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Spots in Cape Cod Bay to Look for Giant Bluefin Tuna Cape Cod Bay is a 604 square mile expanse of saltwater due south of Boston, MA. The Bay is encompassed by outer Cape Cod to the east, and Massachusetts' South Shore to the west. Giant bluefin tuna can be found roaming throughout the Bay during the spring, summer and fall months. Needless to say the tuna have free reign over the Bay, however there are a few areas which seem to yield a greater number of tuna sightings and hookups than others. When fishing Cape Cod for big tuna, long distances through rough seas are often just part of doing business. However inside Cape Cod Bay, there are areas closer to shore that will prove better suited for small boats. The Fishing Ledge is one such location. The Ledge sits roughly 10 miles outside the east end of the Cape Cod Canal. The Ledge is located pretty much smack dab in the middle of the Bay. When the wind is light and variable, we can easily access the Ledge in our 21 foot Hydra Sport. Unfortunately, if the seas begin to kick up, it is a smart decision for us to think about heading for the dock. However if the seas are glass calm, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for giant tuna cruising just beneath the water's surface. Giant tuna will often create a large V-wake as they cruise just inches below the water's surface. Giants are spotted each year doing just this in the area of the Fishing Ledge, and in other areas around the Bay. If you plan on targeting smaller tuna on spinning gear, it may be smart to gauge the size of the tuna before casting. The problem is that this is very difficult to do, especially when you have been searching all day for fish. Add in the pumping adrenaline and it is hard to resist casting to tuna that will undoubtedly destroy your gear. During the summer of 2010, tuna in the 150 pound range could be found a few miles north of the Fingers outside Barnstable Harbor. This class of fish would be much better suited for spin fishermen, compared to the large specimens often caught by the stickboats and anglers utilizing heavy conventional tackle. The Square is another area worth checking out. The spot is located in the deeper waters to the west of the famed Billingsgate Shoal. Tuna likely venture into the area because of the large schools of striped bass and bluefish that feed along the productive shoals of Billingsgate. A smart tactic would be to spend the early hours of the morning catching bluefish over the shoal, and then drifting the blues in the deeper water west of Billingsgate in the afternoon. Quite a few of these Billingsgate bluefish are on the enormous side of the spectrum. They may seem too big to use as bait. However a 1,000 pound bluefin certainly has no problem sucking down a 35 inch or longer bluefish. These larger specimens of the bluefish population make prime bait for giant bluefins. Techniques to Try Using a kite is one of the most effective and exciting ways to catch a giant bluefin tuna. The kite keeps even large baits at the water's surface. This creates the scenario of a confused bait fish, swimming wildly on the ocean's surface. Fishing a kite is in some ways very similar to casting top water plugs for striped bass and bluefish. The main difference is that the targeted tuna are around 300 times larger than the bass and blues caught on topwater plugs. There is no proper way to describe the massive top water strikes that kites can generate. Paying attention to details is important when kite fishing for big bluefins. One poor knot or faulty swivel will be quickly exploited by a tuna. Using braided line on Penn 80 or 130 conventional reels can really help a kite to fly high and strong even in a light breeze. Dropper lines set at intervals from the line running off the kite rod will help to decrease the severity of the angle of the main line running from the reel to the bait. Using an elastic to bridle baits instead of hooking them in the traditional way can help to increase the longevity of your live bait supply. Often times acquiring good live bait is more difficult than finding tuna. Bridling baits will help to keep your bait supply alive and frisky. Balloon fishing works well when there is no wind, or when an angler wants to target tuna at a specific depth. It is possible to cover the entire water spectrum by fishing a bait on a kite, and other baits under balloons. An appropriate size egg sinker, say 8 ounces, is attached a distance up from the live bait on the main line using an elastic band. If the depth you desire to place your bait at is 80 feet, then 80 feet of main line is paid out. A balloon is then attached 80 feet up from the live bait. Float the balloon away from the boat and start the drift.
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