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If you have a fishing report that you would like to
contribute to the Offshore Pursuits Fishing Reports page, please email
it to me at
dave@offshorepursuits.com. I will also add pictures if you want to
send them along also. Thanks! Dave
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08/28/08
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II |
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Back to Basics |
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Anyone who has been out fishing Cape Cod Bay recently knows that the
bass have taken a powder for a while. We, the charter fleet, have been
pounding areas that usually hold stripers to no avail. Once in a while
we find an occasional fish here or there but no good concentration. Even
P-town is way off. This can be best explained by the commercial quota
not being filled yet. Last season I remember it being filled by the
middle of August. I hear it is only half filled or a little better than
half way fished. Where did they go?
So, what are we to do. We’ve spoiled our clients by supplying a good
number of big stripers for a good number of seasons now. The first part
of this year we did fairly well. I had one of my clients, a 14 year old
young lady land a nice 45 pound bass. The rest of the party with her
landed a number of large bass also. All the other charter boats have
landed some
equally large fish this season. But, now they are somewhere else, for
the time being. What do we do if it’s hard to find any stripers? The
answer has been staring us if the face all season long. The bluefish,
they may not have the prestige of the striper but they fight just as
hard and in some fishermen's opinion they fight harder than a bass of
equal size. Years
ago when the bass were almost non existent, we stayed very busy having
our clients catch bluefish. Right now we are finding some really big
bluefish up off the Path in 20 to 25 feet of water. Some of these fish
are over 15 pounds. Also, there are a fair amount of bluefish in by the
#3 and #5 cans and in by the Eastham shore.
I’m not saying that I think the stripers are going to completely
disappear from the Bay. What I think that is going to happen is we will
find an occasional school of big bass and a few days when we have a bass
blitz. In other words, we will go back to what it was like 20 years ago
with the difference being there will be a little more bass around and
more
frequent “bass blitzes”. If you’re going to try and find some of these
rare big bass the deep water is still your best bet. Jigging with 450
foot wire or using your umbrella rig on 200 foot wire with extra weight
should be your method of choice. You can also jig on top of Billingsgate
Shoals and
take a chance that some fish have moved up there. P-town might have a
good day and some large fish may move in there. I think the gravy train
has left the station and we will have to take what Mother Nature gives
us.
The bluefish are another story. They seem to be everywhere. The biggest
concentration right now is up off the Path in 20 to 25 feet of what
and in by the #3 and #5 cans. Some of these fish are up to 15 pounds. An
umbrella rig or the hootchie will work very well. You will have a good
fight on your hands when you hook up on one of those big blues.
If you’d like to experience some the best all around fishing found on
Cape Cod give me a call: 508-240-8267, and I’ll get you out from some
good fall fishing. |
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08/14/08 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II |
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The Deep Water |
Every season we find that one certain area produces the most fish on day
by day average. This season it’s the deep water off the north edge of
Billingsgate Shoals. In years past it has been Billingsgate Shoals
itself, but not this year. Day after day we steam out to the deep water
from 45 feet out to 60 feet, set out our umbrella rigs and start looking
for the schools of bass and bluefish, mainly the stripers. Some days we
find a number of these big schools and do fairly well. Other, it can be
a little hard to find the bass. The bluefish are another story. They
seem to be in this area in abundance.
Billingsgate Shoals, an area we have come to see as the center piece of
Cape Cod Bay. It has been an area where season after season we look to
find those big elusive stripers that our customers are always looking
for. For some reason the fish, that is the striped bass, have not
congregated on the shoals as they have in other years. There is plenty
of bait, sand eels, on the shoals. The sea clammers have not destroyed
all the grass yet. We can’t figure out why the schools of big fish have
not shown up there so far. One thing we have not had is a hard northwest
wind. That is until Tuesday afternoon. It cooled down the water and
pushed the fish up onto the shoals. There are a lot of small bass mixed
in with some bluefish, but the big bass are definitely on the shoals.
For how long, time will tell.
When I started chartering during the summer of 1980 the main area we
fished was out in the deep water. All that was there were schools after
school of bluefish. Once in a great while someone would hook up on a
striper. After a number of years the management of the stripers started
which has brought us to what we have today. This could be a reoccurrence
of a cycle. Except this time, because of the management of the striped
bass, we will have a better start to another surge in the bass
population. It may take a while, but the big numbers of fish and the
resurgence of schools of big bass may be back. It could also be that the
movement of the stripers this season took them elsewhere and they could
be back any day now. Mother Nature can be a fickled lady.
What to do and where to go? Fishing is just that, fishing. Right now,
your best bet for any stripers is working the deep water off
Billingsgate Shoals. Go out to 50 feet of water, set out an umbrella rig
on 200 feet of wire and work the area. If you have a 450 foot jigging
wire set up try that. Before doing any of these I’d check the shoals.
Jig along the north edge and up on the shoals for a bit. Maybe, just
maybe the fish have moved up on the shoals. As far as the bluefish you
can fish along the Eastham shore during high water and do well. Also,
you can troll hootchies from just outside Great Island up past the Path
from 12 out to 25 feet of water and also do well. You can do both if you
fish your umbrella rig in the deep water. |
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If you're on Cape Cod give me a call and Ill get you out for a day of
some of the best fishing in New England. Home: 508-255-6211 or Cell:
508-240-8267. Hap
Stunmai II
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08/07/08 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II |
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The Bass are Working Back Home...
As I have stated, this season has been a strange one. I’ve been talking
to a number of the commercial bass fisherman who would usually be down
fishing Billingsgate Shoals during their season. Most of them feel it is
the warm water that is keeping the schools of big fish from working up
on the shoals. It is also affecting places like the Bath House, Race
Point and between Wood End and Long Point. The fish will be there one
day and gone the next. The consensus is weneed a big northwest wind to
cool the water off and push the fish out of the deep water.
During the beginning of the week we had a slight north to northwest wind
for a while and it seems to have stirred the bass up a bit so we have
had some activity in the deep water off the shoals. Lets hope it keeps
up.
Actually, the fishing in the Bay has started to improve. Granted we have
to use our heavy umbrella rigs in the deep water or the tube and worm
with eight colors out, but we are starting to get some of those larger
bass. There has been plenty of activity on the north edge and just up on
top of the shoals. Most of the fish hooked up on are small bass and
bluefish. At times good sized schools of mixed bass and bluefish will
surround a school of sand eels and go nuts. For those who like to cast
to fish it is a good opportunity. Just look for a concentration of
birds. There have been some bluefish in by the Eastham shore. Mainly in
by the rock just off South Sunken Meadow Beach. Hootchies on mono
trolled at around 5.5 to 6 knots will work well. There are also bluefish
off Great Island in the shallow water before you go off the shoals. The
Path out to 25 feet of water is a good bet also.
For those who have not had much luck using the umbrella rig I’m going to
give some basics on how we make ours work. To start with each captain
make his rigs his own way. It would be unusual to find two charter boat
using rigs that are identical. However we start off with a basic rig. In
tackle stores, like the Goose Hummock, you should find umbrella rig with
the bugs, a worm like tube with the hook already in it with a leaders,
in a plastic bag. There might be small and large sizes. The size is not
all that important. They should be a little over 12 inches to 18 inches
in diameter with a 2 to 3 ounce lead center. The ones you want have 6
arms. Just put a bug on each arm and a leader down the center. Make the
leader around 16 inches long. You can use a spoon on that leader or a
swimming plug of your choice. The rod should be medium to heavy action
with a reel that can handle wire. Put 150 ft. to 175 feet of wire on the
reel which has been filled with 130 lb. test dacron backing. You can put
that rig right to the wire or put a 3 foot 100 lb. test leader on and
then attach the rig. Troll it at 3.5 to 4 knots. If you want to fish it
deeper, just let more backing out till you put the knot to the waters
edge as you are trolling. At that point you should hook up, if and I
mean if the fish gods are with you that day.
If you're on Cape Cod give me a call and Ill get you out for a day of
some of the best fishing in New England. Home: 508-255-6211 or Cell:
508-240-8267. Hap
Stunmai II |
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Fishing the South Side and beyond with the Maverick |
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Capt. Jack Riley
Maverick Charters
08/07/08 |
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The srtiper fishing is heating up again on the rips off Monomoy. We
limited out on Bearses yesterday, and caught probably twenty keepers
total.
We picked up our first bluefin of the season on Tuesday. The fish hit a
East of Chatham Squid Bar in Rainbow in the area of the Regal Sword at
the first slack. The East of Chatham Bar is proving to be the bar of
choice among the serious anglers.
One of our readers was all but spooled on a black squid rig on Sunday
fishing SW of the BC. Lots of bait, whales, and porpoises, but not much
fish. The main body of the fleet was fishing around the regal Sword,
with a few fish taken. It appears that each day there are some fish
landed.
As you read earlier, John carlson caught an 864 lb. bluefin off Peaked
hill on Tuesday. That is a nice fish!
You have allready read the report from the Bay by Capt. Hap Farrell.
Things are slowly starting to pick up there.
The Canal bite has dropped off, but there are still a few fish landed.
Hedge Fence is giving up bonito and a few spanish mackerel on the troll.
Lots of bluefish mixed in.
The Vineyard beaches are hot at night, giiving up great catches of
stripers. The daytime is the complete opposite.
There are reports of yellowfin being taken in the Canyons. I've heard of
blue marlin being seen, but nothing landed.
Good luck! Capt. Jack |
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07/24/08 |
Fishing the Cape
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As you read in Capt. Hap Farrell's report, the bass fishing is beginning
to pick up on the Bay side. There are a ton of bluefish around, all
around as a matter of fact. Bay side, back side, southside, all have an
abundance of bluefish.
The striper fishing on the south side has been slow. The bright spot is
the rips off Monomoy. They continue to produce good catches of stripers,
but it can be hit or miss. It may be by the day, or it may be by the
tide. When the fish are there, the bite is wide open.
Some bonito are being reported from areas around the Vineyard. Not an
over abundance yet, but they are starting to trickle in. Here too the
striper fishing is slow. Look for things to improve as we move into
August. It is hard to believe that August is just around the corner.
There are still small bluefin being taken south of the Vineyard. The
bluefin bite east of Chatham is slow. There are a few fish being taken
here and there, but the big body of fish isn't back yet. There are a lot
of boats fishing, especially on the weekends, but there are very few
fish being taken. There are still charters cancelling and rebooking due
to the inconsistent bite.
The tuna fishing on Stellwagen is also slow. You here of a few fish here
and there, but nothing exciting going on.
The canal is giving up some decent fish after dark. Jigs, eels, and big
soft plastics are doing the job. |
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Results of the: "22nd Annual Oak Bluffs Monster
Shark Tournament" |
July 17 - 19, 2008
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First Place:
Larry Melo
"Waterbury"
Foxboro, MA
(399 LB Thresher)
Second Place:
Mark Amorello
"Sashamy"
Pembroke, MA
(379 LB Thresher)
Third Place:
Peter Brancaleone
"Volatility"
Elmont, NY
(365LB Thresher)
Forth Place:
Albert Wojtkowski
"Ohana"
Pittsfield, MA
(353 LB Thresher)
Fifth Place:
Pete Casagrande
"American Mustang"
Wall Township, NJ
(335 LB Thresher)
Top Jr. Angler
Anthony Kross
"WhipTail"
Fairfield, NJ
26 sharks released
Top Female Angler
Cathy Maino
"Loan Shark"
Basking Ridge, NJ
6 sharks released
Largest Thresher: 399 LB
Larry Melo
"Waterbury"
Foxboro, MA
(399 LB Thresher)
Largest Mako Shark: 298 LB
Joe Dion
"Thunder"
West Newton, MA
Largest Porbeagle Shark: 332 LB
David Dion
"Head Hunter"
Friendswood, TX
Release Award - 43 Releases
Richard Flannery
"Ocean Runner"
Bridgewater, MA
Tag Award
Jay Walsh
"Relentless"
Plymouth, MA |
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07/18/08 |
Captain Jim Shannon
Captain Jim's Cape Charters
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 Fishing
in cape cod bay and around the ocean side has been alright,the big
numbers of bass has dropped some,as is usually the case in the hot days
of July. Deeper water is where to go when the numbers drop. outside the
potline from Wood End to Race Point has been working lately. 40 to 60
feet of water. Use a 5 ounce jig and go slow slow slow. Light tackle
bottom jigging works well when there is a small stash of fish holding on
the bottom, drift over and tease them up with a heavy bucktail.
Race Point and Peaked Hill are loaded with bluefish, and there is no
shortage of action there if the bass bite is slow.
Tuna fishing is another matter. Where these fish are is any ones guess.
They are around, though not in numbers. I have not had a tuna charter in
a week or so, but I have not seen any, and the word on the radio
is that its
slow. Like the weather in new England, this too shall pass and change is
on the horizon.
Keep your nose in the wind and your eyes on the horizon.
Capt Jim |
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07/17/08 |
Cape Cod Fishing Report
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First, what few tuna that have been caught have been taken at first
light or very shortly after. Another option that few are taking
advantage of is last light. If you miss the early bite, take advantage
of last light.
I received a call from a fisherman today who had lines in at 4:00 am at
the BC yesterday. Whales, bait, porpoises, glass seas, and no fish. He
fished east and south, put on over 100 miles, and never saw a fish, nor
did he hear on the radio of any fish being caught.
Same story last weekend from another fisherman who called me Sunday
night. A huge amount of boats out fishing, with only a handful of fish
caught.
There were a couple of fish caught this morning that we know about. A
lot of the boats headed for the Vineyard today for the shark tournament
this weekend. One fish 77" was caught earlier in the week east of
Chatham.
There are some small bluefin being reported south of the Vineyard. I
expect we'll know more after the shark tournament.
The striper fishing has slowed most places. The exception being the rips
off Monomoy. The Sound is slow, the Canal is slow, and you can see by
Capt. Hap Farrell's report that you have to work for the fish in the
Bay.
It's all about bluefish on the backside and around the Race. There is no
shortage of them, which is a good thing. At least there is action to be
had.
Good luck to all fishing the shark tournament, especially Capt. Bill
Regan on the Hot Reels! Dave |
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07/17/08 |
The Rips of Monomoy
The striper fishing continues to be great in all the rips off Monomoy.
We fished Stonehorse and Bearse's today, with great success at both
locations. We caught over 20 bass today, with the majority being
keepers. The bigger fish were taken at Bearse's, but there were nice
fish taken everywhere. Rigs, tube and worm, and jigs are all producing
well.
The commercial fleet is hitting Hankerchief pretty hard, so there must
be some big fish there also. Lots of bass outside the 3 mile limit, as
well as a ton of bluefish. The tuna fleet, which numbered near 150 boats
east of Chatham last weekend, is catching far more bluefish than tuna.
There were 7 known fish landed last weekend, with many reports of 100
mile days with no fish seen.
Capt. Jack Riley
Maverick Charters |
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| 07/17/08 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
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Changes in the Wind
Lately, the fishing has been a little slower than in weeks past. We’ve
been fishing the deep water for the past two weeks with regular
frequency. It has been very productive, up until lately. It seems the
main body of fish have moved somewhere else. Exactly where is somewhat
of a mystery.
By this I don’t mean that the members of the charter fleet aren’t
finding any fish, what I mean is that we have to work for them now. We
are still getting an occasional big bass in the deep water especially on
hootchies on our outriggers. Even the tube and worm is working somewhat.
What has changed is that more and more small and just barely legal bass
have shown up on the north edge. You’ll hook up 10 to 15 times before
you might get a fish over 28 inches.
Jigging is becoming the method of choice in hooking up these stripers.
It is also the method that is producing the most keepers being taken on
top of Billingsgate Shoals.
We had a very active week as far as fishing events are concerned. On the
12th of July we had the 11th Annual Anglers Classic in memory of Chris
Svenningsen. There were a good number of charter and private boats
involved, well of 30 as I understand. A sum of $2,000.00 of the money
raised was donated to the High School Athletic Department along with
other donations. The day was a complete success with a number of big
bass weighed in at the end of the day.
The second event was the 25th annual Special Olympics out of Rock
Harbor. This is one of the most rewarding events we compete in. We, as
charter captains, look forward to this event every year. The
participants are from local organizations throughout the Cape. They come
and compete for the largest fish, the most fish and so on. Each year the
fish gods are good to us and this season is no exception. This year is
special because this was the 25th year in a row we have hosted this
competition. The Rock Harbor Charter Fleet has been recognized by the
Special Olympics Hall of Fame and has been entered in it. This is no
small honor.
Over the next week or so I think the mighty bluefish will be put under a
fair amount of pressure. We are going through small tides right now and
this may make the stripers harder to find. If that is the case there is
nothing wrong with taking on these hard fighting bluefish. They will
certainly give you a run for your money. If you want to try for a
striper look to Billingsgate Shoals, especially the north edge. Hap |
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| 07/10/08 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II
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The Bass Fishing Gets Good
Since the spring it seems that the normal schedule of where and when the
fish, the bass and bluefish, show up and make their moves from one place
to another has been a little off. The stripes concentrated in areas we
were not used to and the bluefish showed up, in mass, a little late. Now
things have settle down to what we hope to be a relatively normal
summer. That is if anything can be normal this season.
Right now most of the legal size bass are located in the deep water off
the north edge of Billingsgate Shoals. The main schools of bass move
from northeast to southwest as the tides and the bait move. There are
very large schools of sand eels in this same location and that is why
the bass and very large bluefish are there. You would stick around the
area where your dinner was served too. There is enough bait in this area
to last for weeks so we may find them here for an extended period of
time. This make the might umbrella rig a very productive method although
you may have to use wire up to 200 feet in length.
The other area in the Bay that is showing signs of improving is the New
Grounds. Basically this is a large area west of the old Target Ship and
off the Brewster Flats and as far west as off Paine’s Creek. You see the
sea clammers in this area a lot. Anyway, the clammers have reported
seeing schools of bass around their dredges as they haul back to empty
them. Also a small number of the charter fleet has found some good sized
bass while jigging in the area where the clammers are working. It would
be a very good place to check out. Use your umbrella rig to look over
the area and when you find the fish by hooking up, put out your jigs and
see what happens.
One area we have not seen much action from is Billingsgate Shoals. One
day a few weeks ago we had a northerly wind and there were some decent
sized bass up on the west end of the shoals. It lasted one day. If we
get a fairly strong northwest wind it should blow all those stripers in
the deep water up on the shoals a long with all that bait. This is a
good thing. Jigging and hootchies on mono should work very well there
and the fish will be a little easier to find. This is one time when we
do pray for wind. Just have it happen at night.
Oh yes, the bluefish. There are still a moderate amount of bluefish up
along the Eastham shore during high water. All you need do is trolling
some hootchies up through there. |
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If you're on Cape Cod give me a call and Ill get you out for a day of
some of the best fishing in New England. Home: 508-255-6211 or Cell:
508-240-8267. Hap
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Stunmai II |
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| 07/10/08 |
Captain Jim Shannon
Captain Jim's Cape Charters
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 Captain
Jim's Cape Charters is one of very few charter boats that offers light
tackle cast and retrieve trips for blue fin tuna. It is our feeling this
is the ultimate sport fishing challenge. We insist our anglers are
experienced and must be in excellent condition, as these fish will put
you to the test.
This young man fought this 100 lb tuna for 40 minutes and almost gave up,
his back and upper body were strained to the limit.
At one point I relieved him for a minute so he could regain himself. It
is a test of wills with an opponent who's determination is unmatched.
Our gear is specifically designed for long casts and longer battles. A
two hundred pound or more fish can be taken with light spin gear if
handled properly.
I've never seen a happier angler then this one when the fish hit the
deck. Capt. Jim
Shannon |
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| 07/10/08 |
The Cape at Large...
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The big news is the tuna no-show east of Chatham. There
hasn't been a fish caught all week that we know about. What we do know
is that charter boat Captains are canceling their school tuna trips due
to lack of fish.
We also know there is bait galore in the usual spots, whales, porpoises,
and no fish. It will change eventually, that we know.
There are some tuna being caught in the Bay and off the Race, as
indicated in Capt. Jim Shannon's report above.
Still nothing out of the canyons, although the shark fishing south of
the Vineyard is beginning to heat up.
There are small fish being taken at the canal, with a keeper mixed in
here and there.
The word from the Vineyard is that the striper fishing has slowed from
last week. The bass are deep, so fish accordingly. Jigs on wire are
working well.
The backside beaches are still slow as far as stripers go. There are
bluefish to be had though, so at least there is some exciting action to
be had for those who want to go play in the surf. |
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| 07/04/08 |
Captain Jim Shannon
Captain Jim's Cape Charters
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 Fishing
on captain jims cape charters has been excellent in cape cod bay and the
ocean side, including race point and peaked hill. Soft baits like ronzis
and sluggos have been enticingand snaring keeper bass in the 25 lb and
up range. The average bass is larger this year, and the population seems
robust and plentiful.
Lots of bait in the water is making for an excellent year so far,despite
somewhat unusual weather patterns and wind directions. Tuna fishing has
been up and down, though clearly they are here, though elusive lately.
Not a consistent bite going on at the bank or off the back side. I
suggest a first light attack and make use of the slack tides. Capt. Jim
Shannon |
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| 07/03/08 |
Still the hotspot for big bass, the Elizabeth's are the
place to be. Try eels for your best shot at a trophy!
The Vineyard is "covered up" as they would say down south. There are
bass and bluefish all around the Island, and there are opportunities for
decent fish just about everywhere!
We haven't heard much noise from the canyon crowd yet. Haven't heard
anything to tell you the truth. With blufin of all sizes out around the
BC buoy and east, there isn't a big need to run to the Canyons just yet.
There are a few fish being taken from the Canal, but nothing
spectacular.
As you read in Capt. Hap Farrell's big bluefish have invaded Cape Cod
Bay. There is bound to be a crowd out there this weekend if the weather
cooperates. Nice bass, big bluefish, and schools of tuna. Sounds like
heaven to me.
The southwest corner of Stellwagen is hot right now as far as the tuna
bite goes. There is alot of bait around, and East of Chatham Squid Rigs
are doing well getting fish to the boat.
If you are in the area, stop at Allen Harbor Marina in Harwich Port and
stop by our new store. We are the only place around where you will find
the red hot Eye Catcher Lure's Bluefin Tuna Rig. Word of mouth has made
this rig tough to keep on the shelf.
We aren't hearing a whole lot of talk about the backside beaches just
yet. A fcouple of weeks ago there were reports of fish moving through,
but between the mung and the seals, it was tough fishing.
I hope all of you have a great holiday weekend! Dave |
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| 07/02/08 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell |
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The Bluefish Show Up
They are finally here. It took a while but the bluefish have arrived in
mass. This last Friday they came with the tide, moving along the south
edge and into the Sunken Meadow area. They ate everything in their path.
This means the squid are gone for a bit and so are the stripers that
were in around the #5 can and the Screen Range. The Screen Range is an
area where we used to light up the drive-in screen up with a tree to get
the location. The tree has since been cut down so it’s harder to locate.
Basically, it is between the #3 and #5 cans but on the Eastham side of
the channel leading to Welfleet. It is up on the flats if you look at a
chart. Anyway, the bass have moved out of this area. It is good to see
the bluefish arrive. This fish is one of the hardest fighting fish found
in this area and it gives an angler a run for his money.
The stripers have moved to new areas. Some are on the south edge of
Billingsgate Shoals and up on top of the shoals. The balance of the fish
are in the deep water, 40 to 60 feet, from off Great Island down to the
southwest to the #1 can. At times the bass are up by the Square, closer
to Welfleet, and other times you find them down to the southwest closer
to the #1 can. You sort to have to flip a coin on where to start. You
know, there is some guess work in this fishing game. The more the
experience, the better the guess.
So far the most productive lure system used by the charter fleet is the
umbrella rig. In the last few days it’s been used off the Brewster Flats
where there is mainly undersized stripers. Up between the #3 and #5 cans
it has produced a number of bluefish and some keepers which were just
over the 28 inch limit. Where this system has done its best is on the
north edge of the shoals and out in the deep water. So far there has not
been much activity on top of Billingsgate Shoals yet. However, this is a
good place to start looking for the bigger bass and jigging would be the
best method to use.
The main spot to look for the larger bass for this coming week is the
north edge and the deep water. The tides will be getting smaller as the
week goes on so the currents created by the tides will not move the fish
much. The best time will be a few hours either side of high water. It
seems as the tide drops the bass will move out into the Bay and are
harder to find. As the tide comes in, they will concentrate back in the
deep water off the north edge. One of these days they will work up on
top of Billingsgate Shoals and we can use different methods like jigging
and the tube & worm. There are all the bluefish you want in on Sunken
Meadow and they are big ones, really big ones. Most anything will work
in there. |
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| 07/01/08 |
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Fishing Rhode Island
Capt. John O. Ogozalek |
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Week ending Sunday June 29th.
On Saturday June 28th 2008, Capt john had the Todd Wakefield party
aboard OGOFISHING. The party consisted of Father, son Todd, stepson Kyle
and friend Kyle. It was the first time the kids had ever been on a boat.
We began fishing around Point Judith light and trolled south towards
Narragansett R.I. when the decision was made to drift eels around the
Hazard Ave. rocks. While drifting eels I spotted fish rolling on the top
and began throwing top water plugs to them. after a couple casts it was
game on. First to land a fish was Dad with a 14 pound 34 inch Stripper.
Next to land a fish was Kyle with a 29 inched 9 pound Stripper. The
fishing was great from around 9 am to around 2 pm with lock and load
action. During this time we had multiple hook ups with triples at one
point. All fish after the first two were catch and release. Some of the
fish were big cows. At around 2 pm the fishing slowed and we called it a
day.
please contact OGOFISHING CHARTERS for bookings. Dates are available but
filling fast.
Thank you!
John O. Ogozalek
OGOFISHING CHARTERS
john@ogofishing.com
(860)774-6924 |
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| 06/26/08 |
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| The Cape at Large... |
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The place to be hunting a big striper right now is
around the Elizabeth's. Numerous reports are coming in of some very big
fish being taken in the area.
The Canal has slowed, with the bigger fish having passed through. There
are still fish to be had, but not in the number or size of a couple of
weeks ago.
The Bay is alive with bass, bluefish, and tuna fish. You might have to
work for them, but they are around.
About the only decent surf fishing appears to be around the Race. Fish
up to 20 pounds have been taken on a regular basis from the beach.
With the tuna bite beginning to pick up, don't forget to stock up on
premium high quality "East of Chatham" brand tuna gear at
Offshore
Pursuits Premium Tackle. For those who demand the very best, East of
Chatham brand tuna gear. Available exclusively from Offshore Pursuits. |
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| 06/26/08 |
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell |
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| Settling in for the Summer |
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The 4th of July is almost upon us. This weekend
signifies the beginning of our summer season and everyone is hoping this
one will not be too affected by the energy problems we are presently
going through. It's not just what gas costs for a vacation. It's what
our total energy costs are that has everyone concerned.
Well, the fish don't know this and they are just waiting to be caught.
The Rock Harbor Charter Fleet, at Rock Harbor, is ready to do just that.
This season the stripers are not just concentrated in one area. They are
spread out over a number of good spots so there is no real problem
finding fish close by any of the harbors on Cape Cod Bay.
For example, lets say you're going out of Welfleet. There is Stony Bar
and the south edge of the shoals. Rock Harbor, you can get to Stony Bar
also, and the south edge of the shoals, plus the Brewster Flats and the
New Ground. There are fish in all of these areas at this time. If you
left from Sesuit you have the Brewster Flats, the south edge and the New
grounds. It is the same distance to Billingsgate Shoals and the north
edge from any one of the Harbors. What's good about Rock Harbor, it is
closer to more of the active stops than the other harbors and that is a
good thing.
Right now there are large schools of small bass out in the New Ground
area, where you see the sea clammers, with a few legal fish mixed in.
These fish are there every time the draggers are there. If not you can
find them up on the south edge of the shoals. There are fish on the
south edge anyway so you can fish there also. You're more likely to find
a keeper there. The Brewster Flats hold small pods of fish all along the
edge of the flats and during high water up on the flats. Here also, you
will find a number of small fish with some medium keepers mixed in.
Stony Bar holds a few schools of bass with most of these bass being over
28 inches with some small fish mixed in. In all of these areas an
occasional bluefish can be landed. Right now there does not seem to be a
concentration of these fish.
The one area that seems to be coming alive now is the deep water off the
north edge of Billingsgate Shoals. Starting around 40 feet of water out
to 60 feet you should find schools of bass and bluefish mixed together.
You'll get some small bass but most of the bass are of legal size.
You'll also find fairly large numbers of bluefish.
The lures of choice are the umbrella rig on 150 ft. of wire and the
jigged eel on a long wire, 300 ft. You may run across some fish on the
surface where a swimming plug cast into them my produce a nice fish.
If you're on Cape Cod give me a call and Ill get you out for a day of
some of the best fishing in New England. Home: 508-255-6211 or Cell:
508-240-8267. Hap |
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Stunmai II |
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| 06/26/08 |
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| Fishing the South Side with the Maverick |
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The Fish are Back on Track!
After a slowdown last Sunday and into the week, both the bass fishing
and tuna fishing are picking up. We had a bass charter today and limited
out off Sankety with fish in the mid 30" range. There were fish stacked
here earlier in the week, but they would not touch anything dragged by
them.
Tom Shoals is also starting to produce some big fish. There were fish
taken in the mid 40" range from Little Round Shoal this morning, so the
fish are moving closer to Monomoy, but aren't there yet.
The tuna bite is on again, sort of. We went last Sunday and nobody was
catching a thing. As you read above, the fish are back, with some giants
mixed in. This will improve as the days go by. Good luck! Capt. Jack |
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| Capt. Jack Riley |
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Maverick
Charters |
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| 06/18/08 |
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Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell |
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The Fish Spread Out...
 As
the 2008 season continues the habits and location of both the bluefish
and striped bass start to change. The main body of these fish have been
west of where the Target Ship was and up between the #3 and #5 cans. The
fish are starting to spread out. Some of the fish have moved up on top
of Billingsgate Shoals. The small bass right now, but the bigger fish
will
follow. The deep water off the north edge of the shoals has been up and
down. However, this should change in the next week or so. Whatever
happens this is the time in a normal season that the fish make a move.
That is if we are having a normal season.
There is one area that I have not really looked at and I have not seen
anyone of the charter fleet in there either. Not recently anyway. This
area is in the shallow water off the Eastham shore and up by
Lieutenant’s Island. This is where the bluefish first go when they come
into this area because the water is warmer in the shallower areas. There
could be some
good bluefishing up inside there and last season we would find a bass or
two up in by the South Sunken Meadow area. It might be worth checking
out.
The fishing system that has been the most productive is the umbrella rig
used with wire. Single hootchies have worked well but not all the time.
There is some squid around but the predominate bait has been small sand
eels and because of that the rig works well. Lately some of the boats
have tried out jigging with the 3 oz jig on 300 feet of wire and had
some
decent success. This system cannot be used everywhere. If the bottom has
obstructions like rocks and other types of hang-ups the jig will hang up
a lot. You need relatively clean bottom with out a whole lot of thick
grass. The shoals is a prime area to jig. Sandy bottom, areas of grass
with spaces between them, and not too many obstructions to hang up on.
West
of the Target Ships is another although you can find an occasional ghost
lobster pot, a trap where the buoy and buoy line have been cut off.
Along the edge off the Brewster Flats is another good area. You sort of
have to try in different areas to see if you find these hang-ups. This
is called “local knowledge”. The area to look at this coming week would
be the Top of Billingsgate Shoals and this area is an excellent area to
jig in.
This last week I had a family from White Plains New York out for and
evening of fishing. This was the first time they had ever been saltwater
fishing. They camped a lot when Adam, their 14 year old son, was little
and had fished in ponds and small lakes. The biggest fish Adam and ever
landed was a 14 inch pickerel. Well, things changed in short order. Now
he can say his biggest fish is a 37 inch striper.
If you’d like to try your hand at some great fishing, give me a call at either
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211 and we’ll try and help you out. Hap
Stunmai II |
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06/16/08 |
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First Bluefin Tuna from East of Chatham
Capt. Bill Regan
Hot Reels on the Board!
06/15/08
Hot Reels left Allen Harbor at 4:15 to the trek out East of Chatham
during driving rain and periodic lightning. On board were Capt. Bill
Regan, Capt. Derek Barber and Mate Brian Sullivan.
Lines were in at 5:30 as the rain continued. Life was all around -
whales broaching; birds diving; large schools of dolphins and more
importantly pods of SBFT pushing all through the water.
Within 10 minutes the port long rigger went off. After a 20 minute
fight, Capt. Derek had boated a nice 52", 86 lb. fish - Hot Reels was on
the board! After resetting the baits and teasers, it wasn't long before
Brian was tight - a 58", 111 lb. fish.
The bite slowed considerably as well as the life around the boat. After
a slow troll further north, Capt. Bill turned Hot Reels south again to
where the fish were earlier. Sure enough, life reappeared and within 15
minutes the starboard long rigger went tight. 15 minutes later the third
fish of the day - a 77 lb. 47" fish was in the boat.
Still surrounded by lots of life the crew decided to cast into the fast
moving pods to no avail. At this point the downpours were considerable
so at 10:45 the crew headed back in.
The fish are very finicky and are lying deep. The
Offshore Pursuits Maxi-Splash Tuna Train ( a
Tormenter bird followed by an 84" teaser made up of (4) MoldCraft
Little Birds or (3) East of Chatham 5" hard birds) or the
Offshore Pursuits Red Eye Tuna Train (same but in pink), less the
stingers and pulled long are a must to get the fish into the spread.
These fish were caught on
East of Chatham Spreader Bars. |
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06/16/08
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Mass Bay fishing Report
Provided by Captain Greg Sears
F/V Fortuna
www.massbayguides.com
Our First Bluefin Tuna June 8, 2008
 The
Bluefin are entering Mass Bay in full force we have caught 8 Bluefin
Tuna so far on the Fortuna and most of the boats in the fleet are
hooking up. I have seen multi thousands of fish entering the Bay
including lots of Giants. My son Captain Bryan Sears got into a bait
ball of pogies and caught 3 fish hand feeding them behind the boat. He
got some great video of him and Captain Nick Mozaco aboard the Al-Dente
tossing live bait into a school of 60” fish and watching the tuna come
right up to the back of the boat to chew and screw. This video is a once
in a lifetime capture of a tuna fishing feeding frenzy. I will have it
posted on Google soon under the American Charterman series of videos.
The Striped Bass fishing is also the best it has been in years we have
caught a number of fish closing in on
50 pounds and we have limited out every day for the past two weeks. I
hope this trend continues for the rest of the summer. Remember to
support your local fisherman and appose any restrictions or closing of
fishing grounds to rod and reel anglers.
Good Luck and Good fishing
Captain Greg Sears
F/V FORTUNA
www.massbayguides.com |
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06/11/08
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Heat Wave Hits the Bay
Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
First it is cold, drizzly, and rainy and now we are dealt with a heat
wave. That’s New England weather for you. Would this sudden heat wave
affect you if you were a fish? Not really, the water is still a little
cool but warming fast. This means the bluefish should not be far behind.
In the past 15 years the resurgence of the striped bass has taken some
of the pressure off fishing for bluefish. Prior to the bass coming back,
the bluefish was the fish that our anglers went after. There were days
when a boat landed over 150 bluefish in one trip, some say there were
catches over 200 fish in one trip. That is a lot of bluefish. I can
remember when the only time we found stripers was on the full day trip
and even then not all the boats out on the trip caught one. We have been
spoiled in the past recent years with the potential of getting our limit
in stripers on the half day trip and in some cases in the first hour of
fishing during the half day trip. The bluefish can be every bit as
challenging as the biggest striper if you’re using the right tackle to
land Them.
It does now seem that the traditional movement of the bass is about a
week or so late, plus much different than last season. Last season the
bass stayed up inside by the #3 and #5 cans, east of Billingsgate Island
and south of the entrance to Welfleet Harbor, for most of the month of
June. Now it seems they have moved back to the area west of where the
old Target Ship was located. Also farther to the west in the New Ground
area. This was an area they hung out at about 8 years ago. We ended up
jigging in this area for a good part of the summer and it was good
fishing. There seems to be plenty of bait around like squid, pogies, and
sand eels. This should keep these fish for a while.
There have been other reports that large schools of bass have moved down
from P-town and are off the Welfleet?Truro line out in 50 to 60 feet of
water. They looked to be heading for the north edge of Billingsgate
Shoals. No one from our fleet has been out that way yet but that should
change by this weekend. I’m sure what they saw were also schools of
bluefish because that’s the direction they would come from. It is
definitely worth checking out. Use either a hootchie on mono or an
umbrella rig on wire if you look in this area. Either system will work
on both types of fish.
If you’d like to try your hand at some great fishing, give me a call at either
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211 and we’ll try and help you out. Hap
Stunmai II |
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| 06/10/08 |
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John Ogozalek
OGOFISHING CHARTERS
(860)774-6924
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Saturday June 7th 2008, Capt. John and crew spent the
day fluke fishing off Charlestown RI. Fished from around 10:30 to around
3:30. the day was slow going until around 1:30 when My son Cody who is 7
started catching some sub-legal fluke. after picking through the shorts
we finally started to get decent sized fish in around 45 ft of water.
all in all we took three for table fare. total catch of the day was 9
fish.
Sunday June 8th 2008, Capt. John took the Silva party for a day of
fishing and sightseeing around Newport. After a nice ride with his
family consisting of wife Tammy, And son David we began fishing around
the Beaver Tail light. we were trolling Inkonel wire and umbrellas when
we went 3 fish in 3 passes. David was first up when he landed a 30 inch
12 pound Striper. This was David's first fish of this size. On the
second pass Rich was up and he took a 30 inch 10 pound Striper. the
third pass was David's turn again and he landed a 26 inch schoolie that
put up more of a fight then the other two. after the third fish we
decided to finish the day sightseeing around Newport and Wickford RI.
Please contact
OGOFISHING CHARTERS for bookings. Dates are available but filling
fast. |
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| 06/05/08 |
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Rock Harbor Fishing Report
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
The Fish Settle In...
 Each
spring and early summer the bass and eventually the bluefish move into
Cape Cod bay with a mad rush. One day they can’t be found and the next
they seem to be everywhere. After this happens there comes a sort of
lull. You may be able to find the small bass and a few bluefish but the
big fish, who you assume are still around, seem to have flown the coop.
Well, this is what has seemed to have happened. It became noticeable at
the beginning of last week, Sunday in particular. I guess that is why
they call it fishing and not catching. We are not worried much, it will
change.
This last Saturday was a blowout in more ways than just the weather. A
few of our boats did venture out into the gale looking for the mighty
bass, but only found a roller coaster ride.
Sunday was another story, The weather was fine with a moderate westerly
wind and decent fishing. We found large schools of small bass west of
the old Target Ship area. There were a few keepers mixed in. While
fishing I watched a number of small boats casting on these fish with a
fair amount of success. I watched a man with his fly rod hook up a
couple of time and really enjoy a good fight with these small fish. At
one time it even looked as of he might have a decent size fish on. The
one thing that was obvious was the magnitude of these schools. They
seemed to stretch for miles.
The bait situation is an unusual one. There has not been the normal
amount of squid, large mackerel, sterling, and sand eels. Right now
there is an abundance of small mackerel. We first had the mackerel that
were 8 to 10 inches, now these mackerel are around 3 to 4 inches in
length. We’re hoping other types of bait enter the Bay soon to keep the
newly arrived bluefish here.
The first bunch of big bass may have already started to move on. This is
not usual. the first run of fish move through the Bay and move north
shortly followed by the schools of big fish that stay here for the
summer. A few stay behind to keep us enticed so we don’t lose our
motivation to keep fishing, our hope of fishing some bigger fish than
these schools of undersized bass. We did have some really good fishing
while they were around and now we’re waiting on the second assault.
Where to look for these newly arriving stripers. That question has been
asked every season and we still are waiting for an answer. My guess
would be the north edge of Billingsgate Shoals and out into the deep
water. One day this area will be empty of life and the next there will
be schools of 38 inch stripers just waiting to be landed by our awaiting
anglers.
This last Monday Ray Fong, from West Yarmouth, and his friends from off
Cape, took a fishing trip out onto the Bay looking to catch a few
stripers. They were looking for something to do as a group. Sportfishing
was their choice and it turned out to be a good one. Families in Quincy
and Newton will be enjoying a tasty striped bass dinner some time soon.
If you’d like to catch your dinner, give me a call at either
508-240-8267 or 508-255-6211 and we’ll try and help you out.
Stunmai II |
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| 06/8/08 |
Fishing the South Side with the Maverick
The fishing is heating up!
Capt. Jack Rogers of the
Merlin took
his mate Eben and his family off Sankety Light today and did well on
bluefish and bass. They landed one 33" bass with many throwbacks, plus a
ton of bluefish.
There are bluefish all over the south side, with bigger bass being
caught by the day. There are some big stripers being taken in the
vicinity of Stage Harbor, and south of the Vineyard around the
Elizabeth's is giving up huge bass. Eels, cut bait, and jigs are all
working well.
With more than a few boats exploring east of Chatham this weekend, it
will be interesting to see if the first tuna is brought to the dock this
weekend. As we told you two weeks ago, one of our Pro Staff headed to
the BA buoy on a scouting trip and found all the bait, whales, and
porpoises in the world! The water was a touch cold yet, but that was two
weeks ago. The conditions are right for the bite to begin! Capt Jack
Capt. Jack Riley
Maverick
Charters |
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05/25/08
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"Changes in the Wind
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
05/24/2008
This Memorial Day Weekend the larger bass in the Sunken Meadow area
started to move out into the deeper water. What came along with these
fish was a little unusual. On Friday, the 24th of May, not only did we
land four nice stripers but we hooked up on two big bluefish. This is
about two weeks early. The boats on the south side of the Cape are
seeing bass on their fish finders but land big bluefish . When this
water warms up some more the whole Cape will swing into action.
Most of the bait around is sand eels with some squid and mackerel. A few
more degrees in the water and look out. The North Edge of Billingsgate
Shoals also came alive with bass, some up to 38 inches. Mackerel was the
bait of choice there." |
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| 05/22/08 |
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| Cape Cod Fishing Reports... |
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There are a ton of BIG bluefish all over the South
side. The Vineyard is surrounded by them, and from Chatham to Woods Hole
they are thick. There are also a good number of decent stripers around,
but the bite seems to be on again off again.
The Elizabeth's are giving up bass in the 30 lb. range, and there have
been some decent bass taken off the south side of the Vineyard.
The bass and bluefish bite in the Canal is decent in the morning. There
are a good number of keeper bass being taken, as well as the usual mix
of bluefish.
There are mackerel in the Bay, and bunched up on the east end off the
Canal. There aren't any mackerel showing in the sound yet though.
The bass fishing in the Bay is getting better by the day. This weekend
should be decent, hopefully producing some bigger fish. |
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| Start of the season... |
05/13/08
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Start of the Season
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
This 2008 season is finally underway. I’ve been out looking once, on the
11th of May. There was nothing to find so I have nothing of consequence
to report. There have been a few keeper size bass taken off South Sunken
Meadow. The water temperature is still under 50 degrees so that must
come up before the stripers move out into the deeper water where we can
get at them.
Weather has been a big factor in the water condition so as until that
settles down some the fishing will be a little slow. Two warm days in a
row with very little wind and we will be in business. The best areas to
look are off the Brewster Flats especially by the Paine’s Creek entrance
and down on Stony Bar by the #3 can off Billingsgate Island.
If you’d like give me a call at 508-255-6211 or 508-240-8267 and I’ll
try and get you out for a day of fishing.
Capt. Hap Farrell
Stunmai II |
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Here at Offshore Pursuits, we are
always looking for reliable, honest, and unbiased fishing reports
from anyone who cares to make them.
You don't need to give
away your secret spot or numbers, but if you want to share your
knowledge of what is going on and where, email me at any time. I
will acknowledge the source of the information, (ex: Captain and
boat name), unless asked to do otherwise. All reports will be listed
as they are received.
Remember, it is the goal of Offshore
Pursuits to provide the most accurate, reliable fishing information
possible to all who seek it. Thanks!
Dave
dave@offshorepursuits.com
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| © Offshore Pursuits LLC 2008 |
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