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For me, the Cape & Islands are like an adult playground. If you enjoy outdoor adventures, then Cape Cod is a good place to call home.
This rings especially true during the early spring. During April and May, many different species of wildlife and fish are migrating into Cape waters.
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In this post I would like to share with you my latest Cape Cod fishing adventure, as I go hunting for my first striper of the spring.
Tuesday April 21 - Kayak Fishing
The temperature before sunrise this past Tuesday morning was a chilly 28 degrees. Fortunately the wind was dead calm, and the water as flat as a pane of glass.
I had been reading in our forum about how some of our members were having success with the first stripers of the spring. I wasn't sure if these stripers were "holdovers" which had spent the winter here on Cape, or if they were fresh arrivals migrating to the Cape from the south.
Regardless I was very excited to hit the water, especially with such clear and calm conditions! Yet despite the warm sun, the water temperature was still below 50 degrees, so it's more important now than ever to make sure you wear your lifejacket.
During this trip I bumped into John Borselli, who's been a member of My Fishing Cape Cod since 2017. Fishing with John was another new member of MFCC, Chris LaFrange.
I actually fished with Chris last summer from shore when we hooked a huge roughtail stingray. It was cool bumping into these guys and kayak fishing alongside them!
As you might be able to tell from the photos, we were fishing an estuary located in Buzzard's Bay. You can learn more about the general areas where MFCC members are having success here.
The action was slow for me, however both Chris and John caught stripers. John's fish was pretty big too (at least for this time of the year) measuring at probably over 28 inches.
The highlight of the trip for me was spotting a big whitetail deer along the shoreline. According to Chris, this deer was probably licking salt off of the rocks and reeds.
Thursday April 23 - Hiking Adventure
This past Thursday I awoke without an alarm at 5am. During the spring I am often so eager to get outside and fish that I don't need to set an alarm. I am sure many of you reading this can relate.
The morning started with temps in the high 20's, and a cool breeze from the north. The salt air was chilly and fresh. I "took it all in" as I began my hike along one of Barnstable's south facing beaches.
The bird life was remarkable. During this trip I saw ospreys, a great blue heron, herring gulls, sand pipers, and several other species I was not able to identify.
Many of these birds have migrated to Cape Cod from faraway destinations such as South America. Some of these shorebirds will nest here for the summer, while others will move on to the Arctic.
Midway into my hiking/fishing trip I spotted a familiar face amongst the dunes. It was MFCC member Jane Simpson! Jane has been a member of My Fishing Cape Cod since 2012!
It is always fun bumping into members while out fishing.
On Thursday morning I also saw plenty of adult pogies, which have been reported throughout the harbors of along the south side of Cape Cod and Buzzard's Bay.
During this trip I didn't find any stripers, but the day was still a success.
One of the waterfront homes located along the souths side of Barnstable. April 23rd, 2020
Friday April 24 - Island Fishing
One thing I love doing is using my kayak to "get away" from easily accessible areas. The kayak is a wonderful tool for reaching "wilder", less inhabited stretches of the Cape's coastline.
On Friday I chose to explore one of the islands of Buzzard's Bay. During the last ice age, the glacier which formed Cape Cod left many deposits of rock and gravel throughout Buzzard's Bay and other areas on Cape.
The glacier also formed a number of small islands in the process.
According to geologists, boulders like this one were deposited here about 15,000 years ago, by glacial activity which helped to shape Cape Cod & the Islands. April 23rd, 2020
The weather on Friday was bone-chilling cold, with a stiff breeze out of the northeast and rain. Yet despite the conditions, I spotted a small group of shore bound anglers across the bay from where I was fishing.
One of the anglers was MFCC member Chris Kline. Chris has been a member since 2017. I spoke with Chris later in the day via text and he reported catching two stripers of up to 24 inches!
You can learn more about how my morning of fishing turned out, by watching the video below. 
Sunday April 26 - Striper Success!
The weather on Cape Cod this past Saturday was spectacularly sunny and warm. It was the nicest spring day we've had thus far.
Often on Cape Cod we go from winter, straight into summer, with no real spring to speak of.
So whenever we get a nice day, my wife Lauren, and our dog Rosie and I try to make the most of it.
However, yesterday (Sunday April 26th) the wind switched around to the north with gale-force gusts, thunderstorms and a cold pelting rain. I really enjoy fishing in inclement weather (as long as its safe) so I figured why not give stripers another try.
I debated what to do and eventually settled on launching the kayak into a protected river estuary. I feel the kayak is the most effective tool for fishing these types of areas, and it would provide me with my best chance at locating and catching my first striper of the spring.
As I was launching the kayak I saw a passing car do a quick 180 degree turn and pull into the space behind my truck. It was my cousin Kevin who does the podcasts here on the site! Kevin reported catching his first striper earlier in the day, which gave me a lot of hope.
Unfortunately a thunderstorm began to roll through the region soon after launching the yak. I hustled to return to shore before the storm hit and made it back just in time.
As I thought about what to do next, I spotted a bunch of trash in the reeds and along the shoreline. I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere so I figured I might as well take 5 minutes to clean it all up.
With good karma on my side I drove to another estuary in Buzzard's Bay which has treated me well in the past. I have fished this area before from my boat and kayak, but never from shore.
The wind was howling and the rain was coming down in sheets, but fortunately the thunderstorm had passed.
It was about 5:45pm and the tide was coming in. A swift current was building in the river and I hoped it would bring a few stripers in front of the sandy shoal from which I would be fishing.
I began by casting a yellow 1oz Gibbs pencil popper which has treated me well ever since I was young. Over the years, this little pencil popper has caught me many bluefish and schoolies, but also stripers as large as 30 pounds.
On my third or fourth cast I noticed a V-shaped wake created by a pursuing striper coming up from behind the popper. The bass chased the popper for a series of yards before committing.
It then slammed the pencil right on the surface, and with a big whitewater explosion I was finally hooked up!
Over the past week I had logged in many hours and miles in order to hook this fish. Needless to say I wanted to make sure I landed him! Fortunately after a fun fight I was able to quickly land the bass and release him to fight another day.
The rest of the evening turned out great. The pencil popper triggered about a half dozen more exciting topwater strikes, and I was able to catch and release a total of 3 striped bass in the mid 20 inch range.
In Conclusion
My first striper of the 2020 spring season did not come easily. I fished numerous locations on Upper Cape Cod, Mid Cape Cod, and Buzzard's Bay without any success. However I knew if I never gave up, then I'd eventually catch a fish.
If you asked me about the status of the striper migration, I would say I feel there are some schools of fresh migratory striped bass in the Sounds and inside Buzzard's Bay. I have not heard of any stripers yet on Lower Cape Cod, but one of our members (Mike Marcus) did report catching this 25 inch bass in Cape Cod Bay on Saturday.
However, as of April 27th I don't feel a huge biomass has yet arrived. This will change any day now and I expect there to be many more schools of striped bass on Cape Cod by one week from today.
Next up for me is tautog, scup, and maybe squid. All three species will be arriving soon on Cape Cod. Not only are squid, scup and tautog fun to catch, but they are also delicious to eat!
I will be sure to keep you updated on my progress.
Best of luck if you head out fishing this week. Springtime is an exciting time of the year, and I hope you are able to make the most of it. Please LMK if I can help with anything fishing-related.
Tight lines 
Success story. Perseverance pays off. I’ve fly fished some of my favorite mid-cape spots this last week without a grab but know that’s about to change.
You are definitely right Mark when you say that persistence pays off. I am sure you will hook into a bass sometime this week. There seem to be more showing up each day now. Gluck and let us know when you get your first of the spring! ?
It paid off today. Fished way inland in a marshy area and found a bunch of small schoolies. Beautiful day of fish and bird watching.
That’s great news Mark. I’m glad you enjoyed a nice day out there. Gluck if you give it another go later this week!
Love the fishing action Ryan, but even more the scenery from the cape. The water, the beach scenes, the birds, I miss it so much. Does my soul good to see that part too. Thanks for posting!!
I’m really happy to hear that Max! Thank you for commenting and I hope you’re able to get back to the Cape soon. ?
Great job Ryan!!!.. way to hang in there and keep trying different strategies and spots!!! I ended hooking into my first striper on Saturday out with the kids but he threw the hook at the boat. Nice fresh 20″-22″ and we saw a few others moving around in the bays on the south side, but the water was still only around 46 degrees… still a bit chilly but getting warmer by the day!!
Thanks for the comment Steve! You guys must have enjoyed a beautiful day on the water last Saturday. That was one of the nicest days of the spring thus far. As you mention the water is still very chilly, but I’m getting reports of more schoolies showing up in your area each day. Gluck if you make it out this weekend! ?
Nice job Ryan! Perseverance paid off. I’ve been chasing the tide in this terrible weather looking for signs of bass on the lower Cape. Anytime now!
Nice Leslie, good luck! I am yet to hear about any stripers being caught on the Lower Cape, so maybe you’ll be the first. Keep us posted!
Ryan, a sure sign of spring, striped bass moving in and the MFCC Podcasts coming soon!
It is definitely an exciting time of the year. Thanks for the comment Mike!
Ryan-I fish estuaries for stripers frequently during Spring and Fall and almost always utilize a small dropper fly in front of any lure including surface plugs and plastic swimbaits. I have had good luck with jointed red fins which can be fished very slowly and creates a nice “V’ wake. I think the dropper not only provides a choice but also may stimulate a competitive instinct in feeding fish. Some days fish will hit primarily either the dropper or the lure but over the years I have caught hundreds of “double headers” with this method. My practic is to crush all barbs on plugs to facilitate quick release which I try to perform without removing fish from wter. Droppers best tied with dropper loops tied in leader about 12″-18″ ahead of lure.
Great tips and ideas David, thank you! Next time I head out for stripers I will try to remember to tie up a dropper. Doubling up on stripers would help make things even more fun and interesting.Thanks!
Great read Ryan thank you! I think it’s great you’re fishing a plug from your childhood.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post Hope, and thanks for the comment! ?