Ryan Collins
I invested the first few hours of this morning into casting yellow Danny plugs around enormous cottage-size boulders in hopes of catching my first striped bass of October.
It was a dark and grey morning. The air was warm and the water temperature was about 64 degrees. There was a moderate breeze from the south/southwest.
During this trip I had my neighbor Scott with me. I explained to Scott that this was a recon trip and I had no idea if we would catch anything. He was cool with the idea, and at 6:30AM this morning we found ourselves on the beach surrounded by huge boulders that were deposited by glaciers thousands of years ago.
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I started by casting one of my all-time favorite boulder field lures - the yellow Danny plug from Gibbs.
It was not long until we saw cormorants perched on the boulders.
An experienced fisherman from Cuttyhunk Island once told me that a good way to locate bass in boulder fields is to look for the cormorants.
The theory is that striped bass and cormorants will sometimes hunt small bait fish in the same spots.
Traversing boulder fields like this one is no easy task...
Always watch out for rocks with black algae.
The algae is as slick as ice!
Finally I made my way out to the tip of an old submerged jetty, and lobbed a cast with the Danny plug out into the grey ocean.
I wedged my boots among the rocks and began the retrieve. The Danny plug wobbled nicely from left to right, as it slowly made headway along the surface of the flat water.
As I was getting ready to lift the lure out of the water and make another cast, I noticed a swirl a foot or two behind the lure. An instant later the fish shot forward and slammed the lure right on the surface.
I was on with my first striped bass of October!
About the author
Looking for reports leading up to sept 9-14 Surf fishing areas on outer cape. Thx
Hi Mike ?I would recommend joining as a member and checking out our private forum. Lots of helpful updates in there. ✌?
Ryan:
Do you know Kenny Abrames or have you ever gone fishing with him. The website he created is called “Striper Moon”. He also graduated as a graphic artist and created the “Razzle Dazel” Rhode Island flat wing fly. It’s very specific down to the number of strands for each hair or tinsel used in tying it? He and I fished a while back in Rhode Island with a group of his faithful. He’s a really cool guy. His essays are really really inspiring. Check him out if ,unless, you know him. TIGHT LINES Ryan.
Hi Richard,
I have heard of Ken and I’m familiar with his book! However I’ve never met Ken before and have never fished with him.
He sounds like a really interesting angler, author and fly tier. Maybe we can have him contribute an article to MFCC sometime.
Tight lines!
RE: Comments on cormorants waiting on rocks for baitfish. I used that exact technique in the canal at low tide .at the Cribbin to catch my largest striper to date
What a great fish, 54 ” just short of 50 lbs @ 47 lb. There were tinker macks attacking the smaller sperling in front and I used an eel on a hook in the drift. When I went down to the water the birds got angry and didn’t want to leave so I knew it was a great spot. Returned the next night and hooked/released 26 stripers, smallest was 35 inches. The birds always tell the story. Send me an email and I’ll shoot a picture to you. Take care Ryan and friends.
Great story Richard! I’ll shoot you an email for that photo ??
Hey Ryan,
just new this year with you thought i ask you direct
Heading to the Cape Oct 22-27 want to surf fish somewhere between Chatham and Ptown some help in Bay side or other and area would be appreciated love reading and seeing your adventures being there will be Great Tight lines a PLUS thanks Chris
Sounds like you have a fun trip planned Chris!
I will send you an email with some info.
Thanks for info on cormorants in boulder fields Ryan did not know that. Always learning something new!
No problem Ronan! Glad you found that tip useful. LMK if you get into any fish this fall ?
Picked up a few Joe Baggs swarters of Jeff at Canal Bait a few weeks ago. and have been fishing them up around Hull and Scituate with good success all colors especially the green mackerel have been getting slammed.
Planning on using them this upcoming weekend hopefully Sunday will let You know how it goes. Thanks for the heads up about them .
Awesome! I actually ran a surfcasting trip last night with a few members and we used the blurple and chicken scratch Swarters. Did well on schoolies and one 29 inch keeper.
Heh Ronan:
I live in Cohasset next to Hull. Do you live down here? We should go fishing sometime. Are you fishing from shore or using a boat? They finished building the new bridge at Cunningham’s so I don’t know if the cops are ticketing cars yet? But it is open to get out front and in the river. With all the construction I don’t know about the fishing but if you see Squirrel fishing from the bridge ask him, he’s the local fishing mayor. Great guy. Shoot me an email.
Hi Richard I live in Weymouth and fish from shore ! Hope to meet up with You at one of the mfcc gatherings over the winter.We should definitely plan on fishing together sometime. Its great the Cunningham bridge is done ,Ive had some good nights down that stretch with a black mambo minnow! All the best Ronan.
Nice! I enjoyed the video link to Oct 2015. I am looking forward to getting out there the next 2 weekends!
Good luck Leslie and tight lines!