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Nothing beats Cape Cod tuna fishing. The sheer amount of tuna in Massachusetts Bay over the past few seasons has been staggering. Large schools of smaller school size tuna, along with some true giants, have been frequent visitors to the waters off Cape Cod, presenting an incredible opportunity for anyone fishing Cape Codwilling to put in the time and effort. There has been a lot of hype in the media about bluefin tuna being depleted and on the verge of extinction. Yet the abundance of bluefin tuna off Cape Cod has only increased in recent years. Fishermen of all calibers agree that there has been an influx of tuna throughout the past decade. The Cape Cod fishey is alive, abundant, and thriving. Cape Cod fishermen are lucky, because much of the action is found just minutes from many of the Cape's harbors. This allows boats of all sizes to get in on the bite. If the weather cooperates, impressive catches from not-so-impressive boats are common. Impressive schools of tuna fed heavily just north of the Fingers in Cape Cod Bay during June of 2010. The tuna were a mere 6 miles from the Barnstable coast. These fish proved difficult to catch, however the top water feeding frenzies were downright impressive. On certain mornings, hundreds of bluefins could be spotted across the horizon, whipping up whitewater and crushing baitfish on the surface. The fall of 2011 has the potential to be epic for Cape Cod tuna fishing. If the weather cooperates, there is no reason why many big tuna will not be caught. The bait is here in abundance, and more than likely the tuna fishing in our neck of the woods will break wide open during September and October. My crew and I hope to focus our efforts on giant tuna this fall. We'll be using live bait to target tuna well over the 300 pound mark. We will use balloons to target tuna beneath the waters surface, and kites to target surface feeding bluefins. Kite fishing is essentially the same as top-water fishing for striped bass, except the intended catch is about 200 times larger. 12-20 inch long bluefish make ideal bait for large bluefins. These "snack size" bluefish are not easy to procure, however they are well worth the effort. Catching blues in the days leading up to a tuna trip is ideal. Snack size blues can be found throughout the Cape's many bays and harbors. These areas are, unfortunately, usually located a fair distance away from the tuna grounds. Adding to the challenge is that bluefish always seem more difficult to find when you need them the most. The tricky part is figuring out a way to transport the feisty chompers, once you finally catch a few, to Cape Cod Bay, Stellwagen Bank and other tuna hotspots. Pogies may be a more realistic bait source for many. These filter feeders can be gillnetted or cast netted in many of the Cape’s back bays and estuaries. If you plan on catching pogies on your own, then expect to invest a lot of time and energy into learning the trade. Befriending a local live pogie supplier is a more feasible option for many tuna fishermen. For those not up to dealing with the complexities of obtaining live bait, artificial offerings are a viable option. Artificial presentations may not be as desirable for targeting giants, however they still catch their fair share of behemoth fish. Squid bars are always popular with captains who like to troll. Many anglers choose to pursue school and small giant tuna on spinning gear. Casting topwater plugs and jigging metal are effective ways of targeting tuna as well. There are many different ways to target bluefin tuna. The best way to go about it is determining a method that works well for your boat and crew. Fall is an exciting time to be on Cape Cod. Aside from tuna, the striped bass fishing and whale watching can be incredible. Switching tactics and pursuing stripers is always a viable alternative if the tuna bite slows. Often time’s 20-40 pound bass are caught on the same pogies and squid bars meant for tuna. The fall of 2011 has great potential for anglers fishing off Cape Cod. If the weather cooperates expect some seriously big tuna at the docks. Large striped bass will certainly be part of the mix as well.. The opportunities are truly endless.
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