The wind was howling and the rain was coming down in sheets this past Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless I could not resist an overwhelming urge to head down Cape and do some surfcasting.
I pulled my truck into the parking lot and was greeted by a chilly 30 mph wind out of the northeast. It was 1:15pm and high tide would be happening at around 2:45pm, so I had made it just in time.
A misty bank of fog was hanging over the horizon. To my left, a lone boat sat on its mooring, getting pummeled by the waves. The temperature with the wind chill was probably in the low 40's and I could feel the sting of the cold on my fingertips.
I had heard that some larger bass in the 40 inch class had arrived in spots throughout the Cape & Islands. Despite the difficult conditions I was hopeful that I might encounter some good action.
I made my first cast of the trip as the wind blew rain into my face . My topwater pencil popper skipped quickly across the face of the waves as I attempted to make the lure appear as if it was a wounded baitfish.
Midway through my first cast a whitewater explosion erupted on the lure as a big striped bass made a go for the plug. The bass went completely airborne but somehow it missed the hooks.
At least I knew the fish were here!
For this trip I was casting the old reliable 2 ounce My Fishing Cape Cod Guppy pencil popper, along the beach in the area shown below.
I've been using this lure for the last 5 years and it has served me very well, but honestly any long-casting pencil popper probably would've worked.
I launched another cast out into the wind and waves. Could there be a big school of fish hanging just off the jetty? The anticipation of another big hit was sending adrenaline through my body and I was downright excited to be out here fishing in the storm.
Another 5-10 minutes went by without any more action. I kept working the pencil popper across the surface, making it dance to the left and to the right, "walking the dog" as some anglers like to call it.
Then suddenly about 30 feet off the tip of the jetty a fish exploded on the lure, crashing and thrashing, and tossing more whitewater into the air. I was hooked up to a nice fish!
At first I thought I had hooked a schoolie, but eventually the bass realized he was hooked and started pulling line. It was a beautiful fish that I estimate was probably around 40 inches in length.
As you might of noticed in the video, I had to spend some time reviving the fish. I was actually surprised at how long it took for the bass to regain her composure and swim off.
The rest of the trip included one or two big hits from fish that may or not may not have been the same size. I did manage to catch another half dozen stripers between 24-30 inches. All in all it was a great afternoon.
The wonderful thing about Cape Cod is that you can almost always find somewhere to fish, no matter how bad the weather is. Fortunately the weather for this week is looking much better. Summertime and beach days are now right around the corner.
Tight lines! 
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Great fish Ryan… awesome job landing it in those conditions and then spending the time to be sure it was ready to be released. Congrats!
It was definitely a memorable experience and I’m glad I went! lol
Your video is T.V. worthy.
when you have a blog like this you just have to get out there and gerer done an you do every time. Funny thing is you seem to make it look easy and I know it just is not that simple, Good work here today Ryan. Nice catch and release .
If you only knew how many trips occur when I do not “get it done” – LOL! There are definitely many trips when things do not work out so well. ?♂️ Regardless I appreciate the comment Bill! The trip last weekend during the storm was pretty awesome and I’m very happy I decided to go. Good luck if you make it out fishing this week, and as always thanks for reading MFCC.
Stellar, was thinking of heading out to Duck harbor on Saturday, didn’t think it would be worth it..
But.. nice fish Ryan
Roger that Flip. I would’ve imagined conditions might have been not so bad at Duck Harbor, considering the arm of the Cape would be blocking the worst of the NE wind. I haven’t been down that way yet this season so I’m not sure how the bite has been in that area of the Cape. Good luck if you hit the beach this weekend. LMK how it goes and have fun! ?
Great adventure! Beautiful fish! Nice release! Love the passion!
It was an awesome day for sure. Glad I went. ?
Some schoolies taken with chunk macs in Eastham on the Bay side but not as brave (or is it crazy) as you. Saturday and Sunday just too nasty. Hope to get back up soon. Consolation was beautiful largemouth in our pond.
Very nice Mark! I will probably be doing some chunking myself pretty soon. I just need to get out and load up on fresh mackerel. I’m glad the largemouth in your pond are biting. That is a wonderful back up plan to every saltwater trip! Tight lines ?
Great fish and a good release. I am glad you showed on video the amount of time it can take to properly revive the bigger fish. It is often tempting to release large fish quickly when the potential for more action is still high.
Yes that fish definitely took a while to catch his breath! Glad you enjoyed the post John and good luck if you make it out this week. ?
Dedicated ~ Dedicated ~ Dedicated. Looks like the Bering Sea. Great stuff.
Lots of fun! Later today I’m heading off road to one of your favorite places. I’ll let you know how it goes. ✌?