August 19, 2008

Fishing the Monomoy Rips

After several summer weeks with thunderstorms at times I might have been able to fish, I was able to get in some quality fishing time this past weekend with one of my sons in the rips off Monomoy Island, MA. Monomoy is a sandbar extending about eight miles south from Chatham, MA, into the middle of Nantucket Sound and at the southern tip, it is about another eight-ten miles to Nantucket. If you are not familiar with Nantucket Sound, it is a fairly shallow piece of water with many shoals, which can be treacherous for boaters, however, these same shoals create fantastic fish-feeding stations when the tide and wind push water up over the shallow areas from deeper water. Around the southern tip of Monomoy when the tide turns, you will be cruising along in flat water when in the distance you see a three or four foot high chop, perhaps 300 yards or a mile long - this is where the lower water flow is suddenly disrupted by a hidden sandbar shoal, and pushes to the surface, carrying with it bait of all kinds. The predatory fish wait at the edge of the water break for lunch every time the tide turns. There are dozens of these "Rips" at Monomoy, most on the south and west sides. The birds are almost always there when the bite is on.

The sand is always moving near Monomoy, from the north and east toward the south and west. In fact, a passage on the east side of the island which was particularly useful to Chatham boaters in Outermost or Stage Harbors, is now completely closed to boats, as the mainland beach - South Beach - has extended to connect with Monomoy during the past two years. So from our departure point at Stage Harbor, the access to the Rips is only on the western side, where the flats seem to be growing toward the west. It is usually a bouncy trip (we had a southwest wind banging us all the way out, and the rain gear was welcome), and one that typically requires at least a 21' boat, deep-vee hull, well powered, with proper electronics, both to keep track of the water depth and to know where you are (amazing fog can disorient you in a heartbeat). Studying the charts is essential, and for fishing, a captain with local water knowledge is really comforting.

The Rips can be fished in a variety of ways:

1. Start in the rough water (the current is flowing toward you), throw out your lines and power through the Rip until your lures are bouncing into the first one-three wave faces - this is where the fish are waiting, and often you can see them in the face of the wave.

2. Start in the smooth water about 100 yards from the Rip, idle the engine, cast and let your lure drift with the current into the Rip - keep contact with the lure. You will have time for two or perhaps three casts before you are well into the rough water, then you turn around and do it again.

3. Fish ina combination of the two methods above.

4. If you are fortunate enough to have a Rip pretty much to yourself, you can power along in the smooth water, casting to the first wave face as you go, or, you can troll so lures are right at the edge of the rip. You run the boat parallel to the Rip face.

We primarily used the first two methods on this outing. We were successful with a variety of our Phase II Lures, though mostly with the lighter and brighter colors (this is very clear water, and conditions were bright). We caught fish on a White/Red Surf Dawg, (6", 2 oz.),Orange/Red Poppy & Pink Poppy (6", 1 oz.) Yellow Mongo, (7.5", 2 oz.) and a couple prototype lures (White, Yellow, Pink, 6", 1.5 oz., & 5", 2 oz.) that I am testing for possible introduction next season. We also had excellent results with a Blue/White Scooter, (4", 3/4 oz., floating popper) which we skittered along the surface trolling from the rough to smooth side and also worked like a typical popper at the Rip face. In fact, the largest keeper bass came on this Scooter, trolled from in the Rip to the face. She ran off 20 yards immediately, then bulled down, giving line back grudgingly. There were many more blues available - and I am always astounded by the vigor with which they fight for their size.

We will remember next trip to check the little stuff on your gear before heading out. I lost one plug because the drag was set way too tight, and when the fish hit the line snapped. Another fish took advantage of a fray in the line 6' from the leader, costing another lure. Speaking of leaders, I prefer a short one , ten inches or less, for good casting and lure action on retrieve. However, in water like this boating a fish is much easier with a longer leader, perhaps 2'. We mainly used 60# mono leader, which held up well.

It looks like the next several weeks heading into fall will provide some terrific fishing. I plan to be out there at every opportunity, hope you do too. Good fishing!

8/19/08

Also had an e-mail today from Captain Roger Gendron, Connecticut Island Outfitters, www.ctislandoutfitters.com that he hit a ferocious blue and a fat striper just under keeper size south of Cockenoe Island (LI Sound) on a brown Phase II Poppy lure.