Cape Cod's School Tuna Fishery
The school tuna bite off Cape Cod has been remarkable over the past few seasons. Locations around the globe have sighted decreased landings of bluefin tuna, however the numbers of bluefins off the coast of Plymouth has increased annually.
Many anglers focus their tuna attention on Stellwagen Bank. The Bank is a marine sanctuary that is home to tuna, whales, and a variety of other fish and marine mammals. 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 waters east of Plymouth have held large numbers of tuna the past couple of autumns. If the half beaks return, there will probably be tuna again this fall within just a few miles of the Plymouth coast. 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. Keeping your eyes peeled for signs of tuna during the ride to and from the Bank can pay big dividends.
Some of the more popular methods for catching school tuna in our neck of the woods include jigging and popping using "beefed" up spinning gear. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. On some trips the bluefins remain deep. Jigging metals will often prove to be the ticket to connecting when the fish are not showing on the surface. Beefing up your tackle is a necessity when spin fishing. Substandard hooks and split rings will quickly be exploited by a hard fighting bluefin.
The key is to successfully taking tuna on spinning gear lies in developing a game plan that works for your boat, crew and budget.
Cape Cod's Giant Bluefin Tuna Bite
The ultimate dream for many fishermen is catching a giant bluefin tuna. For most anglers, one of the best ways to target these bigger fish is by using live bait.
Readily available throughout June on Cape Cod are Atlantic mackerel. Unfortunately it may take a bit more searching to find them as the month wanes into July. Live lining mackerel under balloons, as well as fishing the colorful speedsters under a kite is always popular amongst the fleet.
Live pogies can be cast or gill netted in the back waters of many of the area's bays and estuaries. Finding and catching live pogies is not an easy task. Expect to invest a lot of time and energy in order to learn the trade. 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. Catching live bait is often the most difficult part of live lining for bluefin tuna.
Another option is to fish with live bluefish. The problem is that it always seems easy to catch bluefish when you do not want them, and extremely hard to catch them when you do need them for tuna bait. Transporting live bluefish from Cape Cod's back bays to the tuna grounds is another challenge .
My crew and I have had success catching bluefish before a trip at Race Point in Provincetown and in Buzzards Bay. However the extra mileage and time spent making the run to Provincetown or Buzzards Bay for bait really puts a dent in the gas tank, as well as eating up valuable tuna fishing time.
Catching bluefish before a tuna trip and holding them in bait cages is a smart way to guarantee fresh bait the morning of a tuna 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. Nothing increases your chances of bagging a big bluefin like putting in the time and energy necessary to procure the best live baits.
The school tuna bite off Cape Cod has been remarkable over the past few seasons. Locations around the globe have sighted decreased landings of bluefin tuna, however the numbers of bluefins off the coast of Plymouth has increased annually.
Many anglers focus their tuna attention on Stellwagen Bank. The Bank is a marine sanctuary that is home to tuna, whales, and a variety of other fish and marine mammals. 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 waters east of Plymouth have held large numbers of tuna the past couple of autumns. If the half beaks return, there will probably be tuna again this fall within just a few miles of the Plymouth coast. 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. Keeping your eyes peeled for signs of tuna during the ride to and from the Bank can pay big dividends.
Some of the more popular methods for catching school tuna in our neck of the woods include jigging and popping using "beefed" up spinning gear. When the fish show on the surface, nothing beats the excitement generated from a slob tuna destroying a top water plug. On some trips the bluefins remain deep. Jigging metals will often prove to be the ticket to connecting when the fish are not showing on the surface. Beefing up your tackle is a necessity when spin fishing. Substandard hooks and split rings will quickly be exploited by a hard fighting bluefin.
The key is to successfully taking tuna on spinning gear lies in developing a game plan that works for your boat, crew and budget.
Cape Cod's Giant Bluefin Tuna Bite
The ultimate dream for many fishermen is catching a giant bluefin tuna. For most anglers, one of the best ways to target these bigger fish is by using live bait.
Readily available throughout June on Cape Cod are Atlantic mackerel. Unfortunately it may take a bit more searching to find them as the month wanes into July. Live lining mackerel under balloons, as well as fishing the colorful speedsters under a kite is always popular amongst the fleet.
Live pogies can be cast or gill netted in the back waters of many of the area's bays and estuaries. Finding and catching live pogies is not an easy task. Expect to invest a lot of time and energy in order to learn the trade. 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. Catching live bait is often the most difficult part of live lining for bluefin tuna.
Another option is to fish with live bluefish. The problem is that it always seems easy to catch bluefish when you do not want them, and extremely hard to catch them when you do need them for tuna bait. Transporting live bluefish from Cape Cod's back bays to the tuna grounds is another challenge .
My crew and I have had success catching bluefish before a trip at Race Point in Provincetown and in Buzzards Bay. However the extra mileage and time spent making the run to Provincetown or Buzzards Bay for bait really puts a dent in the gas tank, as well as eating up valuable tuna fishing time.
Catching bluefish before a tuna trip and holding them in bait cages is a smart way to guarantee fresh bait the morning of a tuna 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. Nothing increases your chances of bagging a big bluefin like putting in the time and energy necessary to procure the best live baits.
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