October 18 2014

Surfcasting Nauset Beach

2  comments

I watched as a set of breakers rolled in from the Atlantic Ocean towards one of the outer sandbars which ran parallel to the coast, about 50 yards offshore. The third wave in the set, which was the largest, curled at its top and fell forward, pounding hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of water into the sand of the bar.

The crashing breaker produced a sound which bellowed into the evening air and echoed off the dune behind me. The ground on which I stood shook. The process repeated itself, time and time again, for as far as I could see down the beach.

Searching For Bass Along The Backside Beaches Of Cape Cod

standing in foam outer cape beach

Moby stripers feed among these great bars, breakers and troughs each night, somewhere along the great backside beaches of Cape Cod. I hoped that tonight would be the night in which I intercept them.

For now it was still daylight. I began my walk to the beach along an ORV trail which meandered through the dunes.

orv road cape cod

A balmy south breeze blew through the marsh on my right, into my nostrils, over the dunes on my left and off into the Atlantic. The eelgrass which covered the dunes had lost its bright green summer hue.

The air felt like summer, but the landscape looked like Autumn.

dune lands cape cod, ma

I walked for a mile or two along the ORV route. My legs felt fresh despite the long walk I made while fishing the day before.

orv dune trail cape cod ma

Up around the bend I encountered a friendly woman, riding one of the largest horses I have ever seen. After a few minutes of conversation the woman and the horse galloped away, with two dogs following closely behind.

"What a fantastic way of traveling along the sand" I thought to myself.

Maybe next season I will find myself a horse, strap some rod holders to its side, and fish the backside beaches on horseback!

horseback dunes

Eventually I reached my destination and made a 90 degree turn to the right, leaving the trail and entering onto the beach.

outer cape cod beach

It was around 5PM and soon the sun would be setting. Night comes quick and lasts long this time of the year on Cape Cod.

In the Extended Fishing Report, which MFCC members can access by clicking below, I recap the entire experience in video format, and share with you scenes of the area fished, techniques used and explain everything that happened next.

extended fishing report button

 

 

  • I too remember the good ol’ days
    Now 69 I remember fishing when it was absolutely tremendous fishing at Nauset beach. I rarely fished any daylight hours for several reasons and fished all night.
    Before the cut there was a strong current created trough that ran almost the entire length of the beach and an out going tide made it necessary to cast at a left angle and your plug or eel would be at an extreme right angle by the end of the retrieve.
    The current was strong and never ever saw a seal when driving the beach during the day looking for the bowls and rips that confused bait and held bass
    I have literally filled huge front of the truck coolers and much of the back of my GMC or Chevy Blazers which was my preferred vehicle for running the sand.
    I’d love the share some of my photos

    • Oh man Bruce, those sound like some epic days! I’d be happy and excited to see those photos, so if you feel like it, please feel free to email a few over to me at [email protected]. Sounds like you had some awesome experiences back in the day at Nauset. Thanks for sharing!

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