8 Ways To Catch A 25lb Striper From Your Boat This Spring On Cape Cod

If you are like me then you are really starting to chomp at the bit. Spring is right around the corner and so are the fish.

The first migratory striped bass will be on the small side, but soon thereafter we'll start seeing much larger stripers. Each spring on Cape Cod bass as large as 50 pounds (I'm sure there's a 60 in there as well) move north to the Cape.

Spring is a phenomenal time to target big bass from your boat. In this post I'll share with you 8 different ways you can catch a 25lb or bigger striper from your boat this spring on good ole' Cape Cod.

1)  Drift A Fresh Dead Whole Mackerel Somewhere With Current

You hear a lot about fishing with live mackerel or chunks of dead mackerel. However I really recommend testing out fishing with whole fresh dead mackerel.

During 2012 I vividly remember one spring trip where fresh dead whole mackerel out produced live mackerel. The trick is finding an area with current, and then allowing the fresh dead whole mackerel to drift and bounce along the bottom.

Use as little weight as possible and hook the mackerel through both lips so that it flutters through the current naturally. Schoolies will occasionally engulf an entire dead mack, however you can target the larger fish in the area by fishing with huge dead macks (14 inches and larger).

2)  Cast Topwater Plugs In Buzzard's Bay

If you are really on top of your game you might be able to intercept a big school of bass in Buzzard's Bay before the fish move into the Canal.

These bass are voracious and hungry from the long swim north. At this time of the year the water temperatures in Buzzards are on the cool side, which means you have a good chance of finding topwater action.

I feel like spring is prime time if you fish Buzzard's Bay.  One of the keys is finding the birds which often lead the way to the topwater blitzes.

If you'd like to make life easier on your boat try crimping down the barbs on your treble hooks. Crimping down the barbs also helps minimize injury to these fresh from the ocean stripers.

3)  Bounce A Bill Hurley At Billingsgate

I love fishing Bill Hurley jigs because they work so well. They aren't renown for their vertical jigging prowess but I was fortunate to experience some nice success last spring vertical jigging with Bill Hurley's at Billingsgate Shoal.

One of the traditional methods at Billingsgate is to jig wire when the bass are paving the bottom. Last year I opted to "sit" on top of the fish and slowly jig Bill Hurley's as we drifted through the area that other boats wire jigged.

This was the first time I tried this technique and we caught some awfully nice bass up to 30 pounds. To get the jig a little extra attention try rigging a Red Gill Teaser a couple feet up the line.

4)  Pick A Nantucket/Vineyard Sound Shoal And Give It A Shot

There are many shoals and rips throughout Nantucket and Vineyard Sound. During the spring some of these rips become inundated with squid and other bait fish.

Unlike July and August, the water here during the spring is still cool, which means you can find some really nice bass. The stripers will often be chasing squid which means topwater plugs, rubber, parachute jigs and fresh dead squid are a go-to.

It can take years to figure out what tides fish the best, and what shoals the bass are most attracted to. However during the spring you can find success by moving around and fishing as many shoals as you can in one trip.

If you login the time and cover enough water you'll eventually find some life.

5)  Troll A Tube Down Along The Elizabeth's

The tube and worm is a great way to catch a big bass, especially if you are new to a specific area. Down along the Elizabeth Islands the tube and worm has caught big bass for decades.

Some guys will get in tight to the rocks and troll, but if you're paranoid about the house-size rocks you can troll a bit farther offshore while casting plugs in towards the beach.

It's a good way to cover water and survey the coastline. Without a doubt my favorite tube is a 24 inch red un-weighted.

Click here for a free report on the bare-bones basics of how to catch a keeper striped bass trolling the tube and worm

6)  Ditch The Boat And Walk The Flats

I really enjoy seeing bass in skinny water. On a bright sunny day it's almost like fishing in the tropics.

If you have a boat at your disposal you can motor to an unoccupied area of the flats, ditch the boat and fish the area on foot. Of course just be sure to keep an eye on the tide!

This is one of my favorite ways to catch stripers and the best part of all is that you can usually get away with using really light tackle. On the flats it's usually all sand for as far as the eye can see, which means you don't have to worry about the bass cutting you off on a sharp rock or barnacle.

Any sort of lure that mimics a sand eel is usually a good choice. Fresh dead sand eels can be lethal, as can crabs and other prey items which you may stumble across as you walk the sand bars.

7)  Take A Ride Off The Outer Cape

Vast schools of bait fish, stripers, bluefish and tuna swim just offshore Outer Cape Cod during the spring. Some guys will even catch tuna, stripers and bluefish during the same trip.

Fishing this area is a long ride from just about any port on Cape Cod. This means you will probably have some space to yourself which is good, but it also means that you are going to have to work to find the life.

Keep an eye out for diving gannets, which will show you the way to herring, mackerel and other large prey items.

Humpback whales can often be found feeding in this area. Where you find whales you will usually find large concentrations of bait, which of course can draw bass, bluefish and bluefin.

8)  Fish A Live Pogie

Each year is different, but we'll sometimes catch a dozen or more live pogies from various Cape Cod harbors and bays during the spring before sunrise. I can't throw a cast net to save my life, but fortunately for me gill nets do the trick.

A big pogie is pretty irresistible to any striper of more than 25 pounds. If you can stock your live well full of pogies, then I think you will have an excellent chance at bagging that first real cow striper of the season.

Where do you fish the pogies after you catch them?

If I had the choice I would choose a spot with some swift current, or in tight along many of the Cape's boulder strewn coastlines.

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

Tight lines and take care,

Ryan