Persistence Pays Off!

The wind has been cranking on Cape Cod and seas in some spots have reached 14 feet. It's been pretty intense out there and the surfcasting has not been easy!

However, the girlfriend is working all this weekend so I figured I might as well fish hard. October is the month of the "cows" in my book. There is no better time to fish the beach.

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This surfcasting expedition began yesterday evening in the howling wind and raging surf. If you saw this video which I posted to the MFCC Facebook page, then you know what I am talking about!

In past trips I have been able to stick it out in these rough conditions and was blessed with some big fish. However conditions were too unbearably brutal last night for the open beach, and after sunset I retreated to a more protected estuary.

I explored the upper reaches of an estuary which has in the past produced fish for me, but unfortunately the place was devoid of striped bass. I saw silversides, peanut bunker and even juvenile scup but there was not a predator in sight.

This morning I eagerly checked the wide open beach again, scanning for birds with my binoculars. If anything the wind had only increased and I gave into the fact that fishing the beach front would be impossible.

So I got in the truck and began to drive. I spent close to an hour on the road before I arrived at a special secret spot I only fish during the spring and fall. It was 8:30am when I hit the beach.

The incoming tide would soon make it impossible for me to reach the spot where I typically find the fish. I waded through thigh deep water, eagerly anticipating my first cast, wondering if any fish were home.

My first cast produced nothing. My second produced nothing, as did my third. But on my fourth cast the ocean erupted as a keeper-size striped bass engulfed my plug right off the surface.

Fish on!

I knew this was a decent size fish as soon as I set the hook. The bass dashed for the nearby boulders and soon had me wrapped behind a rock. I tightened up my drag and tried horsing the fish away from the sharp, barnacle laden edges of the boulder.

Then the fish began to take line against the tight drag. I pulled back, careful to apply maximum pressure without pulling the hook. The wind was howling and it began to pour. I felt alive!

Finally I had the bass in the shallows in front of me.

I reached down and secured a good lip lock on the fish.

Persistence pays off!

After releasing that bass I took another cast and immediately hooked up. The fish were stacked in the rocks!

I ended up catching nearly a dozen stripers with several "keeper size" fish. I also managed two bluefish with one of the bluefish in the 33-35 inch range.

In my opinion it does not get much more exciting than this. Big rocks, big wind, pelting rain and great fishing.

If things work out I would love to go again tonight/tomorrow morning. I have a feeling the fish will be there!

Click below to view 3 HD photos of the area fished, and information on the best technique and tide.