Cape Cod Bass Biting Well

Trout Fishing is Fantastic

Stripers Should Show Soon

We had warm days and cold days this week, sun, rain, and even a thunderstorm – all of which is pretty typical for April on Cape Cod. The overall trend is “warming” though, and we’re starting to see the signs of spring all over the Cape, from blooming bulbs, to running river herring, to fish-hungry ospreys. There was even a photo shot earlier in the week of an osprey in the Falmouth area that was spotted feasting on a small schoolie striper!

In the backwaters and rivers that hold overwintering schoolie stripers, warmer temperatures have both the fish and the fishermen stirring.   According to Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle, the rivers around Wareham have been producing a few holdover stripers mixed in with white perch. Red Top echoed the same report of holdover striper action, and added that there have been reports of schoolies in Plymouth Harbor – likely fish that spent the winter in the warmer outflow of the power plant and are now beginning to stir. There were even rumors of a few small stripers caught in the Cape Cod Canal in recent days, described as holdover bass that had been drawn to the flow of the Bournedale herring run.  Schoolie stripers are being caught in Mount Hope Bay around Brayton Point and in the rivers. These fish should see reinforcements soon from the “fresh,” ocean-going stripers that have arrived on the oceanfront in Rhode Island.

It will probably be about one more week or so – sooner if we see some south/southwest winds, longer if we don’t – that those migrating schoolies arrive in Buzzards Bay, Martha’s Vineyard, and along the south side of the Cape. In the meantime, you stand a decent chance of connecting with a holdover if you try a location such as the Bass River. Lee from Riverview said that there hasn’t been any action there yet, but he thinks that the schoolies are stirring and should get active in the coming days.

The better bet for action is surely in the freshwater ponds right now. The folks at MassWildlife have been very good to us this spring, loading many of the ponds on Cape and off with rainbows, browns and brookies. Small, colorful spoons have been productive. A slow retrieve has been important, and make sure you cover some water to find where the fish are schooled up. Powerbait has also been producing, along with natural baits like shiners. Check the MassWidlife website for the latest stocking info along with pond maps and access points.

Dan from The Hook Up in Orleans reported that Captain Rich from the shop hit Sheeps Pond before sunrise and was rewarded with a 4-pound brown trout. Dan hit Peters Pond in Sandwich recently and caught 9 trout. He saw some salmon swimming near the surface but couldn’t get them to eat. The Hook Up will be hosting an open house this Saturday and kicking off their kids freshwater fishing tournament. Dan expects to see some big fish, as the ponds have been producing plenty of big bass, pickerel and perch, all on live shiners.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay

It’s tempting to start hunting for stripers, but you’d miss out on some of the best freshwater fishing of the year. Pre-spawn largemouth bass are feeding heavily, and a number of anglers reported catching 4- to 7-pound bass this week. The biggest bass (and pickerel) will be found in any pond that has a river herring run, and with herring beginning to pour in from the ocean, they’ll probably be hanging pretty close to where the run enters their freshwater home. Live shiners are the top bait for these fish, but crankbaits, Senkos and other artificial lures are catching as well. Trout fishing is tops in the stocked ponds, where both freshly-stocked fish and holdover browns are feeding actively. Spin fishermen and bait fishermen have been doing well, but fly-fishermen should look for late afternoon hatches that will have the trout instinctively looking up.