|
Cape Cod's School Tuna Bite Cape Cod's school tuna bite has been phenomenal over the past few years. Fish of all sizes and shapes have infiltrated Cape Cod's waters each season. Locations around the globe have sighted decreased landings of bluefin tuna, however the numbers of bluefins off the coast of Plymouth has increased annually. Most of the action when fishing Cape Cod on school sized fish will be centered on Stellwagen Bank. However there are many tuna haunts other than Stellwagen that produce plenty of school tuna. Fortunately for small boat tuna anglers, the trek to Stellwagen is not always necessary. The area 3-10 miles off the Plymouth coastline has supported impressive tuna action the past couple seasons and there is reason to believe that it will happen again this year. When tuna are targeting half beaks, the bluefins will often propel themselves straight clear of the water. A 300 plus pound tuna coming clear of the water is an impressive sight to say the least. It is a nice surprise encountering tuna when in transit to and from Stellwagen Bank. Remaining vigilant, and scanning the horizon for surfacing bluefins can really pay off. Throughout the past decade, spin fishing for bluefin tuna has dramatically increased in popularity. Spin fishermen routinely "jig and pop" on Cape Cod with fantastic results. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. When the fish stay deep, jigging will present anglers with a reasonable chance at hooking up. Just be sure to beef up your split rings and hooks to tuna standards. Most important is developing a game plan that works well with your budget, crew, and boat. Keep in mind that taking a tuna on spinning gear is very taxing on an angler's body. Catching Giants at Cape Cod For many fishermen, their ultimate dream is successfully landing a giant bluefin tuna. Giants around Cape Cod have been known to exceed the 1,000 pound mark. For most anglers, one of the best ways to target these bigger fish is by using live bait. Mackerel should be available throughout June, although it may take a bit more searching to find them as the month wanes into July. Balloon and kite fishing are popular Cape Cod methods for presenting mackerel to oversize tuna. Fishing with a kite is the live bait equivalent to top-water plug fishing. Impressive strikes ensue when a tuna decides to crash a kite bait. Live pogies are another viable option for live lining a tuna. Menhaden can be cast and gill netted in many of the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Expect to put some serious time in if you hope to procure a live well full of menhaden on your own. An easier option is paying for live bait. A few very talented Cape Cod locals sell live pogies throughout the tuna season. These guys will fill your live well with fresh pogies at a reasonable price. However there are those days when even the pogie expert fails to catch enough pogies for the fleet. Another option is to fish with live bluefish. Bluefish may indeed be the most desirable of tuna baits, but they are also probably the most difficult to catch and transport to the tuna grounds. My crew and I have had success catching bluefish before a trip at Race Point in Provincetown and in Buzzards Bay. The problem with catching live blues on the morning of a tuna trip is that one always runs the risk of not being able to find bluefish. Fishing for bait when you should be targeting tuna is never a fun predicament. Spending time filling a bait cage with blues prior to a tuna trip is a smart decision. This way you have guaranteed bait the morning of a trip. Getting the bluefish alive to the tuna grounds is another challenge entirely. Yet putting in the effort can pay off big time, and can be the difference in catching a giant or going home empty handed.
Related Articles -
fishing cape cod, how to catch giant tuna, giant bluefin tuna fishing,
| 
