Kayak Fishing Woods Hole & Barnstable Harbor | June 18 Report

Woods Hole is known as one of the most dangerous passages on the entire planet. Swift currents and house-size boulders can making fishing and navigation very challenging. Throw in some fog and a strong wind blowing against the tide and Woods Hole can be downright dangerous.

Barnstable Harbor is more towards the other end of the spectrum. Winding tributaries, emerald green marshland and bleach blonde sand flats make boating and fishing in this area an absolute pleasure. A crystal clear day coupled with flat calm conditions can make Barnstable Harbor feel almost tropical.

What better way to spend  a Tuesday morning than fish both extremes?

This morning's excursion began at 2:45AM. I do not own a kayak, so I jumped at the opportunity to use one of Andrew's 14 foot ocean kayaks. By 3:15AM we had all the gear and the kayaks loaded up in the truck.

First stop would be a our launch spot-a secluded beach in the town of Falmouth. Launching from this beach would place us just paddling distance away from a rocky point that I have been eyeing all spring. The rocky point would allow us to cast into the depths of Woods Hole.

Once we stepped foot on the beach we were greeted by a glass calm Vineyard Sound and a perfectly pink and orange false dawn.

Small bass were swirling in the shallows as we launched the yaks. Sand eels skimped across the surface in a last ditch effort to escape the tiny linesides.

We had a little bit of a paddle ahead of us in order to reach the rocky point I have wanted to fish since early May. Unfortunately on Cape Cod, access to the best shore fishing spots is often limited.

An incredible rip filled with fish may be well within casting range, however the private property that sits just above the rip makes it impossible to access. Creativity can come in clutch when trying to access these types of fishing spots-which is where the kayak comes in.

We began paddling just as the sun began to peek its head over the horizon.

I have not seen Vineyard Sound any smoother than how I saw it this morning. A lone ripple could be spotted from a fair distance away. There was not a single breath of wind.

A quarter of a mile in the distance I spotted the very rock I have been dying to take a cast from. The powerful current was moving fast and I could see water rushing over and around the boulder.

Eagerly anticipating that first cast I decided to pick up the pace.