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The Tip Rip

1K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Hawkeye 
#1 ·
Well the dates for the South Tip Rip Trip are not going to work for Mike and I so we decided to do a little scouting for you guys. We had the loan of a couple kayaks and set out from Hardings beach as per Juro’s recommendation. Launch time was Sunday at about 9:30 and the weather was good with a mild breeze from the SW. The waves were not big but a little nerve wracking since it was only our second time in a kayak.

We made the beach of SI and hiked to the rips by about noon. The rips are nothing short of awesome and they just scream BIG fish. There were a number of boats working the rips and pulling up a lot of schoolies in the 20’s. We soon joined the fun working chartreuse clouser type flies close to the bottom. The schoolies were numerous but the big fish were not to be found. Mike talked to a guy throwing spinning gear and learned that he had been fishing the rip every day while he worked on a piping plover project. He has apparently only managed two keepers of 32” and 40” in all that time. It was a lot of fun to see the place but for big fish we should have stuck to the cribbin where I spotted a lot of large fish working the channel between South and North Monomoy.

On the way back the wind had picked up and the waves had increased to 3 to 5 feet and were fully breaking (not just white caps). On the white knuckle paddle back we spotted very large bass tails above the water near the north end of North Monomoy but wisely decided to not stop and fish for them. About an eighth of a mile off of the Hardings light house I decided to head for shore and walk the rest of the way. As I turned for shore I promptly lost control and went over. I lost my polarized glasses but that was the worst as I pushed the kayak in to shore. One surprising thing to me was that my waders did not interfere with my movement at all while I was in the water. They were a bit of a problem once I was out and I had to drain them before I could move with any kind of ease.

Mike made it back without my swimming technique and then helped me hoof my kayak back to the car. All in all it was a great and adventuresome day with great fishing and not so hot catching.

Scouting info:

The sand was firm around the rip and very wadable to the point where the waves keep you from going further.

The water on the ocean side is much colder than the water from the sound side.

The biting fish were all on the warmer side above the rip.

The fish were on the bottom so a fast sink line and a heavy fly were needed to reach them.

The western side of the island looks like it has wadable flats when the tide is low.

We did not check out the ocean side.

The place is beautiful and looks unbelievably fishy – it just didn’t click for us in terms of the bigger fish.

The two flies that we tried and that worked were a drifted crab and a chartreuse deep sand eel. We also tried some squid flies but to no avail.

Just in case the proposed trip date does not work out we can commit to the 15th, 29th, and 30th, of July and the 5th, 6th, 19th, 20th, 26th, and 27th of August.
 
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#2 ·
Glad you came back in one piece! Sounds like quite an adventure for such small craft... I think I would have been far less adventurous and headed for the inside... between the islands and south beach; or at least stayed out on the humps.

Your adventurousness is our gain, thanks for the insight into the tip. It kinda worked out well that there were not enough to do that last proposed date; now we get two recent adventurers on the excursion on the 29th (30th alt).

See you there!
 
#3 ·
Gregg,
Glad you amd Mike made it back in 1 piece albeit wet. What type of Yak were you paddling in 3-5' breakers? I'm thinking about getting a kayak, no trans-atlantic crossings planned but just in case I find myself in a chop it would be nice to have something seaworthy.
 
#4 ·
Two thoughts on the matter... Sesuit Creek outfitters carries (and rents) the Stealth kayak, which is a pontoon style craft with extreme stability. I believe you can even stand up in it. Don Baker, proprietor of Sesuit Crk Outiftters in East Dennis at the north end of rte 134.

Another thought is the outrigger style kayak (Bill - do you still have the URL?) Which you can definitely stand on.

A while back on a cable science show I saw a personal water craft invented by some scientist fisher dude... it resembled a tricycle with three floating 'shoes' and a motor. It was untippable, even in surf. It was operated hands-free and really scooted around. Sounds crazy but derivations of that design would be incredible flats vehicles.

a) small shadow profile for sight fishing
b) hands free steering and throttle
c) extremely stable
d) material / processing costs could make it affordable (sans motor)
e) loe HP requirement
f) easy to transport (light trailer weight)

I wonder what ever happened to that?

I've been able to locate a few great deals on boats lately. 14-16 foot aluminums and skiffs in the $3000-4000 range with motors in good running condition. They trailer light as a feather and would open bays and calm waters up for travel if nothing else (like the clammers do - beach it thru the tide change. The outer humps off N. Monomoy would be easy leap froggin' in a little skiff.

Question:

Were they skirted sit-inside yaks or self-bailing sit on top?
 
#5 ·
I'll say 14' aluminum trailor light as a feather. With my truck cap stuffed full of camping gear, 2 adults and 2 kids, I can haul my boat up steep grades and never drop below 60 MPH! I can also launch into 1 foot o water. The drawback is the frustration of not being able to leave most river mouths.
Anyway, could I shoot across to the Monomoy humps in my boat? Launches nearby?

Terry
 
#7 ·
Gregg,

Going to have to miss the S.Monomoy mini-clave 'cause Diane and I are already commited for the 29th, but I have a question for you on the S.Monomoy island. Seals were a factor on South Beach and I am curious if they were as much in abundance on S.Monomoy as they were in our earlier 'clave. Did you see many and were there any times they
looked like they were waiting for released fish or approaching as closely as they did on South Beach? Some day one of us is going to get spooled by one of these babies
and it seems like the seals are more tolerant of human appraoch than they use to be. It doesn't help the fishing...

Glad to hear you and Mike had such an adventure. When you go back, grab one of those bass cows and hang on !

See ya,

Jay C.
 
#8 ·
Jay,

There were seals present though they seemed to be smaller and fewer. They also seemed more skittish about us strange creatures walking the beach on two legs. I did not think they were a problem at all at the tip.

As for getting spooled - the experience in Washington state with the seals there is that you just come up with a part of a fish or no fish if they take a liking to your catch. A lot of times they will just bite the belly for the eggs. I have heard no tales about the seals around here taking fish that were hooked though I did have a seal stalk a 30 incher I had hooked off of South Beach ocean side. The seal was quite capable of taking it but didn't and I really don't know why.
 
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