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. The Bay is encompassed by outer Cape Cod to the east, and Massachusetts' South Shore to the west. Seriously big tuna can be found throughout the Bay during the fall, summer and spring months. On some years giants are even seen in the Bay around Christmas. 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.
Most of the tuna will be spotted a considerable distance from shore. The Fishing Ledge, which sits about 10 miles outside the east end of the Cape Cod Canal, is one such location. Relatively speaking, 10 miles is not a far run in the tuna fishing world, and on a calm day the spot is easily accessible by smaller boats. The Fishing Ledge is located virtually 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.
During the summer of 2010, tuna in the 150 pound range could be found a few miles north of the Fingers outside Barnstable Harbor. Bluefins in the 150 pound range are much better suited for spin fishermen-compared to the 500 plus pound goliaths. Nevertheless larger specimens will sometimes be found mixed amongst the smaller guys.
The area referred to by old timers as the Square off Billingsgate may also be an area worth taking a ride too. One strategy would be to spend the early hours of a trip catching bluefish on the Shoal. Drifting the live blues later in the day in the Square may yield a surrpise or two in the form of an explosive strike from a giant. Not all of these bluefish may at first sight appear to be "bait size.".
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 Balloons and Kites
Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. It's essentially the same thing as topwater bass fishing, except the fish is about 300 times bigger.
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.
Most of the tuna will be spotted a considerable distance from shore. The Fishing Ledge, which sits about 10 miles outside the east end of the Cape Cod Canal, is one such location. Relatively speaking, 10 miles is not a far run in the tuna fishing world, and on a calm day the spot is easily accessible by smaller boats. The Fishing Ledge is located virtually 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.
During the summer of 2010, tuna in the 150 pound range could be found a few miles north of the Fingers outside Barnstable Harbor. Bluefins in the 150 pound range are much better suited for spin fishermen-compared to the 500 plus pound goliaths. Nevertheless larger specimens will sometimes be found mixed amongst the smaller guys.
The area referred to by old timers as the Square off Billingsgate may also be an area worth taking a ride too. One strategy would be to spend the early hours of a trip catching bluefish on the Shoal. Drifting the live blues later in the day in the Square may yield a surrpise or two in the form of an explosive strike from a giant. Not all of these bluefish may at first sight appear to be "bait size.".
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 Balloons and Kites
Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. It's essentially the same thing as topwater bass fishing, except the fish is about 300 times bigger.
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 tips about how to troll for striped bass and giant bluefin tuna.
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