I have fished Cape Point on a stiff south wind...Bad

I have fished both the South Side and under the light at Montauk....Bad

I have fished the Avenues...very Bad (even the approach is funky)

I have fished Beavertail...Bad

I have fished Squibby (all the way down to the points)....bad


All in all, I have to agree with John R....you get North of Boston and you get more steep, jagged rocks and a tide that is 3 to 4 times that of anywhere in NY or RI. The amount of water is astounding. I have to say the northern coast of MA/NH/ME is much more dangerous because the wrong wave hits and you don't worry about what to do after as the amount of water pressure in the wave has already broken all the ribs in your chest. If the blast of the wave doesn't kill you, there is no safe place to fall into, all the rocks up there can cut you up. Nasty nasty area.

I will never forget Crazy Alberto's first reaction to the size of the tides in Hull...it was like he was in shock.

Personal skill, appropriate equipment and local knowledge are always the largest factors in where and how much risk any person should take. I like fishing rocks and being wet, thus, I gear upf or that. Hell, een my fat arse can get into a wet suit and flippers (:>)

I agree w/ nebe the east wall is rough the fall on the rocks could hurt you worst then going in the drink there for sure.used to fish CT. abit too as well penfield at night is not a spot for those who do not Know it well.

well....
 

I have tripped over rocks in a foot of water, fallen off my boat (once at the dock, once alittle further out), so I would have to say ANYWHERE:humpty:

Many lives lost on NE Point at BI and huge rougue waves, anytime of the day, in the York Maine area.

Got to be beavertail after watching three sets of waves come in it looked like it was safe to fish this one rock well the next set picks me up and toss me about four feet back luckly it was toward shore nothing damaged except my pride. Never fish that place alone again. ThomT

Here is a pretty safe place that has been a real killer. 5 people in 5 years in the late 90's. Sandwich Creek.

Most dangerous places to surfcast
 

To me its anywhere that you are not properly geared or knowlegedely prepared to fish.You can just slip on a rock and knock yourself out and drown just because you did not have korkers on a sunny day at any spot.

I had a good scare at one of the avenues last year. Pretty good swell comin in and I just wanted to go watch for a minute. Didnt think it was very bad at all til I got close to the edge. Water disappeared and a wave stood up in front of me. I had stone dust coming off my korkers as I ran back up that rock face.

You gotta pick and choose your days over there.

Thought I'd bump this as fall is kicking off. Lets be safe out there fellas :)

believe it or not but cranes beach on a moonless night incoming tide out on those bars can be crazy scary...huge currents btwn the bars and if you dont know your way back then...hello portugal...

that sand bar at Conimicut point here in Warwick has taken many lives of fisherman and beachgoers. You can go out a mile at low and all of a sudden coming back its High and the current is wicked.

People still ignore the City signs to stay off it.

First time I ever went to Beavertail I was invited there by a friend who knows that area extremely well. We're standing on the same cliff about 20' apart max and I look over to him and he's in the surf. Never even heard him get washed off from the constant roar of the waves and siren blasting constantly. Fortunately he was okay...a little banged up but okay

First time I ever fished at Point Judith east wall there is a memorial there to a fisherman who was washed away from the shore there....that makes you think twice

A good thread to bump up. I fish most of the spots mentioned. HAvent done much on the north shore. Last year was my first trip to BI, and the north rip was a scare SOB. I walked about 10 feet out and that was enough, six inches of water laping over my boots and she had my respect. Its funny i bought a inflatable pfd a couple seasons ago and have only used it twice. Now if i think i need to wear it i dont fish the spot. You would think having it on would make me feel better, it just makes me realize that if i need it i shouldnt be there. The East Wall is a scary bastard. Easy enough if you are pulling scup on the rocks, cant imagine landing a cow there. Every time i walk the wall i look for a decent spot to land a fish. I found one that is marginal at BEST.

i was knoked off a rock just south of the lighthouse at Montauk. Came out of nowhere and blew me back 8 feet. Then the undertow dragged me past the rock into deeper water. I ran back to shore as fast as I could, and got pounded again by a slightly smaller wave. Finaly made it back to shore and reflected for a few minutes.

Like many, i came damn close to going in the water at hazard while fishing alone on a big night... That place has a mental hold on me now... cant focus on fishing... and I had a close call on a big surf/new moon night at the very tip of the east wall... at least I'd get swept into the harbor of refuge, but that was pre-wetsuit... but honestly, i think most of us are attracted to this type of fishing because if the thrill associated with the risk...

A few here will know this.. Go into Twin Maples on the island look up you will see a pristine cherry colored lami custom wrapped old glass blank ask John bout it... was an old timers from island that drowned fishing north rip... But lets face facts there are tons of places that are dangerous.. Hell even quonny pond can be.. .yes thats right i said quonny pond.. there is a place out back you can wade to to get to the channel and a rock pile... one step to far DEEP water... WH light can be dangerous also

My friend Gary Bradbury, Navy Seal and a dive Master died at Beavertail 3 years ago surfishing when he was hit by a wave, knocked down and hit his head (that's the theory). They found the body a few days later.

Fished cuttyhunk during the day in a bad swell/hurricane. 4-5' swells coming in, when about 1/4 mile offshore I saw a wave that was 10'. We had time to creep back up to the cliffs, if it was night we would have been done. The wave still was mid thigh deep up at the back of the cliff. All those open to the ocean areas can be very dangerous.

Joppa Flats at Night.......You have to be aware of when the current picks up or you can get caught in the Merrimac for a journey.....Had one guy in the club that went a little to far one night and I guess a Boat in the area found him Hugging a Channel Marker.

Not to mention that sometimes, usually on the weekends, you are dealing with the drunks in their boats that can't see you in the dark

also if you're out there and the fog rolls in it can be very disorienting.

any place can be dangerous if your unprepared or careless.

You are correct my friend. Ask Nebe about the night he's fishing the A-Frame inside the Harbor of Refuge. His plug bag got stuck between some rocks and he was pinned down with waves washing over him He almost drowned in 3 feet of water.

I've seen broken bones, smashed legs and bloody heads at the canal. Those rockweed covered stones are slippery.:smash:

I took a freind with me to beavertail one night. Always asking to take him out fishing, so i finally gave him. Gave him an old pair of waders and set him up with some korkers. We walked down the rocks to the surf and told him to fish a certain area. I wandered off a little and came back to him an hour later. He hadnt moved an inch from where I left him. I said "you can move around ya know". He said "$?ck that!, this place is scary as sheet, im not movin anywhere". The tail can screw with your head.

ive had a few hairy nights at the b-ways in Rhody. Fighting a fish when I realized everyone that was next to me was gone. Looked up in time to see a monstah wave breaking directly into me. Got washed back about 10ft, had to change underwear. Lesson learned, pay attention to your surroundings.

That's a perfect example why a friend is probably the best piece of safety equipment you can have. Canalman or Clogston would have been screaming at me to get out of the way or dragging me off the rock if that didn't work.

On the Vineyard Squibnockett point at night is pretty frightening. Slip and hurt yourself and you might be there for days before anyone finds you.

Without a doubt, luds

Smartest thing I've heard yet on the subject - but even that's not a guarantee

Short true story - two guys - Cambodians maybe, if memory serves - were fishing on the rocks at the end of Sachuest Point during a big swell - one of them gets washed over the side but his friend is able to reach him in the surf with the tip of his rod so he can haul him back up the rocks to safety

Unfortunately, it was a 2-piece rod. If you know that spot in a surge, you know the ending. Pretty sad...:hs:

Like Dylan said, one should never be where one does not belong - but the line on when and where that is gets fuzzy if you've got fish fever

There are plenty of dangerous spots to surfcast - I'd have to say that the list of completely safe ones is so short that I'm hard put to come up with one off the top of my head

I dunno, maybe the best piece of safety equipment is actually between your ears - don't feel bad about using it

It was nice to have it all to myself last night. :chased:

Just me and my great grandfather and grampa. That place is actually my comfort zone. I hate sand.

south side at Beavertail Light. One slip your shakin' tenderized and swallowed whole! There are few places that rival the danger of this spot.

If your not extremely heads up you may find yourself in a world of hurt in the blink of an eye. Its like every 20th wave BA-BOOOOM! And everything is swept away and shredded over the jagged rocks. You never see it coming. Be careful.

Wading out at the end of the Narrow River is fun when you take the extra step too far...oops and over your head, but thats not nearly as dangerous as the Beavertail.

I need to say RE Beavertail. Some of the North Shore Mass spots I saw the past couple years are like Beavertail but slicker than Newton/Hazard, with a 10 foot tide :eyes:

Not quite the wave action though

I live about a mile from one of the Conn. spots mentioned a few times and fish it fairly frequently. As long as you pay close attention to the tides, I don't think its dangerous.

I'd go w/Beavertail.

HA beavertail is for wimps i'll take you to a spot that will forever put a stain on your wetsuit .:jump1::devil2:

I know a place thats so nasty that when you make it back to the truck you're just happy no one broke a leg. :uhuh:

Sounds good Louie I'm in :uhuh:

I'm in too (but I may just watch).

I like to watch:grins:

if you head out to those spots when there is significant wave action, you deserve what you get. luckily the wave action seams more predictable up here, fewer rouges. although one place i fish is good for one a night. i've actually lost quite a few contact lenses getting blasted by those.