Looks like another windy weekend on Cape Cod, which will keep most fishermen on shore. Fortunately, the shore fishing, both in saltwater and freshwater, has been pretty good.

The mornings have produced good striper fishing in the Canal this week.  Plenty of sea herring have held some stripers in the Big Ditch. Most fish are small, but keepers are being caught. Jigs, poppers and minnow plugs are the best lures right now.

The fishing has been best at first light, but according to AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay, some stripers are being picked off throughout the day.

Kevin at Falmouth Bait and Tackle said some tog are still being caught by shore fishermen working the rocks and jetties of the South Side. Bluefish have also been showing up along some of the South Side beaches.

According to Dan at The Hook Up in Orleans, the tuna fishing is sporadic right now. One boat returned to the dock Wednesday with a 114-incher caught close to shore off Chatham.

Lee at Riverview reported a fair bluefin bite on ballyhoo right now happening east of Chatham.

Freshwater fishing is the real hot topic this week. Trout fishing is excellent. The fish stocked this fall were big 15-inch rainbows, and they have been keeping anglers occupied at the Cape’s trout ponds. PowerBait is still catching some of the fish, but switching to natural bait will produce more strikes as these trout acclimate to the ponds. With the rain on Thursday, trout make be on the lookout for worms and other bugs washed into the ponds, so a big nightcrawler fished on the bottom could be the ticket to a big catch. Big brown trout supposedly love big nightrawlers, and with reports of holdover browns starting to cruise the shoreline, this weekend could be your chance to catch a big hook-jawed trout.

Largemouth fishing is also very good. In larger ponds, largemouths are being caught in deeper water with tactics like drop-shot fishing, jig and pigs and deep-diving crankbaits. In smaller shallow ponds, Senkos, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits have been effective. Live shiners are nearly a sure thing when it comes to catching the small pond largemouths.

Pickerel too are very active right now. They are biting spoons, shiners, spinners and jerkbaits. On light tackle, pickerel put up a great fight, and this time of year, catching big numbers of pickerel is possible.

Best Bets for the Weekend

If you wake up early, the Canal could hold your last shot at a striper this season. Otherwise, the pond fishing is fantastic. Bring a mix of lures and bait and hit one of the area’s many trout ponds like Peter’s, Long Pond in Plymouth, Cliff Pond, Sheep, Bakers, or any of the other ponds that receive spring and fall trout stockings.