The wind was howling and the sun sinking towards the horizon, as Lauren and I set off through the dunes, and onto Cape Cod's great backside beach.
Lauren wanted to take some photos with her new camera, and I wanted to catch a striper along Cape Cod most vast and pristine stretch of shoreline.
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Having Lauren with me on a surfcasting trip is definitely not a common occurrence!
However, she makes for good company.
Yesterday we stepped onto the sand around 5:15PM, just in time to catch the last couple hours of the incoming tide.
We had an entire stretch of shoreline all to ourselves...with the exception of a few sea gulls.
Not long into our hike we encountered a tree which had been washed ashore by the mighty Atlantic Ocean.
Who knows where this tree drifted from! Perhaps it was torn from the coast of Maine during a ferocious winter storm.
The ocean is extremely powerful.
As we walked along we watched as waves rolled in from the open Atlantic and crashed onto the sandbars located offshore.​
Just past the bars was a group of very large seals.
The seals were very curious and would on occasion, gaze straight at us.
I hoped that the seals would remain offshore, well out of casting range, because seals will sometimes follow a surfcaster for miles.
Last year while fishing in Truro I had a pack of 50+ seals follow me up and down the beach for hours.
A few birds were diving into the water among the waves and breakers. This was a great sign because diving birds can mean there are bait fish in the area.
Eventually we reached a spot in between two sandbars where the water was deeper than usual. I made a cast and no more than 20 feet from shore my plug got slammed, but somehow I missed the fish!
I looked down into the ocean and saw another 5 or 6 stripers cruising in the shallows.
I may have missed that first fish, but I was pumped to know that others were in the area.
Waiting For Sunset
I continued to fish the bars, while Lauren put away her camera gear due to the swirling wind and sand. She is much more responsible with her camera equipment than I am!
The bass were here in the waves but I was having a difficult time convincing them to bite. Small packs of stripers would follow my plug right into shore without committing. Others would casually bump the plug without much vigor.
After a while the tide began to slack off and the fish disappeared. Fortunately the sun would soon be setting, and I felt that might help turn on the bite.
Sure enough around 7:15PM I was retrieving my plug between the same bars as before, when a striper came from out of nowhere to slam my plug a mere 25 feet from shore.
For a small fish, this was an awesome hit!
Click play below to check it out.
I landed the schoolie without too much trouble. Woo hoo!
​As you can see the fish was no world record, but I had seen 1 or 2 fish in the wash that appeared to be keeper size.
It was now or never if I wanted to hook one of those larger fish.
I continued casting with a bit more "pep in my step" now that I had landed a fish.
Another 15 minutes went by when out of nowhere SLAM!​ Just as before, this bass creamed my plug virtually right at my feet.
This fish was a little smaller than the first, but boy did he look healthy.
So far he had done a good job avoiding the seals!
All I can say is that the hits during this trip were remarkable!
The fish were feeding and feeding with aggression. Plus they were cruising incredibly close to shore.
I released the little guy and watched him swim away into the Atlantic as the sun disappeared behind my back. It was past 8 o'clock and I figured it was a good time for Lauren and I to make the drive home.
All in all we had a fantastic evening exploring Cape Cod's great backside beach. I was able to catch a few fish, and she was able to practice with her new camera.
It was a win-win situation!
MFCC members can click below to download an additional 9 HD photos taken during the trip.
Also included is a 5+ video report. You'll see footage of fish being caught, and views of this pristine beach environment.
Member Downloads
An additional 9 HD photos
taken during this trip
5+ minute video report recapping this excursion
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
Sweet video of the surface hits!
Thanks! I can’t wait until they are 30 and 40 pounders!
Sounds like an awesome experience! Even better when you can see the fish swimming in front of you.
Absolutely Ryan. It’s great when they are in close.
I also have my fingers crossed that you guys will hit some big fish at Cutty in a couple weeks.
I hope so! One of my goals this season is to get my dad into a 40″+ fish, which would be his biggest. Maybe we will find some big ones at Cutty!
That would be terrific!
You’re killing me! Can’t wait to get down there. Nothing like being alone (or with your girl) on the national seashore catching fish. Noticed that you had a heavy setup just in case you hooked up a cow!
The pic of the ——- was a give away 🙂
I couldn’t agree more Warren. And yes I had the bigger setup just in case. I will hit the big boys soon…I hope!
I figured you may know that spot very well. Gluck when you get down there.
Nice report Ryan! I’m going to give that area a try next weekend. It’s a good break from the crowds of the canal. Hopefully the seals will stay away!
Thanks Darren! I think you’ll enjoy the peacefulness.
Let me know how it goes!
The same seal story happened to me last year. A BIG pack of big seals followed me more than 1 1/2 miles down the shoreline, then followed me right back. They watched me the whole time. I was able to make “maybe” 10 casts the whole time. This was up from Coast Guard beach.
I hear ya Brian. I ran into huge herds of seals last September in Truro.
They can be relentless!
Looks like — beach behind you ?
Yep, you guessed right Pete!
That is the beach I was fishing.
What beach was that ?
Hi Rick! Here on MFCC I don’t always reveal the names of the beaches I fish.
However the photos and videos can help narrow down locations, and over time I feel you’ll discover many new areas by following along.
Also feel free to drop me an email if needed. Good to have you onboard MFCC!