Without a doubt, September is one of the best months for fishing Cape Cod and for trolling for striped bass. There's plenty of reasons why this is the case. The early morning air has a crisp bite to it that was not present during August, the crowds at the boat ramp dissipate, and the fish show up in larger numbers and are more aggressive.
September weather is also usually pretty nice. Again for starters, the humidity and the predominant southwest wind have eased a bit. Greasy calm days are pretty common. And then there will be those breezy days and nights. However in September, a big wind is not always a bad thing. A brisk onshore breeze often lights up the fishing in spots that are surprisingly close to shore.
September weather is also usually pretty nice. Again for starters, the humidity and the predominant southwest wind have eased a bit. Greasy calm days are pretty common. And then there will be those breezy days and nights. However in September, a big wind is not always a bad thing. A brisk onshore breeze often lights up the fishing in spots that are surprisingly close to shore.
Striped bass behavior changes during September. This is the month when bass on Cape Cod begin to stage for their southerly migration. Many of the stripers that you could not entice a single bite from during July will now hop all over a tossed offering. The bass become noticeably more aggressive as October approaches. Odds are that if you find the fish, you will be able to catch them.
Locating bass in the first place is often one of the most difficult challenges to catching stripers. Luckily, during September, finding stripers also becomes easier in most Cape Cod locales. As October approaches, big schools of bass move closer to the beachfront. Of course bass are found throughout the year in close to shore, however greater numbers of fish seem to move closer to the beach throughout this month. The days of trolling and cruising around in 60-70 feet of water are now (hopefully!) over. Spending time fishing and searching in 15-40 feet of water is the protocol during this time of the year.
As September wanes into October, giant tuna and striped bass really become aggressive. This is the start of the annual southerly migration for bass. Fortunately giant tuna will stick around after the bass leave. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but I can not help but remember the great fishing we had during late September 2010. Of course, who knows what will happen in 2011. However the odds are in our favor that we will be able to at least put a few seriously large bass and giant tuna in the boat.
Giant tuna could be found surprisingly close to shore during the fall of 2010. We saw giant tuna in 70 feet of water off Sandy Neck (about 3-4 miles from the beach). We even hooked up with a giant tuna off the East End of the Cape Cod Canal during the third week in September. Even if you don't hook up, seeing tuna this close to shore is a treat in and of itself.
Big blues and snapper blues invade Cape Cod during September. Pefect tuna bait size bluefish (20 inches or so) will often be around in full force. If 10 plus pound bluefish are your target, than look no further than Cape Cod Bay. Race Point, Sandy Neck and Billingsgate Shoal all produce big bluefish during September.
For smaller bluefish and snappers, concentrate on the south side of the Cape. The many bays and estuaries that litter the Cape's southside, including Buzzards Bay, are home to these baby bluefish. Snappers are a ton of fun on light tackle. This is great fishing for the under 10 years of age crowd. Even these tiny bluefish make great bait for giant tuna. We hooked up with a giant last September using a 6 inch snapper in Cape Cod Bay.
This is the time of the year when we hear stories of more exotic fish entering the water around Cape Cod. Even more exotic fish like Spanish Mackerel are caught off the southside of the Cape. These fish are usually taken by anglers fishing for bonito and false albies. So far this season I have heard some very positive reports of mahi-mahi being caught with regularity around the high flyers south of the Vineyard.
Cape Cod has many fantastic fishing opportunities. The fishing will only improve as September inches its way towards October. There will be many big fish taken whenever the weather allows. Now is the time to go fishing before the cold, windy days of November arrive!
