Making Epic Memories in Cape Cod

By Captain Mark Haley

Proclaiming My Love for All Things Cape Cod and Striped Bass

The Cape Cod region has always been my favorite place to fish both as a pro and as a recreational angler — so I feel very lucky that I get to show it off to all my fishing charter guests for a living, right? I’ve been a certified master guide here for almost two decades, and let me tell you, the spark is still going strong. I just feel that Cape Cod is a destination that keeps giving, with its beauty, rich nature, and amazing waters. Whenever I take my guests to fish in a Cape Cod fishing spot for the first time, I can’t help it – my appreciation for the place just grows. I always experience something different with each trip I make, yet every trip also offers my favorite thing about fishing, which is the serene feeling I get on the water. Whenever I launch my boat off the dock, I'm sure to find joy in fishing Cape Cod. I can just leave my worries behind, enjoy the fresh air, and take in the beauty of this place I call home.

Fishing in the Cape Cod area means having access to hundreds of fish species, but if I had to choose a favorite, I would have to agree with all my fellow Cape anglers and choose the striped bass. This fish species is near and dear to me, as it was the fish that introduced me to my life-long love for fishing. I can still clearly remember that day, being on that boat with my dad and having him coach me through landing my first big fish. I have to say, that experience inspired me not just to love fishing. It also gave me something to aspire for –  to be just like my dad, who made me feel then that I could do anything — including landing a trophy that’s so hard to catch. With each trip I make with guests, this is the same feeling I’m chasing. I want to give them the same experience I had landing my first striped bass — the exhilaration, the thrill, and the feeling of having accomplished something so monumental.

Every time I go on a fishing trip to guide a client and help them land their first striped bass, I am reminded of why this fish species is such a great catch. There are so many reasons to fish for striped bass, but the biggest for me is that Cape Cod is a certified striped bass wonderland. No need to take my word for it – you simply have to experience it to believe. What’s more – stripers are really photogenic, with their impressive stripes running along their sides. They’re also very striking in person, especially when the light hits them just right, allowing their sides to show off their different colors. They make very tasty table fare, too. All in all – a great catch.

I love targeting striped bass all year round, but nothing beats fishing for these big stripers when they start arriving from the south in or around May. They stay in the Cape Cod waters well until fall, and when the bay waters heat up, they head straight to the deeper water part of the bay, which is cooler. We, of course, follow them to all their favorite spots depending on the time of year.

I like to say that doing the Cape Cod Cardio is the way to go when fishing for striped bass in Cape Cod. What is Cape Cod Cardio, you ask? It’s jigging with a wireline, running about 100 yards off the reel with a jig or lead lure at the end of it. To lure your striped bass in, you bounce the jig off the bottom of the ocean floor so that it looks like a crab or squid — a tasty meal for our target. The action on the sand alerts our stripers to the prospect of fresh food, so they will pounce on it. Once you have your striped bass lured in, get ready for the cardio! That is, you have to reel in 100 yards of line — imagine yourself standing at one end of a football field dragging your jig, which is on the opposite end of the field – yep, that’s what we call Cape Cod Cardio. The long haul and the fight from your target make this the challenge of a lifetime. I swear, once you’ve hauled in your first fighting striper, you’ll never look back, and you’ll be talking about that experience for years to come. 

The challenge of fishing for striped bass in Cape Cod is just one of the many things I love and hope to share with every charter guest I host on my boat. But above all, what I hope to provide as a fishing guide and charter captain is an unforgettable experience, the kind you’ll look back on as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. 

Every trip I make with my guests is amazing, but one that sticks with me is this trip I made with a long-time client and his friend. I remember getting my client’s call that day – they had just arrived that afternoon and wanted to go out into the water later in the day. Luckily, I was free, so we decided to lock down four hours on the boat from 4 pm to 8 pm. By 5 pm, I remember we were already landing big fish. Our bucket had lots of catches, including a 25-inch and 40-inch bass. That scenario in itself would’ve made for a great memory, but because of our lucky timing, we managed to catch the sunset. I can clearly remember, clear as day, their big smiles as the sun was setting, their happy faces cast with a perfect golden hour glow. It’s a memory my client and I like to look back on every time we fish together. I think this memory captures everything I love about fishing on Cape Cod — the excellent catch, the number of trophy stripers offering a great big fight, the beauty and serenity of our surroundings, and the amazing people I get to meet.

If you’re planning a week of fishing trips all over New England, make Cape Cod your top priority, and I promise you, you won’t regret it. It’s popular for a reason. We’ve got excellent fishing opportunities here and plenty of striped bass to go around. Once you've decided, book a fishing trip with me at Shannon Sea Sportfishing. As your go-to guide in Cape Cod, I’ll take you to where the striped bass is. We’ll follow our fish wherever it goes, whether it's in Cape Cod Bay, Nantucket, Buzzards Bay, Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, Provincetown area, Woods Hole, and the Atlantic Ocean.  Bring your kids for their first fishing trip! If you’re an expert angler looking for your next great challenge, hit me, and I’ll help you land your trophy. Newbies are welcome as well – I’ll teach you my bag of tricks and techniques to land your first striper. We’ll head out into the water on my 26’ Sailfish boat, which can fit up to six guests with a lot of elbow room. My boat's speed and safety are my priority, so I’ve equipped it with USCG-required safety equipment and a Yamaha engine that runs up to 28 mph. I also have a GPS, a fish finder, live bait tanks, and a private toilet for your comfort and convenience.

Want to know more about me and my fishing charter trips? Please check my website and my Facebook page for updates and more information. Let’s meet soon! I look forward to hosting you on your next Cape Cod fishing trip.