I think it’s time to declare the Cape saltwater season over for 2014. Stan at Red Top Bait and Tackle shared my sentiments, saying he hasn’t heard of anyone doing any catching in the Canal this week.
But that’s okay, the freshwater action has been excellent.
Trout fishing continues to be great, with big rainbows making up the majority of the catch. Fishermen have been doing well at Peter’s, Hamblin, Ashumet, Long Pond in Plymouth, Sheeps and Cliff. Powerbait, shiners and nightcrawlers are working as bait, but spinners, spoons and stickbaits are catching as well. Some fishermen have had better success setting up a couple bait rods in a likely area and waiting for the trout to cruise by while others have found their fish by covering ground by casting lures as they walk along the bank.
Largemouth bass fishing is okay. The cold snap may have given the fish lockjaw early this week, but as the weather warms up over the weekend and into next week, look for this fishing to pick right back up. I tried for largemouths at a medium-sized pond on Sunday and had the best luck fishing lipless crankbaits in open water. The fish I caught were small, but since it was the first bass fishing I’d done in a few months, it was fun nonetheless.
Smallmouth fishing is another great option this time of year. As the waters cool, the smallies group up in deep water of 30 to 50 feet. Though it can take a little work to find them, once you do, the action can be steady. The best baits for this deepwater smallie fishing are blade baits and dropshot rigs. Ryan Bibeau and I hit a deep, mid-Cape pond before work a couple times this week and had good action with smallmouths to 3-plus pounds, as well as a few yellow perch, white perch and a lone bullhead.
No word on brown trout lately, but this time of year, the big holdovers are still cruising close to shore. Casting spoons like the 1/4-ounce Kastmaster are a great way to cover water and fool these big browns. Shiners will also work.
Lastly, there are the pickerel. As weeds die off, the pickerel will be forced to cruise the shorelines to look for food. Casting a spinner, spoon or jerkbait along the shore is a great way to catch a big fall pickerel.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Since many of the deep, clear trout ponds also hold smallmouths, you could try to catch both species this week. Bring an ultralight rod rigged with small spoons or stickbaits and a heavier rod with a ½-ounce bladebait. Break up the smallmouth hunt by casting to rising trout.
Small ponds will also be a great option for bass and pickerel. Lipless crankbaits are a killer tactic this time of year, but for fast action, live shiners are number 1.