UTERMahi-mahi fishing in Rhode Island and Cape Cod
In Rhode Island and Cape Cod, mahi-mahi peak September and are around July–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. September: Mahi under the lobster-pot floats south of Martha's Vineyard when the warm water pushes in.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Mahi-mahi in Rhode Island and Cape Cod, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyArriving
- AugustAroundBonito and the first albies; canyon tuna. Small epoxy jigs for bonito and the first albies around Martha's Vineyard; overnight runs to the canyons for yellowfin and bigeye.
- SeptemberPeakMahi under the lobster-pot floats south of Martha's Vineyard when the warm water pushes in.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish mahi-mahi near Point Judith, Newport, Block Island
Rhode Island's rocky south coast and salt ponds, Narragansett Bay, Block Island, Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds with their shoals and rips, the Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay's sand flats, and the Monomoy rips and outer Cape beaches; offshore Coxes Ledge and the southern New England canyons (Block, Atlantis, Veatch).
Fish Scouter charts 350 wreck, 4 artificial reef spots in the Southern New England map area — the kinds mahi-mahi hold on.
What to use for mahi-mahi
- BallyhooRigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 72–88°F water, best at 76–84°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch mahi-mahi in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Peak season is September. Mahi-mahi are in Rhode Island and Cape Cod July–October. September: Mahi under the lobster-pot floats south of Martha's Vineyard when the warm water pushes in.
Where do mahi-mahi hold in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Look on wreck, artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom — around Point Judith, Newport, Block Island, Westport, Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard.
What is the best bait for mahi-mahi in Rhode Island and Cape Cod?
Live bait: ballyhoo, pilchards (whitebait), blue runners (hardtails). Ballyhoo: Rigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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