There’s been a noticeable uptick in the action this week, and good tides with cool weather should spark some excellent fishing through this weekend.

Buzzards Bay Fishing Report

Buckos in Fall River reported good fishing in the Taunton River for schoolie bass and blues, particularly small “snapper” bluefish. You’ll find bigger bass and bluefish in the Lower Sakonnet River and out at Sakonnet Point.

The waters of upper Buzzards Bay are still very warm, which has been great for catching small bluefish and blue crabs. You can find both species stacked up in the harbors and estuaries in Buzzards Bay. A flash light and a dip net is all you need to get a few crabs, while a small spoon or sliver of bait under a bobber will tempt the small blues.

There have not been any confirmed reports of false albacore in Buzzards Bay yet. However, there were some schools in Quicks Hole earlier this week, reported Falmouth Bait and Tackle, so it’s worth keeping an eye peeled if you are in the Marion to Mattapoisett area.

Bottom fishermen are finding loads of undersized sea bass, mostly 10-inchers, with a few keepers of Wings Neck and out on Cleveland Ledge. There have also been quite a few reports of weakfish caught by bottom fishermen.

Cape Cod Canal Fishing Report

The Cape Cod Canal has been excellent this week, reported every single shop I spoke with Thursday afternoon. Many bass in the 30- to 34-inch range are being landed, along with a number of 40- to 45-inch fish weighing up to 38 pounds. Mike at M & D’s in Wareham reported that most of the good fishing has taken place in the mornings as the fish chase schools of big mackerel between the East End and the Bourne Bridge.

Sebile Magic Swimmers and Stick Shadds, Daiwa SP Minnows, and soft-plastics on 2- or 3-ounce jigheads such as the Savage Sand Eel and Hogy 7-inch swimbait have been hot baits. Try a steady retrieve just under the surface, as the bass will be looking up as they hunt down the macks. With good topwater tides this weekend, you’ll want to pack some pencil poppers and cup-faced poppers as well.

With the Canal bite out of the bag and good tides on tap for the weekend, the Canal will certainly attract a crowd this weekend. If you head to the Big Ditch, you might have an easier time finding elbow room at night. Try live eels or jigs in the dark to get in on the night bite.

Cape Cod Bay Fishing Report

The big school of bass that has been feeding in the Canal seems to move back and forth from the Canal to the Bay. The result has been some great fishing this week in the Bay and also some slow days. Tube-and-worm trolling off the beaches from Sandwich to Barnstable is producing keeper-sized bass with the occasional trophy to 45 pounds. If you can stay on top of a school using your fishfinder, drifting live eels can be very productive.

Cape Cod South Side Fishing Report

Fluke fishing is great, and anglers can count on catching plenty of shorts for every keeper in both Nantucket and Vineyard sounds. Snapper bluefish have drawn some big fluke inshore to feed. Try the channel edges just outside any of the harbors on the south side.

Black sea bass are biting well on the shoals, even feeding on the surface in some areas and attracting the attention of anglers hoping to find bonito or false albacore. As of this week, there have not been any reports of albies other than one or two around the Hooter (south of Muskeget Channel) and Nantucket. Plenty of boaters are keeping an eye on the Craigville Beach area hoping for a repeat of last year when albies arrived around this time to feed on schools of bay anchovies.

The estuaries on the south side, such as Waquoit and Popponesset, are giving up some 24- to 30-inch bass, but the water will have to cool a bit more before the action improves.

Lower Cape Fishing Report

The bass bite has slowed out of Chatham, but there are now some big blues in the area east of the cut, reported The Hook Up in Orleans. From the beaches, there has been some schoolie striper action, mostly after sunset.

Bluefin Tuna

The bluefin bite has been excellent east and south of Chatham and pretty quiet up on Stellwagen Bank. Captain Eric Stewart has been finding consistent action on the troll, landing several fish in the 50- to 60-inch range on each of his recent trips. The jig bite has been phenomenal for Captain Dom Petrarca and Captain Bobby Rice. With the tuna hanging deep in over 200 feet of water, metal jigs, such as the Pt. Jude Deep Force, are working best.

Cape Cod Freshwater Fishing

Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle said trout fishing has improved this week in Peters Pond, and bass fishing is excellent, indicating that water temperatures in freshwater are certainly dropping and getting the fish active.

Best Bets for the Weekend

It’s tough to ignore the great reports coming from the Canal and the good tides this weekend. However, if you don’t like fishing in a crowd, you’ll want to make other plans. Boaters have plenty of options, whether it’s striper trolling in Cape Cod Bay, fluke and sea bass in Vineyard Sound, or getting in on the Chatham bluefin tuna bite. False albacore haven’t shown up yet, but if you’re crazy about these fish and don’t want to wait for the reports to start pouring in, cruise the waters off Centerville, out at the Hooter, or down along the Elizabeth Islands. Bonito at the Hooter are a better-than-good consolation prize.