Developing a Strategy for Locating Big Striped Bass   by Ryan Collins

in Outdoors / Fishing    (submitted 2011-06-29)

By far the most daunting task, especially in our neck of the woods, is locating quality fish. It isn't important what species of fish is targeted, to be able to consistently find fish on each fishing trip is half the battle, and is the most important ingredient to a successful season.

Locating fish amongst the 604 square miles of water that constitute Cape Cod Bay is a lot like finding a needle in a haystack. Nantucket Sound towards the south is not far more inviting. However you can consistently locate quality fishing, no matter the time of year, climate or the presence of bait, so long as a sound strategy is employed.

And in this day an age, consistently locating striped bass, when fishing Cape Cod, is heavily dependent upon the employment of electronics.

Locating a Place to Start

All of us love those rare days when diving birds and breaking fish lead the way to great fishing. Or those exceptional moments when the fishing report we read in yesterday's newspaper rings true.

The truth is on most trips we really do not have these luxuries working for us. Most of the time we are greeted by stretches of seemingly inactive water, with no clues as to where the bite is best. Which creates the problem, amidst all this wide open h2o, where do we start?

Applying the latest intel possible is a sensible way to create a starting point.

Let's say the only info we have is that last Saturday and Sunday a handful of nice bass were caught in 60 feet of water somewhere in Cape Cod Bay. Despite the fact that we are not supplied any in-depth facts by this report, the bit of info we are offered (60 feet of water) is crucially significant, considering the vastness of the Bay.

Sixty feet of water will be our place to start.

Beginning the Search

Cruising to a depth of 60 feet and immediately placing baits within the water is just not a good plan. The possibility that bass are going to be holding in the first area we try, even if it is a well recognized hot spot, are extremely slim.

Additionally, it is a waste of valuable time to troll around for hours in 60 feet of water, wishing and praying to stumble across a striper or two. On the other hand, we can easily make best use of our time and efficiency by using far more proactive strategy to finding bass by using our electronics.

All that is needed is an effective color sonar unit. Systems worth thousands of dollars are nice, however a color unit acquired for a few hundred bills will function perfectly.

The second action required for consistently locating bass in Cape Cod Bay is to identify what direction is best to start the search. Say for example you depart Barnstable Harbor, arrive at a depth of 60 feet, and know from practical experience that you have done nicely to the west, in the area off Sandy Neck. In this example, it makes the best sense to commence our search by heading in a westerly direction.

Maintaining a close eye on the sonar, we'll cruise west at a sensible pace-one that will allow us to clearly see fish marks on the sonar, while also allowing us to cover loads of water. For most units, a speed of around eight mph performs fine.

Because the Bay is vast, and also for the most part, devoid of any fish holding structure, we often might go miles without marking a single fish on the sonar. This is excellent news because we have now eradicated miles of water that we may of wasted hours trolling through.

When To Get started Fishing

On some outings, it may only take a few minutes to mark a bass on the sonar, and on other trips, it could take numerous hours. However it is important to not underestimate the importance of even just a single mark on the sonar.

If you see a definitive bass mark on the sonar, it's likely that you have found one of hundreds of fish in the area. Striped bass are especially prone to hang around in large schools. During 2010 we located, 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 many fish holding in the immediate vicinity.

The time has come to put lines in the water and start fishing. And if after fifteen or twenty minutes, there are no takes or additional fish marked on the sonar,it's time to resume the search.

It's possible to find a school of say 20-40 pound stripers, and follow them for miles. However 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 stay on top of the school.

Breaking Free from Traditional Methods

Lots of people usually tend to get caught up on hammering the GPS coordinates from a successful past trip, or gravitating to recognized 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 constantly on the move, and frequently move quickly. In wide open areas without structure and significant current, spending more time actively on the move, and less time with lines in the water, will boost the likelihood of finding a location holding fish.

About the Author

If you are interested in learning more about fishing cape cod or want to learn more about saltwater fishing in general, please visit http://www.myfishingcapecod.com