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.
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. Big bluefins have free reign over the entire Bay. Yet there are a few well known areas that seem to produce more tuna hookups when Fishing Cape Cod Bay, and tuna sightings than other spots inside the Bay.
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 Ledge is situated pretty much 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. 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. Bluefins in the 150 pound range are much better suited for spin fishermen-compared to the 500 plus pound goliaths. Nevertheless larger specimens will sometimes be found mixed amongst the smaller guys.
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.. 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 surprise or two in the form of an explosive strike from a giant. Not all of these bluefish may at first sight appear to be "bait size.".
Quite a few of these Billingsgate bluefish are on the enormous side of the spectrum. They may seem too big to use as bait. However a 1,000 pound bluefin certainly has no problem sucking down a 35 inch or longer bluefish.. 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.
Fishing with Kites and Balloons
Kite fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a tuna. It’s essentially the same thing as topwater bass fishing, except the fish is about 300 times bigger.
Paying attention to details when Fishing Cape Cod is important, especially when kite fishing for big bluefins. 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 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. “Bridling” baits can help to increase the longevity of precious live bluefish, pogies and mackerel.
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 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 ballon away from the boat and start the drift.
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