July 30 2019

How to Catch August Stripers from Shore with Swimming Lures

13  comments

Ryan Collins

During the heat of August on Cape Cod, the best fishing for striped bass from the beach will almost always occur during the night.

There are many different baits and lures that work well for stripers at night. However, there is one particular type of lure that is my "go-to" for surfcasting balmy summer nights.

In the following video tutorial I will "bring you with me" for a night of surfcasting the beach on Cape Cod. This video was filmed last summer but everything is still applicable.

You'll learn the best tide for 80% of the beaches I fish on Cape, and as the title of this tutorial suggests, I'll show you exactly how to catch stripers from shore on Cape Cod with swimming lures.

More...

Timestamps:

  • 00:25 - shot of the lure
  • 01:20 - how to retrieve the lure
  • 02:18 - why I crush the barbs on the hook
  • 03:30 - striped bass #2
  • 05:00- three things to watch out for when unhooking a striper
  • 06:00 - mackerel on the beach - maybe this is what the stripers are feeding on?
  • 08:40 - important tips for safely catching & releasing stripers
  • 10:00 - striper #3 and demonstration of how to use the fish grip (plus a hook in my knee! LOL)
  • 13:50 - how to crush barbs on treble hooks
  • 15:20 - striper #4, slightly larger bass
  • 16:25 - second demonstration of how to safely use the fish grip and pliers to unhook a striper
  • 17:10 - explanation of where most stripers will bite the plug
  • 17:30 - theory of perhaps why purple/black colored lures work so well at night

Equipment used in this video:

What do you think?

Let me know by commenting below.

  • Hi Ryan,
    I am going to the Cape in mid August and would love to do some surf casting for stripers!! Any recommendations on where and what type of bait or lures to use? Thanks and look forward to hearing from you!!
    Rob

    • Hey Rob,

      Sounds like you have a fun trip planned! At nighttime, I would recommend the technique and the blurple Swarters shown in this video. These lures and technique will work all over the Cape, but especially along the beaches of Cape Cod Bay and Outer Cape Cod. In general, for most beaches in this area my favorite tide would be 3 hours until 3 hours after high tide.

      I hope that helps get you started,

      Ryan

  • Ryan, after a pretty dismal August surfcasting I took your advice and grabbed a Joebaggs blurple swarter. Hooked up a blue on my first cast this morning on the south side, from the beach. More blues and a striper followed. One blue chased the lure the way to shore before taking a swipe. All schoolies but still lots of fun. This is definitely going to be my goto lure for early mornings. Thanks for the tip.

  • Hi Ryan. Are you running any fishing trips in the next few weeks? Maybe for stripers? I live in Plymouth and am fairly flexible on timing. Looking to join a small group, just myself or maybe me plus one more.

    Steve

  • Ryan,

    FTLT. I know I enjoy the top water action myself. Something as little as a white Yo-Zuri popper. Darker colors work better at night? Your take please?

    Thanks,

    Ben

    • Hey Ben,

      I definitely have a lot of confidence at night with the blurple color.

      Having said that, I have also had great nights on the beach using yellow and white plugs. Go figure!

      I’d say give white and blurple a try some night. Experiment and see what works best for you.

      LMK how things go!

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