Sleepless on Cape Cod

Wide Awake and Sleepless

It’s 4 a.m. and I’m lying here wide awake, sleepless on Cape Cod. I haven’t slept a wink all night. The alarm is set for 5 o’clock, I know that but it doesn’t matter. Don’t oversleep. I can’t oversleep. We’re fishing tomorrow, no wait this morning, we’re fishing today. We’ve had this trip planned for days, I can’t be late because I’ve got the keys to the boat.

Every time I’ve closed my eyes I start thinking about the trip. What kind of bait should we use? We plan to pull up some Mackerel and live line in the rips, but should we try some topwater plugs first? The big stripers, the slobs are always lively first thing in the morning and can be on top before they move to deeper water as the day progresses. We don’t want to miss the bite chasing Mackerel around.

Finding the Mackerel

What if we don’t find Macks right away? They were in 55’ of water the other day but it’s getting later in the season. That’s when they start moving out into deeper water. But how deep? We know that they’ll be east of Bearse Shoal but how far down the 3-mile line? I don’t want to go all the way to Chatham but I know that they’re always there.

Fishing the 3-mile line

If we do go as far as Chatham, should we drop a line over the side and jig for a while? Vertical jigging has been such a sporadic thing in the past couple of years. Funny how that seemed to be the only way to catch a striper a few years back. That’s when the only bait around was Sand Eels. It’s dropped way off since the Mackerel and Menhaden have returned. I love vertical jigging. It’s exhausting work but what a rush when you hook a slob in 100’ of water and it starts to run.

Should we stay in Chatham?

If we do have to go that far for our bait, I’ll drop a line over the side and jig awhile just for fun. It doesn’t take all four of us to load up the live well with Macks. Hell, one guy can do it in ten minutes if we’re into them really heavy. Oh, but then another thought enters! Should we put one of the Mackerel onto a *Baitrunner while we’re loading up with bait? How many times have we seen stripers racing up to the surface trying to snag one of the lively, tasty snacks off the *Sabiki Rig when we’re pulling them into the boat?

My mind is racing. At this rate, if I keep thinking we won’t ever leave Chatham. How many fish are they catching back at Monomoy? What are we doing? Have we missed the morning bite completely?

Oh God, just get some sleep. Close your eyes and get some sleep. Everything will work out in the morning. It’s going to be fine. I regreased the drags on the reels, didn’t I? Yes, yes, I did and put new fluorocarbon leaders on at the same time. I hope that 30 lb. is heavy enough. Ugh! Sleep, just sleep.

Sound Familiar?

Sound familiar? Have you ever been sleepless on Cape Cod, or Springfield, or wherever? Do you sleep okay the night before a fishing trip? You can tell from the above, I don’t. The funny thing is I’ve been doing this for a long time and everything always works out just fine. We have fun even on those days that fishing isn’t so hot.

So why? Why do I fret each night before a trip? Silly if I think about it. It doesn’t matter. None of it. We will be out on the water, with family or friends seeing things that you can only imagine and some that you never in your life ever thought that you would see. God might grant us the pleasure of a Great White Shark sighting or a visit from a Humpback Whale, a Sea Turtle, or Giant Ocean Sunfish. The list is endless.

Perhaps it’s all the excitement, the pleasure that being out on the water fishing with close friends can bring. The memories that you make and the smiles that you see. Even in the dead of winter if I’m troubled by something, I can lay there and by remembering a past fishing trip, everything else can melt away. The worry seems less burdensome and lighter. I breathe just a little slower and easier because my mind is at peace. I’m somewhere else and the world is good, life is good. I have so many blessings and I’ve experienced such awe and wonder while I’m out on the water. But that’s in the depths of winter. As for now, I will continue to lay here. Sleepless on Cape Cod.

Are you coming to Cape Cod soon? Book your next trip with us. You know we will have put a lot of thought into it!

Until next time,

May you count your blessings in multitudes.
Tight Lines and Smooth Seas

*St. Pete Sport Fishing is a Bass Pro Shops Affiliate. We get paid a small commission on any sales made through links like these that we provide to products on the Bass Pro site.