Getting in on the epic fall fishing at Cape Cod, MA.
In my opinion, September is the best month for Cape Cod striped bass fishing .For starters, striped bass show up in greater numbers. They are also usually much more aggressive.
The air is cooler, giant tuna are around, and summer crows have dissipated. September weather is also usually pretty nice. Again for starters, the humidity and the predominant southwest wind have eased a bit.Often times the waters around Cape Cod are as flat as a pond. Its days like this that make you forget that you are fishing on the ocean.And then there will be those breezy days and nights.
However in September, a big wind is not always a bad thing.A brisk onshore breeze often lights up the fishing in spots that are surprisingly close to shore.The best aspect of fishing during September is that the behavior of bass in Cape Cod Bay begins to change.Many of the stripers that you could not entice a single bite from when trolling the tube and worm during July will now hop all over a tossed offering.
The bass become noticeably more aggressive as October approaches.Odds are that if you find the fish, you will be able to catch them.
Finding the fish in the first place also becomes easier as September inches its way towards October.Large schools of big stipers tend to hang a bit closer to the beach during this month.Long trips spent fishing out deep in 60 plus feet of water are often times no longer necessary. Finding bass in these deeper areas is always more difficult than locating bass in shallow water.Searching in water as shallow as 20 feet often yields higher catches than spending time in deeper water at this time of the season.As September wanes into October, giant tuna and striped bass really become aggressive.
This is the start of the annual southerly migration for bass. Fortunately giant tuna will stick around after the bass leave.I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but I can not help but remember the great fishing we had during late September 2010.Of course, who knows what will happen in 2011. However the odds are in our favor that we will be able to at least put a few seriously large bass and giant tuna in the boat.Giant tuna could be found surprisingly close to shore during the fall of 2010. We saw giant tuna in 70 feet of water off Sandy Neck (about 3-4 miles from the beach). We even hooked up with a giant tuna off the East End of the Cape Cod Canal during the third week in September.
Even if you don't hook up, seeing tuna this close to shore is a treat in and of itself.Large bluefish, as well as Snappers, will invade the near shore haunts throughout this month.Big Blues can be found in the usual Cape Cod Bay hot spots such as the Ledge, the Parking Lot, Race Point and Billingsgate.Snappers on the other hand, infiltrate the estuaries and harbors on the south-side of the Cape.Ultra light tackle is the way to go. Small lures or minnows fished on micro sized spinning reels is a blast.This is great fishing for the under 10 years of age crowd.
Even these tiny bluefish make great bait for giant tuna. We hooked up with a giant last September using a 6 inch snapper in Cape Cod Bay.
Aside from giant tuna, bluefish and bass, many other species are also infiltrate the waters around Cape Cod during September. Bonito, false albacore and school bluefin tuna, for example, can all be found swarming around Cape Cod throughout the month.Spanish mackerel are caught on occasion in Nantucket and Vineyard Sound during September.So far this season I have heard some very positive reports of mahi-mahi being caught with regularity around the high flyers south of the Vineyard.Cape Cod has many fantastic fishing opportunities.
The fishing will only improve as September inches its way towards October. There will be many big fish taken whenever the weather allows.Colder days are ahead-now is the best time to wet a line on Cape Cod!
The air is cooler, giant tuna are around, and summer crows have dissipated. September weather is also usually pretty nice. Again for starters, the humidity and the predominant southwest wind have eased a bit.Often times the waters around Cape Cod are as flat as a pond. Its days like this that make you forget that you are fishing on the ocean.And then there will be those breezy days and nights.
However in September, a big wind is not always a bad thing.A brisk onshore breeze often lights up the fishing in spots that are surprisingly close to shore.The best aspect of fishing during September is that the behavior of bass in Cape Cod Bay begins to change.Many of the stripers that you could not entice a single bite from when trolling the tube and worm during July will now hop all over a tossed offering.
The bass become noticeably more aggressive as October approaches.Odds are that if you find the fish, you will be able to catch them.
Finding the fish in the first place also becomes easier as September inches its way towards October.Large schools of big stipers tend to hang a bit closer to the beach during this month.Long trips spent fishing out deep in 60 plus feet of water are often times no longer necessary. Finding bass in these deeper areas is always more difficult than locating bass in shallow water.Searching in water as shallow as 20 feet often yields higher catches than spending time in deeper water at this time of the season.As September wanes into October, giant tuna and striped bass really become aggressive.
This is the start of the annual southerly migration for bass. Fortunately giant tuna will stick around after the bass leave.I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but I can not help but remember the great fishing we had during late September 2010.Of course, who knows what will happen in 2011. However the odds are in our favor that we will be able to at least put a few seriously large bass and giant tuna in the boat.Giant tuna could be found surprisingly close to shore during the fall of 2010. We saw giant tuna in 70 feet of water off Sandy Neck (about 3-4 miles from the beach). We even hooked up with a giant tuna off the East End of the Cape Cod Canal during the third week in September.
Even if you don't hook up, seeing tuna this close to shore is a treat in and of itself.Large bluefish, as well as Snappers, will invade the near shore haunts throughout this month.Big Blues can be found in the usual Cape Cod Bay hot spots such as the Ledge, the Parking Lot, Race Point and Billingsgate.Snappers on the other hand, infiltrate the estuaries and harbors on the south-side of the Cape.Ultra light tackle is the way to go. Small lures or minnows fished on micro sized spinning reels is a blast.This is great fishing for the under 10 years of age crowd.
Even these tiny bluefish make great bait for giant tuna. We hooked up with a giant last September using a 6 inch snapper in Cape Cod Bay.
Aside from giant tuna, bluefish and bass, many other species are also infiltrate the waters around Cape Cod during September. Bonito, false albacore and school bluefin tuna, for example, can all be found swarming around Cape Cod throughout the month.Spanish mackerel are caught on occasion in Nantucket and Vineyard Sound during September.So far this season I have heard some very positive reports of mahi-mahi being caught with regularity around the high flyers south of the Vineyard.Cape Cod has many fantastic fishing opportunities.
The fishing will only improve as September inches its way towards October. There will be many big fish taken whenever the weather allows.Colder days are ahead-now is the best time to wet a line on Cape Cod!