We can all be thankful for another great saltwater season this year, but it looks like it’s time to make the switch to sweetwater. Other than rumors of squid being caught at the East End of the Canal at night, there was little to report from the salt this week. No reports, rumors, or otherwise regarding striped bass. Tog are most certainly being caught when the weather allows a trip onto Buzzards Bay. Deeper structures in 40 to 70 feet of water are most likely to hold fish right now.
Though the salt is slowing down, freshwater fishing is fantastic. Small ponds are producing, even with the bitter cold mornings. Eddy Stahowiak and I cleared the ice from our kayaks for a before-work mission on a small Upper Cape pond, and we both caught a mix of largemouths to 3 pounds and pickerel to 4 pounds. The fish are still aggressive, and were hitting spinners, swim jigs, and shallow-diving crankbaits. As the waters continue to cool, suspending jerkbaits will become the hot bait.
Trout are also biting well, but they can be finicky. Stickbaits generally outproduce spoons in cold water, but when the wind puts a chop on the ponds, a gold spoon can still be productive. Be sure to walk the shoreline to cover water when targeting trout. Rainbows will be schooled up as they move through the open water. Browns are more solitary creatures, cruising the shorelines feeding on juvenile perch and smallmouth bass.
Setting out a couple bait rods is probably the most productive way to hook a brown. Live baitfish like shiners or, better yet, mummichogs (aka chubs) will tempt any cruising browns. Nightcrawlers are also working, and anglers can add to the worm’s appeal by inflating them with a worm blower and causing them to float up off the bottom.
Yellow perch are feeding bigtime, and fishermen can catch big ones by dropping small jigs, grass shrimp, or small minnows into 25- to 40-foot depths at most trout ponds.
Also holding in deep water at the trout ponds are smallmouth bass. The smallies school up over structure from 30 to 50 feet this time of year, hugging underwater points, humps and drop-offs. Bouncing drop-shot rigs or bladebaits off the bottom is the key to hooking up.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Trout before Turkey. Thursday morning, hit a trout pond like Peter’s, Cliff, Baker’s or Sheeps and sling spoons and stickbaits to connect with rainbows and browns. You should have your fill of action just in time to head home and help prepare the Thanksgiving feast.
If you would like to add some fresh calamari to your Thanksgiving leftovers, head for the East End of the Canal after dark with your generator, a bright light, and some squid jigs.