Cape Cod Fishing Expeditions Fishing Report

June 28,2008

We launched kayaks from the Parker River Wildlife Refuge and headed to the Joppa Flats.  The wind was howling at 15 to 20 out of the northeast and it stayed steady for the entire outing.  We did manage to score a fish on a tube and worm at the edge of the flats in the Merrimack and got a couple more fish on the incoming tide back in the Plum Island River.  The wind was oppressive in the kayak.  There is a more favorable forecast for tomorrow.

June 25,2008

It was a long tough day on the water today.  The weather was perfect but the fish were hard to find.  We fished flats areas and beach spots from 0900 to 2200 and only came up with a handful of small fish.  Not for lack of trying.  On a positive note we did see a pile of fish on the incoming tides on the flats but were forced off the flats because of the rising water.  Kayaks are the ticket for access to those fish.  Heading out on tour this weekend to fish the Joppa Flats, the Merrimack and the Parker Rivers in kayaks.

June 22,2008

Today was opening day for the "Tough Enough" on Nantucket with my friend David Muller.  We had a great morning trolling up 4 keeper bass up to 35 inches and scoring piles of big blues from 25 to 35 inches.  We also threw light spinnng tackle at big breaking blues.  What a blast.

June 21,2008

Cape Cod guiding legend George Ryan and I took a group of 4 out to the flats today.  It was slow going for a while and we eventually found fish at the edge of the shallow water and stayed around the same area and caught a pile of schoolies up to 27 inches.  The first inshore bluefish was caught too.  Time to beef up the tippet.

June 20,2008

The morning trip with Austen Goldsmith and his crew was kind of slow.  We fished the flats late on the tide and then switched to beach fishing.  There were pods of full size pogies, blueback herring and sand eels moving up and down the beach.  The highlight of the morning was a nice pod of keeper sized fish that came right by us.  We had four hookups at once.  We got one of the larger fish in the pod.  Unfortunately that was all the action to be had.  The night charter on the flats was great.  Matt from NYC fished sluggos for a pile of fish.  One of the fish was about 28 inches.  It was a beautiful sunset and moonrise.

June 19,2008

Headed out in search of bluefin tuna today with Captain Ramon Rustia.  We cruised out of Wellfleet to the tuna grounds and laid out 4 spreaders and trolled.  There were many whales.  Unfortunately it was a better day for whale watching than tuna fishing.  We didn't score but it was a great day on the water.  We did spank some bluefish on surface plugs on the way back in.  We'll get em next time.

June 18,2008

The full moon kayak fishing with Coach turned out to be slower than usual.  Coach did manage to pound on a pod of keeper sized fish and pop a fish here and there but it was hard work finding the fish.  There were many single crusing fish coming over the bars on the incoming tide but they were spooky and difficult to catch.  We did end the day with a nice fish on the fly rod with one of Coach's fly creations it was great.  Tuna fishing with Capt Ramon Rustia tomorrow.  Sweet!

June 17,2008

Had a great kayak charter with Zach.  He trolled a tube and worm for a big fat 38 inch striper.  He also scored some schoolies and a smaller keeper size fish.  We switched locations and threw sluggos on light tackle for a pile of feisty schoolies.  It was an epic day.

June 16,2008

It was a perfect day for early morning flats fishing and we manged to hit some hot fishing here and there but it wasn't a blow out by any stretch.  We had many doubles and hits on poppers and sluggos on the surface.  It was a great day but I was hoping for more numbers and bigger fish.

June 15,2008

Thunder and lightning canceled the morning charter and bogus winds canceled the afternoon charter.  We did take a cruise out to the beach for a quick check and just missed a blitz of big bass on a huge pod of big pogies.  "You shoulda been here an hour ago!"  Tomorrow looks good.

June 14,2008

It was an early morning charter on the flats today.  Peter and Lew bravely embarked on a wading trip with me at 0130 with the hopes of scoring bass feeding in the super shallows.  After a surreal hike in the dark out to the fishing grounds we heard breaking fish and Peter hooked up a couple of schoolies in short order.  Lew and I headed down the flat in more fish and Lew scored his first striper on the fly.  The fishing was slow for a while and then we changed locations and had shots at fish in shallow water.  Sluggos worked as usual.  At the next location we were greeted by the sunrise and breaking fish moving with the tide.  All in all it was an ok fishing day but a great day on the water.

June 13,2008

I fished with the Wild Women of Watertown, NY today.  It was a beautiful day on the water.  We fished sand eels on a daytime tide and only managed to dredge up a handful of schoolies, not for lack of trying, the girls fished hard.

June 12,2008

I scouted a flats area from midnight to 0200 and scored a fat fish on a sluggo and a pile of smaller fish.  It was awesome with fish exploding on the sluggo in the dark right in front of me.  In the dead silence of the night a fish blowing up that close will scare the crap out of you.  It's great!

June 11,2008

Kowabunga!  A prehistoric run of fish came across the flats today.  It was a picture perfect day for flats fishing.  After a long hike out the flats we ran into the fish.  Many of the fish were 30 to 40 inches.  The only bad part of this story is that the fish were finicky and extremely difficult to catch, however, Austen Goldsmith and his party were able to land some some of the big ones.  By the end of the day they figured out a presentation that would entice strikes.  As frustrating as it was it was still and epic day as we were surrounded by thousands of fish all day.

June 10,2008

I had a great day sight fishing from the Freedom Hawk Kayak today.  Did I mention I love this boat!?  I had many shots at finicky fish.  It felt great to get one to bite the fly.  There were many follows right up to the kayak.  It was another beautiful day of sight fishing.

June 9,2008

Coach Gorski and I smoked em in the kayaks today.  We got fish in open water and on the flats.  It was an awesome sight watching wave after wave of stripers flood the flats.  The sight fishing was awesome.  They were keyed in on pods of small sand eels and were very finicky, however Coach was able to score with a variety of plastic baits and I was able to score on the fly rod with white Fishmakers.  It was a great day.

June 8,2008

It was a beautiful day weather wise, but fishing wise it was frustrating.  We were able to locate large fish on the flats but they were as spooky and finicky as ever.  We had some follows but no takers.  We tried many flies and covered alot of ground but to no avail.  I will try a different part of the Cape tomorrow in the kayak in search of piles of fish.

June 5-7,2008

The smokin hot fishing lasted for another day and then the east wind and clouds killed the day time flats and sight fishing.  Austen Goldsmith's group from England struggled to land less than a dozen fish.  That's fishin'.  The early morning anglers had the last of the hot fishing.  The next day was foggy and cool and the loads of fish that were around last week seem to be taking a break.  I did manage to locate some large cruising fish and took 2 fish in 35 inch range with a fly rod on a Tom Sledsic popper.  Later in the tide in bright sunshine I had many shots at 30 to 35 inch fish on shallow sand flats just like the tropics.  I was the coolest to be floating across the flat standing up in my Freedom Hawk Kayak.  I would have never seen any of these fish in time if I wasnt standing.  The fish were extremely finicky.  I did manage to stick 2 more fish sight fishing and one more trolling a sluggo in shallow water.  Quality not quantity today.  Sorry Coach!

OMFG!  The cape has exploded.  No time to post fishing reports because the fishing has been so hot.  I hate the fact that I have to sleep.  The sand eels were all over the flats and the fish were slurping them up.  There were big fish mixed in with loads of schoolies.  Check out the pics.  During the day I anchored at a drop off and slammed fish for six hours in the same spot!  Coach Gorski broke his record for an outing of over 40 fish.  Peter and Dick from NYC scored big time on the flats sight fishing for as many fish as they could catch.  Dick picked off a nice 35 inch fish with nice cast and played him perfectly.  The video of the release will be up soon.  The big fish are in the usual locations and Capecaster scored a half dozen fish over 40 inches from a shore location.  Yesterday one of the best fisherman on the Cape told me he had the best day he has ever had fishing for stripers.  His first 6 fish were over 30 inches and he had to stop because he couldn't reel in anymore.  And he was fishing poppers on a fly rod.  Sweet!  Gotta get back out there, more later.

May 30,2008

How about that, the wind changed direction and the fish disappeared.  It was no fishfest today, however it was a fun day on the water with Jason and Alec Griswold from AckKayak.  Some scattered schools of legal fish were cruising around but got no good shots at them.  A few large fish followed the flies in and followed the mackerel but no takers.  The ticket to the big fish would have been to live line those mackerel.  We managed a handful of schoolie stripers and a bunch of 14 to 16 mackerel all on flies.  Jason and Alec enjoyed fishing from the Freedom Hawk for the first time.

May 29,2008

It was a fishfest out there today. I anchored up on a drop off and fished in the same spot for six hours and caught as many fish I wanted.  I left fish breaking.  The Freedom Hawk was key in fishing this area in comfort.  The fish were small compared to yesterday but what they lacked in size they made up for in numbers.  The fish were feasting on massive schools of sand eels.  They hit flies, sluggos, surface plugs and tins.  I'll be back tomorrow for sure.

May 28,2008

Fished the beach in the morning and was able to sight fish for pods of fish moving down the shoreline in the bright sunshine.  Switched to the kayak when the wind died down.  It was another epic day on the water.  There were big fish rolling on the surface and they hit flies, sluggos and tins.  New video is up.

May 27,2008

Scouted the beach and saw loads of birds and fish working at different locations.  Keeper fish are around.  Many different types of bait are present including anchovies, silversides, squid, mackerel, sand eels and more.  I am going out in the kayak tomorrow.

May 17-23,2008

Things have finally turned on out here.  Fish are starting to show up in large numbers at all of the usual places.  I had one the best days I've had in a long time.  I paddled into an acre of breaking fish in my Freedom Hawk Kayak and released about 20 fish in the 25 to 38 inch range.  It was an epic morning.  The fish were feeding on sand eels and hit sluggos, flies, and sand eel plugs.  There is fresh video from my trip on the video page .  Beach fishing was still spotty, one day you could have 40 fish in a tide and the next day get skunked.

May 6-16,2008

The weather was not very conducive to early season fishing action on Cape Cod during the last week and a half.  There were occasional fish taken here and there, but all in all it was a very slow start to the season.  However, things have changed dramatically in the last 48 hours with big fish being taken in the usual canal spots and I just finished an epic late nite to dawn flats fishing trip where I found myself surrounded by tailing fish in shallow water.  It was a great opportunity to use my Freedom Hawk Kayak and be able to stand up and cast to these fish.  There is a short video on the video page of the first keeper of the season taken while fishing from the Freedom Hawk.  The weather has turned to crap again but the fish are here.

May 1-5, 2008

I scouted from the Cape Cod Canal to Provincetown and the water temps are still a little cool for any consistent action.  There are sporadic reports of a fish here and there but it hasn't happened yet.  I did have a great time paddling in my Freedom Hawk Kayak.  This boat will be a huge fish catching tool this season.  The Cape Cod National Seashore is full of life.  There are loads of migrating birds, feeding whales and seals all along the Seashore.  You can feel it getting ready to bust wide open with fish.  The first charter of the season on May 4 with Coach Gorski came up a bust, but Coach did manage to catch and release one of the first keepers of the season on his own the day before.  Bragging rights go to Coach for that score.  I'll spend the week continuing to scout for fish.  When it busts open it will be huge.  You definitely want to get in on the early season action.  There will be waves of fish on the beaches and early season hot spots.