Help / Chatham MA

[Chasin_Tail]

Hey there,

HELP!

I'm trailering my 28' Mako up to Chatham for a couple days of fishing in the next week or two. I'm taking Customers out but have never fished these waters.

Were seeking keeper Tuna & Rock/Stripers. I have fished both species from Maryland down to Morehead, but never north.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Any local licenses required, boat or individual, can I buy a licenses for both species and the boat???

Any recommendations on a local ramp and recommended fishing areas (general GPS coordinates would be awesome)?

Any recommendations on bait and or tackle. Mostly trolling parachutes with shads, spoons, etc... for Stripers and Ballyhoo naked, w/ witches, etc for the tuna, any other thoughts?

A million THANKS for the help!!!!

[Thynnus]

You need an HMS permit to legally target BFT in MA waters, so make sure you have that. Go to a local tackle shop to get some knowledge regarding the lures you will need. The BFT east of Chatham will eat skirted hoos, but you will be better off trolling a mix of spreader bars, splasher bars and daisy chains. The bass you will certainly not need to troll, just look for the fleet of 200 boats parked east of the new cut and drop a bucktail jig down with a piece of pink uncle josh pork rind (or any jighead / sluggo combo) and you will catch bass all day long. Ryders Cove Marina is the best to trailer out of or Saquatucket on the south side. Good luck out there, and make sure to get your tuna permit.

[GreenPondEd]

Diamond jigs have been working well for the stripers too.

[fonzie]

on tues, weds, thurs - unless you get to Ryders Cove Marina on monday, you may not find a spot.

[HeavyDuty]

ryders cove is gonna be residents only next year because of these kind of posts....i am not kidding
heard it at the town meeting last week.....

[BIGJAHOOTIE]

how can you take customers fishing if you dont know how or where to go???
bunch of lucky customers

[Chasin_Tail]

Thanks for the PM's and feedback on the board. All good stuff!

Sidebar - has anyone used planner boards for tuna? I want to try provided the waves are far apart and or less the 4'.

Anyone try, good or bad?
Is this a dumb idea???

[hotreels jr]

Thanks for the PM's and feedback on the board. All good stuff!

Sidebar - has anyone used planner boards for tuna? I want to try provided the waves are far apart and or less the 4'.

Anyone try, good or bad?
Is this a dumb idea???

Outriggers...

[chumtini]

I've tried planers, they're a PIA. Be careful around the whales. They're everywhere. And any meat that goes near the bottom will be evaporated by dogfish.

There are about a 1/2 dozen parking spots for non-residents at the ramp and no overnight parking at Ryders. If you can't find a spot, your screwed unless you have an alternate for parking your truck/trailer nearby. You can call Ryders Cove Boat Yard. They have transient moorings and a launch. They'll give you a key so you have access to the launch 7x24. I keep my boat there (as well as a few other SFCers).

If you do Ryder's, be sure to mark the bouys in the daylight, especially the 3 high flyers that mark the cut. The Chatham Cuts can be unforgiving when the seas are coming from anywhere remotely east. There's nothing more exciting than driving into a black wall of water in the dark.

Saq is another good option as it's inside Monomoy (Nantucket Sound). Easy in and out. But passing Monomoy has it's challenges. Normally, not as exciting as Chatham Cut. But the prevailing southwesterlies has it's own kinda fun. There are other marinas inside Monomoy. I just don't recall who has ramps and parking (Stage? Bass River?)

Another option is Stellwagen and Cape Cod Bay. It's a little more forgiving, weatherwise and excellent fishing. And has a ton of places to launch from.

As for B&T, there are 3 shops I visit most in the Chatham area (not in any particular order).
Goose Hummock
The Hookup
Sportsman's Landing

All carry ballyhoo and anything else you could possibly need. Although, there has been some debate on who carries the best bionic baits. LOL

Chatham Bait & Tackle is less than a mile from Ryders if you need something in a pinch.

There's also Fishermens Supply(??) in Chatham. They're more comm focused. So if you get a little chilly out there, that's the place to get a good set of rubbers.
(appologies if I missed anyone - these are the ones I visit)

What permit(s) do you have? charter/headboat?

GPS coordinates??

[finndown]

I wouldn't even bother bringing planer boards up with you. The guy's up here haven't even seen them, and will probably get you shot in the confusion they will create.