Over the years I’ve noticed that something peculiar happens during October.  We get skunked.

That’s exactly what happened last week on a trip with the usually very lucky Adirondack fishing crew from upstate New York.  We searched for 6 hours without marking a single bass and ended up not catching a thing.

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  Fortunately we have enjoyed phenomenal striped bass fishing this season off Cape Cod.  I began running charters in early May and since then, we have caught at least one keeper striped bass on each and every trip.

The hot streak can’t continue on forever!  Oddly enough the charter before the trip with the Adirondack crew produced over 30 legal stripers ranging from 15 all the way up to 43 pounds (which has been a common weight this year for some reason).

Then, just a few days later, the fish vanished.

How does an area absolutely chock full of bait and bass mysteriously dry up, sometimes within just a matter of a few hours let alone days?  I believe the answer is pretty simple-the bass are heading south.

October Striped Bass Fishing off Cape Cod | Good and Lucky Timing is Everything

As mentioned above we did enjoy two incredible striped bass fishing trips last week.

The first was with Jon and Zack, an awesome father son duo.  I know I’ve said this about a lot of groups this season but Jon and Zack were really an awesome crew.

We got a late start due to inclement weather but we still managed to catch some good fish and quite a few of them.  For the 4th trip in a row we managed at least one bass above and beyond the 40 pound mark-which oddly enough we caught right at high noon.

The next trip I had was with a good college buddy of mine Ross and two newcomers to Cape Cod fishing Matt and Curtis.  We had an impressive and fun trip catching over 30 bass up to 43 pounds.  These are the kinds of trips that keep me going during the winter!

And then the fish moved on.  Or at least I think they moved on because there was absolutely no life in any of the usual hot spots just a couple days later.

This same scenario played out last October as well.  We would find bucket loads of bass throughout a stretch of water for a few days and then they would vanish.  A day or two of little action would persist before another biomass of fish moved into the area.

This only makes sense because the bulk of the bass in our area on the move, have already left or are getting ready to depart.  The fish will head down south and provide good fishing for Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and ultimately North Carolina anglers.

Cape Cod Striped Bass Fishing in October | What to Expect

Fortunately for folks fishing Cape Cod, we still have a few more weeks of solid chances at a hefty striped bass.  I do think good timing plays more of a critical role during this time of the season than it did back in August and September.  Striped bass success will be largely dependent on what the fish decide to do over the next few weeks.

If the bulk of the bass decide to migrate south along the coast and possibly through the Cape Cod Canal, then the fishing will be stellar.  However if the bulk of fish decides to migrate off shore we will see more sporadic action.

So what will happen?  Well it’s really anyone’s guess.  If you have a hunch then I recommend you act on it.  These animals are notoriously difficult to predict.  Just when you think you have them figured out they throw you a curve ball and leave you scratching your head.

Nevertheless we still have a lot to look forward to on the striped bass fishing front.  There already have been some nutty fall blitzes along Cape Cod’s many beaches and I would expect the blitzes to continue right on through Halloween if we’re lucky.

Click here for more information on locating and catching big striped bass off Cape Cod this October.

I’ll be sure to do my best on keeping you up to date on  how the striper bite is over the weekend with updates in the forum.  I’m also heading out tuna fishing tomorrow so I’ll be sure to post a thread in the forum on how it goes.

Until then tight lines and good luck finding your next bass blitz!

Ryan

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