riptide
10-01-2000, 02:28 PM
I had a hot tip on some fast bass action in Cape Cod Bay today so I call in sick to work and headed out around 0630 this morning. I got to meet Ray G. at the Sandwich ramp first thing while waiting to launch. It’s a good thing too, I had a docking line snap unexpectedly and Ray was there to keep the boat from floating off. Thanks Ray! So off to explore my hot tip. I headed over to Barnstable and was greeted by several boats working under birds right at the mouth of the channel. I shut down and ease in on the electric and start casting. I had several quick slashes at a popper when two guys in an Aqua Sport come flying in under power between me and another boat and put the fish down. Realizing this was an omen of things to come I fire up and head out towards Chapin’s Beach. My hot tip was fish in real tight at Chapin’s. I could see birds and fish right on the beach. The problem was how to get in to them. They were in less than a foot of water. I ran in as far as the big motor would allow then fired up the electric for the 1/8-mile trek into the ultra skinny stuff. I arrived at the spot where the birds were to find bass with their backs out of the water slamming bait and pushing huge wakes all over the shallows. I started to hook up almost instantly. After a dozen or so bass I had to make a major decision. Do I stay in and keep fishing on the falling tide, knowing full well I was going to get stuck or do I pull out now and leave these fish? So I keep on fishing and doing pretty well on the bass. A small tin boat worked its way in to me with three guys on board. They start fishing and they also hook up right away. Now I’m fast aground and the fish are starting to move away. Long casts with spinning gear kept me in the game for a little while. Then the three guys in the tin boat bail over the side and start after the fish on foot. Two of them had neoprene on and the other was wearing SHORTS!! I thought about going in as well but the 57-degree water was not very appealing. As they began to work down the beach the urge was overwhelming to start wading. I pulled of my shoes and socks and put my feet in the water. That was the end of that. There was no way I was going to wet wade in my skivvies no matter how many bass were there. I decided to continue the long casting instead. I managed a few more fish over the 15 or so minutes I had to wait for the tide to return. When the water came back in so did the fish. Only this time they didn’t stay long. A few quick fish and it was over. I decided to work up the beach toward Sesuit and see if there was any action up there. I didn’t see any birds or bait the whole way up to Rock Harbor. I figured I would head over to Wellfleet since I was pretty close already. I arrived and found the water temp to be almost 62 degrees in Wellfleet. That was the warmest water I found all day. It was also the most barren. No signs of life at all. I ran back over to Barnstable and the tide was running in hard by now. There were a ton of boats drifting and trolling. I didn’t see any signs of fish so I checked Sandwich and Scorton Creeks. Scorton had some bait but no fish. Sandwich was empty. So with that I called it a day. Water temps ranges from 57.3 to 61.7 Lures of choice, anything sand eel and shallow. Final tally around two dozen bass from 24” to 28”. I also managed one 11” fluke on a popper (I said I was fishing shallow water!);
Capt. Terry Nugent<BR>Riptide Charters<BR>www.riptidecharters.com
Capt. Terry Nugent<BR>Riptide Charters<BR>www.riptidecharters.com