Known by locals as the 'Capital of the Cape', Hyannis is famous for its beautiful beaches, large harbor, easy access to open Atlantic waters. You can tell where we're going with this - Hyannis fishing charters are simply incredible. Troll for huge 'Cow' Stripers along the coastline or head offshore to battle Bluefin Tuna and monster pelagic Sharks. Even if you're just after some tasty food fish, you're in for a treat. It's called Cape Cod for a reason, after all.
Fishing Seasons
Hyannis' charter season kicks off in late spring with the arrival of Striped Bass. You can find smaller 'schoolie' stripers wintering in Cape Cod Bay, but the action doesn't get going this side of the cape until May. Bluefish come hot on the tails of the Stripers, chasing the same large migrations of Herring and Squid that draw all the game fish to town.
Throughout the summer and well into the fall the waters east of Hyannis are a feeding frenzy for big game species like Bluefin and Makos. Further south, Yellowfin Tuna and White Marlin can be found past the islands, drawn in by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. You can head pretty much any way you like and find huge fish offshore. Otherwise, you can stick to the coastline and target Stripers, Blues, Mackerel, and more. The action starts to die down in October, and by November most local charter boats are out of the water.
Types of Fishing
Hyannis may not have access to famous spots like Stellwagen Banks or Peaked Hill Bar, but that just means less fishing pressure. What it does have is mile after mile of beautiful coastline and one of the largest fishing harbors on the island. Local fishers have taken full advantage of this, and have come up with some signature trips to get you on the best fish around.
Striped Bass Charters
These are the bread and butter of Hyannis charter guides. Usually running around six hours long, they will take you along the coastline to target trophy Linesiders inshore. Forty-inch Cows are a reasonable expectation and hit after hit of smaller fish is pretty much guaranteed. Many guides also offer fly fishing 'All Star' packages, targeting Stripers, Blues, False Albacore, and other fly fishing favorites.
Shark/Tuna Charters
If you're up for the whole day onboard and don't mind heading offshore, Hyannis deep sea fishing charters will give you some serious big game action. To get the most out of these charters, you'll need at least 10 hours, and 12-hour trips are more common for Shark hunts. Bluefin are the only target on Tuna trips, but you've got a selection of Sharks to choose from. Makos, Porbeagles, Blues, Threshers - even Great Whites have been spotted in big numbers the last few years.
Food Fishing
Another great thing about fishing out of Hyannis is you can actually target Cod. Harvesting Cod is currently banned north of the cape, but heading south you can still catch these delicious fish which were once so common here. Offshore trips will also get you on Haddock, Pollock, Cusk, and maybe even Halibut. You'll have to head out pretty far to find them, but you'll be coming back with some of the tastiest fish in the sea.
Of course, the reason so many fish come to the area is the huge migration of Squid and Herring. Some captains run specialty Squid or Herring fishing trips at very good rates. These will bag you plenty of delicious fish, although they lack the hard fights of larger offshore food fish.
Fishing Techniques
Striped Bass are usually targeted by trolling, using traditional umbrella rigs trailing lures or cut bait like Herring. You can also have a lot of fun throwing surface lures like plugs and poppers. Fly fishing for Stripers can be almost too easy, especially if you match the hatch properly. The fish around here can get pretty big, so 3/0 or even 5/0 hooks can be needed to get the job done.
Tuna can be caught by trolling, as you would expect, and a lot of Cape Cod captains also throw or drop jigs for them. Trolling rigged baits on spreader bars is still one of the most common methods, and get some great results when the fish are near the surface. If the big ones are lurking a couple of hundred feet down, though, you'll be dropping soft plastic or all-metal jigs to marked fish below. These same lures can be great fun on the surface when the fishing is at its best.
As for Sharks? Good old-fashion chum slicks make up most of the technique, with heavy tackle and thick wire leaders leading to large cut or live baits. Chunking is also popular with serious Shark lovers and is the number one way to make big Makos go crazy.
Need to Know
You'll need a saltwater fishing license to even be allowed onboard a Hyannis fishing charter. You can get these sorted out online ahead of your trip or you can buy them from local vendors when you get here. Ambitious Tuna fishers should be aware that all fish over seven feet long stay with the boat. Most of the local tuna are in the 100-pound range, though, so you don't need to worry about losing all your catch.