Species Hunting Adventures - Part 4: Summer Visitors And Success At Last!

Northern Puffer

September 12, 2018

By the end of the Summer the water in Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound gets warm enough to attract a host of warm water species.  This year was no exception.  The local fishing reports told of False Albacore blitzes all over Southern New England.  Stories of  exotic catches included southern species such as Snappers, King Mackerel, and Cobia.  Diversity of saltwater species is at a peak at this time of year.  With that in mind it was time to make another attempt at breaking my personal record of fourteen species caught in one day that was set last year in October.

Wood’s Hole Blitz

Kayaking the waters around Woods Hole would be a good way to start.  Lately I’d been catching small Striped Bass near rocky structure and a lot of Bluefish.  The warm water here also attracts a number of southern species as well as holding the usual resident bottom dwellers.

I arrived just before sunrise and paddled out past the docks. As I turned the corner near the National Marine Fisheries facility, the water suddenly erupted with breaking fish and diving birds.  I paddled towards the commotion and hurled a brightly colored Kastmaster at at some breaking fish.  Something grabbed the lure just as I started the retrieve.  Soon netted the day’s first fish, a medium sized Bluefish.  Caught a couple more Blues but none of the False Albacore that frequent this area in September.  

Next I paddled over towards a small rocky island in search of Striped Bass.  It didn’t take too long to catch one small schoolie.  Switched over to bottom fishing with bits of clam on a small hook.  Caught a very small Cunner near the island and a few Scup as I paddled back into more open water.  Switched over to using a clam baited Bucktail Jig bounced along the bottom.  Caught a couple of Black Sea Bass.  Stayed with the bucktail for a while hoping for a Fluke.  After catching more Sea Bass it was time to move on. Five species down with ten more to go.

Warm Water Exotics

Next stop was Megansett Harbor for more kayak fishing.  Started out with a hi-lo rig baited with clam.  As to be expected the pesky Scup started stealing the bait.     However I persisted as other species might also find the bait.  After releasing a bunch of Scup I reeled in a “double” of what at first appeared to be two Scup, one on each hook.  To my surprise one of the “Scup” was actually a Pinfish, a rare southern visitor to Cape Cod.  I caught Pinfish for the first time last year in North Carolina. 

Pinfish

Next I decided to use a baited bucktail jig to target Fluke and Sea Robins near a sandy beach.  Success followed and I pulled in two Fluke that measured 16 and 17 inches. 

Fluke

A warm water species commonly found on Cape Cod at this time of year is the Pufferfish.  Megansett Harbor is usually where I catch them.  To target the puffers I switched to a hi-lo rig with very small hooks and bits of clam.  Next I paddled closer to the beach where the water would be warmest   After a couple of drifts and a few tiny scup, I managed to catch species number eight, a Northern Puffer.  

I could have stayed a bit longer to try for a Sea Robin or a Kingfish, but decided instead to move on to some other spots that were a sure bet for catching more species. Next was a short visit to the Cape Cod Canal.  The Canal is loaded with small baitfish in September.  Using a Sabiki rig, it didn’t take long to catch a Silversides and a small Menahaden (a.k.a. peanut bunker). At this point the species count was ten, all of them from saltwater.  Only needed to catch five more species.  Targeting freshwater species seemed like the best strategy.  It was 3pm which would give me about four hours before dark. 

The Final Stretch

Drove a few miles to Spectacle Pond in Sandwich.  Used a sliding bobber rig with a small #12 hook baited with an earthworm.  I fished it close to shore and caught four Yellow Perch, two Pumpkinseed Sunfish, and one Smallmouth Bass.  Two more species to go!

Santuit Pond in Mashpee has a nice variety of freshwater species.  It’s too warm and shallow for trout but has an abundance of just about everything else.   I used two poles with sliding bobber rigs.  One was baited with an earthworm while the other had a live Killifish.  Before too long something grabbed the Killifish and swam off with the bait.   I counted to ten and then set the hook.  It was a Chain Pickerel.  Then a fish swam off with the worm on the other rod.  This time it was a Golden Shiner, species number fifteen. Finally succeeded in breaking my personal record for most fish caught in one day!   

After catching a few more shiners and one more pickerel, the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the water.  A prime time to catch White Perch.  As if on cue schools of perch started to break the surface chasing small baitfish.  So I finished the day by catching seven feisty White Perch and set a new personal record of sixteen species. 

White Perch

This record will be hard to beat.  More time is definitely required.  The long days of June will be best time to make another attempt.  The earlier in June the better because the trout might still be active.  Ocean kayaking is also a key to success, although the warm water summer visitors won’t be here yet.  However the longer day will allow me to kayak in more than just two saltwater locations. 

Until then I’m thinking that the next species hunt challenge could be largest number of species caught in one day of ice fishing.

List Of Species Caught On 9/12/18

1. Bluefish  
2. Scup  
3. Black Sea Bass  
4. Cunner  
5. Striped Bass
6. Pinfish 
7. Fluke   
8. Northern Puffer
9. Menhaden  
10. Silversides
11. Pumpkinseed Sunfish 
12. Yellow Perch  
13. Smallmouth Bass 
14. Chain Pickerel
15. Golden Shiner  
16. White Perch

August 15, 2018 Species Hunting Adventures - Part 3: Party Time!

Sunrise At Plymouth Harbor

East Of Stellwagen Bank With Captain John Boats 

Party boat fishing is great way to go far from shore and catch species that are usually out of reach to a shore or kayak fisherman.  It’s also fun, affordable, and hassle free.  I usually try to bring along other family members or friends and meet other passengers to converse with.  It’s a very sociable mode of fishing.  As for cost I only pay $44 with the senior discount for a six hour trip with Captain John Boats in Plymouth. Even if you add a tip for the mate it’s still pretty inexpensive. 

On this day I went alone on a six hour trip arriving at the harbor just in time watch an awesome sunrise.  The main targets would be Haddock and Hake.  It was a one and a half hour trip out to the fishing grounds which left about three hours of actual fishing time.  The boat provided clams for bait.  I brought along my own mackerel strips.   

I started with a rig that was purchased on a recent trip to Ireland, my “Irish Jigs”.  It has three hooks dressed with orange and pink attractors plus a few glow beads.  Using mackerel strips for bait I caught some Whiting, a small Cod, quite a few Red Hake and a couple Mackerel.  I kept using the same rig for about an hour then switched to a hi-lo rig with 4/0 hooks and green glow beads baited with clams.   This method seemed to work best for Haddock.  Caught two keeper Haddock (over 17 inches) and a few shorts. 

Red Hake

Whiting

The boat returned to Plymouth Harbor at 1 pm.  I had caught five species so far.  At this point I decided to make another attempt at breaking last year’s personal record of 14 species caught in a single day.  One advantage was the fact that four of the five were species that I wouldn’t likely encounter fishing from from shore or in a kayak.  The disadvantage was that it took half the day to get only five species.  

My first stop was the nearby Cape Cod Canal.  I used a sabiki rig baited with small bits of clam to catch a couple of Cunner.  There was only a slight chance of catching other species at this time of day so I switched gears and went freshwater fishing.  

The Ponds In Sandwich

Made a stop at Hoxie Pond hoping for a big pickerel.  Nothing was biting the live bait that I was throwing out so I didn’t stay long.  Next stop was Spectacle Pond. Using very a small hook with a piece of earthworm I caught two juvenile Smallmouth Bass and a Bluegill Sunfish.  The “gill” was a real surprise.  Pumkinseed Sunfish are quite common here and this was the first Bluegill I ever caught at this location.  Next was Pimlico Pond.  This is a reliable spot for Yellow Perch year round and Pumkinseed Sunfish during the warmer months.  I managed to quickly add these two species to the list which by now was up to ten. 

I had to decide on a strategy.  I had two choices. One was to continue fishing in freshwater until sunset where I had a shot at catching maybe five species at probably two different locations.  Another choice would be to take the kayak out on Megansett Harbor with a reasonable shot at seven species.  I decided on the saltwater option. 

Megansett Harbor In North Falmouth

Northern Kingfish

I launched my kayak at 5pm with hopes of quickly racking up some species. Ideally I might even have time to hit another pond afterwards.  The Scup were plentiful.  In fact they were too plentiful, grabbing both jigs and bait before anything else had a chance to bite.  I started out with a hi-lo rig but soon switched to a baited bucktail jig and a chartreuse Berkley Gulp Mullet as a teaser.  With this rig I would be targeting Sea Bass, Fluke, Sea Robin, and maybe Bluefish or Striped Bass.  The Scup continued to be a nuisance by stealing bait.  After over two hours I had caught over 20 Scup, 2 Black Sea Bass, and 1 Northern Kingfish.  With the sun low on the horizon I paddled back towards the beach and started casting small metal lures for Stripers and Blues.  Watching a glorious sunset ay Megansett Harbor was compensation enough for once again coming up two species short of breaking my record. 

Sunset At Megansett Harbor

List Of Species Caught On 8/15/18

1. Red Hake
2. Whiting
3. Haddock
4. Atlantic Cod
5. Mackerel
6. Cunner
7. Bluegill Sunfish
8. Smallmouth Bass
9. Pumpkinseed Sunfish
10. Yellow Perch
11. Scup   
12. Black Sea Bass  
13. Northern Kingfish

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