Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay Fishing Report 10-25-2012

Pre-Storm Stripers, Tog and Trout

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the stripers are still around, and in good numbers. The canal continues to be the hotbed of schoolie activity, but fishermen all over the Cape are catching stripers of all sizes.

Cape Cod Canal and Cape Cod Bay

Tom at Red Top said the schoolies have been all over the surface, taking small jigs and topwaters. Anglers fishing near the bottom with jigs or eels are catching larger fish, including a few heavier than 30 pounds. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle had heard of several fish in the 20-pound class taken this week in the Canal, again noting that jigs have been the ticket.

There are still stripers in Cape Cod Bay. Trolling the stretch between the east end of the Canal and Barnstable Harbor is producing fish, according to Tom at Red Top. Inside Barnstable Habor and outside Sesuit Harbor and Scorton Creek, there have been schoolie stripers willing to strike soft-plastic jigs and topwater plugs.

Reports of big schools of stripers in Green Harbor and the Plymouth area reached Bad Fish Outfitters in Falmouth. Fish ranged from 18 inches to just above keeper size.

South Side, Buzzards Bay and Elizabeth Islands

The fishing in the sounds has been hit or miss, said Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle. Anglers are catching fish, but the reports are varying wildly from day to day. One charter captain reported one of his best days of the season this week, as eels produced big numbers of 35-inch and better stripers. The Elizabeth Islands have been producing a few fish, especially Cuttyhunk, and Woods Hole has produced a few keeper-sized stripers as well, reported Todd.

Adult bunker have been thick off the South Side from Osterville to South Cape Beach reported Chris from Bad Fish Outfitters in Falmouth. Mostly big bluefish have been feeding on them, but some stripers are hanging around the schools as well, though there have been no reports of any especially large fish. With a big baitfish like bunker, however, there could easily be some very big bass feeding on them.

Buzzards Bay has produced keeper stripers for anglers trolling deep-diving plugs.

The rivers around Westport and New Bedford still have good numbers of bass, according to the crew at CMS in New Bedford. Night or day doesn’t seem to matter, just the tide. Eels are working best.

Bottom fishing is going strong. Big black sea bass are biting well at most wrecks and rockpiles.  Get your sea-bassing in now—there’s a good chance the state will close the season to comply with the recently announced federal closing that starts on November 1.

Blackfish action is strong from Weepecket Islands to Cleveland Ledge; just about all the rockpiles are holding some tautog.  The bite is still improving, and should peak over the next couple weeks.

Outer Cape Fishing Report

One of the few reports from the Outer Cape this week was of bluefish at Nauset Beach from The Hook Up in Orleans. A few anglers are still giving it a go for bass in the surf out there, and they are catching keepers. Nighttime is best, if you want to avoid the seals.

Bluefin Tuna

When fishermen can get out there, the bluefin bite is great. Eric Stewart of the Hook Up wrangled a giant this week, and several other anglers found tuna of all sizes. The bluefin aren’t going anywhere just yet, but many anglers have already pulled their boats.

Freshwater

Every week as the saltwater fishing slows down a little more, the freshwater reports continue to pick up. Trout fishing is lights out. The ponds are loaded with nice-sized rainbows from the last stockings, and larger holdover fish are getting more active with each cold night.

Bass fishing is excellent as well. Falmouth Bait and Tackled weighed in a 7-pound largemouth this week. The bass are really feeding in preparation for winter. Shiners are an automatic if you’re willing to wait for the bass to come to you, but covering water with lures will put far more bass in the boat, or on the shore.

Cape Cod Fishing Forecast

It’s tough to say exactly what’s going to happen with Hurricane Sandy, but even without a direct hit on the Cape, we’ll have heavy wind, rain and surf for at least a few days next week. When a storm is on the way, you can expect a spike in the striper activity. This happens for one of two reasons. For one, an approaching storm will get baitfish on the move, and as they school up and move, stripers will take full advantage of the easy feeding opportunity. There’s also a theory that stripers (as all fish) sense the approaching weather, and feed in anticipation.

The storm could bring some more stripers down to the Cape and create a spike in the action. Or, more likely, it could abruptly end our striped bass season.

If you haven’t packed away your striper gear yet, try the canal or the south side. If you have a boat, the weather for Friday looks great. I’d use any banked sick days and spend the day targeting blackfish and stripers around the Elizabeth Islands.

If you’re looking for a change of pace, do some freshwater fishing. Any pond with bass is likely to produce great action, and ponds that received a fall stocking of trout will have great action with rainbows and, if you’re lucky, holdover browns.