of the Scup?
That would be a de-hooker. I’m not sure what model but next time I see Jay I will ask if I remember. ?
Nice sunset conditions. Just the beginning.
That’s right, a full season ahead! ??
I will be in Mashpee Ma from June 15-22
Will sculp and bass fishing be good at that time? How far from cape cod is Machpee?
Hey Sherlie ?
Yes! Scup and sea bass fishing should be good during that timeframe.
Mashpee is one of the 15 towns which comprise Cape Cod.
LMK if you have any other questions.
Today me and my dad went fishing off of bass river bridge (we live in Yarmouth year round) an I caught a 12 inch scup didn’t know at first what kind of fish it was but then found out and I am very disappointed I let it go
That’s awesome Colin! Congrats on the big scup! You’ll bring home dinner next time for sure. Keep me posted with how things are going this season. ??
Mashpee is on Cape but separated because of the way Rt 6 runs. It’s a ways from the “rest” of the Cape by about an hourish
Hello sir I would like too no the best place too launch my 24ft boat for scup and seabass fishing in Hyannis or Falmouth
No prob! Happy to help. ??
Check out the public boat ramp at Lewis Bay in Hyannis https://goo.gl/maps/x8ssQoFpQZS2
As well as the public boat ramp at Falmouth Harbor https://goo.gl/maps/X6rzwcFwLwj
I have to correct myself! I was talking with my brother a few minutes ago and he said I didn’t live line a Scup! It was a big pogey! I thought porgy and pogey were the same :)! Oh well! We did catch a lot of schoolies that day! And it was a blast!
Looks like I could be a hand model!
Nice trip! Laurens cajun recipe looks good too! I live lined a big porgy (hooked him in the back) a week ago when I was fishing with my brother. We were near a school of them and saw them jumping out of the water. We wanted to see what was making them jump! We were caught several schoolies that day. We were in Westport. It was a fun day! First time out on the water fishing for me and first fish of the season caught that day.
That sounds like a terrific day Leslie!
Send some of those Westport stripers up my way please!