Species Hunting Adventures - Part Two: Tasty Flatfish And A Toothy Monster

At The Landing In Scorton Creek

July 1, 2018

Scorton Ledge, East Sandwich, MA

A light southwesterly wind made the conditions just right for kayak fishing in Cape Cod Bay.  I decided to hit Scorton Ledge in East Sandwich at sunrise.  This rocky area near the mouth of Scorton Creek provides habitat for a nice variety of species.  Over the years I’ve caught Tautog, Cunner, Winter Flounder, Sculpin, Pollock, Mackerel, Striped Bass, and Bluefish all at this location. 

I put in at the state run landing on Scorton Creek.  The current of the outgoing tide swiftly carried the kayak into the bay.  Began by targeting Winter Flounder using a rig with two flounder hooks and small pieces of clam for bait. This “hi-lo” rig was weighted with a 2 0z sinker and then bounced along the bottom. On the first drift I caught two flounder. One was 15 inches and the other 13 inches, both big enough to keep!  On the second drift I caught a few small Cunner and a Longhorn Sculpin but no flounder.  Hmm , I thought three species already with sun just barely over the horizon, perhaps I should make this another species hunting day. Only four days ago I came close to breaking my personal record of fourteen species in one day.  That day I was hindered by high winds that made kayaking impossible. Today would be different.

Longhorn Sculpin

Winter Flounder

It was time to target some other species.  I put away the hi-lo bottom rig and switched it for a Sabiki Rig.  This rig is used for jigging and casting.  It consists of four or more tiny hooks tied with feathers, tinsel or mylar.  A weight or a metal lure is attached at the bottom.  The rigs are commonly used to catch small baitfish. My rig had 5 hooks tied with colored feathers and weighted with a small silver Kastmaster. 

I paddled to the western side of the ledge where there’s a gradual drop-off and started trolling with the Sabiki Rig.  The Mackerel were there and the stinger was quickly filled.  Also caught and released a few small Pollock. Some of these macks would be cooked using a new recipe that I brought back from a recent trip to Ireland.  The others would be frozen to use as bait.       

Pollock

   

Atlantic Mackerel

                                     

I tried live lining one of the mackerel to try to catch a Striped Bass.  There were no visible signs of stripers going after the baitfish so paddled back to the landing. After a productive morning of salt water fishing it was time to go inland.

The Ponds In Sandwich

The next few stops would be at three nearby ponds in Sandwich, Hoxie Pond, Spectacle Pond, and Pimlico Pond.   Hoxie is a small but deep pond that used to stocked with trout in the Spring.  The state stopped stocking it a couple years ago because of poor public access.  It’s still accessible enough to fish for huge pickerel that live in a lily pad covered area adjacent to the cranberry bog.  Spectacle is a medium sized pond.  It is well stocked with trout.  It’s a good spot for recently stocked Rainbow Trout, big holdover Brown Trout, large Yellow Perch, and some decent size Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. Pimlico Pond is another small pond.  It’s stocked  with Brook, Brown, and Rainbow Trout in the Spring.  Some of the Browns hold over to the Fall.   Other species include Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, and a large population of Pumpkinseed Sunfish.

At Hoxie Pond I found a spot along the shore that had room to cast and a small gap of open water between the lily pads.  Used a sliding bobber with a live Mummichog. Eventually a fish grabbed the bait a slowly began swimming towards the lily pads.  I set the hook just before it reached the weeds and felt a powerful tug.  Eventually I was able to land one of the big toothy monster pickerel that live in Hoxie Pond.

Chain Pickerel

Hoxie pond is great for catching big Chain Pickerel but it’s only mediocre where other species are concerned so it was time to move on.  Next stop was Spectacle Pond.  This is one of my favorite Cape Cod trout ponds in the Spring and Fall.  Although I caught a surprise Brown Trout just four days ago at a nearby pond it was unlikely that the trout would be active in the middle of a very hot day in July.  Instead I micro fished using a small hook baited with an earthworm to target Sunfish and juvenile Bass.  Caught a very small Largemouth Bass but wasn’t getting a lot of bites so decided to head over to Pimlico.  It was around noontime on a very hot summer day.  I easily caught and carefully released a colorful little male Pumpkinseed that was protecting it’s nest.  In the sweltering heat of the day it was the best I could hope for and a good time to take a break.  

Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Megansett Harbor, North Falmouth, MA

With a stiff breeze out of the southwest, it was a bit choppy in Megansett Harbor.  I was rested and decided it was still doable with a kayak.  Paddling against the wind and into the waves it was a bouncy ride out to the middle of the harbor where I usually do ok for a variety of species.  Used a Jig Rig with a pink bucktail baited with Berkley Gulp and clam. Caught a few scup and then paddled over to the red buoy outside of Fiddler’s Cove to look for Black Sea Bass.  Made a cast close to the buoy and felt a solid strike.  It was a 17 inch Black Sea Bass.  The wind kept blowing me back to where I started from.  After a few more drifts I picked up a Striped Sea Robin and a Bluefish along with more Scup and some small sea bass.  I stayed a while in the inner harbor and made casts with a lure to try for a Striped Bass.  The sun would set soon and I still needed three more species.  I was also losing steam.  Got home late from work the night before and slept only four and a half hours.  This last kayak excursion drained whatever energy I had left.  

Flax Pond, Bourne, MA

Drove to Flax Pond in Bourne to target Bluegill Sunfish and Yellow Perch.  This is a dependable pond for “gills”.  Using micro gear I caught a Bluegill but I no perch.  Yellow Perch rarely bite after sunset.  At this point I needed two more species and would’ve been fishing in the dark by the time I got to another spot.  With some tasty fish in my cooler, the two Winter Flounder, a Black Sea Bass, and the Mackerel, it was time to head home.

List Of Species Caught On 7/1/18

1. Winter Flounder
2. Sculpin
3. Cunner
4. Mackerel
5. Pollock
6. Chain Pickerel
7. Largemouth Bass
8. Pumpkinseed Sunfish
9. Scup   
10. Black Sea Bass  
11. Sea Robin  
12. Bluefish
13. Bluegill Sunfish

Recipes:   Panko Fried Flounder and Irish Style Mackerel With Oats

Ingredients:

Skinless Fish Fillets cut into thin 4x3 inch pieces 

Panko Bread Crumbs

White Flour

Salt

One Egg Scrambled

Cooking Oil 

Lime Juice

1. Prepare fish fillets by cutting into smaller pieces
2. Sprinkle fish with lime juice and shake off excess liquid
3. Starting heating oil in a pan or deep fryer on medium-high heat
4. Dipping fish pieces one at a time start by dredging a piece first in the flour
5. Next dip in the egg
6. Place egg coated fish in the panko crumbs.  Cover entirely with crumbs and press gently so that the crumbs stick. Then place on a plate.
7. Once all pieces are breaded place in hot oil.  Don’t try to fry too much as once. Flip once if using a pan.  Crumbs should be a golden brown when done.  Sizzling and bubbling will slow down once the fish is cooked.  (Should only take about three minutes to cook)
8. Place cooked fish on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt right away.  Serve with Tarter Sauce.  

In addition to Flounder, I use this recipe for Haddock, Hake, Scup, and Yellow Perch.  Panko fried fish tastes great in a taco!

For Mackerel I use small mackerel fillets with larger bones removed and the skin left on.  Then use the above recipe but substitute the breadcrumbs with quick cooking rolled oats.  Instead of using oil, cook the oat covered fillets in a frying pan with a generous amount of butter.  

Species Hunting Adventures Part One: A Personal Best And A Summer Surprise

Cunner From High Pine Ledge

In October of 2017 I set a new personal record of catching 14 different species of fish in one day.  I hoped to break this record in 2018.  It took four attempts before I was finally successful. 

June 27, 2018 

Met John Morgan at the Plymouth Harbor boat ramp at sunrise.   John’s plan was to take his boat just outside the harbor and jig for Atlantic Mackerel.  With any luck we might catch some Striped Bass by live lining the Mackerel.  John also wanted to stock up on baitfish for fishing in the Cape Cod Canal on the days when commercial fishing for Striped Bass is allowed. My goals were to maybe catch a big Striper and to use this opportunity as a starting point for a species hunting day. 

Strong winds and choppy water prevented us from going out very far.   However it didn’t take long before we jigged up some Mackerel and small Pollock.  John even hooked a couple of tiny juvenile Cod.  After filling the live well with bait we motored over to High Pine Ledge to live line the Macks for Striped Bass. This being a rocky shoal area I thought it would be a good idea to bounce some bits of clam off the bottom to find out what other species might be around.  It didn’t take long to catch two more species, a Sculpin and a few Cunners.  The Cunners were running between 6-12 inches which is actually large for this area.  They grow larger in deep water to the south and also get bigger off the coast of Maine.  We were about to head out to another spot when suddenly I felt a strong tug and hooked into a fairly heavy fish.  I thought it might be a Tautog, the larger cousin of the Cunner.  To my surprise I hauled in a 17 inch Cunner, the biggest one I ever caught!

We decided to head into the harbor to try another spot for Striped Bass.   As we entered the harbor we saw gulls diving over at Browns Bank and decided to check it out.  There were a few schools of small Striped Bass up to 23 inches long .  We used surface plugs to catch and release a few of them.  

It was 1:30pm when we got back to the ramp.   So far the tally for the day was five species.  I needed ten more to set a new personal record.  At this point I was running out of energy from getting up before dawn and getting tossed around by the waves all morning.  Had to go home for lunch and a two hour nap. 

The first stop after my break was Flax Pond, a small pond in the town of Bourne.  It's loaded with Bluegill Sunfish. Using a tiny hook baited with a small earthworm I quickly caught two “gills” and then drove over to nearby Megansett Harbor on the Buzzards Bay side of Cape Cod.  

The water in Buzzards Bay during the Summer is normally ten degrees warmer than where I had been fishing in Cape Cod Bay earlier in the day.  As a result it holds a number of warm water species rarely found north of the cape. 

It was still very windy so kayaking wasn’t an option. Only managed to catch a few Scup which was species number seven.    Next stop was the jetty in Woods Hole to target Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, and Tautog. Again I was limited to fishing from shore, Caught more Scup.  Not using a kayak was a major handicap.  The warm waters of Megansett and Woods Hole harbor diverse fish populations.  However a boat or kayak is the best approach for multi-species fishing at these two spots. 

Time was running out so I switched back to freshwater mode and headed over to Santuit Pond in Mashpee, a shallow weedy pond and home to a wide variety of species.  Rigged one rod with a worm and bobber and easily caught three more species, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, and Golden Shiner.  I usually catch Chain Pickerel and occasionally Largemouth Bass in Santuit.  Tried live baitfish and artificials but they just weren’t biting. 

Golden Shiner From Santuit Pond

Went to Mashpee-Wakeby Pond as the sun was setting.  This pond is deep with cold water for supporting trout.  I wasn’t expecting trout as I figured by this time at the beginning of the Summer they would be out in deeper water.  My target species were the Smallmouth Bass and White Perch that  become active just after sunset.  Soon after sunset splashing on the water surface told me that the White Perch were chasing small baitfish in the shallows.  Soon after I aught a White Perch and a Smallmouth while casting a gold Colorado Spoon.  Another rod was setup with a live Mummichog (a type of saltwater killifish) below a sliding bobber.  The bail was left open so a fish could take the bait without feeling any resistance.  When I saw the line peeling off the spool I assumed it must be a perch or a bass.  I was surprised to find a Brown Trout at the end of the line.  This was the first trout that I ever caught on Cape Cod in the summer.  I went back to Santuit and fished for a while in the dark hoping for a Bullhead or an eel.  I finally gave up after about an hour. 

Brown Trout From Mashpee-Wakeby Pond

Thirteen species in one day wasn’t too bad, but still two short of setting a new personal record.  Still it was fun fishing with my friend John in his boat catching Striped Bass and a personal best Cunner.  The Brown Trout was an added bonus.  

List Of Species Caught on 6/27/18         

1. Atlantic Mackerel   
2. Pollock  
3. Sculpin  
4. Striped Bass   
5. Cunner   
6. Bluegill Sunfish 
7. Scup 
8. Pumpkinseed Sunfish 
9. Yellow Perch 
10.  Golden Shiner  
11.  White Perch
12.  Brown Trout
13.  Smallmouth Bass 

Location Profile: Westport, Massachusetts - Sea Bass, Fluke, Tautog and More

Graceful Drifter on the Westport River

I first met Jim Turner when we were both working as Marine Biology instructors at the Bournedale Outdoor Education Center in Plymouth Massachusetts.   I was impressed with Jim’s ability to integrate his own real life experiences from a lifetime of boating, clamming and fishing on the south coast with the marine science lessons being presented to his students. Today, Jim applies his years of experience to running fishing charters out of Westport Harbor.  (See Westport Point Fishing Charters on Facebook)

Captain Jim Turner with a nice Fluke

I’ve had the privilege of accompanying Jim on many fishing trips.  The Westport area offers tremendous fishing opportunities due to it’s natural attributes.  The Westport River is relatively clean with healthy populations of shellfish, and forage fish.  Both rocky shoal areas and sandy stretches are found just outside the mouth of the river.  More outstanding fishing spots are nearby and include: Gooseberry Island, Hens & Chickens, Pine Tree Grounds, and a bit further offshore, Browns Ledge. 

A Striped Bass caught while trolling in early May

The fishing season begins here as elsewhere at the end of April with the arrival of large schools of small Striped Bass or “Schoolies”.  Within a couple of weeks larger keeper sized Stripers appear.  However once the legal seasons for Black Sea Bass and Fluke 

open up, that’s when the real fun begins.  The Westport area provides some of the best Black Sea Bass action in New England.  Big sea bass 20 inches or more are not at all uncommon during the month of May and into early June.  We also manage to catch some impressive size Fluke and Scup at this time of year.  Jim and I experienced one crazy day this past June when the Sea Bass were stacked thick from top to bottom over a rocky area in 20-30 feet of water.  Jim used a squid baited bottom rig and I used a Bucktail Jig tipped with a strip of Mackerel.  Not that it really mattered because at the height of the madness the fish were even hitting bare hooks.  We each caught our limit of big 17 - 20 inch sea bass plus a couple of Fluke, 19 & 24 inches. We must have released over 70 fish that day!

Black Sea Bass

Fluke

As the water gets warmer in the summer we have to work a bit harder to find Black Sea Bass & Fluke.  Fortunately great fish habitat is nearby in 50-60 feet of water.   By late summer we are finding fish at 70-100 ft.  Bluefish will also make a appearance about this time of year.   They add nice bit variety and a whole lot of fun action to a fishing trip.

Bluefish and Black Sea Bass

Just around the time that the Black Sea Bass season closes, (this year in Massachusetts the season closed on September 12th) Captain Jim begins to target another popular bottom fish, Tautog.  Numerous rock piles in the waters off Westport provide great habitat for the crab munching Tautog.  Last year’s Tautog fishing was fantastic during October and November.  This year’s season has been off to a good start with Westport giving up quality fish in mid September. We are also finding more Grey Triggerfish this year, possibly due to the very hot summer we just had.

Grey Triggerfish

The Westport River Area is a little bit out of the way for most people to drive to but it’s well worth the trip.  Captain Jim is currently taking reservations for full day and half day charters targeting Tautog in October.  I also recommend making reservations early to get in on some great Black Sea Bass fishing next Spring. 

Black Sea Bass - Peak Season: May-June, September.  Best Methods: 1) Hi-Lo Rig baited with Squid, Clam, Baitfish Strips and or Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet (red or chartreuse). 2) Bucktail Jig with a 4/0 Octopus or Circle hook tied one foot above the jig. Bait jig and hook with Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet plus squid or baitfish strip. 

Fluke - Peak Season: May-June, September.  Best Methods: 1) Spinner Rig baited with Squid, Baitfish Strips and or Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet (red, white or chartreuse). 2) Bucktail Jig with a 4/0 Kahale hook tied one foot above the jig. Bait jig and hook with Berkley Gulp Swimming Mullet plus squid or baitfish strip.

For more information on this blog about fishing in Westport see: Westport Fluke and Sea Bass and Westport Tautog Sunday October 22, 2017

Groundfishing and Stream Fishing In Ireland May 29 - June 7, 2018

Cynthia, and I recently vacationed in County Clare, Ireland. Between hiking along sea cliffs, exploring medieval ruins, and enjoying the craic of the local pubs I managed to do some 

fishing

                     Pub in Lisdoonvarna                                                Castle in Carrigaholt

Before leaving I booked a trip with Fishing Adventures in Kilbaha on the Lady Gwen II.  Captain Sean Maguire arranged a trip for us sharing the boat with a few other anglers.  He even set us 

up with a place to stay in Doonaha.  This area on the north shore of the Shannon River estuary is referred to as the Loop Head Peninsular.  It is quite rural and very beautiful. It was a great 

place to relax and unwind at the start of our vacation. 

Cliffs at Loop Head

The fishing trip was very successful in both quality and quantity of fish. I even caught two 

new species: European Ling and European Pollock.  Large numbers of Atlantic Mackerel 

and Atlantic Pollock (called Coalfish in the British Isles) rounded out the catch.  We used 

multi-hook rigs dressed with feathers or bucktail, often baited with bits of mackerel.

One Of My European Ling

Cynthia Holds up a European Pollock

Irish Jigs

At the end of the trip Captain Maguire filleted my two Ling and a Pollock for us to take 

back to the cottage.  These fish provided us with two delicious meals.  

Top: Coalfish or what we call Pollock in New England.   Bottom: European Pollock.  Note
the the Coalfishhas a relatively straight light colored lateral line while the European
Pollock has a darker curved lateral line.  The European Pollock also has much larger eyes.

After four nights in Doonaha we traveled north up the coast to Doolin.  From here we explored the Cliffs of Mohr and the Aran Islands.  In the evenings we went to the local 

pubs for food, music, and drinks.  We even joined in on a traditional session in 

Lidoonvarna and played our fiddles for a bit. 

We stayed at the Doolin Cottage B&B near the Aille River.  The accomodations were very comfrtable and a Full Irish Breakfast (or lighter fare if desired) was served each morning.  

Got up very early the first morning to check out the stream.  On the first cast a small fish followed my yellow Panther Martin Spinner.  On the next two casts I hooked up and caught two beautiful little Brown Trout.  These wild native fish were as bright and colorful as the wild Brook Trout that I’m used to catching in New England.  

Aille River in Doolin

Wild Native Brown Trout 

For the last few days of our trip we stayed at the Ardulan Guest House in Ennis (More Full Irish Breakfasts!).  The River Fergus flows through the back yard.  It didn’t take too long for me to catch several Eurasian Perch using a small floating Yellow Perch Rapala.

  The Back Yard of the Ardulan  Guest House in Ennis

Eurasian Perch

Cynthia and I both agree that we need to go back to Ireland in the near future.  I would like to spend more time saltwater fishing from shore in addition to a boat excursion.  Also might try a guided freshwater excursion on a lake to target different species from a small boat.