Fishing Cape Cod from Shore: Nighttime Hotspots
With Independence Day weekend knocking at our front door, it’s that time for serious striped bass anglers to transition into fishing during the night. The weather’s getting hotter, the fish are starting to settle into their summertime haunts, and the bite is the best, by far, after dark.
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. Things can get frustrating for shorebound anglers. 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.
Hitting the following hotspots, at night, will present you with a high probability at hooking up with a nice striped bass.
The Cape Cod Canal
Some of the best and most dependable canal fishing happens during early July. This ribbon of water might seem devoid of life during daylight hours, however don’t let yourself be fooled-things get moving after the sun sets.
Pip’s Rip inside the canal’s east end may very well be one of the most reliable producers of big bass during early July. Pip’s Rip is furthermore the most striking and extraordinary rip in the entire canal. The rip rises dramatically off of the bottom, then plunges into a gulley. The backend of the rip then soars dramatcially from the bottom, creating a duo of pronounced valleys that can hold fish when the current is flowing.
Large stripers settle into the rip like clockwork during this period of the year. The stripers 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 shorebound angler happens on an incoming tide, when the current is flowing east.
The rest of the canal is littered with rips, gulleys, holes and valleys which all accommodate bass. The tricky part is working out where they are and what tides produce best at each rip.
If you are a canal 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 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.
Sandy Neck
There are a lot of remarkable incentives for fishermen fishing Sandy Neck. The area is stunning, and it’s one of the few beaches left on Cape Cod where it is legal to drive on the sand.
The fishing can be downright awesome as well. The good news is for Sandy Neck anglers, there exists a sizeable 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 stripers gulping down our eels all night. It would have been an impressive night of surfcasting, 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 schoolie stripers throughout the winter.
Just outside of the creek lies Scorton Ledge, which is, at its essence, a muddy, boulder laden underwater hill. At certain times during the summer, the Ledge holds substantial amounts of keeper size bass. After sunset these fish will frequently venture within casting range of fishermen casting East Sandwich beach and Scorton Creek.
I have found the outgoing tide at the creek to be the most effective. Pitching a live eel, or chunk bait into the current, and allowing it to catch a free ride offshore is a productive way to present a bait. There are a few holes and gulleys at the mouth of the creek that bass flock to.
The most significant consideration when fishing the creek at night is safety. A powerful current, mixed with darkness and undetectable drop-offs can be very dangerous. Taking extra precaution when angling in the area is an absolute necessity.
No stripers is every worth risking your life!
Tight lines, good luck and don’t forget about your headlamp!
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