Targeting Cape Cod Bay Giant Bluefin Tuna
The Bay’s Giant Tuna Hot Spots
Cape Cod Bay is a 604 square mile expanse of saltwater due south of Boston, MA. The Bay is encompassed by outer Cape Cod to the east, and the Massachusetts’ South Shore to the west. Large giant tuna swim around Cape Cod Bay throughout the course of the entire fishing season. Surprisingly, giants have even been spotted well after most anglers have given up fishing for the season. Stories of giant tuna sightings through December are not far fetched. Big bluefins have free reign over the entire Bay. Yet there are a few well known areas that seem to produce more tuna than other spots inside Cape Cod Bay.
Most of the giant 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 Ledge is positioned just about smack dab in the middle of Cape Cod Bay. We can safely access the Ledge in our 21 foot Hydra Sport in wind conditions of 10 mph or less as long as the wind is coming from the west or the south. If the Bay is as calm as a pane of glass, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for giant tuna cruising just below the surface of the water. [I:http://travelandleisureblog.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CaptainRyanCollins1.jpg]
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. If you plan on targeting smaller tuna on spinning gear, it may be smart to gauge the size of the tuna before casting. 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. This class of fish would be much better suited for spin fishermen, compared to the giant tuna specimens often caught by the stickboats and anglers utilizing heavy conventional tackle.
The area referred to by seasoned tuna anglers as the Square is another near-shore tuna haunt worth checking out for giant tuna. The spot is located in the deeper water to the west of Billingsgate Shoal and can be easily accessed by smaller boats on relatively calm days. 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 surpise or two in the form of an explosive strike from a giant. However, not all of these bluefish may at first sight appear to be proper “bait size.” [I:http://travelandleisureblog.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CaptainRyanCollins2.jpg]
Quite a few of these Billingsgate bluefish are on the enormous side of the spectrum. They may seem too big to use as giant tuna bait. However a 1,000 pound bluefin certainly has no problem sucking down a 35 inch or longer bluefish. These larger specimens of the bluefish population make prime bait for giant bluefins.
Techniques to Try
Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. Fishing a kite is in some ways very similar to casting top-water plugs for striped bass and bluefish. The main difference is that the targeted tuna are around 150 times larger than the bass and blues caught on top-water plugs. There is no proper way to describe the massive top-water strikes that kites can generate.
Paying attention to details is important when kite fishing for giant tuna. One poor knot or faulty swivel will be quickly exploited by a tuna. 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 challenging than on dacron or mono. Utilizing dropper lines will help to decrease the angle of the line you are using to fish the bait. Dropper lines can help big time if you plan on fishing multiple lines off the same kite. “Bridling” baits can help to increase the longevity of precious live bluefish, pogies and mackerel. [I:http://travelandleisureblog.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/CaptainRyanCollins3.jpg]
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 conditions. 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 balloon to break free when a fish hits the bait. Float the balloon away from the boat and begin fishing for that elusive giant tuna.
Capt. Collins is a giant tuna and striped bass commercial and charter Capt. from Cape Cod. His fishing blog, myfishingcapecod.com, is geared towards helping beginnerand veteran fishermen catch more and bigger stripers and tuna. Check out his blog for more giant tuna fishing tips, techniques and hot spots.