Cape Cod Bay is a rather large area, covering nearly 604 square miles. Finding tuna amongst all this water is no easy task, unless of course you have a spotter pilot working on your side. Cape Cod Bay is surrounded by the outer Cape to the east and the Massachusetts' South Shore to the west. Waves can still build to great heights inside the Bay, howevver being surrounded by land on three sides does help to make the area more fishable, especially if you are fishing from a small boat. 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.
In the tuna fishing world, 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 Fishing Ledge is located just about smack dab in the middle of the Bay. If the seas are glass calm, keep your eyes peeled for giants cruising just underneath the 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. It is possible to gauge the size of the tuna when they are cruising on the surface in this fashion. It may be smart to do so if you plan on targeting smaller tuna with lighter spinning setups. 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.
Smaller tuna were sighted on numeous occasions just north of the Fingers during 2010. The Fingers is located outside Barnstable Harbor, and is much closer to shore than the Fishing Ledge. Tuna in the 150 pound range were commonly seen in this area throughout the 2010 season. Tuna in this weight class are much better suited for light tackle spin fishermen.
The area referred to by old timers as the Square off Billingsgate may also be an area worth taking a ride too. One tactic used successfully by tuna veterans is drifting live bluefish. Plenty of blues call Billingsgate home during the fishing season. These bluefish just happen to be one of the favorite prey items for large bluefin tuna..
Often times the bluefish in Cape Cod Bay are monstrous.. By using these big bluefish, you are essentially targeting the larger specimens of the tuna population. One problem may be that these big blues can sometimes prove hard to fish under a kite or a balloon. Snipping of a section of the blue's tail can help slow him down and make it easier to use these enormous blues for live bait.
Fishing with Kites and Balloons
Kite fishing is a great way to fish for bluefin tuna. Fishing with kites has really taken Cape Cod by storm as of late. The kite lifts the bait to the ocean's surface, making it appear to be a confused bait swimming widly on the surface. Basically ringing the dinner bell for any tuna in the area. Fishing a kite is basically the same thing as throwing topwater plugs for striped bass. The main difference, of course, being that the targeted tuna are around 300 times larger than most striped bass.
Details matter when kite fishing. Loading a Penn 80 or 130 reel with braided line can help a kite to fly in even a light breeze. The drawback is that fighting a big bluefin on braided line can be a bit more challening than on dacron or mono.. 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. "Bridling" baits can help to increase the longevity of precious live bluefish, pogies and mackerel.
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. Choose a weight that is heavy enough based on wind and current condtions. Attach the weight a distance up from the live bait on the main line by way of 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. Attach the balloon by tying it onto a loop of main line. Tying the balloon onto the loop will allow the ballon to break free when a fish hits the bait.. Float the ballon away from the boat and start the drift.
In the tuna fishing world, 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 Fishing Ledge is located just about smack dab in the middle of the Bay. If the seas are glass calm, keep your eyes peeled for giants cruising just underneath the 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. It is possible to gauge the size of the tuna when they are cruising on the surface in this fashion. It may be smart to do so if you plan on targeting smaller tuna with lighter spinning setups. 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.
Smaller tuna were sighted on numeous occasions just north of the Fingers during 2010. The Fingers is located outside Barnstable Harbor, and is much closer to shore than the Fishing Ledge. Tuna in the 150 pound range were commonly seen in this area throughout the 2010 season. Tuna in this weight class are much better suited for light tackle spin fishermen.
The area referred to by old timers as the Square off Billingsgate may also be an area worth taking a ride too. One tactic used successfully by tuna veterans is drifting live bluefish. Plenty of blues call Billingsgate home during the fishing season. These bluefish just happen to be one of the favorite prey items for large bluefin tuna..
Often times the bluefish in Cape Cod Bay are monstrous.. By using these big bluefish, you are essentially targeting the larger specimens of the tuna population. One problem may be that these big blues can sometimes prove hard to fish under a kite or a balloon. Snipping of a section of the blue's tail can help slow him down and make it easier to use these enormous blues for live bait.
Fishing with Kites and Balloons
Kite fishing is a great way to fish for bluefin tuna. Fishing with kites has really taken Cape Cod by storm as of late. The kite lifts the bait to the ocean's surface, making it appear to be a confused bait swimming widly on the surface. Basically ringing the dinner bell for any tuna in the area. Fishing a kite is basically the same thing as throwing topwater plugs for striped bass. The main difference, of course, being that the targeted tuna are around 300 times larger than most striped bass.
Details matter when kite fishing. Loading a Penn 80 or 130 reel with braided line can help a kite to fly in even a light breeze. The drawback is that fighting a big bluefin on braided line can be a bit more challening than on dacron or mono.. 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. "Bridling" baits can help to increase the longevity of precious live bluefish, pogies and mackerel.
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. Choose a weight that is heavy enough based on wind and current condtions. Attach the weight a distance up from the live bait on the main line by way of 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. Attach the balloon by tying it onto a loop of main line. Tying the balloon onto the loop will allow the ballon to break free when a fish hits the bait.. Float the ballon away from the boat and start the drift.
About the Author:
Captain Ryan Collins fishes for striped bass and Bluefin tuna off Cape Cod, MA. Visit his blog, myfishingcapecod.com for insider striped bass fishing.
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