Fishing Report: Chatham MA Striped Bass

Hi Folks,

Yes it has been a long time since the last report. The fact is we have been catching striped bass like there is no tomorrow ! The commercial striped bass quota has been caught and the commercial season is now officially over for 2010. Now I can report on where and how we have been catching the fish without hearing that I am ruining it for my commercial brethren. The Chatham guys have done very well this year, with the fish sitting in small piles on the bottom, just a mile or two off the shoreline gorging themselves on the huge sand eels that were schooled up there. There was also lots of bluefish in the mid water areas on top of the bass. The trick it seemed was to get under the blues and on the bottom to catch the stripers. Many would use long stainless wire and a 3 or 5 ounce lead head jig to reach the fish, but others and myself were trying the newer butterfly jigs on braided line to get under the blues to the bass. There are a few trick we employed to get these fish in the last 2 or 3 weeks and we did get pretty "dialed in". If you want to learn a few of these tricks, give me a call, book a trip, and I'll show you personally.

The fish and the bait supply are still there, although this Nor' Easter is most likely stirred things up a little and it will take some regrouping to relocating to get back on the piles of stripers. I will be headed out again on Thursday for a 10 hour Bluefin tuna and Striped bass combination charter ($1400) and by then we should be dialed back in onto the fish.

My tuna record is poor this year so far. It seems that it has been very hit or miss. One day the fish bite pretty good and the next they are "shut off". Theres lots of bait and whales in the usual areas. The latest nor' easter and the passing of the full moon should have a positive effect on the fishing. I am headed out on Thursday am for bluefin again and hope to put a fish or two on my lines for my customers. We have the technology ! I hope the crickets that are moving into my home bring me luck !

Good fishing to you,

Bruce & "Marilyn S"