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The Break....News?

3K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  Penguin 
#1 ·
What with all of the huge tides the last few days....I wonder. Anyone make the trek?

Phil
 
#2 ·
On a clear day...!

With binoculars you can see the break from the overlook at the Wildlife Refuge...
It's about 1/2 mile south of the "drop off"...
With a good spotting scope you can see the break, the south way, and the old light house on South monomoy...
I was planning on a hike yesterday but figured I'd wait until the latest storm past for the most current recon...
Big tides to be sure!
Here's the east side Sesuit boat ramp and parking lot an hour and a half after flood...
 

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#4 ·
Latest Report

Hi Everyone,

Got out last week on a dropping tide. Got off on South Beach and walked in the break area. Very soft unstable sand and awash for four hours around Hightide.
Channel looked good till we reached the end of SB. Quite a bit of shoaling at the end of SB. We are going out Tuesday at Low tide to see what kind of depth we have down there at low. Only problem I see right now for the shuttle with you guys is figuring out drop offs and pick ups around the flood tide. The water seems to be coming through at good current and depth, so I don't think it will be passable in waders. I will have to keep monitoring what is going on out there over the rest of the winter and do test run in the spring.
We'll figure it out.

Capt Keith
 
#5 ·
What if...

Keith et al, if the new break becomes the sole current from the oceanside (southway closes), would the flow (current) head toward the channel betweeen N. Monomoy and Morris Island. If so, then a venturi affect would occur from Stage Harbor. Having said that, the west side of Monomoy would have a pretty solid current. The inside of S. Beach from the tub to S. Monomoy would be then be a continuation of the tub at the north (minimal current)? If the southway does close, then North & South Monomoy will probably merge.

Of course, this could all change with potential malestroms.

It will be an interesting season for you and the pack of flats rats.
 
#6 ·
Been trying to think that if Jim is right....would that be better fishing SB or not. Me thinks that the break would give the fish quicker and more direct access to the flats. Jim's right....it's going to be very interesting to see what the results will be. Makes me wonder if the point to the right of the shuttle drop off will grow as well towards Morris and eventually make the original tub a landlocked pond.

Also, some good news on the arthritic casting thumb and wrist issue I've had the last 2 seasons. I'm only sharing this because last year 3 other guys (don't know their names) expressed to me that they have the same issue.
I found a cooperative MD, who sent me to a hand specialist OT and today they fabricated (molded) a custom rigid plastic brace for me....tried it out in the backyard....no pain, no restriction in casting! :D The OT was impressive.....assessed the arthritic joints, assessed the movement that caused pain, asked me to demonstate the movement I needed and where the rod needed to fit in my palm and designed and made the brace on the spot. Impressive to say the least!
Did feel a bit foolish going in for the appt. with the butt section of my Sage, given that everyone else there looked like they just got hit by a car, but as the MD said..."no reason not to enjoy quality of life". So....to you others in the same situation, there IS a solution.
Ron
 
#7 ·
The only thing for sure is that it will be different. Hard to say if better or worse.

I will miss the old structure regardless. Even as it was it required annual study to have it in the hip pocket for guiding. Yet much of it retained the same character year to year as I am sure others will agree.

With a cut midway on Chatham Bar (the official name of south beach or so I read) several annual routines that I rely will change dramatically:

1) migratory paths - no details available :lildevl:

2) flood tide response - many changes there for sure, the fish will be in different places and move to different places on tidal changes

3) summer behavior - cool ocean infusion almost 1 hour earlier - more like bayside behavior around that zone I would wager. As Keith mentioned, probably would get visits from the oceanside hordes as well. I just hope the boats aren't overwhelming if it really opens up.

4) fall bunker behavior - more likely to stream through the refuge than go around, which bodes very well for our fall fishing

5) hardtail behavior - likely to have them more prevalent inside and up to Chatham light than usual, maybe thick in PB like years past. This depends on how the west side is affected from all this, and if JimS theory is correct, etc.

At least in this zone there will undoubtedly be a more prevalent mixing of sound / ocean conditions where this peninsula has formed a distinct boundary for many species and their habitats. The behavior of fish inside has been distinctly different than on the outside. Despite being so close together, they were separated by two diverse environments.

If the southway closes it will create a massive expanse of flats to the other side of the break; K & J bouy flats, reaching down to join with the north end South Monomoy flats, then out to the west side.

Who knows what it will do to North Monomoy but my guess is a deepening of the crib. In fact the middle crib's depths seem to be formed by a more violent past.

In any case, it will be a lot of fun to explore and nature will level the playing field for most of us. We will all need to re-learn everything if these things go down.

Ready.... set.... :D
 
#8 ·
I'm following this with great interest, as a group of us Englishman are coming over in June.
As we only knew the 'Cape fishing' from forums, etc we had limited information on how it really works out there. With this new development i'm wondering if it will make things a little trickier for us!
Has anyone got some decent photo's of the area's before and after?
 
#9 ·
Steveo -

At this point there is still a lot of speculation about all of this; it hasn't really happened yet. But there is enough evidence to predict that it will.

Sure it will throw a little more challenge into it - but it could just as easily make fishing so easy that it's silly given the right times and tides. We are all as uncertain as to what this will bring to the table, but excited just the same.

The Annual Spring Clave will be held in mid-May as usual. Signups will go up in March. We will have plenty of recon before your arrival.
 
#19 ·
One of the other Cape Cod Bay epicenters...

Billingsgate Shoals...

South Beach break recon...When the kinder weather arrives...
 
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