Cape Cod & Buzzards Bay Fishing Report: 10-20-11

One year ago, the October 21, 2010 Fishing Forecast talked about the end of the striper season, suggesting all that was left was a few schoolies to prolong the inevitable end. Thankfully, that won’t be the theme of this week’s forecast. Bass well into the 20-pound range were caught at Race Point, in Chatham and in the Canal this week, with good numbers of smaller fish filling in the gaps. If the warm water temperatures hold out for just a bit longer, next week’s new moon could bring a good late-season bass bite.

Cape Cod Canal

Schools of mackerel, halfbeaks (Atlantic sauries) and butterfish are holding big numbers of smaller stripers throughout the Canal. Bull at Red Top suggested tossing a large white pencil popper in the 3- to 3½-ounce range to tempt some of the larger 18- to 25-pound fish that have been hanging in with the schoolies. Other successful plugs have been small yellow pencil poppers and shiny metal lures fished high in the water column. Daiwa SP Minnows and smaller Sebile Magic Swimmers have also worked. It sounds like the fish aren’t too picky once you track them down, and as Bull said, the fish have been spread out throughout the entire canal, with no one area holding most of the action.

Buzzards Bay

Blackfishing in Buzzards Bay is still strong, but winds have kept most anglers from venturing out since early this week. Rocky structure and wrecks in 15 to 40 feet of water will hold the best fishing.

South Side

The false albacore have mostly left us for the season, but there were some reports of them popping up in Woods Hole early this week. Anyone venturing out along the south side for stripers, blues or blackfish would be wise to have an albie rod rigged and ready, in case a late-staying school of these speedsters pops up.

Christian from Falmouth Bait and Tackle reported good fishing at South Cape Beach last night. One angler slinging eels took more than two-dozen fish. None were big, Christian said, but the action was enough to keep the angler smiling.

Bluefish are still hitting bunker chunks on Nantucket Sound-side beaches, as is the occasional bass.

Woods Hole tog fishing is very good, and anglers willing to move around and find some structures in the 15- to 30-foot range along the Elizabeth Islands are catching some very nice tautog that are off the radar of most bottom fishermen unwilling to venture very far from port.

The Elizabeth Islands should still produce good fish on eels, both day and night, when the wind allows a trip.

Mid and Outer Cape

Hardings Beach in Chatham has been giving up some good bass lately, reported Goose Hummock in Orleans. Unfortunately between there and Race Point, very few reports came in at all. Big bluefish have been showing up within casting range of the Race Point beaches like clockwork at daybreak, and the occasional bass has been mixed in. One of these bass weighed in at 27 pounds. Metals and topwaters are working best.

Cape Cod Bay

The waters of Cape Cod Bay have been fairly devoid of stripers according to this week’s reports. Dan from the Hook Up had heard no reports while the crew at Goose Hummock said customers of theirs who were fishing in the bay were coming back with scant reports of a bluefish or two.

Bluefin

Cape Cod Bay and the waters off Chatham are still holding good numbers of tuna. Captain Eric Stewart from the Hook Up in Orleans is done running trips for the season, but on his way to pull the boat, he spotted plenty of tuna breaking in the water off Chatham. Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle heard the same, with good numbers of 73-inch and above fish, as well as some smaller ones for recreational anglers.

Freshwater

Trout fishing is red hot, and there are some monstrous trout hitting in ponds throughout the Cape right now. A 24-inch specimen was hauled out of Cliff Pond this week, while other ponds such as Peters and Mashpee-Wakeby routinely gave up fish in the 18- to 22-inch range.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Deciding between the Canal and the South Side seems like a tough one, but you should be able to find some late-season bass and bluefish in either spot. Eels seem to be the top choice for nighttime fishing along the beaches, while daytime fishing with plugs and metals is catching best in the Canal. Also  chasing after some of those extra-large rainbow trout in the stocked ponds throughout the Cape would be a great mid-day diversion.