You will catch striped bass. I GUARANTEE IT! My name is Captain Eric Stapelfeld, and I have been sport fishing on Cape Cod and Martha"s Vineyard for over 26 years. My falmouth based charter boat uses my own, custom-designed, highly effective 'Hairball Lures,' and we haul in trophy striped bass measuring over 40 inches on a daily basis. If we don"t catch a striper on your fishing trip, I"ll take you out again -- for FREE! How many captains promise that? I offer a variety of fishing charters beyond striped bass too: We can go after bonito and false albacore near Falmouth and martha's vineyard or we can go offshore for marlin,blue fin tuna and other blue water species. I can meet just about any ambition and skill level fishing the waters around Cape Cod. My custom built, 27" Conch charter fishing machine has twin state-of-the-art Yamaha 250HP 4-stroke engines will get you out to Massachusetts" best fishing grounds in record time, without the smoke and noise of a diesel engine ruining your day. You"ll spend more time catching and less time sitting around. So Give me a call and let"s go fishing!

My rates vary depending on the length of the fishing trip, time of year, and what fish we're chasing. My half and full day charter fishing trips are usually for striped bass (rock fish rock bass), bluefish, bonito and false albacore (little tunny). My offshore full day trips are for marlin,blue fin tuna,yellow fin tuna, wahoo, shark, and mahi mahi (dolphin). Please read the "seasons" section below for more information.

May
Full day (5 am to 1 pm) $799
Half day (1:45 to 7:45) $650

June
Full day (5 am to 1 pm) $799
Half day (1:45 pm to 7:45 pm) $650

July
Family Fishing 4 hour plus ice cream on Martha's Vineyard $399(NEW FOR 2010)
Full day (5am to 3 pm) $899 (trophy striper trips chunking or live bunker)
Half day (times vary) $650
Offshore Full day (tuna, marlin, shark) $1500 (12 hours)
South of Martha's Vineyard (24 hours) Canyon Fishing $2000
 Canyon Fishing over 40 hours $3000
August
Family Fishing 4 hour plus ice cream on Martha's Vineyard $399(NEW FOR 2010))
Half Day (times vary) $650 (6 hours)
Full day (5am to 3 pm) $899 (10 hours) (trophy striper trips chunking or live bunker)
Offshore full day (tuna, marlin, shark) $1500 (12 hours)
South of Martha's Vineyard (24 hours) Canyon Fishing $2000
Canyon Fishing over 40 hours $3000
September
Half day
Full day (5am to 3 pm) $899 (10 hours)(trophy striper trips chunking or live bunker)
Offshore full day (tuna, marlin, shark) $1500 (12 hours)
South of Martha's Vineyard (24 hours) Canyon Fishing $2000
Canyon Fishing over 40 hours $3000
October
Full day (5am to 3 pm) $899 (10 hours)(trophy striped bass trips available)
Offshore full day (tuna, marlin, shark) $1500 (12 hours)

falmouth charter boat fishing starts in early May and goes through October. Our fishing trips run everyday, weather and fish permitting. Here is what cape cod charter fishing has to offer.

May
striped bass (out of control)
bluefish (excellent)
black sea bass (good)
May is the beginning of Cape Cod's charter boat fishing season. Striped bass and blue fish begin to move in and around  falmouth massachusetts and the coast of new england. You'll catch so many stripers at this time of the year that your arms will hurt! Large schools of striped bass(also known as rock bass, rockfish) are migrating north through Vineyard Sound and the inlets off martha's vineyard. These fish are hungry!! That's why Cape cod charter fishing in may is action packed as trophy sized bass and blues feed on schools of squid, herring and mackerel. Mixed in with the stripers are a handful of monster black sea bass. May also brings large bluefish feeding on squid in the warm shallows of Popponessett and Cotuit. They are also a good fighter – great for family fishing trips and light tackle fishing charters.

June
striped bass (out of control)
bluefish (excellent)
June is the month for charter fishing on cape cod. Big schools of striped bass remain off martha's vinyard, Nantucket Sound and the Falmouth area. They are actively feeding on scup (porgie), menhaden, squid, sand eels. These giant stripers are getting fat in preparation for the dog days of summer. Our striped bass charters typically catch a large number of trophy-sized stripers. Once you try Hairball Charters on Cape Cod in June, it will become a yearly sport fishing adventure for you and your family.

July
striped bass (excellent)
bluefish (excellent)
tuna, marlin, shark (good after July 15)
Cape Cod Striped Bass fishing in July is just as good as the early fishing season.To catch you trophy stripers the boat has to travel further. Hairballcharters fishing boat is made to travel long distances in a short time period. Some of the location include chatham, Gayhed, Nantucket, Nantucket Sound, and along the Elizabeth Islands. Fishing cape cod in july offers many species including striped bass, bonito,and blue fish. In mid July Hungry schools of bonito start to show up in Vineyard Sound and Pound for pound the atlantic bonito some of the best sportfishing that cape cod has to offer. Fishing bonito on cape cod is exciting because they fight hard, they"re beautiful to look at and they"re great tasting. By mid june bluefish begin to invade falmouth, making a great afternoon fishing charter on cape cod. They are also a good fighter – great for family fishing trips where young recreational fishermen like constant sportfishing action. falmouth charter boats offer a great opportunity to do a combo fishing charter for striped bass and bluefish close to Falmouth harbor where the protected water is calm (no sea sickness).

August
striped bass (excellent)
bluefish (excellent)
bonito (excellent)
marlin, bluefin tuna, shark (excellent)
Cape Cod"s warm Gulfstream waters make for a great day of recreational fishing out on Vineyard Sound and beyond where we"ll find the bigger stripers, bonito, bluefish, bluefin tuna, marlin, and even sharks. When the water in Vineyard Sound gets warm, striped bass tend to be less agressive – this is when a true charter boat captain earns his keep. I guarantee that your cape cod fishing trip will be successful because I know where the trophy stripers like to hide in the dog days of summer. By mid summer Hungry schools of bonito are well established in Vineyard Sound and offer a great opportunity for fly rod and light tackle fishing charters. August fishing on Cape Cod also brings the offshhore fishing for giant bluefin tuna off the waters of chatham massachusetts. The average size of a bluefin tuna is between 50-250 pounds with the chance of them reaching 700+ pounds! This can make an offshore cape cod fishing adventure. Bluefish are ever present at this time of the year. Blue fish are a great fighters. (blue fish make for family fishing trips where young fishermen like constant sport fishing action). All of august offers that opportunity to fish for a combination of blue fish and striped bass in the same fishing trip, Just minutes from Falmouth harbor. Great for family fishing fun on cape cod..

September
striped bass (excellent)
bluefish (excellent)
bonito (excellent)
bluefin tuna (excellent)
false albacore (excellent)
September's northeasters and cold fronts trigger the instinct to feed in preparation for the migration out of southern new england.This is a great month for the true trophy fishing on Cape Cod. September striped bass trips offer a striper of a lifetime – in the 40+ pound range! These trophy stripers are hiding amongst the boulder fields of the Elizabeth Islands. It is quite a spectacle as we fish live bait (pogies and/or menhaden) and watch monster stripers slam them in the shallows. Hungry schools of bonito and false albacore continue to feed in Vineyard Sound and offer a great opportunity for fly rod and light tackle fishing charters. Bluefin tuna remain in the waters off of Chatham and offer a cape cod angler a offshore fishing trip of a life time..

October
striped bass (trophy time)
bluefish (good)
Don't miss out on Cape Cod's spectacular striped bass migration. falmouth charter boats offer great fishing opertunities as monster size striped bass travel through Vineyard Sound voraciously feeding on menhaden as they head toward their wintering grounds. It is not unheard of for a trophy striper in the 50+ pound range to be hoisted over the gunwales of Hairball Charters.

I can take up to six guests on my falmouth charter boat. Children are welcome, as long as their parents are along too, Hairballcharters specializes in fishing with children. I have three of my own. It's rewarding to watch your kids reel in a big striped bass or blue fish. But we all Know how much patience it takes to deal with multiple children. That is why I have developed great skills in deal with with kids bouncing around and having break downs. Hairball charters enjoys organizing easy-going family fishing trips where you actually catch stripers and make sure the children have a great time, including yourself. This also includes taking the fishing trip for a stop at an ice cream stand on Martha"s Vineyard.

I like to get away at about 5 a.m. for the morning trips and 2 p.m. for the afternoon trips. I return just after nightfall.

   I take my clients to sea in a custom-built, 27" Conch Sport Fishing boat with twin state-of-the-art Yamaha 250HP 4-stroke engines with very sophisticated electronics for navigation and powerfull fish finding ability. This charter fishing boat is equipped with a deep live well that keeps our catch nice and fresh. I personally maintain the boat and keep it in top condition all year round. My fishing boat is kept at the Falmouth Harbor charter boat slips, which is a short distance off Route 28. Click here to see the exact location. (I have a port-a-potty onboard but I am rarely more than ten minutes from a port where we can put in if someone wants wants to use a bathroom.)

I provide all the equipment my guests need to have a great day on the water. I use top-of-the-line Shimano and Penn reels and Star rods for conventional tackle. I use Daiwa reels for spinning and light-tackle outings, again with Star rods. I use a variety of lures and baits, but my favorite is the Hairball lure, which I invented and fish can"t resist. If you are an experienced angler and you"d like to bring your own gear that"s fine too.

I am fully licensed massachusetts charter boat skipper with a US Coast Guard 100 ton master certification.My guests do not need a fishing license. One important Massachusetts regulation: in order to conserve the population of stripers, anglers are allowed to keep only two stripers per day, and they must be over 28 inches long. see Massachusetts recreational fishing regulations.

I am fully insured to operate a charter fishing boat.

It"s easy to find my charter fishing boat in Falmouth Harbor. The docks are located just off route 28, which is the main drag through Falmouth. To see a map, click here. Public parking is available just off Scranton.If you are looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend the InnSeasons Resort HarborWalk in Falmouth. It"s a short walk from my boat, which makes life easy for those super early morning departures.

I am a big believer that proper care of you fish makes all the difference in how it tastes on the plate. I keep the fish alive in my live well as long as possible, and clean them expertly at the dock. You"ll take home striper fillets that are so fresh they"re practically transparent. Just remember to bring a cooler and some ice to you can keep them that way on the trip home.