The most daunting task, when Fishing Cape Cod, is locating quality fish. It is irrelevant what species of fish is targeted, the ability to consistently find fish on each fishing trip is half the battle, and is the most important ingredient to a successful season.
Locating fish amongst the 604 square miles of water that constitute Cape Cod Bay is really the same as looking for a needle within a haystack. Nantucket Sound to the south is not much more inviting. However you can consistently locate quality fishing, no matter the time of year, weather conditions or the presence of bait, given that a sound system is employed.
Locating fish amongst the 604 square miles of water that constitute Cape Cod Bay is really the same as looking for a needle within a haystack. Nantucket Sound to the south is not much more inviting. However you can consistently locate quality fishing, no matter the time of year, weather conditions or the presence of bait, given that a sound system is employed.
And in this day an age, consistently locating striped bass, when fishing Cape Cod, relies heavily upon the use of electronics.
Finding a Place to Begin
We all love those rare days when diving birds and breaking fish lead the way to great fishing. Or those exceptional moments in the event the fishing report we read in yesterday’s newspaper rings true.
The fact is that on most trips we really do not have these luxuries. Far more often than not we are welcomed by stretches of seemingly lifeless water with no clues as to where the bite is best. Which creates the dilemma, amidst all this wide open water, where do we start out?
Utilizing the most updated information possible is a sensible way to build a starting point.
Let’s say the only data we have is that last weekend a number of nice bass were caught in 60 feet of water somewhere in Cape Cod Bay. Even though we are not presented any precise facts by this report, the bit of intel we are supplied (60 feet of water) is crucially beneficial considering the vastness of the Bay.
Sixty feet of water will likely be our kick off point.
Starting the Search
Driving out to a depth of 60 feet and instantly putting baits within the water is not a smart decision. The probabilities that bass will be holding in the first location we try, even if it is a renowned hot spot, are extremely slim.
It is also a waste of precious time to troll around for many hours in 60 feet of water, wishing and praying to stumble across a bass or two. On another hand we can take full advantage of our time and efficiency by using a more proactive method to finding fish using our electronics.
All that is needed is a dependable color sonar unit. Systems worth thousands of dollars are nice, however a color unit bought for a few hundred bills will get the job done just fine.
The next action to frequently finding fish is to identify what track to start the search. Say for instance you depart Barnstable Harbor, arrive at a depth of 60 feet and know from experience that you have done nicely to the west, in the area off Sandy Neck. In this situation it makes the best sense to start out our search by moving in a westerly track.
Always keeping an eye on the sonar, we’ll cruise west at a reasonable pace-one that will allow us to clearly view fish marks on the sonar, whilst enabling us to cover quite a lot of water. For most units, a speed of around eight miles per hour works fine.
Because the Bay is vast, and also for the most part, lacking any fish holding structure, we often may go miles without marking a single fish on the sonar. This is not "bad" news because we now have eliminated miles of water that we may of squandered hours trolling through.
When to Commence Fishing
On some trips it may only take a few minutes to mark a bass on the sonar, and on other trips it could take numerous hours. Nonetheless it is very important not underestimate the significance of even just a single mark on the sonar.
If you notice a definitive bass mark on the sonar, it's likely that that you have found one of hundreds of fish in the area. Striped bass are particularly prone to hang out in large schools. During 2010 we found on numerous instances, schools of bass around a mile in length.
Quite often that one mark on the screen, is but one of countless fish holding in the immediate area.
The next step is to put lines in the water and begin fishing. And if after fifteen or twenty minutes, there are no takes or additional fish marked on the sonar, it is time to continue the search.
It's possible to uncover a school of say 20-40 pound stripers, and follow them for miles. However it is easy to lose the school if too much time is spent fishing in one location, and not enough time is spent using sonar to keepon top of the school.
Breaking Free from Conventional methods
A number of people usually tend to get caught up on hammering the GPS coordinates from a productive past trip, or gravitating to well known hot spots or fleets of other boats. Often times, lines will end up in the water despite no evidence of fish on the sonar.
The reality is that fish are almost constantly on the move, and frequently move quickly. In spacious areas without structure and significant current,investing more time actively on the move, and significantly less time with lines in the water, will increase the probability of finding an area holding fish.
Be sure to check out My Fishing Cape Cod for up to date fishing reports and helpful how-to articles!
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