It had been a good trip, and I had caught fish, but I could not help but feel I had missed out on a few key opportunities. The 35 inch bass that swam by me in just 2 feet of crystal clear water, was one example.
I had to leave because at high tide the spot from which I was casting would be covered by more than 15 feet of water. As I cast towards breaking bass, the sky continued to darken, and the tide continued to move in.
When you are fishing on foot, on a tidal sand flat, located nearly one mile from dry land, it does not make sense to push it with Mother Nature. Â Even if the fish are biting...
Cape Cod Fishing Report | Fishing The Cape's Tidal Flats
It was still early in the season for large stripers to be showing on the flats of Cape Cod. I am yet to catch a keeper this season, and I feel a surer bet would of been to fish the Canal or a boulder field, instead of the sandbars.
Yet I am drawn to fish Cape Cod's tidal flats, mostly because this environment is overwhelmingly beautiful.
Another bonus is if you do not catch a large bass, you may still see a large bass cruising in just a couple feet (sometimes just inches) of incredibly clear water. Often I feel that seeing a bass in these circumstances, is more fun and exciting than catching one.
A Big Bass In Shallow
My heart skipped a beat when I caught glimpse of a slowly moving shadow to my right. The shadow was lazily cruising towards my feet and I soon identified it as a 35 inch class striped bass-the largest I have seen yet this season.
I cast right on top of the fish, but he turned and wanted nothing to do with my offering. It was a good sign though, and there was no doubt in my mind that the fish were here.
I continued onward, farther from shore, towards the setting sun, which lit up the flats as if each tidal pool was on fire.
That was when I saw the first bass break in the current, just to my right, roughly 50 yards from shore.
I cast out into his direction and hit the fish on the head with the lure. I began reeling and watched my small Sebile zig-zag back and forth across the surface.
The action proved far too irresistible for the striped bass, which swirled on the Sebile before attacking it. With a quick upwards movement of my rod I securely embedded the hook into the fish's jaw.
