I had to pinch myself when I woke up Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to a gorgeous sunny day! I can’t recall the last time we had such nice weather to kick off our summer season.

The weather isn’t the only positive news on this gorgeous sand bar called Cape Cod. The fishing this Spring has been off to an epic start. The bait has been plentiful with herring, bunker, squid and silversides. And where there is bait, there is almost always bigger fish looking to get there next meal. Many anglers from shore and boat have found these bigger striped bass and bluefish at the end of their lines. There have been lots of fish taken on top water lures like the Doc and the Jumpin Minnow. Soft plastics like the Albie Snax, Whip-It Fish or Savage Sandeels have also been winning choices. SP Minnows are also catching fish. Our shore anglers have been catching fish wading in Barnstable Harbor, fishing from jetties and harbors on the southside and the Canal has also been producing good sized striped bass.

If you want to hear your drag scream and feel the power of a big bluefish, try your luck at Oregon beach in Cotuit.

Cut mackerel has produced slot sized bass on the northside. This past Thursday the keeper bass had to be at least 28” and less than 35”. On Friday the regulations changed to 28-31”. The reduced slot size will be in effect for 180 days and then they will determine if the regulation stays in place for another 180 days.

As for the bottom fishing. The boat anglers are finding good sized scup and black seabass in Nantucket Sound. Hi-Lo rigs with seaworms, squid or clams always produce, but for bigger black seabass, try a jig like the Joe Baggs Flukies or the Spro Prime Bucktail Jig tipped with Gulp!

L to R: Jim with a Striped BAss. Tucker with a Black Sea Bass. Carl with a Striped Bass.

The fresh water fishing has not disappointed! Anglers have been catching lots of trout in our local ponds. Gold spoons like Kastmasters, Roughriders and Mepps have been working very well. Rubber worms have been successful in the largemouth bass category.

Mike with a VERY LARGE largemouth Bass!

By Striper Mike, Sports Port Pro Staff

Freshwater and Saltwater bass have always been my passion and the Cape Cod fishery couldn’t be a better place to enjoy both. This past week I had the good fortune to get into some outstanding freshwater largemouth bass fishing, two beauties weighing in at 6.5 and 7 pounds respectively along with several 3 pounders and one 4 pounder while also catching some “slot size” striped bass in the 28 to 30 inch range, all from shore and just a few miles from my home here on Cape Cod. No expensive boat with fancy electronics needed, just my fishing gear and a good pair of walking boots!

People travel hundreds of miles to get the chance to fish for Cape Cod striped bass, bluefish, tuna along with so many other species and more are now realizing the tremendous freshwater bass and trout fishing on the Cape 12 months of the year, truly a fisherman’s heaven.

Linda with a nice Striped Bass

With the summer season here, now is the time to get “fishing ready” and take advantage of all the Cape’s ponds and magnificent surrounding ocean with the proper fishing gear for your Cape Cod fishing adventure.

Stop by Sports Port in Hyannis or Osterville and let Amy and her staff outfit you with the latest equipment and local knowledge and remember “if they don’t have it, you don’t need it.”

Lots of bluefish in Nantucket Sound in the Osterville, Cotuit and Hyannis area.

The seabass fishing has been great using squid as well as gulp rigged on jigs. Colliers and Wreck Shoal have been producing some good fish. Squid on rigs and Gulp on jigs!

Anglers going for Scup have not been disappointed. The boats in Nantucket Sound have been catching lots and good sized fish as well. The scup in the canal have apparently been huge.

Striped Bass fishing continues to be strong with good sized fish from Buzzards Bay to Hyannis. On the Northside, the striper reports also remain solid. Top water lures, which are so fun, are reportedly the winning choice.

Nice catch Dean!

Dave with his dinner

On the freshwater side, it seems trout has slowed (or maybe anglers are distracted by all of the saltwater action). Largemouth bass have been hitting on crankbaits, chatter baits and always the rubber worms.

Tight lines!

Amy

On the freshwater front many anglers are having a great time casting gold spoons from shore for a nice trout from one of the many beautiful Cape Cod ponds. Shiners are always a choice bait and if in a boat, trolling a Rapala has been very productive. Bass fisherman have been doing well with rubber worms and metal spoons.

Mark with a whopper of a small mouth bass

Some anglers have begun their 2022 salt water fishing season by fishing for squid out in Nantucket Sound. Reports in the shop have been of varying results. Some days and nights have been fruitful with full buckets and coolers of the ink squirting creatures that are so delicious while also making an excellent bait. While other reports have been lackluster with only half full buckets after battling cold, wind and rain for hours. But, a wise man once told me “You know how much you will catch if you don’t go fishing.” SO, get out there!

Here is Carl with a beautiful 25” striped bass that he safely caught and released.

For our Tautog anglers we have live green crabs in the fridge and Joe Baggs Lay Perfect jigs to get your bait to the bottom. I have talked with several customers who have done well fishing for tog in the canal. For our boaters, Colliers is definitely a rock pile to try your luck.

As for the Striped Bass, schoolies are starting to come into the inlets and harbors and we have many reports of a fish or 2 being caught in Centerville, Osterville and Cotuit areas. With a few more warmer days that report will change to lots of fish and some bigger ones too!

Remember that May 14th 9am at Keyes Memorial Beach in Hyannis we will host our 2nd annual Surfcasting Seminar. Register for this informative, fun and FREE event at our Hyannis location or now on our website.

Sports Port’s Pro Staffer, “Striper Mike” will lead the group with a rundown on proper gear and general surfcasting information. We will then take that info and put it to use by taking some casts from the beach. Bring your own gear or you are welcome to use rods and reels we will have on hand for the event.

All ages are welcome. This event is perfect for beginners but also helpful for the more experienced anglers who may want some helpful tips to improve their cast. We will have a few prizes to raffle off too, so register now!

Before the Nor’ester Mike and I took our kayaks out to a small Cape pond and found some smaller sized large mouth bass. To say that it was a gorgeous fall day would be an understatement! We both agreed that if we had gone closer to dusk maybe we would have found the “BIG Larry” instead of the “little Larry brothers.” Rubber worms, texas rigged were the lures of choice for the afternoon.

Large Mouth fishing on a gorgeous fall afternoon.

Photo Credit to Mike Marcus.

Post nor'easter: we have heard reports of schoolies being caught in Barnstable Harbor and from Sandy Neck Beach. Birds have been working and there is plenty of bait. There were schools of bunker on the south side as of yesterday morning.

The “togging” was good pre-nor’easter and should still be solid fishing on the rocky structures of Nantucket Sound and Buzzards Bay. We are restocked on green crabs!

The fresh water fishing should only continue to improve as Fish and Wildlife has stocked and restocked the trout!

Oyster season in Barnstable opens tomorrow, so bone up on your shucking skills with this quick video from Rob at Scorton Creek Oysters.

The squid boats are out in Nantucket Sound and the squid jigs are starting to sell in the shop. Although, we haven’t had any reports of squid inside Hyannis Harbor yet.

If the migrating schoolie bass haven’t yet rounded Wasque corner following the squid, then it could be tomorrow or the next day! Speaking of striped bass, you still have time to register for our FREE surfcasting seminar THIS Saturday at 9am at Keyes Memorial Beach.

The freshwater bite is very active now. Trout have been hitting on gold spoons like the Thomas Colorado as well as shiners and nightcrawlers.

Jamie B. was kind enough to send me the picture below of a nice bass from he caught at Round Pond using a Berkley Power Worm. If you have a catch you would like to share send us your fish pics!