With Fourth of July weekend tapping at our front door, it's about that time for truly serious striped bass anglers to transition into fishing at night. The weather's getting hotter, the fish are beginning to settle into their summer time haunts, and the bite is best, undoubtedly, after dark. In particular, this is the time of the year that the striped bass fishing is best during the night when Cape Cod Canal fishing.
Fishing Cape Cod from the shoreline during July and August is usually difficult. The greater part of the striped bass population will undoubtedly be holding in deeper water only accessible by boats. However hitting the right spots at night will greatly improve your chances of tying into one of the Cape's summer time cow striped bass.
Fishing these locales, after dark, may very well result in a fine catch. Fish above the 50 pound mark are caught each year at these spots. Good luck!
Big Striped Bass and Cape Cod Canal fishing
Some of the finest and most consistent Cape Cod Canal fishing takes place during early July. This ribbon of water may seem devoid of life during sunlight hours, however don't let yourself be fooled-things get going after the sun sets.
Pip's Rip inside the Cape Cod Canal's east end may very well be one of the most reliable producers of big striped bass during early July. Pip's Rip is furthermore the most striking and extraordinary rip in the entire Cape Cod Canal. The rip rises dramatically off of the bottom, then plunges into a gulley. The back-end of the rip then soars dramatically from the bottom, creating a duo of pronounced valleys that can hold striped bass when the current is flowing.
Large striped bass settle into the rip like clockwork during this period of the year. The bass will hold on each tide, provided that the current is flowing. Casting to the rip from shore can be difficult from time to time. The best opportunity for the shore bound angler happens on an incoming tide, when the current is flowing east.
The rest of the Cape Cod Canal is littered with rips, gulleys, pockets and valleys which all accommodate big fish. The challenging part is figuring out where they are and what tides churn out best at each locale.
If you are a Cape Cod Canal fishing beginner, walk the canal during the day when the current is really moving. Take along a pad and pencil and be aware of the pole numbers that coincide with rip water on the surface of the canal. Return during the nighttime and fan cast the spot with a hefty jig, keeping track of just how long it takes the jig to hit bottom.
When you locate a gulley, you will see that it takes considerably longer for your jig to strike bottom. For example, one of my preferred Cape Cod Canal jigging areas includes an enormous gulley, enclosed on both sides by extraordinary rock peaks. It'll only take my four ounce jig 7 seconds to reach the top of the rock peaks, however it takes 15 seconds for it to reach the bottom part of the hole.
Fishing Sandy Neck Beach
There are a lot of wonderful incentives for anglers fishing Sandy Neck. The beach is gorgeous, and it's one of the few shorelines left on Cape Cod where it is acceptable to drive on the sand.
The fishing can be downright awesome as well. The good news is for Sandy Neck anglers, there exists a size-able population of striped bass sitting just offshore in areas like the "Parking Lot" and the "Fingers." The schools offshore can, now and then, number in the hundreds.
It is a real treat for fishermen when these fish move in close to the coastline. This usually occurs through late August and September, however it does, on occasion, occur in July.
I recall being in merely 7 feet of water last summer off Sandy Neck, casting eels from the Miss Loretta. We couldn't have been more than 50 yards off the beach. There were massive amounts of striped bass gulping down our eels all night. It would have been an impressive night of surf casting, had there been anyone casting from the beach.
Scorton Creek
Scorton Creek flows directly into Cape Cod Bay, just to the west of Sandy Neck. The creek itself is a remarkable environment. Its upper reaches sometimes hold small striped bass throughout the winter.
Just offshore of the creek lies Scorton Ledge, which is, at its essence, a muddy, boulder strewn hump. At specific times throughout the summer, the Ledge holds large numbers of keeper size striped bass. Throughout the night these fish will frequently venture within casting range of anglers fishing East Sandwich beach and Scorton Creek.
I have found the outgoing tide at the creek to be the most effective. Casting a live eel, or piece of bait into the creek, and allowing it to catch a free trip offshore is a productive way to fish a bait. There are a handful of holes and gulleys at the opening of the creek that bass are attracted to.
The most important consideration when fishing the creek at night is safety. A powerful current, combined with darkness and unexpected drop-offs can be very dangerous. Taking extra precaution when angling in the area needs to be an absolute priority.
No striped bass is every worth risking your life!
Tight lines, good luck and don't forget about your headlamp!
Fishing Cape Cod from the shoreline during July and August is usually difficult. The greater part of the striped bass population will undoubtedly be holding in deeper water only accessible by boats. However hitting the right spots at night will greatly improve your chances of tying into one of the Cape's summer time cow striped bass.
Fishing these locales, after dark, may very well result in a fine catch. Fish above the 50 pound mark are caught each year at these spots. Good luck!
Big Striped Bass and Cape Cod Canal fishing
Some of the finest and most consistent Cape Cod Canal fishing takes place during early July. This ribbon of water may seem devoid of life during sunlight hours, however don't let yourself be fooled-things get going after the sun sets.
Pip's Rip inside the Cape Cod Canal's east end may very well be one of the most reliable producers of big striped bass during early July. Pip's Rip is furthermore the most striking and extraordinary rip in the entire Cape Cod Canal. The rip rises dramatically off of the bottom, then plunges into a gulley. The back-end of the rip then soars dramatically from the bottom, creating a duo of pronounced valleys that can hold striped bass when the current is flowing.
Large striped bass settle into the rip like clockwork during this period of the year. The bass will hold on each tide, provided that the current is flowing. Casting to the rip from shore can be difficult from time to time. The best opportunity for the shore bound angler happens on an incoming tide, when the current is flowing east.
The rest of the Cape Cod Canal is littered with rips, gulleys, pockets and valleys which all accommodate big fish. The challenging part is figuring out where they are and what tides churn out best at each locale.
If you are a Cape Cod Canal fishing beginner, walk the canal during the day when the current is really moving. Take along a pad and pencil and be aware of the pole numbers that coincide with rip water on the surface of the canal. Return during the nighttime and fan cast the spot with a hefty jig, keeping track of just how long it takes the jig to hit bottom.
When you locate a gulley, you will see that it takes considerably longer for your jig to strike bottom. For example, one of my preferred Cape Cod Canal jigging areas includes an enormous gulley, enclosed on both sides by extraordinary rock peaks. It'll only take my four ounce jig 7 seconds to reach the top of the rock peaks, however it takes 15 seconds for it to reach the bottom part of the hole.
Fishing Sandy Neck Beach
There are a lot of wonderful incentives for anglers fishing Sandy Neck. The beach is gorgeous, and it's one of the few shorelines left on Cape Cod where it is acceptable to drive on the sand.
The fishing can be downright awesome as well. The good news is for Sandy Neck anglers, there exists a size-able population of striped bass sitting just offshore in areas like the "Parking Lot" and the "Fingers." The schools offshore can, now and then, number in the hundreds.
It is a real treat for fishermen when these fish move in close to the coastline. This usually occurs through late August and September, however it does, on occasion, occur in July.
I recall being in merely 7 feet of water last summer off Sandy Neck, casting eels from the Miss Loretta. We couldn't have been more than 50 yards off the beach. There were massive amounts of striped bass gulping down our eels all night. It would have been an impressive night of surf casting, had there been anyone casting from the beach.
Scorton Creek
Scorton Creek flows directly into Cape Cod Bay, just to the west of Sandy Neck. The creek itself is a remarkable environment. Its upper reaches sometimes hold small striped bass throughout the winter.
Just offshore of the creek lies Scorton Ledge, which is, at its essence, a muddy, boulder strewn hump. At specific times throughout the summer, the Ledge holds large numbers of keeper size striped bass. Throughout the night these fish will frequently venture within casting range of anglers fishing East Sandwich beach and Scorton Creek.
I have found the outgoing tide at the creek to be the most effective. Casting a live eel, or piece of bait into the creek, and allowing it to catch a free trip offshore is a productive way to fish a bait. There are a handful of holes and gulleys at the opening of the creek that bass are attracted to.
The most important consideration when fishing the creek at night is safety. A powerful current, combined with darkness and unexpected drop-offs can be very dangerous. Taking extra precaution when angling in the area needs to be an absolute priority.
No striped bass is every worth risking your life!
Tight lines, good luck and don't forget about your headlamp!
About the Author:
Capt. Ryan John Collins is a striped bass commercial and charter fishing captain. His fishing blog, myfishingcapecod.com, is focused on helping novice and veteran fishermen catch more and bigger striped bass. Visit his blog today to learn more cape cod canal fishing secret spots and tips.
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