Cape cod striper fishing pointers

[blueghost1]

Ok guys, looking for a little help. Making a July trip to Succet beach in Cape cod. Not bringing the boat, Will probably take a bay charter but will be right on the ocean and was wondering if stripers are catchable from shore, what to use for gear and tackle and line . I was going to bring my salmon pier casting rod a 9.5' med light action and some of my plentiful casting spoon selection. Never done this , just don't want to be "that guy" the locals laugh at using wrong tackle.

Tha is in advance for input, Kevin

[ontherise]

You can most definitely catch them from the beach, channels or inner coastal waters. The best time to fish is during the moving tide. Top water , swim baits and tubes work for me, I have also bought blood worms and eels too, which work great. You ll need two ounce diamond sinkers if fishing live bait from the beach.

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[rolmops]

Did you mean Skatet Beach in Orleans? The beach near the light house in Orleans is great for night fishing with either eels or sand eels, but very often the beach fills up with seaweed which makes fishing impossible. The best beach is Race Point at the national seashore near Province town. You should bring 3,4,5 and 6 ounce sinkers because of current issues. Another thing you will need is a couple of rodholders that you can stick in the sand. A couple of  3 foot 1.5 inch pieces of pvc pipe with a sharp point will work. For lures,spoons will only work if a school comes by. then it is mayhem! For the rest of the time you will be still fishing with sand eels or at night eels and with your drag set very loose. When a striper hits ,it is way harder than a salmon. For leaders, use wire if you can because there will be bluefish and they have sharp teeth and hit at 30mph. As for the rod. Yours sounds like a good choice. Just do not cast too far because there are 2 bottom shelfs and then the bottom goes way way down. You want to be on the second shelf

Your best bet for bait and good advice is a tackle store called "Black Beard"  it is just a bit north of Orleans.     http://www.blackbeardscapecod.com/

If you go on a charter the charter will have all the gear.

In order to get in the mood and read fishing reports ,check the "On the Water" website          http://onthewater.com/

Good luck.

Edited May 12, 2014 by rolmops

[Sk8man]

Kev - Rolmops has given you some real good info I also fish Skaket, Nauset, Coast Guard beaches and have fished Truro and North Truro,  Race Point and Race Point Light beaches as well. Blackbeard's (right on Rt. 6 couple miles north of Orleans is where I have gone for years for my tackle and bait and Mac's Bait in Orleans years before that till he closed. The guys at Blackbeard's can give you tips on tackle and what to use at the time you are there and they usually know where guys are catching and provide you with the right bait.  July has been a tough for me there because the Stripers are usually out deeper than you can cast from shore (i.e often miles).  You might want to consider doing a charter out of Rock Harbor (Orleans Bay side of Cape). There are a lot of charter boats there and they all pretty much know their stuff. I've been out with Hap Farrell on the Stunmai a couple times there and have had good luck with blues and stripers. There are also a few charters out of Wellfleet harbor (at the pier).  If you are near Chatham the fishing can be phenomenal off Monomoy channel in the rip with sand eels.

 

I grabbed some of my surf casting stuff from down cellar to give you an idea of the equipment (couldn't find my spoons and jigs though). The rod and reel are Daiwa's (not real expensive ones) and the rod is 9 ft. with 12-30 lb line capacity (I use 20 lb and sometimes 15) kinda like an over sized spinning combo   You can see the pyramidal sinkers etc.

and if fishing bait with the sinker hookups they have some great sliders for the sinker rig s at Blackbeard's (pic below)

 

My best fishing from shore on the Cape has been in the Fall when the fish come real close in....Justin has fished the Cape Cod Canal (but I haven't) so he may know what the scoop is there as far as time of year.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Sk8man

[justtracytrolling]

Scusset beach is at the east end of the cape cod canal, and the canal is a premier shore fishing striper destination...better than the outer cape now! The canal has a paved, lit 7 mile bike path that lines each shore. The best way to fish it is from a bike rigged with a basket and rod holders. Very cheap easy thing...I have 4 of em. You ride the canal in waders like a kid...I fish the may/june migration, but the locals love july when its not a zoo! I wont lie to you and tell you its easy, but its the most rewarding fishing I have ever done. Check out canal striper blitz on you tube. Ive been there for these and the top water blitzes are AWESOME. The charter captain you want to go out with is Captain Jason Colby he is a fish catching machine, little sister charters. Here is a pic of the Ditch! Pm me...too much info type here.

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[TileMan Dan]

Blue guys here gave good advice only thing I would add is clams work well also for bait

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[blueghost1]

Thanks alot for the advice! It is scusett beach campsite, staying right near the canal. I knew you guys would know the answer! Les I meant to ask you that day in Wegmans bc we had just booked there. I also spent decent $ on my reel on my salmon rod, it's stainless bearings but will the salt water damage it? May use a different reel. I think casting a 3oz sinker may be much for the rod, downrigger rod for bait fishing maybe? Hate to buy more rods, wife was floored when she counted 38 already

[Sean Youngblood]

The Shimano Baitrunner reels are great choice.You can set the secondary drag system to compensate for tide or live bait pull.One turn of the reel engages the main drag system and it's game on.Okuma makes one also little cheaper not as smooth but will also get the job done. 

[Sk8man]

Hey Kev I forgot to mention that you now (as of a few years ago) need a salt water permit to fish in the ocean. Here is where you can get it: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dmf/recreational-fishing/recreational-saltwater-permits.html

 

I had a hunch that the beach you mentioned (Scusett) wasn't Skaket but I hadn't ever fished the canal so was unaware of that place....Justin to the rescue   The mid and outer cape has always been my playground....I am however familiar with the place Justin showed the  great pic of as I pass right by it on the way home every season.  The bike path would be the way to go (without a backpack like the beaches) and there is parking along there too vs. the beaches where I go where you often have to walk for miles (literally) to get to a spot and by 10 AM the beaches are populated like mid town Manhatten at lunch hour so you are done fishing by then.

 

As far as the rod and reel situation and salt water. You do have to be careful especially with reels not to let them get soaked or anything like that. I keep a cloth rag handy to wipe my stuff down as the salt stuff is highly corrosive. I once had a hug wave come in with a rising tide and soaked my reel in the holder and I had to disassemble the reel when I got back to my in-laws place and wipe down everything and then reassemble it....real pain in the arse.  That is why I now use a less expensive spinning combo for that particular fishing....it may be cheaper in the long run to get an inexpensive outfit than screw up something you highly value...but in the canal you don't have the wave issues like on the ocean side of the outer Cape either so less chance of that...other than dropping it in the drink   Luckily my Daiwa outfit has a pretty good smooth drag system because you need it for big stripers especially and even big blues.

 

Hey Kev - you are welcome to take my tackle with you if you wish...rather than buying anything before seeing whether you really are into it. It all fits into the backpack except the rod and holder....think about it...

Edited May 12, 2014 by Sk8man

[justtracytrolling]

You wont need bait or sinkers in the canal...its casting jigs and plugs. 7 knot current 30+ feet deep...fish are on bottom...slack tide you can use bait. Need a 11-12 foot 2-5 oz rod...

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[baitrigger]

Grab a copy of the new england version of on the water. A great monthly publication. All stripers all the time. I live near buffalo and work in long island. The mag made it very easy to pick the right spot and gear. Dont get too fancy. Chest waiters, 9ft musky rod, and large surface poppers are a riot. Read a few articles regarding tides in the area your fishing. Its all about the tides. Fishing is much better at night. Good hat light is a must. Dont forget xtra batteries. Nothing worse than getting into a school and running out of light. Eels rock if your goin with live bait.

[baitrigger]

Large spinning reel with 30lb braid and 30 lb pline leader work great. Wash reel after use and the salt wont mess up your gear.

[blueghost1]

Great! thanks guys! Hope to post a nice striper pic on here in a few months!