Captain Brian Kelly - Bunker School Strategy: Lures, Spoons & Flies

In this episode of the Saltwater Edge Podcast, host Peter Jenkins sits down with Captain Brian Kelly, a New England light tackle and fly fishing guide with deep knowledge of Cape Cod and Massachusetts Bay. Brian shares his journey from Montana guide school to full-time guiding on his Parker 18', and gives a tactical breakdown of fishing around bunker schools—from identifying bait behavior to deploying the right gear.

We talk seasonal shifts, bait dynamics, and how to approach stripers, albies, and bluefin with the right presentation—whether you're throwing a soft plastic, flutter spoon, or a bunker-matching fly.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Brian's path from Montana guide school to Massachusetts waters 01:30 – Lessons from senior guides on building a sustainable guiding career 03:30 – Off-season travel: Cuba, steelhead, and trout across the northeast 04:45 – South vs. North Cape Cod: tides, temperature, and strategy 07:00 – How bait and water temp influence striper migration 08:30 – Cape Cod Canal as a funnel for biomass movement 10:30 – Bait breakdown: River herring vs. bunker behavior 12:45 – How fish stage, rest, and digest in warm backwaters 14:50 – What drives bait movement: estuary dynamics and spring conditions 16:00 – Squid and peanut bunker: underrated keys to early and late season bites 18:00 – When tuna show up: dabbling in the bluefin game 20:10 – 2022: A season defined by stable bunker, predators, and insane biomass 22:30 – What triggers the fall run: tides, temp drops, and migration instinct 24:30 – How bunker behave in different parts of a bay system 26:30 – Identifying "happy" vs. "stressed" bait to pick your tactics 28:00 – Lure tactics: soft plastics, paddletails, docks, and retrieves that work 33:00 – Magic swimmers, Sluggos, and when to slow it all down 37:30 – Locating bunker: ledges, mooring fields, side scan, and sonar tips 43:00 – Flutter spoons: setup, depth, retrieve, and boat positioning 47:00 – Leader, knot, and rod recommendations for spoon fishing 48:30 – Fly fishing bunker schools: presentation, lines, and setting up drifts 53:00 – Why fishing structure can be better than targeting chaos 55:00 – Dredging with sinking lines vs. casting to active fish 57:00 – Teasing, bait-and-switch, and fly rod practicality in deep water 59:00 – Lessons from clients and staying sharp as a guide

Book a trip with Capt. Brian Kelly Shop bunker-focused tackle and fly gear at SaltwaterEdge.com