Hi Folks,It has been a while (10 days) since the last report. Last week was a slow week for the Marilyn S and I and it seems a lot of the sportfishing charter business, with many boats having only a couple charters. I’m not sure why, but “it is what it is”. I went and painted a house for one of my customers and got some of my fall work out of the way. This upcoming week seems lots better, with a trip booked every day, but nothing like the two per day that I usually do at this time of year. I hope this isn’t the “change” that President Obama was talking about !
There are still lots of bass around the tip of Monomoy, but in the peak of our summer visitor season, the boat traffic will have an impact upon your fishing. Try to get out early (or late in the day too) to beat the majority of the traffic. It seems the main horde comes at 7 am and leaves at 2 pm. It amazes me to hear folks on the radio at 7 am or later saying they are on their way to the grounds. When you get to Bearse’s or Stonehorse, or Handkerchief shoals, try to fish a rip where the boats have recently moved out of or away from. I get so frustrated to see a guy park his boat right on top of the fish’s heads trolling into the tide with his lines way out in the part of the rip where the fish are not ! The fish aren’t dumb ! They are NOT going to stay in the spot with a boat over their heads ! When that happens they move - they slide out to either side, and that’s where you should be too !
There is tons of bait in the area. Squid are in the rips and small schools of tinker mackerel are to the north around the C buoy. The latest trick is to jig up a few macks at the C buoy and then fish them down in the rips to get the bass really biting ! I’ve found they will just as readily bite a fresh bloody chunk of mackerel than the whole thing. The sand eels seem to be offshore again this year, and I am sure that will have a negative effect upon the shore fishing.
I finally put the outriggers and squid rigs on last week and will be tuna fishing hard starting next week. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday are all scheduled for some tuna charters. I have fresh ballyhoo brining as we speak ! I have a new “secret weapon” I will be trying out this year. Hopefully I can utilize this system as a hassle free way of sub-surface trolling to get those tuna fish I see under the boat to bite when they just wont come up and hit the squid bars.
Lastly I have ordered a high tech Canon HD video camera and mounting system to record our fishing excursions and adventures, and some new computer gear to edit and display the video. It should be here bid mid next week. It’s early and I have a learning curve to get through, but stay tuned. Hopefully by this winter there will be lots of video of bass and tuna charters (maybe more 1082 pound giants !) for your enjoyment.
Good Fishing to You!
Bruce & “Marilyn S”
