Cape Cod Bay’s Famous Tuna Fishing

By Joe Bates

Areas in Cape Cod Bay to Look for Giant Bluefin Tuna

The nearly 604 square miles that constitute Cape Cod Bay can make it difficult for the average angler to locate an area holding big tuna. The tuna are out there for certain, however without the aid of a spotter pilot it can be difficult to locate a spot that will produce some action. The Bay is encompassed by outer Cape Cod to the east, and Massachusetts’ South Shore to the west. Seriously big tuna can be found throughout the Bay during the fall, summer and spring months. On some years giants are even seen in the Bay around Christmas. Big tuna will prove challenging to find inside the Bay. Yet there area few general areas that for whatever reason seem to yield a greater number of tuna sightings each season. Give these areas a check on your next Cape Cod Bay fishing trip and you may get a surprise from a 500 plus pound behemoth.

Most of the 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 Fishing Ledge is positioned just about smack dab in the middle of the Bay. If the seas are glass calm, keep your eyes peeled for giants cruising just underneath the surface.

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. Although this is difficult to do, especially when the adrenaline is pumping.

Tuna will venture into other areas even closer to shore while roaming through Cape Cod Bay. The Fingers outside Barnstable Harbor is one such location. During 2010, tuna in the 150 pound range could be seen feading heavily just north of the Fingers. The area is roughly 5 miles from shore, making it much more easily accessible for smaller boats. Tuna in this weight class are much better suited for light tackle spin fishermen.

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 larger specimens of the bluefish population make prime bait for giant bluefins.

Fishing with Balloons and Kites

Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. Fishing a kite is basically the same thing as throwing topwater plugs for striped bass. The main difference, of course, being that the targeted tuna are around 300 times larger than most striped bass.

Details matter when kite fishing. 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 challening than on dacron or mono.. Dropper lines set at intervals from the line running off the kite rod will help to decrease the severity of the angle of the main line running from the reel to the bait. 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. An appropriate size egg sinker, say 8 ounces, is attached a distance up from the live bait on the main line using an elastic band. Pay out the amount of line that corresponds to the depth you would like to fish the bait. If you mark tuna at 50 feet, then pay out 50 feet of main line. If you mark tuna t 120 feet, then pay out 120 feet of line. 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.

Captain Ryan Collins fishes for striped bass and Bluefin tuna off Cape Cod, MA. Visit his blog, myfishingcapecod.com for insider tips about tube and worm and giant tuna.

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