Capt. Mike's Weekly Roundup

Lucky 7 Lures of Early May

Every May sneaks up on me the same way. Slow, cold start. Moderately ready — yet significantly not ready. The typical cluster ordeal getting ready, but my lure system has me focusing on my boat only…

What also never changes are the same 7 lures I start with each season. Literally 5 years running, no deviation. The fact that they CRUSH — and they're already in my standard Mesh Crate — makes those first trips easy and automatic.

The foodie in me is happy:

  • Fresh squid for calamari and Nantucket fluke
  • Fresh Macks! - I love eating fresh Atlantic mackerel pan basted in lemon garlic butter as much as I love catching them
  • Tog for my fish chowder

The angler in me is happy too:

  • Micro striper lures for fresh migrating bass that sometimes want to act like albies
  • The BIG GUNS for those pre-season monster stripers locked in on pogies and herring

In The Field Videos:

Shallow Water Tautog Fishing | Buzzards Bay

In this episode of Salty Cape T.V, we join Capt. Ray Jarvis of Salt of the Earth Sportfishing for an early spring tautog trip. With water temperatures still in the 40's it took some patience to get on a solid bite, but the crew rounded out the day with plenty of healthy-sized tautog on the NEW Hogy Groundfish Biki Jigs and Inshore Spinning Rods. We hope you enjoy and, tight lines!

How-To: Slack Tide Squid Fishing Techniques

In late April, Nantucket Sound fills with spawning large loligo squid, creating an excellent opportunity for anglers to stock up on offshore baits for later in the season or grab a few for the grill. In this video, Salty Cape crew heads out aboard F/V Skipjack for a day of squidding off the coast of Barnstable, MA.

How Charter Captains Target Spring Striped Bass in Open Water

Join Capt. Mike and Capt. Ray Jarvis as they break down smart techniques for targeting early season striped bass in open water. Using the time-tested Hogy Original softbait, they demonstrate how simplicity and stealth are often overlooked in an anglers approach. Perfect for anyone looking to fish smarter this spring.

How To: Mackerel Fishing In Cape Cod Bay (Hogy Diesel Mack Sabiki Rig)

Easy instructions from the Salty Cape Crew with Capt. Cullen Lundholm on how to target Mackerel using the Hogy Diesel Mack Sabiki Rig. Best way to catch your own fresh live bait for striper & tuna fishing on Cape Cod.

Healthy Catch & Release Topwater Striper

Big Stripers on the Move in Warm Shallows Captain Mike and Captain Rob filmed this session during a peak seasonal push of oversized striped bass moving into shallow, warm waters to feed on abundant pogies. This time of year brings heavy feeding activity, especially in nearshore areas.

Spring Stripers | Hogy Slow Tails | Cast + Drop

The striped bass migration has hit Cape Cod waters! Capt. Mike Hogan heads out on Buzzards Bay aboard his 28' Contender in search of schoolie striped bass. Capt. Mike demonstrates how to catch finicky striped bass on light tackle using the Hogy Slowtails with a cast and drop retrieve!

Finicky Striped Bass | Micro Bait | Surface Erasers

Captain Mike joins Captain Ray Jarvis for a striper fishing session in Buzzards Bay, discussing their techniques for early-season fishing. They use a 'Walk & Gun' approach to drift towards schools of fish, utilizing light tackle and slow retrieves with the Hogy Surface Eraser. The focus is on distance casting and subtle movements to attract finicky fish. The fishing conditions are windy, and they adjust their tackle accordingly for better results, emphasizing humane catch-and-release practices