Fishing Cape Cod Sandbars for Trophy Striped Bass
Cape Cod offers anglers endless opportunities to pursue striped pretty much year-round. From boulder fields, backwater estuaries, tidal flats, and sandbars, there are a variety of options as to where to target striped bass. One of my favorite types of fishing, in order to pursue trophy striped bass, is to focus on one of the many sandbars located along the Cape Cod beaches.
These sandbars provide great structure with varying depths and swift currents throughout the tidal changes. These conditions often draw in a plethora of baitfish, which in turn will entice large striped bass to cruise the shallows. There is nothing that compares to hearing the sound of a large striped bass blow up on the surface in the middle of the night, catching a glimpse of its shadow cast by the full moon overhead.
The image above shows the various sandbars and flats found throughout the outer cape beaches. These shallow water locations provide excellent habitat and prey abundance which attract trophy striped bass under the darkness of the night.
While fishing these locations, I like to focus my attention on the last 3 hours of the outgoing and the first 2 hours of the incoming. This allows me to fish a period where these sandbars will be exposed and I can target striped bass in shallow water. Furthermore, the lower tidal stage will result in striped bass being found in a more specific location. Almost as though they are trapped in these shallow water “pockets” that are created near the sandbars.
I almost always prefer fishing with a buddy or wearing my wetsuit. These sandbars can have extremely strong currents and dropoffs that appear in the blink of an eye. I have heard too many horror stories of guys getting swept in while wearing waders, some of which have been fatal situations. Always be cautious when venturing out to these locations, and I highly suggest scouting them out in the daylight before heading out in the dark.
I first started fishing sandbars around 2015, when I was introduced to a spot on the Cape. This location had a large sand bar that was exposed at low tide. A sharp drop off to around 12 ft deep was present just 10 yards off the shore. A narrow channel resulted in a current seam halfway into the outgoing. A perfect situation to draw in big bass to feed in the middle of the night.
My first two casts at this location resulted in a 46 and a 43 inch fish on the same rigged eel. Needless to say, I was now a believer in all the talk about how well sandbars can produce at night for trophy striped bass. Ever since this excursion, I have experienced throwing a variety of presentations in this environment including; needlefish, darters, 12-inch pre-rigged sluggos, and live eels. Over the years, I have found that I have my best success with colors such as white, chartreuse, and eel skin. These presentations have resulted in numerous 30 plus pound striped bass from the Cape beaches over the years.
A neat part about this type of fishing is how far you are able to wade offshore in some of these locations. At times, I found myself being 50+ yards offshore in only waist-deep water. The best part about it is that often times these fish are swimming right by your feet!
Fishing the rips that set up along the sandbars throughout the Cape can result in fish like this. This healthy 25-pound bass fell for a chartreuse darter on the dropping tide in just 6ft of water.
In 2015, my father was lucky enough to land a 52 inch, 50.24-pound behemoth on an eel skin Sluggo out on one of Cape Cod’s Sandbars. The fish was fooled in just 8 feet of water. I will never forget the sound of the eruption on the surface followed by the singing of the drag. The massive fish fought like hell for close to 10 minutes. When she finally reached shore, a quick picture was taken and she was properly revived. I will never forget the feeling of holding that bass in the water reviving her, as she clamped down on my thumb and kicked her tail, sending saltwater spray into my face. This trophy bass was heading back to her home to continue her journey along the East Coast.
A 50,24 lb monster caught by my father in 2015 while we were fishing one of the Cape sand bars
In general, there are 3 methods I utilize when fishing in these locations
Needlefish
Darter
Live/dead eels or pre-rigged Sluggo
I like fishing a needlefish when I have the wind in my face and there is a lot of white water present. The needlefish works great in moderate current, drifting along with the sweep. A small twitch of the rod tip every 5 seconds or so will add some great action to these lures. These lures also fish well in rough water and I find that if you time the swells and work into the white water, big fish can’t resist.
A teaser tied approximately 18 inches above the needlefish is a great addition when bass are finicky and feeding on smaller bait!
I like fishing darters when I have calmer conditions present. The darter is unable to “dig in” in rougher conditions and this totally hinders the actions. Calmer conditions allow for the darter to work just below the surface. Once again, look for some current so the darter will work into the strike zone. A fast retrieve for the first two seconds will ensure this lure gets the action it needs in order to entice a bite. Once its subsurface, back off on the retrieve and slow it down. You should be able to feel it in the rod tip.
One of my go-to methods for fishing these areas throughout the season is using live eels. When fishing live eels, I will keep them in a bucket with some ice. This calms the eels and makes it a bit easier to handle them. You will find that eels are extremely quick and covered in slime, making it impossible to handle them with bare hands. One technique that works great is tossing them in the sand real quick, covering them in a layer of sand. The sand coats the slime and allows anglers to grab the eel without a piece of burlap or a rag.
A 46-inch bass caught in 2016 that fell for a rigged eel
I prefer to hook the eel through the lower jaw and out the nostril. Remember, striped bass will almost always hit from the head, so this is where you will want your hook exposed. I prefer a size 6/0 inline circle hook, the main reason being that I fish giant eels, generally 15 to 20 inches. A 5/0 circle hook will also work just fine! Have your circle hook connected to 40lb fluorocarbon with an 80lb barrel swivel connecting the fluoro to the braid. The best knot to be using here is a palomor knot, the strongest in the game!
The best part about fishing live eels is that they pretty much do all the work. I like to cast out at an 11 or 1 o’clock angle (depending on the direction of the current) and use a slow retrieve. You should be able to feel the eel swimming, in an attempt to get close to the bottom. Continue with the slow retrieve until you feel 2 to 3 sharp taps. This indicates a striped bass that just engulfed your eel. The moment you feel these sharp taps, drop your rod top-down, point your od toward the horizon. We call this “bow to the cow”. As soon as the slack goes tight, lift the rod up, set the hook, and enjoy the ride! I hear a lot of guys say it’s not necessary to set the hook while using circle hooks, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Furthermore, if the fish swallowed the hook, by setting the hook, you will bring the hook back up into the jaw ensuring the hook set in the corner of the jaw.
Fishing sandbars is one of my favorite and most productive ways of hunting down trophy striped bass throughout the season. These unique areas provide; structure, current, and attract bait. This is a recipe for success in the striped bass world. Scout your spots out ahead of time and bring a buddy if fishing at night. Make sure to have a variety of presentations but do not be afraid to throw large presentations! Big profile baits = big bass….
Tight Lines
-Striped Survival-
“Conserving the Species, Seven Stripes at a Time”
