This was the first week since April that striped bass didn’t come up in any of my calls. It’s time to put the focus on freshwater, and thankfully, the Cape has plenty to offer.
Trout
Trout fishing throughout the Cape continues to be excellent, and just about any pond that received a fall stocking is brimming with fish, often visible rising to flies on the surface.
Scargo Pond in Dennis was the trout hot spot this week according to Roy at Riverview Bait and Tackle. Anglers dunking PowerBait there are catching between six and nine trout on each outing.
Upper Cape ponds that are producing good trout fishing include Ashumet, Johns and Peters. Just off Cape, Long Pond in Plymouth is giving up good rainbow and brown trout on a regular basis. One angler even caught a 3-pound broodstock salmon, leftover from last year’s stocking.
While trout focused on flies may be difficult to tempt with spinning gear, a glob of PowerBait rarely fails with the recent stockies. Spoons may work as well, as will spinners and small stickbaits.
This time of year, big brown trout cruise the shorelines driven by the urge to spawn. Since few Cape ponds are fed by creeks, this spawning effort is ill-fated, but it does bring the big browns, both males and females, within reach of wading anglers. Throughout most of the year, the biggest holdover browns lurk in the deepest parts of the ponds, where even boat anglers rarely encounter them. But during the late fall, the fish will be active and moving near shore. Live baits will be your best shot at hooking up, but stickbaits and metal lures will catch big browns as well.
Eric at the Hook Up in Orleans reported that anglers are finding success trolling Mooselook Wobblers and by fishing shiners, night crawlers and PowerBait from shore.
Black Bass and Pickerel
Harwich Reservoir is the top pick for largemouths this week reported Roy. Jerkbaits and Mann’s 1-minus crabkbaits have been working the best.
Chris at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said both largemouths and smallmouths have been hammering Lucky Craft points in the 65 size. The suspending baits have been the ticket to drawing strikes as the water cools.
The pickerel are biting well at ponds throughout the Cape. As the weeds die off in the cooling water, these ambush predators are once again doing their hunting in open water, making it easier for anglers to get a lure in front of them.
Chris also mentioned that white perch, yellow perch and bullheads have all been hitting well this week.
Saltwater
Very little to report in the saltwater this week other than mackerel and pollock in the East End of the Canal and tautog in Buzzards Bay. Tom at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said that most of the tog action has been around Westport, but that there may still be good fishing in Cape waters. Chris at Bad Fish Outfitters reported good tog action on the rockpiles outside the West End of the Canal.
The mackerel and pollock are being caught on small jigs or metals, fished in tandem. The jetties are most often the best places to try for these species.
Best Bets for the Weekend
If you want to fish saltwater, and aren’t picky about what you are catching, just so long are you are catching something, the mackerel can be a fun option this time of year. Small lures jigged in the East End of the Canal will usually tempt the macks as well as pollock.
Trout fishing is excellent, but bring a variety of offerings with you in case the fish prove fussy, and don’t be afraid to get down and dirty with PowerBait or nightcrawlers, because these baits will sometimes work when nothing else will.
Also, if the chilly weather puts you in more of an indoor mood this weekend, check out the Hook Up’s Customer Appreciation Day going on this Saturday, November 19, from 9 to 5. They’ll have great deals on a number of items and good eats as well. The event will be cated by Dr. Franken’Swine professional BBQ team. Sounds like it will be a great event.