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Sports

October is Prime Time for Barnstable Fishing

From snapper bluefish to giant 1,000 pound tuna, October is prime time for fishing off Barnstable.

October is the month we've all been waiting for-at least if you enjoy fishing on Cape Cod. 

To be honest, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that October is actually upon us.  It seems as if it was just May, and we were live lining mackerel in Barnstable Harbor for early season stripers.  Time certainly flies when you're having fun.

And if this October is anything like October's of the past, the next 31 days are going to fly by in a heartbeat.  If you haven't fished much this season, now is the time to use a sick day or two and get out on the water.

The bulk of the striped bass population will be on the move south this month.  There will potentially be millions of striped bass swimming south past Cape Cod over the next few weeks.  These fish have two options when it comes to passing by the Cape.  The bass can either take the long route around the backside, or take a shortcut through the Cape Cod Canal.

To phrase it another way, there will be plenty of big striped bass within reach of boat fishermen and surfcasters.

October is also an awesome month for bluefin tuna.  Footballs all the way up to 1,000 pound giants will venture surprisingly close to shore.  During October of 2009 I watched in awe as 100-200 pound bluefins propelled themselves straight clear of the water, no more than 300 yards from shore.  You could have reached these tuna in a row boat!

A plethora of other fishes will also be available to Barnstable anglers this month.  Needless to say, we have a lot to look forward to.

This Past Week

The most exciting news of this past week is that there were a ton of bluefin tuna in Cape Cod Bay.  Fish up to 400 pounds were consistently spotted within 8 miles of the East End of the Cape Cod Canal.  One credible source reported hundreds of tuna crashing the surface within one mile of shore.

I was able to head out onto the Bay to check things out for myself earlier in the week.  It was not long until we found giant tuna on the surface in 90 feet of water off Sandy Neck.  At one point we had tuna in amongst our balloon baits, however the only bites we had were from big blue sharks.

A pilot flying over Cape Cod Bay recently reported that blue sharks are literally everywhere.  I can certainly attest to the validity of this report after hooking up with five 6-10 ft. sharks in one morning this past week.  Beachgoers need not worry-all these fish were hooked miles from the coastline.

Dense fog made things difficult for many fishermen this week.  Cape Cod Bay was socked in on multiple occasions, with visibility no more than 100 ft.  Despite the fog, there were bass caught, some of them on the hefty side. 

The north facing creeks have fished well at night as of late.  An incoming tide coupled with an onshore breeze is a deadly combination for both Scorton and Old Harbor in Sandwich.  Old Harbor in particular has had a steady pick of schoolies to small keepers at night during the first part of the incoming tide. 

I was able to get in on the Old Harbor night bite during the middle of this past week.  A needlefish plug proved to be the ticket to a diet of 20-30 inch bass.  However there are bigger bass, up to 20 pounds, residing inside the creek for those willing to cull through the little guys.

There are still plenty of false albacore spread throughout the southside of the Cape.  These small tuna put up one heck of a fight on light tackle.  A boat is usually necessary to pursue albies, however folks fishing the Canal as well as some of the southside beaches have been hooking up from shore.

Looking Forward

Last October featured an incredible giant bluefin tuna bite inside Cape Cod Bay.  Unfortunately, last October's weather was not very conducive to fishing for tuna.  Lets cross our fingers that this October will feature calm winds and clear skies.

Most of the big tuna caught last week were taken around the whiting draggers off Provincetown.  Whiting can be jigged up rather easily in the deep water off P-town.  Fished under a balloon these bottom dwelling fish can be deadly on giant tuna.

Yet you may not have to venture all the way to Provincetown if this week is anything like last week.  Setting up a chum slick just a few miles off Cape Cod Bay's north facing beaches may be an even better bet than heading to P-town.  You certainly won't have to deal with the fleet, and you're chum slick will be the only slick for miles.  There's also a bunch of sea herring and mackerel holding in 70-90 feet of water in the Bay-so there's plenty of reasons for the tuna to stick around.

The striped bass migration should bring biomasses of bass into the Billingsgate, Sandy Neck, and Cape Cod Canal area.  An onshore breeze coupled with baitfish in tight to shore sets the stage for epic shallow water blitzes.  This already occurred a few times during September, with large schools of 20-40 pound bass moving into the wash under the cover of darkness. 

It's only the most ambitious anglers who usually find this action-as it often occurs miles from the nearest parking lot or boat ramp, during the depths of the night.

Scorton Ledge should also hold some big bass on occasion, especially if the wind blows onshore.

Every fishing report on Cape Cod is talking about the hot albie bite, however I wouldn't imagine this bite to last for much longer.  If you're into albies, it'd be smart to make the most of this coming week before these fish head south again towards the Vineyard and beyond.

The blue sharks in Cape Cod Bay are not showing any signs of letting up.  This is a great opportunity for shark enthusiasts, but awful news for the live bait tuna crowd.  I've never heard of there being so many blue sharks around, so again it'd be smart to make the most of this coming week before they disperse into deeper water.

The stage has been set for a phenomenal October.  All we need now is for Mother Nature to cooperate, and grace us with some nice weather.  Best of luck on the water this week, tight lines and catch 'em up!

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