By far the most daunting task, especially in our neck of the woods, is locating quality fish. It doesn't matter what varieties of fish are 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 within the 604 square miles of water that constitute Cape Cod Bay may be very similar to locating 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 season, climate conditions or the presence of bait, provided that a sound tactic is employed.
And in this day an age, consistently locating striped bass, when fishing Cape Cod, is heavily dependent upon the employment of electronics.
Finding a Place to Start
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 truth is on most trips we don't have these luxuries. Significantly more often we are met with stretches of seemingly dry water with no signs as to where the bite is best. Which creates the question, amongst all this wide open water, where do we start?
Utilizing the most current info possible is a smart way to develop a place to start.
Let's say the only intel 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 supplied any in-depth information by this report, the bit of data we are presented with (60 feet of water) is crucially essential, taking into consideration the vastness of the Bay.
Sixty feet of water shall be our starting position.
Commencing the Search
Driving out to a depth of 60 feet and immediately placing baits in the water is just not a smart decision. The probability that fish are going to be holding in the first location we try, even if it is a well-known hot spot,are incredibly slim.
Additionally, it is a waste of precious time to troll around all dayi n 60 feet of water, wishing and praying to stagger across a striperor two. On the other hand we can easily maximize our time and efficiency by using a more proactive strategy to finding fish using our electronics.
All that is required is adependablecolor sonar unit. Systems worth thousands of dollars are nice, however a color unit bought for a few hundred bills will perform perfectly.
The next measure 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 very well to the west, in the area off Sandy Neck. In this example it can make the most sense to begin our search by proceeding in a westerly course.
Maintaining an eye on the sonar, we'll cruise west at a reasonable pace-one which will allow us to clearly see fish markings on the sonar, while also making it possible for us to cover a great deal of water. For most units, a speed of around eight mph will work fine.
Since the Bay is vast, and for the most part, lacking any fish holding structure, we commonly may go miles without marking a single fish on the sonar. This is great news because we have eliminated miles of water that we may of squandered hours trolling through.
When to Put Lines in the Water
On some outings it may only take a few minutes to mark a bass on the sonar, and on other trips it might take multiple hours. However it is essential to not underestimate the importance of even just one single mark on the sonar.
When you see a definitive bass mark on the sonar, odds are that you have found one among hundreds of fish in the area. Striped bass are especially prone to spending time in large schools. During 2010 we found on numerous instances, schools of bass close to a mile in length.
Most of the time that one mark on the screen, is but one of countless fish holding in the immediate vicinity.
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 more fish marked on the sonar, it's time to continue the search.
It is usually possible to find a school of say 20-40 pound stripers, and follow them for miles. Nevertheless it is easy to lose the school if too much time is spent fishing in one spot, and not enough time is spent using sonar to keep on top of the school.
Splitting Free From Conventional Methods
A lot of people usually tend to get caught up on hammering the GPS coordinates from a productive past trip, or gravitating to reputable hot spots or fleets of other boats. Frequently, lines go in the water despite no evidence of fish on the sonar.
The reality is that fish are almost continuously on the move, and frequently move quickly. In wide open areas without structure and significant current,investing more time actively on the move, and a smaller amount time with lines in the water, will improve the chancesof tracking down a spot holding fish.
Locating fish within the 604 square miles of water that constitute Cape Cod Bay may be very similar to locating 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 season, climate conditions or the presence of bait, provided that a sound tactic is employed.
And in this day an age, consistently locating striped bass, when fishing Cape Cod, is heavily dependent upon the employment of electronics.
Finding a Place to Start
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 truth is on most trips we don't have these luxuries. Significantly more often we are met with stretches of seemingly dry water with no signs as to where the bite is best. Which creates the question, amongst all this wide open water, where do we start?
Utilizing the most current info possible is a smart way to develop a place to start.
Let's say the only intel 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 supplied any in-depth information by this report, the bit of data we are presented with (60 feet of water) is crucially essential, taking into consideration the vastness of the Bay.
Sixty feet of water shall be our starting position.
Commencing the Search
Driving out to a depth of 60 feet and immediately placing baits in the water is just not a smart decision. The probability that fish are going to be holding in the first location we try, even if it is a well-known hot spot,are incredibly slim.
Additionally, it is a waste of precious time to troll around all dayi n 60 feet of water, wishing and praying to stagger across a striperor two. On the other hand we can easily maximize our time and efficiency by using a more proactive strategy to finding fish using our electronics.
All that is required is adependablecolor sonar unit. Systems worth thousands of dollars are nice, however a color unit bought for a few hundred bills will perform perfectly.
The next measure 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 very well to the west, in the area off Sandy Neck. In this example it can make the most sense to begin our search by proceeding in a westerly course.
Maintaining an eye on the sonar, we'll cruise west at a reasonable pace-one which will allow us to clearly see fish markings on the sonar, while also making it possible for us to cover a great deal of water. For most units, a speed of around eight mph will work fine.
Since the Bay is vast, and for the most part, lacking any fish holding structure, we commonly may go miles without marking a single fish on the sonar. This is great news because we have eliminated miles of water that we may of squandered hours trolling through.
When to Put Lines in the Water
On some outings it may only take a few minutes to mark a bass on the sonar, and on other trips it might take multiple hours. However it is essential to not underestimate the importance of even just one single mark on the sonar.
When you see a definitive bass mark on the sonar, odds are that you have found one among hundreds of fish in the area. Striped bass are especially prone to spending time in large schools. During 2010 we found on numerous instances, schools of bass close to a mile in length.
Most of the time that one mark on the screen, is but one of countless fish holding in the immediate vicinity.
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 more fish marked on the sonar, it's time to continue the search.
It is usually possible to find a school of say 20-40 pound stripers, and follow them for miles. Nevertheless it is easy to lose the school if too much time is spent fishing in one spot, and not enough time is spent using sonar to keep on top of the school.
Splitting Free From Conventional Methods
A lot of people usually tend to get caught up on hammering the GPS coordinates from a productive past trip, or gravitating to reputable hot spots or fleets of other boats. Frequently, lines go in the water despite no evidence of fish on the sonar.
The reality is that fish are almost continuously on the move, and frequently move quickly. In wide open areas without structure and significant current,investing more time actively on the move, and a smaller amount time with lines in the water, will improve the chancesof tracking down a spot holding fish.
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