When stripers and bluefish are feeding on larger bait, one lure consistently produces in Cape Cod Bay—the TMF Rigged Hoochie. This ready-to-fish squid imitation combines lifelike action, durability, and simplicity, making it an outstanding choice for anglers trolling the Bay throughout the summer.
Whether you're targeting schoolie stripers, trophy bass, or bluefish in the Bay, the TMF Rigged Hoochie deserves a permanent spot in your trolling arsenal.
Why It Works
Squid are an important food source for both striped bass and bluefish throughout Cape Cod waters. The TMF Rigged Hoochie perfectly imitates a fleeing squid with its flowing tentacles and subtle swimming motion.
Unlike hard plugs that rely on wobble, the hoochie pulses naturally in the water, creating an irresistible profile that predators often attack aggressively. Weighted hoochie-style rigs have long been proven effective for Cape Cod stripers and bluefish because they stay in the strike zone while maintaining a realistic presentation.
Where to Fish It
The TMF Rigged Hoochie shines throughout Cape Cod Bay, especially around:
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Race Point
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Peaked Hill Bar
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Billingsgate Shoal
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The Brewster Flats drop-offs
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Deep channels where baitfish are concentrated
Watch your electronics closely. If you mark bait schools suspended 20 to 50 feet down, chances are stripers aren't far behind.
Bluefish often roam the same areas, making the TMF Rigged Hoochie equally effective when the "bluefish blitz" begins.
How to Troll It
The beauty of the TMF Rigged Hoochie is its simplicity.
For most Cape Cod Bay applications:
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Troll between 2.5 and 4 mph
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Run it 75–150 feet behind the boat
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Fish it behind an inline weight, lead core, wire line, or a downrigger depending on fish depth
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Make gradual turns to vary the lure's speed and trigger reaction strikes
The lure tracks extremely well and continues swimming naturally even during turns, often drawing strikes from following fish.
Why Bluefish Love It
Bluefish are notorious for destroying soft plastics and expensive swimming plugs.
The TMF Rigged Hoochie is built to withstand repeated attacks while continuing to fish effectively. Its flowing squid profile seems to trigger an instinctive response from feeding blues, and because it's pre-rigged with heavy-duty hardware, it stands up well to their razor-sharp teeth.
Color Selection
While every day is different, these colors consistently produce in Cape Cod Bay:
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White/Pearl for bright sunny conditions
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Pink is the hot color this year!
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Chartreuse when water has a slight stain
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Glow colors during low-light periods and overcast mornings
Keep multiple colors rigged and let the fish decide.
Pair It With Electronics
Modern sonar has changed trolling forever.
Rather than blindly dragging lures around the Bay, locate bait first. If you find suspended bait schools or arches beneath them, put the TMF Rigged Hoochie right in that depth range. Matching the lure to the depth of the bait often makes the difference between an average day and a phenomenal one.
A Great Choice for Beginners and Experts
One of the biggest advantages of the TMF Rigged Hoochie is that it requires very little guesswork. There are no complicated retrieves, no twitching cadence to master, and no constant rod work.
Simply deploy it at the proper depth, maintain a consistent trolling speed, and let the lure do its job.
Experienced captains appreciate its reliability, while new anglers love how easy it is to fish.
Cape Cod Bay offers some of the best striped bass and bluefish fishing in New England, and having the right lure can make all the difference. The TMF Rigged Hoochie combines a proven squid profile with rugged construction and fish-catching action that consistently produces throughout the season.
If you're planning to troll the Bay this summer, don't leave the dock without at least one TMF Rigged Hoochie in your spread. It may quickly become the lure that spends more time in the water than in your tackle box—and the one responsible for your biggest bass or bluefish of the season.