As the water temperatures rise above 50 degrees in late April on the south side of the cape, the fisherman prepare to capture squid for bait for the upcoming season and of course make a few meals from the tasty mollusks. There is another bait that is sometimes overlooked and can be harvested throughout the winter months into spring.
Acquire a shellfish license from your local town and head out into deeper water on an extraordinary low tide and you will harvest some very large quahogs which makes for a great bait. These baits are good for haddock, stripers, sea bass etc. So next time you buy a plastic container holding food like potato salad, olives, or feta cheese, think about recycling those containers as clam bait containers in your freezer.
Did You Know?
Cormorants eat about a pound of fish a day, most of the fish they eat are under 6" in length. When you see cormorants its a good sign that bait fish are in the area. Cormorants are very efficient divers and swimmers, they are able to dive deep because their wings are not waterproof and once they become waterlogged after feeding you will see cormorants with their wings spread apart to dry out their wings for the next dive.
Check back in May for our Fishing Reports.
