This report highlights one of those special nights when everything lines up perfectly. It all began when I grabbed my waders, a few Snickers bars and a super big jug of coffee.
Fully supplied I headed out onto a beach which has been very productive for me so far this season.
In this report I will give as much information as tastefully possible to help you identify situations in which you’ll find fish along the beaches and inlets of Cape Cod, where I spend nearly all my fishing time.
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Perfect Big Bass Conditions
It was a beautiful night at about 62 degrees. The wind was just how I like it for this spot, which is raging in my face. No hats tonight or they would be gone when chins are lifted!
Low, sideways casts produce well in these conditions. High power casts on windy nights like this often result in wind knots. While you spend 10 minutes cutting and retying, your friends will be catching.
Little did my friend Chris and I know that within just 2 hours, there would be many heel marks deep in the sand, as we leaned back into our fish and dug in.
This beach, like many, offers fishermen great fishing in the following conditions:
- Dropping tide, fast moving water, either the beginning of the drop or the end.
- Wind right in your face. Hard enough to be uncomfortable. Quiet nights can produce as well, but we’re talking percentages here, right?
- Time of day – not day. Night. I am a nighttime surfcaster. I know great fish can be caught during the day, but I am almost exclusively a nighttime fisherman.
- Structure – WHITE WATER.
Striped Bass Love Whitewater
My mentor and amazing friend, the late Tony Stetzko, had a theory that striped bass enjoyed the white water because it was aerated. He thought it was a game to them and that it felt good for them to cruise through it.
My advice for you My Fishing Cape Codders would be to look for crashing waves. This is exactly what I did during this trip.
Keep in mind this will change with the tide. I have personally seen Tony catch hundreds of fish in the last wave, just feet from the rod tip.
Watch the structure change before your very eyes.
At the top of the drop, position “A” may produce very well. However, 3 hours later at the bottom of the drop, you may look a couple hundred yards down the beach and see that the breakers have moved.
As the tide raises below and above bars, these wave formations will change drastically. You need to move with them to position B. Find structure, and move with it.
Structure creates waves, wind enhances them, and tide makes it all work at the right place at the right time.
24 Bass In Just 3 Hours
At the end of the night and after only 3 hours of fishing, my friend Chris and I were sitting on over a dozen fish each, with some very nice 12 - 15 lb fish mixed in.
Chris was spooled and lost a BEAST of a fish which is motivating me to go again tonight with Ryan.
I have to say that Chris had his drag set pretty tight, so this was definitely a big bass.
I was honestly shocked to hear that fish take so much drag! There are some awfully big striped bass swimming along the beaches of Cape Cod right now.
Of course there were plenty of smaller fish in the waves as well...
All of the fish were released to fight another day.
Generally, as was the case last night, most of my bites came when my lure was moving so slowly, that I could barely feel tension on the line. The game is to "dance the line" of feeling tension and not feeling tension.
If you go even a little bit too fast, the lure will rise to the surface, and become susceptible to the pull and toss of the waves and breakers. This will not only affect your presentation adversely, but will also remove your line feel.
No good – keep it low and slow.
Typically I find at either the 75% mark of a long cast or the 25% mark, fish will hit.
Why that is so is still a mystery to me. MFCC members can learn more about this trip by clicking the orange buttons below.
Tight lines,
Danya
Member Downloads
4 photos of the plugs & lures used during this trip
More detailed information about location fished
2,000+ word extended report written by Danya
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
Outer cape night fishing,, wind in your face, big surf, needle lures, teasers,…….
I thought I was reading Frank Daignault’s Stripersurf book!!
Great report, some things just don’t change.
Great post and very informative. Danya I am glad to read the words of wisdom passed onto you by Tony. Do you normally go with yellow on the teaser or do you change to another color based upon the phase of the moon?
Greg I don’t put as much weight on teaser color as some do. Maybe it’s more a daytime thing? I typically use white, black, and chartreuse, and change probably more on my mood than the conditions, lol! I am no expert but I enjoy the science.
Like Tony, I usually grab whichever is closest 🙂 I think the addage of dark with new moons and white with full moons works, but I like to try everything and see what works.
Thanks for the follow up. I am not sure if the color matters as much as the presentation because it just triggers their predatory response. However I recent caught more bass on the lure than on the fly.
Very interesting read, thanks
Awesome Report! What do you use to figure out what time the tides are at for the Outer/lower cape?
http://www.boatma.com/tides/Cape-Cod.html
http://www.boatma.com/tides/Cape-Cod.html
Thank you
I’ve been fishing the Cape for decades, almost always at night, I would love to go on a night trip with you guys, night time is the right time, Cape Cod is my favorite place on the planet ! Hook me up /~~~~~<•€€€€{
Ryan is in charge of all that stuff, I know he takes MFCC members out from time to time. Maybe I’ll see you out there?
Get me in…. haha. Great report bud…
Great post, very helpful detail.
That was an excellent piece about your night time adventures. I personally cannot exactly picture the teaser and the needle tied on the way you described. Would it be possible to make a quick drawing of what it should look like, or take a pic and send it to me. I am returning to the Cape in July, and will probably hit the surf for a couple evenings. I will befishing out of Wellfleet so your “clockwork” spot could be one I come across sometime. My e-mail is [email protected]. Great stuff. Thanks so much.
Danya is the man! I fished with him last night/early this morning and we caught a bunch of fish, including 1 real good one.
I’ll post the report tomorrow.
Happy to have you contributing Danya!
It was my pleasure Ryan. We had a good night, wish they all turned out like that! Good luck tonight, I am taking an Aleve and putting my feet up after 3 days of that madness!
Wow … serious stuff … excellent info!
What are you using for gear in that situation?
Hi Jeff! In conditions when wind is in my face, I use a 11′ Ron Arra 1322-2 Lamiglass Custom rod with a Daiwa Saltiga. Most of the time, in quieter water, I am using my VS 150 and one of several 8-9 ft rods. 30-40lb Braid, 30-40 lb fluoro leader.
Great extended write-up. I got the essence and nuances of the teaser rig. Have never tried one and will do so. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Thanks, Danya. This is one of the absolute best “reads” I have come across in a long time. Tons of great information that, hopefully, I will digest like a sponge. Keep em coming?
I appreciate it Brian. Nothing makes me happier than working the surf at night, so I am very glad to be able to write it all down and help anyone that needs it. With that big fish in your pic doesn’t look like you need too much information 🙂 Nice fish.
You will not regret the dropper. It will change your success rate in ways you don’t believe! Just remember if it is nighttime to go as slow as you can!