5 “Kid Friendly” Cape Cod Fishing Trips

Cape Cod has tons of "kid-friendly" fishing opportunities. When I fished as a kid I really only cared about:

1. Catching anything and everything. Small fish, big fish...tadpoles...didn't matter!
2. Exploring outside and getting dirty, seeing cool creatures and having fun.

And my parents cared about:

1. Easy access, where they could park the car and enjoy the experience without any hassles.
2. Finding a little time to kick back and relax.

This is simple fishing - no big boats or expensive gear required! So based off the above criteria I decided to produce this post about 5 kid-friendly Cape Cod fishing trips I feel are definitely worth the time and effort.

1)  Freshwater Fishing at Nickerson State Park, Brewster

I love ponds where the forest extends right to the water's edge. The brilliant green of the trees and deep dark blue color of the water is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the ponds of Nickerson State Park in Brewster, MA.

I fished Flax Pond on a windy and cold day during April of 2014. I walked along a skinny dirt path which meandered around the entire circumference of the pond. I passed by glacial rocks and white sandy beaches which seemed like they belonged in the tropics.

Watch this 1 minute video to get a better "feel" for the place.

Small lures or a worm/shiner fished under a bobber is pretty much all a kid needs here to have a good chance of catching something. Even if the fishing is slow there is enough to explore and discover to keep the youngsters in your family intrigued and occupied.

Nickerson State Park encompasses 1900 acres, has numerous ponds and 400 campsites. You could make a whole vacation out of the experience.

2)  Dowses' Beach Fish Pier, Osterville

There are numerous fish piers and docks scattered throughout Cape Cod which provide an easy access fishing opportunity for kids and families. The Dowses Beach Fish Pier in Osterville is one such location.

My good friend and new MFCC contributor Garet Suomala wrote a post about the Dowses' Beach fish pier which explains all the details about fishing this pier for scup, sea bass and a variety of other small and easy-to-catch fish.

Click here to read Garet's post about the Dowses Beach fish pier.

In addition to the fish pier there is a white sandy beach nearby which features some of the warmest water on Cape Cod for pleasant swimming during the summer. With a little exploring you can find small crabs, crustaceans and a variety of marine life most kids will find interesting.

Like tidal pools chock full of minnows...

Garet and I will be traveling to the other fish piers and docks on Cape and sharing our experiences here on MFCC so stay tuned!

3)  Scusset Beach Fish Pier, Sandwich

The Scusset Beach fish pier in Sandwich juts out into the famous and very fishy Cape Cod Canal. This is a fantastic kid-friendly fishing place.

Parking is easy. As you enter, tell the campground guard that you are fishing at the pier, and during peak season the guard may waive the $7 campground entrance fee for you.

There's a variety of different fish which can be caught from the pier. Additionally the sights and sounds of a busy Canal can help to keep the youngsters interested and engaged.

Large tugs and tankers, pleasure boats and sometimes cool animals like whales, ocean sunfish and seals can be spotted from the pier.

This past summer I fished this pier with my little cousin Kyle, an 8 year old fishing enthusiast. I definitely recommend reading this post about that experience to get a better sense of what to expect at the Scusset Beach fish pier.

4)  Snapper Blue Fishing The Cape's Southside Estuaries

During the late summer snapper bluefish often invade the Cape's southside estuaries. Buzzard's Bay estuaries can also be a hot spot for snapper blues.

Fishing for snapper bluefish would be ideal for a kid who has a reasonable amount of angling skill and can cast fairly well.

Snapper blues are usually pretty aggressive and put up a great little fight on super light freshwater tackle. Small shiny metal lures, super small topwater lures, or even a mummichog (small minnow) fished under a bobber will work well. Small pieces of bait like fresh squid will work too.

Virtually any of the Cape's southside estuaries can produce snapper blues. They usually swim close to shore and can often be caught from docks. Inlets along the Cape's southside are also good areas to try.

Here's a few easy-access areas to start with:

• Smuggler's Beach fish pier in West Yarmouth
• The inlet at Seagull Beach in Yarmouth
• Kalmus Park Beach and the entirety of Lewis Bay, Hyannis
• Dowses Beach fish pier and the Centerville River, Osterville
• Any dock extending into a southside estuary

5)  Schoolie Striper Fishing the Beaches of Upper & Mid Cape Cod

If your kid can cast fairly well then I would recommend getting him or her hooked on catching schoolie stripers from shore. This happened to me early in life and from that point forward I would often fish the beach after school - a very healthy and low cost activity.

All those evenings spent catching schoolies from the beach ingrained in me a deep appreciation of nature, and provided me with peace and quiet, and time to ponder my life...which I feel is very important especially for teenagers.

The beaches of Upper and Mid Cape Cod are good places for kids to target schoolies from shore. In many places a youngster who can cast just 50 feet will have a good chance of catching a small bass.

A freshwater rod and reel is all that's needed. Avoid treble hooks by casting a 4 inch Storm shad.

Or a simple 1/4oz lead head with a 6 inch white plastic grub.

Most beaches on Upper and Mid Cape Cod are easiest to fish during the last of the incoming and beginning of the outgoing tide. Here's a few easy-access beaches in Upper and Mid Cape Cod where you'll have a good chance of finding schoolies, especially during the spring:

• South Cape Beach, Mashpee
• Craigville Beach, Centerville
• Town Neck Beach, Sandwich
• Corporation Beach, Dennis
• Old Silver Beach, Falmouth

In conclusion there are many ways to keep a kid occupied while fishing on Cape Cod. This list is just the tip of the iceberg!

What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.

Tight lines and take care,

Ryan