New England fishing

[mdunc8]

I'm heading to Woods Hole (southern tip of Cape Cod) to work for two weeks next Friday, which will provide me a good opportunity to check a few more states off my list. I'm thinking about hitting up New Hampshire and Vermont the first weekend. I'd also like to do some fishing around the Cape or Martha's Vineyard in the evenings after work. I may try to swing down to Rhode Island and Connecticut the second weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'll probably take my fly rod out there with me and buy a cheap surf/spinning rod when I get out there.

 

[Hem]

You should be hitting it pretty good for stripers,I think the migration starts by now and the fish are in the New England area.By all means get out and flyrod for "browndogs".I fish every other year off of Mass. with my dad ,mostly in the Plum Island area(North shore),but we've also fished Rhode Island and the Vineyard.I recommend a heavier rod with a 300-350 g.sinking line and some Clousers.If you consider a guide for a day,I can make a good recommendation,although he mostly operates on the North Shore.Getting out on the water is most productive,but there is good fishing to be had from shore......it might take some time,though, to find where the fish are.

 

[Hem]

Here is a striper pic from my last trip.Looking at that healthy striper is getting me psyched for this years trip,unfortunately we'll be there in August when the bass fishing is slowest.

 

[mdunc8]

Nice! I doubt I'll get a guide, but I may look into renting a boat. I'll probably just end up surf fishing in the evenings though. From the reports I've read, it sounds like the fishing is starting to heat up.

 

[mixedbag]

haven't been up that way in alot of years.You should be able to find some rental boats you could take out in the bays.Watch the tides and ask the locals alot of questions.You should be able to get a few even from shore;rock jetties
Have fun

 

[mdunc8]

Managed to check Vermont and New Hampshire off my list this weekend. Hoping to get into some stripers and blues the next week or two here on the Cape. I saw a guy in Woods Hole with a couple buckets of fish just like Hem's. Eventually I'll post a few pictures. I think you'll get a kick out of the places I ended up sleeping the last few nights.

 

[Hem]

Hopefully the fisherman who had buckets of fish had ones larger than mine.I seem to recall my fish taping at 28-29" and keepers are 30" and over, I think,for Massachusetts.Check the regs before bonking.

 

[mixedbag]

Yep, the regs are pretty strict with stripers.Don't think you can keep more then 2-3 fish

 

[mdunc8]

Not sure on length, but they looked to be 7-8 pound fish. I think he had two, maybe three stripers. The rest looked to be blues. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[mixedbag]

they have a limit on blues now too for the past few years,but you could fill a few buckets with them till you reached yourlimit.Unless your going to eat them, I'd rather be catching the blues;much better fight

 

[mdunc8]

Missed a striper last night before donating my $10 lure the fishing gods. I did manage to snag a pretty sweet looking pipefish. Wish I could have taken a picture, but it was dumping. Those little guys are pretty neat looking.

 

[mixedbag]

Good luck.If your lucky the birds will show you where the fish are.When the blues go into a feeding frenzy,they can really churn the water up,and the birds will dive to get the scraps.Stripers will be below them alot of times getting leftovers too
Are there any rental boats up there or are you fishing off the jetties?

 

[mdunc8]

Jetties so far. No luck again last night. I did see some smaller birds diving quite a bit, but they were about 50-75 yards out from where I could cast.

I've been trying to track down a rental boat. If I haven't caught anything by the end of the week and can't find a boat, I'll tie some boards together with a couple barrels if that's what it take to catch some fish.

 

[mixedbag]

Should be some party boats running out of there somewhere.Spend a little and catch alot.I prefer the rental boats though.Good luck finding some up there.Look over some tide charts and fish during the changing tides;usually best

 

[tarheel]

If you're going for blues try to find a "Gotcha" lure in white with red head or chartreuse with red head. They're sinkers, so you'll have to crank like hell to keep them off the rocks or whatever you have for bottom. Blues don't mind how fast the lure is 'cause they're such speedsters anyway.

 

[mdunc8]

Thanks for the suggestion Tarheel. A party boat might not be a bad idea if I can't find a boat to rent.

 

[mdunc8]

Switched over to some ruber shad looking things and started picking up some fish. No keepers, but it's a start.

 

[Hem]

Hey,COOL....thats the way.Glad you are finding fish.Now that you figuring this business out its time for some fly rod action.Give it a try,you'll be a true believer in striped bass on a fly for ever after.Keep the pics coming.

 

[mdunc8]

I may give it a try. The few I caught with the spinning rod tonight were well within range of the fly rod. Moving on to Connecticut and Rhode Island this weekend, but I'll be back to the Cape on Sunday.

 

[mixedbag]

Looks like your having fun now