Andrew Burke
With the strong WSW wind of early last week, I decided to fish and explore the protected beaches of Lower Cape Cod.
I figured that the strong, consistent winds might have blown a lot of life into this particular area of the Lower Cape.
I had just stocked up on new plugs from the Goose Hummock in Orleans a few days prior. The knowledgeable staff informed me that the ever-productive Daiwa SP minnow has been catching lately along the beaches. With fresh swimming plugs in hand, I was looking forward to the next few days of fishing.
In the days leading up to this trip, I was able to get into some fish in the mid-20” range. It was tough fishing in the strong WSW wind, but productive nonetheless for myself and many other anglers!
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The Night Of May 17th
The winds had slowed down, the water was calmer, and the tides coincided nicely with nightfall. It certainly seemed like a fishy evening upon arrival at the beach.
Some walking is all that’s necessary to find a variety of productive structure in this location. Typical of fishing along the Cape’s expansive beaches, finding differences in the beach structure was key.
In this case, it was an outward bend of the beach that provided easy casting into some marginally deeper water. Perhaps this slight change in structure is one of the reasons why anglers often visit this particular beach.
I’m 82 and still learning thanks for sharing
Thanks for reading Dave! Pumped to hear you are still learning at 82! Great attitude ??
Nice write up Andrew. I’m a novice novice surf caster and could use some tips on equipment. You mentioned a 9′ rod, seems reasonable and one that maybe could be used on a boat trip to cast plugs as well. Is there a rod/ reel combo setup you’d recommend for someone looking for a surf casting and canal setup – one that could serve both purposes?
Thank you – Drew
I use a Shimano Spheros 6000 on my 9′ setup, and find that that is ideal for surfcasting from relatively calm beaches, which comprises most of my time spent fishing. However, if you are looking for a combo that can both surf cast in calm water and be used in the boat, a heavier 7′ setup will work just fine!
However regarding the canal…I take my 9′ setup there from time to time and find that it is certainly a little light for fighting fish/casting heavy jigs. My 9′ is only rated up to 3 oz, so many plugs and jigs that suited for the canal are too heavy for my rod to cast efficiently.
If you plan on both fishing from the boat, and fishing the canal, I would recommend one 7′ rod for the boat and calm surf, and a 10’6+ outfit for the canal. However both of these rods can be balance by the same reel if need be.
I’d also recommend going to a tackle shop like Goose Hummock or Canal Bait & Tackle and asking about your needs. It’s much easier to get to see/hold the rods in real life to get a better feel for what will work for you.
Can’t say enough good things about my Shimano Spheros 6000 though! Very durable and very smooth!
Thanks for sharing your experience with the new lures!
Nice right up, great fish!
I believe we met up at Race Point today. I appreciate the help with loading the kayak at Herring Cove. Buzzards Bay was more 20-28 inch stripers with believe it or not, pogies. The wind was brutal. Nice fish. That area where you caught that is always interesting. None the less great fish!
Haha indeed we did, and no problem with the kayak! Sounds like you had a very productive day on the water. Thanks for reading!
Great story. Meat on the table. I never caught a striper from the beach, only from a boat. I’mean going to try this season if it’still to choppy for a comfortable boat ride. Good luck with your college experience.
Great report, great result. Nice. Picking the right tackle and location, then knowing to look for changes in structure for possible hot spots, all signs you’ve been listening to the right people on how to get started. I’m jealous, much bigger fish than anything I’ve got so far this season. I repeat, Nice.
Thanks for your kind words! Tight lines!
College, Lifeguard, Fishing, Wellfleet, What a nice life. Enjoyed your report. Have a great summer.
You too!
Great catch, Andrew!
I’m going to try surf casting from a Cape or near Plymouth beach for the first time this summer!
I’ve caught many fish from boats (blues, stripers, mackerel, cod, etc.) but never from the beach!…and never a 40″ striper (even from a boat).
I’ll be 80 in a few months and hope to catch any keeper from the beach for dinner in the next few weeks!
Being able to go the beach and come back with dinner is always exciting! Good luck out there!
Great job Andrew! It is nice to hook up a big fish in the night and fight it not knowing what is at the end of the line. One night I was fishing for stripers and caught a gator blue fish. I was glad that I could land him right on the beach and I didn’t have to handle (touch) him in the water. I can’t wait to go fishing from the beach at night. It is very challenging though.
Indeed it can be frustrating at times, but certainly very rewarding!
Nice fish from the beach. Great report Andrew. Thanks.
My pleasure! Thanks for reading!