It’s only the first week of December and we’ve already had skim ice on some of the ponds around the Cape. But don’t get your tip-ups out just yet. 50-degree temperatures on Thursday and Friday will keep the water open at least through the weekend, which means Cape anglers still have a great opportunity to catch a big trout or bass from shore or kayak.
I tried my luck at Cliff Pond this past Sunday, covering half of the shoreline while casting spoons and stickbaits. I connected with three big rainbows and one smaller rainbow, all in one small section of the shoreline, and all within 10 minutes. The rest of the day, I only hooked yellow perch, but at least they were big ones. Dan from The Hook Up in Orleans had a similar outing while fishing Cliff Pond by boat early Sunday. He caught many yellow perch along the shore, but only connected with a half-dozen trout. The trout bite, Dan said, died off before 10 am.
Crystal Lake has been producing few, but quality rainbow trout. Dan said a full day outing on Black Friday produced just seven rainbows for a group of anglers, but most fish were 16 to 18 inches. One young angler even connected with a 2 ½-pound rainbow.
Another big rainbow trout was caught in an undisclosed “small pond” on the Upper Cape according to Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle. The 2.6-pound rainbow is currently leading the Falmouth Bait and Tackle Trout Tournament.
Peters Pond has also been giving up rainbow trout on PowerBait. Brown trout and bigger rainbows are falling for live shiners according to Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle.
Right around now, we’d be preparing for the winter stocking of broodstock Atlantic salmon, leftovers from the Connecticut River and Merrimack River restoration programs. As these programs have ended, there are no longer any broodstock salmon left to stock.
Smallmouth bass fishing is good if you are willing to work for them. By “work” I mean fish dropshot rigs very slowly in 25 to 30 feet of water. Christian at Falmouth Bait and Tackle reported that most fish were between 2 and 3 pounds.
Though I didn’t hear any reports, the pickerel are almost certainly biting well right now. Jerkbaits are a great fall pickerel bait, but live shiners are automatic. Remember pickerel prefer shallow weedy ponds, so you aren’t likely to find them in big numbers in the trout and smallmouth ponds, which generally have deep, clear water.
Alan at Red Top Sporting Goods heard of some stripers being caught in the Canal over Thanksgiving weekend, but things have gone quiet since. There have been some stripers taken in Cape Cod salt ponds and in the upper reaches of the Bass River. Small swimming plugs or soft-plastic jigs are a good bet for coldwater stripers.
Best Bets for the Weekend
It’s prime time to hook a trophy trout around the Cape. Live shiners or killifish will be your best bet, but if you cover water with spoons or stickbaits, you have a chance to fool a big brown or rainbow on an artificial as well.
If you have a boat or kayak, trying for deepwater smallmouth is a good bet this time of year. If you find a school, you could catch big numbers of smallies with a solid shot at a fish over 4 pounds.