CUTTYHUNK ISLAND – THE SURFCASTER’S PARADISE, MA
Is there any hotter of a hotspot than Cuttyhunk Island for a surfcaster in New England? At times, no! My first trip to the land of cow stripers took place in the fall of 2004. I spent literally months preparing for my trip. I pored over charts, talked to those who had been there before me and dreamed of the massive fish that I had heard prowled the surf of this fabled island. I was not disappointed! Over a span of four days and three nights, I landed more over-sized striped bass than I had landed in any such comparable time period before. Twenty-pound stripers were common and fish of 30- and 40-plus pounds became a reality on each outing.
Cuttyhunk is a small island measuring a little over one mile from the northeast corner at Canapitsit Channel to the southwestern corner by Sow and Pigs Reef. You cannot bring your car or truck over to the island so all fishing points must be accessed on foot. Several of the residents have vehicles on the island and can assist in moving your gear from the ferry to your rental unit for a small fee, but that is about it. A bike can be brought over but might end up being more in the way than a benefit to your angling adventures. There are trails around the island, some public and some private, so I always resort to foot-power. A few nights on the island will wear you out!
This is not a surf spot for the novice angler. I would rate it somewhere in the moderate to advanced level as a good 95% of the island is covered by bowling-ball and bigger size rocks. The surf can be treacherous at times and you can quite easily get stranded on the island if a nasty storm kicks up. Any manner of surf fishing will work from eeling to plugging to fly fishing. Chunking can be done in a few spots but is not my preferred method. My best success has come while eeling after dark and working big pencil poppers at first light.
This is the land of big fish and broken hearts, so be sure your tackle is up to the test and bring the heaviest gear you have. At times that is not even enough. On one of my early trips to the island, I was in on a blitz of 20- to 30-pound striped bass. After somewhat easily landing a striper that scaled out at 35 pounds even, I hooked into a monster that I was unable to stop. The massive fish took my needlefish and headed for Martha’s Vineyard before the tail hook broke free of the plug. I landed a small 25-pound bass on the belly hook of the needlefish on the retrieve after the larger fish came unbuttoned. Four anglers on that single tide accounted for over 1,000 pounds of striped bass by our best post-blitz calculations (only my 35 was kept). I know commercial rod-and-reelers that have had 500-plus-pound nights fishing from shore here. It can simply be that good at times.
Accessing the island is simple; there are two ferries that run out of New Bedford. Make your reservations well in advance and be sure to secure your lodging as well. You can rent one of the many seasonal houses on the island or stay at the famed Cuttyhunk Club Bed and Breakfast. You will need to bring all your tackle as there are no tackle shops on the island. A small general store is located mid-island, but the hours of operation are sporadic at best. A simple Google search for “Cuttyhunk” will secure all the information you need on the ferries and lodging on the island.
