Hello everybody, we picked up a little over 80 fish yesterday up to 24 inches. Caught fish everywhere we went on the cape, which would be. Onset, Buttermilk, Cotuit, and bass river. So things are picking up. We were down there from 6:00 AM until 4, headed back up and had people to take out at 5 in the local south shore area. No signs of fish here yet, but did see bait in the local rivers and bays, so the fish aren't very far behind if they are not here already. We would prefer to fish out going tides local, but the last 2 early evenings have been incoming, so there may be a few fish around. Heard they were finally picking up a few fish at blacks creek at Wolaston. These are probably holdover fish, but not sure. Get out there if you can!!!

Thank you for your report, and congratulations on your success. Any chance of shooing those critters a few miles north, like into southern Maine? I'm dying to get out there, but late May seems to be the earliest. Maybe this hot weather made up for some of the time lost in April.

Cool ;D

Good Afternoon !

Can someone help me?

What do you use for bait this time of year?
Where at bass river did you go? Was this off the land or boat?
Where else would you suggest?
High tide? Dusk? Dawn?
We are in W. Yarmouth, and would LOVE to catch something !!!

Any help would be appreciated. We love to fish but we haven't caught any keepers in two years !
We will try again this year, but we think need some advice !

Great message board !

Kate, hang around this board and you should pick up some good info as the season goes on. There's some good folks willing to pass on a few pointers. If you're catching alot of fish, just not keepers, try your spots at night. I'm sure most would agree that would be a good start.

Hey Fisherwoman, I'll be hitting the cape some tomorrow morning... was wondering if you'll be down there at all.

I'm gonna hit Shell tomorrow AM and maybe a few other spots depending on my success there.

If I don't see ya, good luck this weekend.

Hi

I just found this board, and think it's great. I will definitely stay around, not sure if I can add anything...but hopefully will learn.

Am I correct in the following:
This year it's 28" and last year was 30" for a keeper?
I am getting confused already !

Hi Kate, welcome aboard, We fish off of Cove road down at the bass river, from shore. This is also a good night spot. If you are not sure were that is, it is the 1st left after the bass river bridge going 28 south. Follow Cove road to the stop sigh and go left, follow about 1/8 mile and bear to your left at the Y in the road, there is a public parking area at the bottom of that hill. Very safe place to fish, never had any trouble there at all. You want to work your way to the right of the 1st dock, all the way down to the last dock. We have taken keepers there at 1st light and at dusk, on the outgoing tide. You should try fishing there about 3 hours after high tide, as that seems to be the most productive. We usually fish, rubber shads, poppers, and metal. At night time this is a great place to fish eels or live line herring. Hope this info helps. Keeper Striped bass this year, must be 28 inches long, from tip of the mouth to tip of the tail, and you can only keep one fish per day.

Hey Marty, how's the weather treating you up there. Would like to try and hook up with you some time this year. We will try and send those bass your way.

SM, not going to make it down there today. We will be going tomorrow, have 4 people going. Let me know how you made out. Hit the local spot the other night and got Nada, but there is bait there!!! I would say any day now it will produce.

GS, sorry about the mix up on the tide. I think I was throwing too many at you at 1 time. Tides at Onset and Buttermilk are about 2 1/2 hours before Boston tide. Cotuit is + 1 hr 17 minutes, and the Bass River is + 1 hr 48 min

Welcome aboard Kate!! I thought I replied to this before catching the train home from work yesterday (OK, I KNOW I replied but my musta brainfahted and killed the reply instead)... Pretty much said what Fiserwoman said but not as eloquently or as detailed ;P ...

Probably the two most simple rules to striper fishing are moving water and baitfish to hold fish where you want them, regardless of size. Some places may only be high or low spots but most places work best with moving water - like a dropping tide for example. In you area, especially after things warm up a little more, some of your best bets will be where tidal water runs out from a river, stream, or cove. Night time only increases your odds of keeper fish.

In a month (and a half), you'll be able to run up to Welfleet, Eastham, Truro at night and send a gobble of sand eels off into the suds for hungry keeper bass... Happens all the time up there (well, not exactly as its sometimes frustrating) with people getting 10,20,30,40+ pound bass from the shore...

The minimum size this year is 28 inches but the majority of us (those that will keep a fish to eat) will wait for bigger fish that have spawned at least several times, usually at least 36-38 inches or so.

Schoolie Monster and I hooked up at Shell Point this morning and hit all the spots we hit last weekend, except for Lewis Bay. I picked up 4 fish in Onset, one which was a little bigger than the other smaller schoolies, but then slim pickings further down. We got nothing at electric ave, we each picked up one at Cotuit and I got a small one at the Bass River before packing it in.

The water felt warm, there was bait around, but there wasn't much action unfortunately. Maybe next weekend or a weekday this coming week.

[img="http://www.rgsiroisco.com/fisherman.gif"]
Tight lines.

Welcome aboard Kate!! (hey FW....New recruit??! :) hee,hee )

This board is a lot of fun! Not only can you pick up a few pointers but you can meet some really great people too! Lord knows I am not a pro, but they let me stay anyway!! HA!HA! I have pretty much been a bait fisherman and told myself it is time to learn new ways and already this spring I have had the opportunity to do that! I am really excited and cant wait to get out there again (you are lucky to live on the Cape :) ) Good luck fishing!