Sandy Neck is a long barrier beach that separates Cape Cod Bay from the Great Marsh of Barnstable Harbor. The bay-side beach offers miles of open surfcasting, and the marsh and harbor behind it pump bait and stripers in and out on the tide, making it a strong spring and early-summer beach.
The spots
Fish the open bay beach for cruising bass and blues, and pay attention to the harbor mouth and marsh outflow at the end of the neck, where current and bait concentrate. The flats and channels behind the neck hold fish too.
How to fish it
Low light and moving water are the ticket. Soft plastics, small swimming plugs and metals matched to sand eels and silversides cover it. Early-season fish here can be schoolie-heavy with better fish mixed in.
Tip Time the marsh drainage. As the tide falls and empties the Great Marsh, bait washes out the harbor mouth and bass stack up to feed, fish the outflow on the drop for the most consistent action.