New!!! Weekly Video Report & Podcast With Capt. Mike and Capt. Dave Peros….

Join Captain Mike from Salty Tape and his long-time friend Captain Dave Peros as they dive into their week of fishing adventures. In this engaging episode, they discuss the challenges and successes they encountered, offering insights into the current fishing conditions and valuable tips for the weekend ahead.

The duo explores various fishing spots, including Monomoy, Cape Cod Bay, and the sounds around Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. They share their experiences with different fishing techniques, tackle, and the importance of rip etiquette to ensure a harmonious and productive fishing environment.

With a look at the weather forecast and strategic advice, this episode is packed with practical information for anglers of all levels. Whether you’re planning to head offshore for tuna or stick closer to shore for striped bass and sea bass, Captain Mike and Captain Dave have you covered.

Week in Review

Cape Cod Bay

– Striped Bass: Jeff Miller from Canal Bait and Tackle reported a high demand for tubes and lead core line, indicating strong bass activity. Fish are holding in 40 feet of water from Sandwich to Barnstable. The tube-and-worm technique is effective, with colors like red, wine, orange, and motor oil proving successful. Hogy Perfect Tubes are a popular choice. Fly fishers are also targeting bass on the flats with crab and sand eel patterns.

– Relevant Video: How To: Tube and Worm Striper Trolling | In-Line Trolling Weights
– Relevance: This video offers detailed instructions on setting up and effectively using in-line trolling weights for the tube-and-worm technique, which is particularly useful for anglers targeting striped bass in Cape Cod Bay.

Monomoy

– Striped Bass: Despite tough conditions, there were some successful trips. Capt. Ben Sussman reported good catches using wire line and jigs, as well as deep-diving swimmers. Versatility in techniques is key to adapting to changing conditions.

– Relevant Video: How-To: Open Water Trolling for Striped Bass | Deep Diving Plugs
– Relevance: This video provides valuable tips for using deep-diving plugs, essential for targeting deeper water bass in regions like Monomoy.

Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds

– Striped Bass and Bluefish: Middle Ground saw a lot of activity, with topwater plugs and soft plastics being effective. Fishing in the afternoon or evening can yield better results due to less boat traffic. In Vineyard Sound, anglers reported good bass and bluefish catches around Wasque and Muskeget.
– Fluke: The fluke fishing has been productive but finding larger fish is challenging. Many anglers are catching fluke in the low to mid-20-inch range.

– Relevant Video: How-To: Fishing Rips with Big Plugs
– Relevance: This video offers insights into using big plugs in rip conditions, which have been effective in Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds.

Martha’s Vineyard

– Striped Bass: Wind conditions have influenced fishing success, with some areas experiencing high weed levels. Anglers have been successful with narrow profile swimming plugs and metal lures. There have also been reports of good bluefish activity, particularly around Chappy and Wasque.
– Fluke: Fluke fishing is productive but finding legal-sized fish remains a challenge. Most catches are smaller than the recreational minimum size.

– Relevant Video: How To: No Bait Fluke Fishing
– Relevance: This video details methods for catching fluke without bait, useful for anglers facing challenges in finding legal-sized fluke around Martha’s Vineyard.

Buzzards Bay

– Black Sea Bass and Striped Bass: Larger black sea bass are being caught, but anglers need to sort through many shorts. The snag-and-drop pogy bass bite is popular, and live eels are effective at night. Some quality sea bass have been reported around the edges of the Canal.

– Relevant Video: Combo Trip | Jig Seabass | Topwater Stripers
– Relevance: This video dives into strategy for targeting Striped Bass and Black Seabass in the same trip.

The Canal

– Striped Bass: The Canal has seen inconsistent action. Early morning bites on the east tide have been slow, but jigging with white or mackerel paddle tails has produced some results. Mackerel are occasionally seen at the east end, but significant bass numbers are yet to follow.

– Relevant Video: Early Season Striped Bass | Hogy Protail THUMPER Swimbait
– Relevance: This video offers valuable techniques for using softbaits, which has been a successful method for catching striped bass in the Canal.

Nantucket

– Striped Bass: Larger bass have been reported in the rips to the west of the island. Both topwater plugs and soft plastics in clear amber and white have been effective. Shore anglers have been successful at night using bucktails, soft plastics, and swimming plugs. The fluke fishing has been good but dominated by smaller fish.

– Relevant Video: Topwater & Jig Fishing for GIANT Striped Bass | Block Island
– Relevance: This video is helpful for anglers targeting striped bass using plugs, a technique that has been successful in the rips around Nantucket.

Woods Hole and the Elizabeths

– Striped Bass: Eel sales have increased, indicating good bass activity in the Hole and along the Elizabeths. Livelining pogies at night has produced bigger fish. Schools of pogies have been reported moving into the Hole.

– Relevant Video: How-To: Snap Jigging Sand Eel Jigs For Striped Bass
– Relevance: This video provides instructions on using Sand Eel Jigs, which has been an effective technique for catching larger striped bass in Woods Hole and the Elizabeths.

Additional Notes

– Wind Conditions: High winds over the past week have impacted fishing, making it necessary for anglers to find sheltered areas to fish effectively. Fly anglers, in particular, have had to adapt their techniques to manage casting in windy conditions.
– Bait Preferences: Amber and white have been the standout colors for various lures and plugs across multiple regions, proving effective for both striped bass and bluefish.
– Tuna Sightings: Early season tuna have been reported around the Regal Sword, with successful catches on Hogy Sand Eel Jigs. The behavior of these fish has been erratic, making them a challenging but rewarding target.
– Weed Issues: Some areas, especially around Martha’s Vineyard, have seen significant weed accumulation, affecting the ability to fish effectively from shore.
– Fishing Techniques: The effectiveness of different fishing techniques, such as deep jigging, trolling with deep-diving swimmers, and topwater casting, has been emphasized throughout the week, highlighting the need for versatility.

Summary of the Entire Week

This past week has been marked by a mix of challenging weather conditions and productive fishing across various regions. In Cape Cod Bay, the tube-and-worm technique has been highly successful, particularly for those targeting striped bass in deeper waters. Monomoy presented a tougher fishing environment, but some anglers managed to catch good-sized bass using wire line and jigs.

Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds saw significant activity, especially around Middle Ground, with both striped bass and bluefish being caught using topwater plugs and soft plastics. Martha’s Vineyard faced issues with weed accumulation, but anglers who adapted their techniques still reported good catches of bass and bluefish. Buzzards Bay offered a strong black sea bass bite, although sorting through smaller fish was necessary to find keepers.

The Canal experienced inconsistent action, with early morning bites being slow but improving with jigging techniques. Nantucket provided reports of larger bass in the rips west of the island, and both boat and shore anglers had success using various lures and soft plastics. Finally, Woods Hole and the Elizabeths saw an increase in eel sales and productive bass fishing, particularly at night with livelined pogies.

Overall, the week highlighted the importance of adapting to conditions and using a variety of techniques to find and catch fish.

Hogy Lure Co. Product Recommendations

1. Hogy Protail Eel – Ideal for targeting larger striped bass in Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, mimicking natural prey with its lifelike action.

2. Hogy Charter Grade Popper – Perfect for topwater action, particularly effective in Middle Ground and Vineyard Sound for striped bass and bluefish.

3. Hogy Sand Eel Jig – Excellent for deep jigging, a technique that has been productive in Monomoy and the Canal.

4. Hogy Perfect Tube – A top choice for tube-and-worm trolling, highly effective in Cape Cod Bay.

5. Hogy Epoxy Jig – Versatile and durable, great for imitating smaller baitfish and attracting a variety of species in Buzzards Bay.

6. Hogy Protail Paddle – Ideal for mimicking injured baitfish, effective for striped bass in Woods Hole and the Elizabeths.