I fished the mainland side of the Canal one night early this week, bouncing jigs off the bottom and had a hit on every cast. None of the fish were very big, but there were enough 30- to 34-inch fish to keep things interesting. For three hours, I had a hit or a fish on every cast on just about every size, color and style of jig I tried. The next night, I went out during the same tide, fully expecting the same results, and I had one hit in three hours. That pretty much sums up where we are at this point in the fall run. Fish are moving, fast. One night’s hotspot can be the next night’s desert—and vice versa. Just as quickly as the bite dies off, it can turn right back on, so there’s plenty to be excited about this coming weekend, regardless of the reports, or lack thereof, from the previous week.

Cape Cod Canal

Mostly shorts in the Canal the past few mornings reported Jill at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay. Small fish are feeding on small bait on the surface the past few mornings made for fun action in the east and west ends. Mike at M and D’s reported similar action with small stripers. Jigging with Crippled Herring is producing small stripers and sea bass. Some of the sea bass have been keeper-sized, but many have been short.

Jigging mackerel from the Scusset Pier is another option for fun light tackle actions. Anglers have been taking the mackerel and cutting them up to catch stripers. Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle said the chunked macks are also tempting the sea bass hanging in the canal.

Buzzards Bay

Mike at M and D’s in Wareham said there isn’t much to say about the striper and bluefish action in Buzzards Bay, but the tog and porgy fishing has been very good. Tog hit their seasonal peak around this time of year, and they should be feeding on all sorts of rocky structure throughout the Bay.

South Side

For the most part, albie fishing has gone cold on Cape Cod. The word from Sports Port in Hyannis is that there were a few albies taken off Centerville, but it’s pretty spotty. Casting eels at night is working for stripers reported Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle.

The Bass River is holding big numbers of schoolie stripers, some just over the 28-inch mark according to Lee at Riverview Bait and Tackle in South Yarmouth. The bass are feeding on schools of bunker in the River. Out front along the sound beaches, Lee said, has been slow.

More bunker were spotted around Popponesset and Cotuit reported Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle. Bass up to 38 inches were caught by fishermen live-lining the bunker. Blues up to 12 pounds have also been harassing the bunker schools.

Though bass fishing in the Sounds has been spotty outside of the pond and harbor entrances, bluefish are still biting well. With Monday’s heavy south wind, a good bluefish bite fired up on South Cape Beach.

Black sea bass are still holding in the Sound, but according to Lee at Riverview, many are small.

Lower Cape

Bass are still holding off Chatham Inlet reported Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle and Lee at Riverview. Nauset Beach is giving up some good bluefish action, as blues of 5- to 6-pounds are feeding along the beach in the daylight. Small stripers are showing up in the dark.

Provincetown doesn’t have much in the way of stripers, but bluefish action is good on the jetty off the Provincetown Inn according to Rich at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle. The blues are taking topwater plugs. On the Provincetown Harbor breakwater, the tog fishing is good, better than Rich can ever remember. The blackfish are spread out on a lot of the P-Town structures from the piers and dock pilings to the breakwater. Fish with crabs for the best action.

Bluefin

While mother nature has temporarily put the kibosh on any tuna fishing for the next few days, there had been smaller bluefin moving in close to the beach around Nauset and Chatham. Peaked Hill had a few tuna as well. Hopefully there will still be some tuna around after these northeast and east winds die down.

Freshwater

Fall freshwater fishing is every bit as good as fall saltwater fishing—it just takes until the stripers leave for fishermen to appreciate it. Largemouths are feeding heavily in Cape ponds now. Dan at The Hook Up in Orleans had a 6-pounder on a shiner this week.

Smallies are binge feeding too, and a number of 4-pound smallies have come out of ponds like Peter’s and Long this week.

Fishing for trout, especially big trout, is going to hit its peak in the next four weeks. The fall stocking is in, and the waters are cooling enough that big holdover trout are starting to peek into the shallows. Rainbow trout have been running big, 14 to 15 inches, and brown trout to 4 pounds have been taken. Bait and lures are working right now.

Best Bets for the Weekend

If the wind and seas keep you off the water this long weekend, you can still wet a line in freshwater. Trout fishing is phenomenal, bass fishing is great, and pickerel are biting big time.

For stripers look to the Canal or the South Side. Mornings have been good in the Canal, but expect to see mostly smaller fish. On the south side, if you can find the big bait, you might be able to find some slammer blues and heavy bass. Eels are dark are working well, but a live or chunked bunker would be even better. Scaling down the tackle and fishing the backwaters with soft plastics is another good option for connecting with stripers this weekend.

All this Northeast wind is bound to stir up something on the striper front, so keep casting. This fall run isn’t over yet!