Is anyone else confused by this season? Fish seem to be here one tide, gone the next, much more so than any other season. The blues are completely non-existent, except for a few bitten-in-half soft plastics. The mackerel are still here, and in huge numbers, mixed in with schools of squid. Miles and miles of pogies still swim happily along the South Shore. We have big king mackerel rocket-shipping up out of the water in upper Buzzards Bay. This season has just been weird, man.

But that’s not a bad thing. We’ve found some big bass (keep an eye out for the next blog post).

As we approach September the fishing should only approve. The funny fish should start to show up. Maybe we’ll find a blue blitz or two. The season should get somewhat predictable. Or maybe it won’t. Who knows! But that’s why it’s fishing.

The Report

This week was windy again, so we couldn’t get any weekday scouting missions together. Word is that it’s been slow going throughout Cape Cod Bay, minus a few blitzes that lasted an hour or two a little North of us. The Canal (East End) was hot for a few days but hit a lull. It may be ramping up again as of yesterday.

The pogy schools are still there off South Plymouth and Warren Cove, but it can be maddening to try and find a time when the big fish shadowing the schools want to eat. We still have great fishing at dawn and on most outgoing tides in the Three Bays for schoolies up to 26″.

At dawn, you can usually find these fishing pushing bait (most recently squid) on the many flats and guzzles in the Bay. It’s perfect for the fly rodder or light tackle enthusiast.

Later in the day, string up a mackerel on a circle hook and drift it by any rip and you’ll pick up a decent fish. The fishing has stayed very consistent in my homewaters.

Sandy Neck to Scorton is either very slow or the night guys are keeping a big secret. The amount of boats I’m seeing pull up to the dock at 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays sort of makes me think it’s the former.

This brings us to Buzzards Bay. This Southwest wind has made it tough, but if you can get out there, we’ve got mahi at the Hooter and south and king mackerel closer to home. Troll an SP or a Crystal Minnow along a current rip and any number of hard fighting fish could hit it (to name a few: striper, blue, bonito, king mack, albie(!)…) It’s a grab bag and it’ll only get better in the “other” Bay off the Cape.

The Plan

Mal de Mer will be off the dock at 4am Saturday. That SW blow is going to kick up in the morning, so we’ll play it by ear. But, we’ve got high tide at 5am, so I’m thinking we should find some big stripers on Pogy schools when the tide starts moving again.

We can hopefully load up on mackerel before then. The East End is an option. You never know when a big school of cows are going to move through. Further down Cape, Barnstable and the Brewster flats are still producing smaller fish. I wouldn’t make it a long distance destination, though.

Sunday, you’ve got your pick of location. Flat calm seas should make any destination realistic. Might be a good day to head to Buzzards Bay and possibly south of the Vineyard if you have the means. Mahi, king macks, and bonito, maybe even tuna or marlin should make for an exciting day down there.

We’re into August now, into the official last half of the season. Get out there, burn some gas, catch some fish.