As of Wednesday, stripers were still being caught on Cape Cod. The action has been primarily in the East End of the Cape Cod Canal. The fish are mostly schoolies, with plugs and jigs working reported Stan at Red Top.
There hasn’t been much talk about stripers throughout the rest of the Cape, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t around. The bays of the South Side are still likely to hold schoolie stripers. Small soft plastics on light jigheads will tempt the small bass. Fish the outgoing tides in the evening or late afternoon for the best results.
Tog fishermen are still catching keepers, though the more popular spots are beginning to get picked over. Looking to deeper structure will be the ticket to finding big blackfish at this point in the season.
The last news on the saltwater front has been bluefin. John Clothier of Fish Chatham Charters returned to the dock with three giants early this week during an incredible day of fishing. There hasn’t been much talk from the run-and-gun fleet lately, but if the weather clears, there may still be a chance to jig or plug a tuna off Cape Cod.
Most anglers have switched over to freshwater reported Lee at Riverview. Fishing for trout and largemouth bass has been excellent around the Cape’s ponds.
The water temperatures in the Cape’s ponds are perfect for trout, and rainbows and browns are feeding aggressively. Stan at Red Top recommended small Kastmasters and Phoebe spoons. Powerbait is also working for the rainbows. Browns, which are little more selective when it comes to bait, have been hitting nightcrawlers and live shiners.
Largemouth bass continue to put on the feedbag in anticipation of the cold months ahead. On windy days, spinnerbaits are hammering bass, while on calm days, jigs, lipless crankbaits and shallow-diving crankbaits are catching fish.
Smallmouth bass are still prowling shallow water, and will strike jerkbaits, tube jigs and live shiners, but as the water temperatures continue to cool, they will move to deep structure in 30 to 50 feet of water, making vertical jigging with blade baits the most productive tactic.
Pickerel are biting well in most small water bodies, and a few anglers even reported northern encounters in Cape Cod’s only pike water, Wequaquet Lake.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Stripers are still kicking around the East End of the Canal, so that’s worth a look if you haven’t put away the saltwater gear yet. In freshwater, trout and largemouth bass are the top picks. Peters, Cliff, Sheeps, and Johns ponds are the best bets for trout action, while just about any small shallow pond is likely to produce good action with pickerel and bass.