Billingsgate Shoals
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
Billingsgate Shoals is a giant underwater sand bar. It is the left overs of an old Island that washed away in a number of bad storms in the 1800's. It has created one of the best fishing areas in Cape Cod Bay. It is six miles long going from northeast to southwest originating off Great Island and going to the southwest, comes to a point. The tide crosses from north to south on the flood and reverses on the ebb. A great place for the striped bass to gather and they do.
This summer, the 2010 season, has shown a returning of the bass to this shoal area. Last season it did not hold much in the way of either bass or bluefish. Now and then small schools of mostly under sized fish would show up on it. This season is another story. Many of the bass are ranging from 29 inches up to 34 inches with some hitting the mid 40's and weighing upwards to 35 pounds. They don't hit every day but most of the time.
Jigging with 300 feet of wire has proven to be the best method. At times a single hootchie on either a short wire, 150 feet, or mono with also work. There has been an abundance of bait on the shoals so we figure the fish will not leave any time soon. Hopefully this area will stay active all season so anglers like Miss Meg here can get her and her father's freezer filled with striped bass and bluefish for the winter.
