LACE 'EM UP May 3, 2008 - I finally received a confirmed report of striped bass on Cape Cod. It wasn’t many years ago that I tipped central Mass resident, Steve Cullen to some pretty fair angling possibilities along the Bass River in Yarmouth. Cullen took my advice and embarked on weekly pilgrimages to the river with impressive results. Since that initial recommendation, he’s always been one of the first central New England anglers to visit the river despite the sometimes-unpredictable spring weather conditions. Steve
visited the shop recently and, after a bit of prodding, expounded on his
most recent experiences. Cullen prefers to utilize an exaggerated canoe
for his fishing; this gives him the portability that is often critical,
particularly during the early season when fish can be scarce and
scattered throughout the entire system. Needless to say, Steve has
already visited the Bass River on a few occasions with good results.
Most of the fish have been falling in the 12-14” range, which is so
typical for early migrants. He did put the ruler to one specimen that
measured 26” in length, his best to date. There
are numerous access points from its origins at Miss Thatchers Pond in
Yarmouth to it’s final destiny at West Dennis Beach on the
Yarmouth-Dennis town line. This, and the fact that it is one of the few
areas to offer almost guaranteed success during the early season.
Follins Pond, located about ¾ of a mile north of the Rt. 6 overpass
serves as the venue for one for the most impressive clamworm hatches you
will ever witness. Look for this event to occur 3 or 4 days prior to a
May or June full moon and continue for a few days after. The
pond can be accessed via a town landing on Follins Pond Road to the east
that offers plenty of parking and an unimproved boat launch. Almost
the entire pond can be negotiated by wading, however the eastern and
northern shoreline offers the best opportunity. A watercraft of some
sort (float tube, kayak, canoe or car topper) will greatly enhance your
success and reduce the learning curve. While the pond does not feature
extreme depth variations and is generally considered shallow, locating
deeper pockets, undercuts and holding water will be the key to your
early season success. Generally
an intermediate line is all that will be required to effectively
prospect Follins. I would also not rule out a floater should the
opportunity present itself to incorporate sliders and poppers into your
arsenal particularly during low light conditions.
Good
fishing and safe wading, |
