They’re still here—the stripers that is. Lots of reports of schoolies this week, and though the big fish have been few and far between, there’s still hope for a monster to move through with the full moon tides.

Cape Cod Canal

Tom at Red Top Tackle in Buzzards Bay said there have been plenty of 20- to 30-inch fish in the Canal, and Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle had heard the same. Jigs like the Savage Sand Eel seem to be the top producer at the moment, doing even better than eels.

Tides are looking good this weekend, reported Tom at Red Top, and he’s hopeful we’ll see some more good fishing and some more big fish come through.

Tom said fishermen bouncing metal jigs, like the Crippled Herring, off the bottom are catching small sea bass and the occasional keeper in the Canal.

Buzzards Bay

Big schools of bunkers have showed up in the lower portions of the bay from New Bedford to the Elizabeth Islands and even some on the Cape side off Falmouth reported Tom at Red Top.

Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle reported no bass action around these bunker, but said some very big blues have made for some fun fishing.

Tons of small sea bass are coating the bottom of Buzzards Bay right now. Tom at Red Top said for every 5 or 6 shorts, fishermen may get one fish larger than the 14-inch minimum size.

Tog fishing is good on rocky structure and wrecks throughout the Bay.

Scup fishing in Buzzards Bay has gone quiet.

There was some false albacore action reported down along the Elizabeth Islands, but not much. Bass fishing along the Elizabeths has been reported as “okay.” There have not been many fish caught, but the occasional big fish is making it worth the trip for boat fishermen.

South Side

Jeff at Forestdale Bait & Tackle said the Popponesset/Cotuit schoolie bite has waned this week.  His past few outings have resulted in no fish. Todd at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said he’d heard reports of a few stripers taken around Woods Hole.

Schoolies are still abundant in Bass River reported Lee at Riverview Bait and Tackle in South Yarmouth. Schools of bunker are likely keeping the fish in the area. In Nantucket Sound, Lee has heard of boat fishermen finding sea bass, bluefish and scup. On the Vineyard side, albies are popping up off the east and south sides of the island, but they have been terribly finicky.

Cape Cod Bay

Some smaller stripers are running the beaches between Sandy Neck and the East End of the Canal reported Jeff at Forestdale. Fishermen are catching them on topwaters during the day and on swimmers at night. Some bluefish have even been mixed in.

Inside Barnstable Harbor, schoolie stripers are biting well reported Lee at Riverview.

Boat fishermen are finding stripers as well reported Tom at Red Top. Working that same stretch between the Canal and Barnstable Harbor. Birds are occasionally pointing the way to the action as the schoolie stripers push bait to the surface.

Tom at Red Top reported lots of schoolie stripers in Plymouth Harbor, with one fishermen getting fish on every cast. These fish are almost all shorts, but there is always the chance of a big fish mixed in at this time of year.

Lower Cape

Things are quiet down Cape. Few fishermen are even trying their luck. Rich at Nelson’s Bait and Tackle in Provincetown said the bluefish bite in the harbor has died down, but the tog fishing is still excellent.

Rich also mentioned that some stripers have found the big mackerel schools off the Race. One fishermen live-lining macks in those waters earlier this week connected with a few stripers.

Bluefin

Dan at The Hook Up in Orleans reported that Captain Eric Stewart ran past the Sword on Wednesday and landed three bluefin on ballyhoo. The fish were all in the 55-inch range. Earlier in the week, Stewart found tuna in close off Chatham and Nauset, but they were very finicky. He managed a 60-incher one day and despite seeing lots of life, did not hook any on another day. Tuna in such shallow water can become extremely difficult to hook.

Freshwater

Trout fishing is hot, smallmouth fishing is hot and largemouth fishing is very good. Dan at the Hook Up put together a catch of two dozen big rainbows this week at Baker’s Pond. Other ponds are likely fishing just as well, provided they were stocked this fall.

Jeff at Forestdale recommends fishing two rods this time of year—one with Powerbait for the freshly stocked trout and one with a shiner for a big holdover brown trout or bass. Jeff said the Powerbait rod will keep you busy while you wait for that big fish to strike. Peter’s, Long Pond in Plymouth and Cliff are all fishing very well right now for trout.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The freshwater fishing is almost too good to ignore this weekend. Carve out some time to hit a trout pond before the stocked fish wise up and become a little more difficult to catch.

For stripers, the Canal is probably the best shot for shore anglers, but looking along the Cape Cod Bay beaches might not be a bad idea either. The Bass River is another good option.  Scale down the tackle to get some enjoyment out of these smaller fish.

Boat fishermen should look to the Elizabeth Islands or Plymouth Harbor.

Tog fishing is excellent this time of year, so if you are taking the boat out in Buzzards Bay or in the Sounds, might as well bring along some green crabs.