dumb question time

[nme]

Hey guys, forgive a beginner a couple dumb questions. I'm moving Saturday to outer Cape Cod for a temporary gig, will be there through May 1. I'm a lifelong flyfisherman but only for trout in the mountains -- saltwater flyfishing is foreign territory, might as well try and learn Sanskrit, but since I'm going to have the opportunity, I'd like to give it a stab. So here it is: Everybody keeps telling me that fishing for stripers and blues is where it's at. Seems like the striper fishing is fall and early spring. Am I getting there too late to give it a crack? Or is October a good time? Also, when do they usually show back up -- March/April?

I'm young and broke, not sure how I'm going to get my shekels together for a saltwater rig, but fishing is a necessity. My biggest rod is a six-weight, probably not enough backbone. Before I break out the plastic and/or give some plasma, I'd just like to make sure I have enough fishing opportunity October 1 - May 1 to justify it.

Thanks guys!

 

[Rip Tide]

Late October is tail end on the outter Cape and probably not the best time to get started. On the Vineyard Sound side it lasts a bit longer.

I had a friend tell me that this past weekend in P-town he saw one guy catch a big blue and that the seals were out in force. (they're really getting out of hand). He was with his family so I don't know how much time he put in, but he did say he should have stayed home here in CT to fish instead

There's some holdover stripers as well as sea-runs in the larger creeks in the winter.
Spring migration begins in mid April with the larger fish showing up around the second week of May. Things taper off again with the hot weather in July when the fish move out of the shallows.

 

[nme]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[okuma]

nme.....no such thing as a dumb question. When a person acts like they know it all. that is dumb, but never asking a question is. BTW...not referring to anymore. Just a statement in general

 

[Rip Tide]

I don't want to put you off altogether, but for the time you expect to be there, with the expense of a new set up plus the learning curve it might not be worth it.
You can still fly fish the kettle ponds I told you about in the other thread, and if you have a medium/heavy bass spin rod, that would be great for patrolling the beaches. I'm not a spin fisher so I don't know what they're called, but a jig head combined with a curly tail works fine.
I have a lot of experience out that way so if you have any questions feel free to PM me

People do use 6wts in the salt for smaller fish, but I've always been one to plan for catching the largest fish in the area.
October is "big fish" month and my best while wading the Cape beaches was around 40 lbs

 

[Rip Tide]

Here's a report from another friend from two weekends ago
If there's fish around, he'll find them
He's one of those guys that could catch a fish in a puddle of spit.

I fished sunup Thursday and Friday morning at Coastguard in Eastham. Thursday sunup was beautiful calm and warm, no action at all. Friday morning was cold as **** and pretty windy. Got bit off almost as soon as I started. Put on wire and ended up with 2 bluefish. First one was real good sized and the second only a couple of lbs. Did not see any bait, seals, or bird action either time. On Friday the wind continued to build through the day and stayed through Saturday when we left. Wednesday and Thursday were in the mid 80s and Friday and Saturday in the 60s. We saw lots of mung on the Truro / P town beaches on Friday. Did see a surfer babe’s boob pop out as she was taking off her wetsuit, worth the price of admission.

Mung is a nasty seaweed that fouls up the water so bad that it's impossible to fish.

 

[Guest1]

nme.....no such thing as a dumb question. When a person acts like they know it all. that is dumb, but never asking a question is. BTW...not referring to anymore. Just a statement in general

Oh I don't know about that. On the way home from fishing the other night, I walked into the grocery store to get a pop. I still had my waders on. A guy who has known me for years, and knowing full well I fish all the time asked me "Have you been fishing?" I told him "Nope! I was dancing. These are my dancing shoes." I almost tossed a "here's your sign" on the end but instead said, "Just kidding, I was down at the river Pike fishing." That could be seen as a dumb question.

 

[wjc]

Dan,

When I was a very young kid, we rented from a crusty old farmer west of S. Miami. If I saw him changing a tire, for instance, and asked "What're you doing, Mr. Wrinkle (his real name)? He'd say, "baking a cake".

" You're not baking a cake!".
"No? What do you think I'm doing then?"

My mother picked that up from him, so all us kids learned before school age to think a little before asking a question.

Cheers,
Jim

 

[flygrlz]

I wasn't aware of flyfishing in salt water.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about it.

flygrlz

 

[oarfish]

I wasn't aware of flyfishing in salt water.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about it.

flygrlz

Any where you can cast a line, doesen't matter what the flavor of the water is.

Welcome to the site!

Rick

 

[flygrlz]

Thank you Rick.
I'm glad to be here!

flygrlz