How-To: Outer Cape Cod Stripers

We spent 15 minutes on the phone with Capt. Steve Kirk to discuss fishing for outer Cape Cod striped bass with the Hogy Originals. Here's what we learned... 

Capt. Steve Kirk
Website: www.captainkirkenterprises.com

Location: Off Provincetown – Between Race Point and The Golf Ball.

Tides: Fishing is good on either end of the tide, fishing is better during a moving tide.

Approach: This “run and gun” style of fishing requires a keen eye on the horizon for surface activity. Spotting diving birds is a sure sign there is fish activity nearby. When approaching a feeding school, make sure to motor down some distance away from the activity, this will decrease the odds of spooking the fish and sending them down.

Rigging Selection: When presenting to fish feeding on the surface, an unweighted Hogy 10/0 Swim Bait Hook is preferred. Using a 2-ounce Barbarian Jig Head on the 9” HDUV Jiggin' Paddle Tail will help the bait sink below a feeding school; this is where larger bass tend to lurk while waiting for an easy meal to drift to them.

Bait Selection: Hogy 10-inch Original Series for top water presentations. Hogy 9inch HDUV Jiggin' Paddle Tail for jigging.

Why This Bait? The large size and slender profile of these soft baits is a great herring imitator. The extra weight of a large bait allows you to make a long cast.

Colors: Bone and Live Herring Color. Both patterns are great for stripers feeding on herring or bunker.

Retrieve: When targeting fish feeding on the surface, work the unweighted Hogy 10-inch Original very quickly across the surface. The faster you work these baits, the better chance you have at really getting the stripers fired up and ready to attack. It’s common to have three or more fish follow and attack your bait until a fish is hooked. After a missed strike, make sure to keep the bait moving quickly for another chance at a hook up.

When targeting fish below the surface activity, cast out the Jiggin’ Paddle and let it sink to the bottom. Keep a keen eye on your line as the jig falls, it’s easy to miss the slight “tick” of the line when your bait is picked up by a fish. Once your bait reaches the bottom, begin a slow jigging retrieve, allowing the bait to fall on a tight line. This will let the paddle tail shake and thump on the descent. Make sure to pay attention on the drop, quite often the strike will happen while the bait is falling.

OUTFIT

Rod: Van Staal 6’ 6” Spinning Rod

Reel:  Shimano Sustain 8000

Line: 60-pound test Power Pro Braid

Leader: 4-foot, 80-pound test fluorocarbon leader