| Sept 1, 2008 |
Another more or less carbon copy week on Cape Ann. Stripers and blues are beginning to set up an early fall pattern with large pods of marauding blues corralling baitfish and stripers doing the same. We found large pods of stripers and blues from Straitsmouth all the way to the back shore. Our most consistent striper action was trolling tight to shore with tube n worm rigs. Many of the regular shore guys are starting to pick up stripers in the 40 + inch range, another signal that the fall run is beginning. Steve P and Dave A both landed a couple of real nice stripers over 40 inches and several blues last week. Best time to hit the rocks and area beaches is pre-dawn. The evening bite has not (as yet) been as productive. The shore anglers fishing Crane Beach are getting into large pre-dawn stripers as well. Porter B had a few great mornings there last week. He also had one of his “scariest” outings ever one morning last week. He wanted me to share his experience with you, hopefully to serve as warning of what not to do. Here is his account last week at Crane Beach;
The rip tides are very strong the past few days and today was no different, a kid we have never seen before was wearing waders and got himself into some trouble out on the sand bar. He was trapped in water waist deep with the rip starting to pull him out to sea. One of the guys there talked him through the water and he made it back safely. About 1 hr later we fished a sandbar off the beach and we getting nice 28 inch fish on all casts, and taking huge waves completely over our heads and pretty much going under water for 3-5 sec, very-very stupid, anyway on our way back to the beach, we found the water was to deep for walking (8-10ft) - so we had to swim some 250 ft back to the beach (with our gear) and with the rip current pulling us out to sea.....very- very scary. Halfway back, my jacket was filling up with water and I tired. I had to hand my rod off to one of my buddies or else I would have had to drop it (because and I was not in good enough shape to make it), so he took the rod and we both made it in together holding each other for flotation, but it sure was scary stuff. Bottom line: stay away from the offshore bars! And make sure if you know of anyone that’s going to be fishing there to watch out for the tides and the rip current it’s no joke!!!!!!! I expect the overall fall pattern to continue to build over the next couple of weeks. The fishing both north and south of Cape Ann is heating up as well, with the fall pattern taking shape.
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