Lived up in Mass for four years and striper fishing was my outdoor activity for that period. You are certainly in for a pleasant wake up call if you've never experienced a "Blitz" before.

What happens is around September and October, the bluefish and stripers begin their southward migration which brings them around the cape. They tend to hang out together while competing for the same food. The food is a fish called a Bunker (also heard them called Alewife) and they school in the millions close to the shoreline. With the 8-9 foot tide variations in New England, these schools will sometimes be trapped inside of a slough close to the water's edge. You'll see a sand bar out about 100 yards with one or two open channels to the sea on either side. The blues chase the bunker into these natural traps and feed so ferociously that they create a fish oil slick on the surface. The birds in turn see this and get in on the action. They start diving into the schools to pick up pieces of broken fish. This is what you want to look for. You'll want to have a good surf rod with a shock leader and plug and go sprinting down the beach in the direction of the frenzy.

Once you're close, cast into it and let the fish do the rest. The blues will be near the surface and out the farthest. If you manage to get your plug in without a blue hitting it, you may pick up a striper cruising the water line picking up pieces of fish. I caught my first keeper striper in this way, a 38 incher, about 6 feet off the water line. I can't remember how many blues my wife and I picked up that day, but there were many and they were big. Add the force of the waves to what are already great fighting fish and you've got a real party.

I'm not saying every fall outing is like this, but when you hit it right, it's an amazing thing.

Good luck,

Fritz