Cape Cod's Epic Bluefin Tuna Fishing

When Fishing Cape Cod , make sure to ask about bluefin tuna.

The Giant Tuna fishing in the waters surrounding Cape Cod, MA has been nothing short of spectacular the past few seasons. Tunas of all sizes and shapes have infiltrated Cape Cod Bay, Stellwagen Bank and many other locales around the Cape.

It is difficult to top Cape Cod when it comes to bluefin tuna fishing. There are not many places in the world where an angler has a better chance at battling a 500 plus pound Giant Tuna within a few miles of the beach.

The sheer amount of tuna in Massachusetts Bay over the past few seasons has been staggering. Impressive schools of juvenile tuna, along with giant tuna visit the Cape each season.

They feed on the plethora of mackerel, herring, sandeels and whiting (to name just a few of the many prey items) that are plentiful off Cape Cod. Many of the tunas are caught in places accessible by smaller boats.

Fish over the 500 pound mark are caught each year from boats more suited for striped bass fishing.

There has been a lot of hype in the media about bluefin tuna being depleted and on the verge of extinction. Yet the abundance of bluefin tuna off Cape Cod has only increased in recent years.

Fishermen of all calibers agree that there has been an influx of tuna throughout the past decade. The Cape Cod fishey is alive, abundant, and thriving.

Luckily for Cape Cod fishermen, much of the action can be found within a short steam from the harbor. Many of the top tuna fishing destinations are just a few miles off the Cape Cod shoreline.

Large schools of bluefins could be found within just a few miles of the Barnstable coastline during June of 2010. These fish fed heavily just north of the Fingers. Being so close to shore, it was possible for smaller boats to target the tuna, even if the wind was blowing at a moderate pace.

These tuna were fussy, and difficult to fool. However the topwater feeding frenzies proved to be quite the show in and of themselves.

During some trips, hundreds of tuna could be spotted across the horizon. The telltale splashes and whitewater could be seen from close to a mile away as the fish crushed bait on the surface.

This year the stage has been set for some epic fall tuna fishing. As is the norm, the baitfish are here in abundance. Half beaks, mackerel, whiting and herring will be plentiful come fall. For Cape Cod tuna fishermen, there is no better time of the year than September and October.

My crew on the Miss Loretta will be focusing our efforts on giant tuna this fall. We will be live-lining bluefish and pogies under balloons and kites.

12-20 inch long bluefish make ideal bait for large bluefins. These "snack size" bluefish are not easy to procure, however they are well worth the effort.

Catching blues in the days leading up to a tuna trip is ideal. Small bluefish can be found throughout the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Unfortunately these areas are usually a considerable distance from the tuna grounds.

The tricky part is figuring out a way to transport the feisty chompers, once you finally catch a few, to Cape Cod Bay, Stellwagen Bank and other tuna hotspots.

A bait well full of menhaden may be easier to obtain than blues. On a good year, millions of pogies flood into the water surrounding Cape Cod.

These filter feeders can be gillnetted or cast netted in many of the Cape's back bays and estuaries. Expect to put in many hours of searching and trial and error before locating and perfecting the art of catching live menhaden.

Artificial baits will still produce plenty of tuna for anglers who would rather not deal with the complexities of obtaining live bait.

Trolling squid bars is one of the more popular techniques employed by the ares top captains. There are a variety of other trolling options available as well.

Many anglers choose to pursue school and small giant tuna on spinning gear. Casting topwater plugs and jigging metal are effective ways of targeting tuna as well.

Tuna can be caught in a multitude of ways. The key is determining what method works best for you and your crew. Experiment with different techniques until you discover one that works well for you.

Fall is an exciting time to be on Cape Cod. Aside from tuna, the striped bass fishing and whale watching can be incredible.

Switching tactics and pursuing stripers is always a viable alternative if the tuna bite slows. Sometimes 20-40 pound bass are caught on the same pogies and squid bars intended for bluefins. On some days bass are even refferred to as a nuisance by tuna anglers.

The fall of 2011 has great potential for anglers fishing off Cape Cod. If the weather cooperates expect some seriously big tuna at the docks. Large striped bass will certainly be part of the mix as well.

The opportunities are truly endless.