With the first Thanksgiving happening just over the bridge from Cape Cod, it’s not a stretch to speculate that in addition to staples such as turkey and corn, the menu in 1621 included some fare from the local waters as well. According to the History Channel, the Pilgrims may have chowed down on crane, eagle, eel and seal. While I’d love to club a couple seals this Thanksgiving – in the spirit of authenticity of course – that may be frowned upon by the USFWS. Instead, I might go out and try to add a little seafood to my Thanksgiving spread.
Trout
Though the MA DFW trout-stocking program wouldn’t start for a couple centuries – and rainbow and brown trout hadn’t made the move east and west, respectively, from their native waters to the kettle ponds of the Cape – one trout was certainly around, and abundant, at the time of the first Thanksgiving.
Remnants of the native population of stream and pond-dwelling brook trout still exist on Cape Cod waters – including some of the brine-inclined “salter” brookies – but the fishery is low-percentage at best, and represents little more than a novel thrill to anglers seeking to catch a native trout. The excellent stocking program in place today, however, grants Cape Cod anglers the opportunity to catch trout, often in fantastic numbers.
Peter’s, Cliff, Flax and other stocked ponds continue to churn out an impressive number of trout to anglers fishing with bait or casting spoons. A wave of insect hatches has made the fishing a bit frustrating as anglers this week watched as hundreds (maybe thousands) of trout dimpled the surface to sip flies while ignoring most other presentations. Persistent anglers could still hook up, especially those fishing bait. Even the most fly-focused trout will find it hard to resist an entrée of struggling shiner or plump nightcrawler amidst all the insect hors d’oeuvres.
Dan at the Hook Up said small browns were abundant at Cliff Pond as well as rainbow trout. Trolling took a number of fish, as did fishing bait on the bottom.
Striped Bass
Just as today, I’m sure a few straggling schoolie stripers were still making their way down the coast in November 1621. Though the striped bass was subject to one of the first harvest regulations (stating they could not be used as fertilizer on 1639), size limits were not imposed until the 20th Century, so these small bass probably ended up on a dinner plate.
Late-season schoolies are luckier these days, and still abundant. Tom at Red Top said anglers are still finding stripers on Scusset Beach, South Cape Beach and in the Wareham River. Goose Hummock even had a 34-inch striper brought to the shop this week. Bass are still around, though effort is dwindling and water temperature is dropping. This weekend may be the shot at that last migratory fish of the season.
Black Bass
Suspending jerkbaits are working well for both largemouths and smallmouths. Jigs are also catching fish. Look for the warmest water, and near weeds for the largemouths. As the water temperatures drop, some of these fish will be heading to deeper water to suspend.
Saltwater
There was no word on blackfishing this week, though I’d imagine some are still around. Focus on some deeper structure, where the blackfish will migrate as the water cools.
Mackerel are around in big numbers in Cape Cod Bay and off the Backside Beaches reported Jordan from Goose Hummock.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The encouraging striper reports just might be enough to inspire one last trip to the beaches. Scale down your gear and consider pinching down the barbs in order to do as little harm to these baby bass as possible.
Trout are the top pick again. The fishing with PowerBait is bordering on easy, so if you are itching to get bit, get a jar and get to a trout pond. Trout are cruising the shorelines, so find a forked stick, let your rig fly and sit back and watch the rod tip with your hands nice and warm in your pockets. Live shiners or nightcrawlers may offer a better shot at a big brown, as they tend to shy away from PowerBait.
Also, this Friday Red Top is holding a sale especially for fishermen. Stop by to get fishing gifts for your friends, family, or yourself.