Cape Cod Bay is a rather large area, covering nearly 604 square miles. Finding giant tuna amongst all this water is no easy task, unless of course you have a spotter pilot working on your side. Cape Cod Bay is surrounded by the outer Cape to the east and the Massachusetts’ South Shore to the west. Waves can still build to great heights inside the Bay, howevver being surrounded by land on three sides does help to make the area more fishable, especially if you are fishing from a small boat. Large bluefin tuna swim iinside the Bay throughout the course of the entire fishing season. Surprisingly, giants have even been spotted well after most anglers have stored their boats for the winter. Rumors of tuna sightings around Christmas are not far fetched. 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.
The Fishing Ledge, which sits almost smack dab in the middle of Cape Cod Bay, is a good area to check out for tuna, especially while one is in transit to more reputable locations such as Peaked Hill Bar or Stellwagen Bank. The Ledge is located more or less smack dab in the middle of the Bay. When the wind is light and variable, we can easily access the Ledge in our 21 foot Hydra Sport. Unfortunately, if the seas begin to kick up, it is a smart decision for us to think about heading for the dock. However if the seas are glass calm, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for giant tuna cruising just beneath the water’s surface.
Big tuna will often create a V-shaped wake as they cruise just inches under the Bay’s surface. If you plan on targeting smaller tuna on spinning gear, it may be smart to gauge the size of the tuna before casting. Although this is difficult to do, especially when the adrenaline is pumping.
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 large specimens often caught by the stickboats and anglers utilizing heavy conventional tackle.
The Square is another area worth checking out. The spot is located in the deeper waters to the west of the famed Billingsgate Shoal. Tuna likely venture into the area because of the large schools of striped bass and tuna that feed along the productive shoals of Billingsgate.. A smart tactic would be to spend the early hours of the morning catching bluefish over the shoal, and then drifting the blues in the deeper water west of Billingsgate in the afternoon.
Often times the bluefish in Cape Cod Bay are monstrous.. These big bluefish make perfect bait for big bluefins. Snipping off a piece of the bluefish’s tail can make the blue easier to fish under a kite or a balloon.
Cape Cod Giant Tuna
Using a kite is one of the most effective and exciting ways to catch a giant bluefin tuna. The kite keeps even large baits at the water’s surface. This creates the scenario of a confused baitfish, swimming wildly on the ocean’s surface. It’s essentially the same thing as topwater bass fishing, except the fish is about 300 times bigger.
Details matter when kite fishing. Using braided line on Penn 80 or 130 conventional reels can really help a kite to fly high and strong even in a light breeze. Utilizing dropper lines will help to decrease the angle of the line you are using to fish the bait. Dropper lines can help to big time if you plan on fishing multiple lines off the same kite. Using an elastic to bridle baits instead of hooking them in the traditional way can help to increase the longevity of your live bait supply. Often times acquiring good live bait is more difficult than finding tuna. Bridling baits will help to keep your bait supply alive and frisky.
Balloon fishing allows a fisherman to strategically place live baits at specific depths. 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.
