Hi Folks,Many are saying everything is early this year, because of the unusually warm weather patterns we had in April. There seems to be fish and bait everywhere as of the last week’s reports. I expect the rains we are currently experiencing will keep folks off the waters for the next few days, but the weekend forecast is good and with the last full moon a surge of new fish should be charging into the area. Mackerel are in good numbers in Cape Cod bay and some Nantucket Sound locations. The squid and menhaden are in Nantucket Sound in good numbers as well. I have been freezing up some to use for baits for bass and tuna for later on. Cape Cod Bay would be the spot to fish if you were targeting striped bass. Any estuaries and marshy embayments will be full of voracious school sized stripers if you figure the tides right. These fish are migrating and feeding heavily. A trout rod and a small jig head and curly tail grub is all you need for some light tackle fun. My “Marilyn S” is almost ready to splash with couple of minor cosmetics left to do. I added some high tech LED through hull lighting in the stern and corners to aid in seeing the bluefin to harpoon them at night. I also expect they will draw baitfish and squid to the boat at night when chumming as well. I have booked several Giant tuna charters already this year for the better tide days coming up this fall, as a result of the increased interest in “Wicked Tuna”. I hope to do lots more of them in the future. There is absolutely nothing in the fishing world, compared to the run and power of a big Atlantic Bluefin Tuna ! If you want to catch one you have to be committed, prepared, lucky and good. I am considering writing a little bit about what it takes preparation wise to land one of these magnificent tuna or if you prefer, to release one safely, in the future. These fish are powerful and can hurt you if you are not prepared. Stay tuned for more later. The bluefin we encounter this year will be in the 70” to 78” size class, making most of them commercially salable. The laws on recreational and commercial are complicated. Make sure you familiarize yourself with them before you go and be prepared enough to handle them without hurting yourself or the fish. With these fish now of “trophy” class size, the laws are very specific about what you can keep, both daily and annually. Make sure you know what the rules are. Here is a link to the latest:
https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/News.asp#news231
Bookings are increasing every week, and for those of you that fish with me every year, you have learned some days have better tides and amounts of effort on the waters than others. If you know you want to come to the waters of Cape Cod again this summer for some good fishing, try to reserve your day in the next month or so, before the better dates are taken.
Good Fishing to you all, Captain Bruce & “Marilyn S”
