Cape Cod Fishing Report - December 10, 2015

Mild December weather means hot freshwater fishing on Cape Cod. With temperatures in the 50s forecasted again this weekend, you’d better get the gear ready.

Trout, big trout, are biting well reported Jeff at Forestdale Bait and Tackle.   One angler he spoke to reported catching 10 fish over 20 inches over the past few weeks bu wading and throwing stickbaits. Jeff had a number of other customers report catching trout between 16 and 24 inches. Most of the big trout have been browns, but Jeff said some big rainbows have been in the mix as well. Worms and PowerBait have been popular tactics lately, Jeff said. As for productive ponds, Jeff said he’s heard of big trout coming from Peters, Hamblins, and Spectacle.

Stan at Red Top also recommended Peters for anglers looking to tussle with trout this weekend. Stan also said that live shiners are a sure bet for small pond largemouths. He’s had a number of fishermen taking the live bait to Wareham, Plymouth, and Upper Cape Ponds, and catching great numbers of largemouth bass with the occasional pickerel or big perch for variety.

Stan’s biggest news was the continued run of mackerel in the East End of the Canal. Stan said fishermen filled buckets with the small green bullets. Small metal jigs and teasers are catching mackerel in the mornings, during the beginning of the west-moving tide, Stan said. The mackerel fishing seems to be very tide specific, and if you aren’t there at the right tide, you aren’t likely to encounter any action.

While most fishermen target trout in the Capes larger, clear, deep ponds, many of these waters also happen to be smallmouth bass hotspots. At this time of year, the smallies group up over deep structure in depths from 35 to 60 feet. It can take some time to find productive structure, but when you do, there is usually a good number of smallies on it. Eddy Stahowiak and I gave a before-work effort on an Upper Cape pond known more for its trout fishing, and while we had little action in the hour after first light, 20 minutes before we had to head in, Eddy found the hot spot, and we caught more than a dozen smallies between us by repeating the productive drift. Bladebaits and drop shot rigs are the best bets for the smallies right now.

Best Bets for the Weekend

If you have the morning free, fishing the beginning of the west tide in the East End of the Cape Cod Canal could produce some mackerel. Jeff at Forestdale also mentioned he saw some fish splashing under birds at the Canal this week, so there could be a couple late-running schoolies still moving through the Ditch.

In freshwater, it’s time to target big trout. While stickbaits are producing some impressive browns and ‘bows at first and last light, live shiners or crawlers may be a better bet when the sun is high.

For largemouths, shiners are an automatic. Stick to small, shallow ponds where the weeds are dying back giving the baitfish (and bass) no place to hide.

If it’s smallies you’re after, you’ll need a boat or kayak, along with a good depth chart of the pond and a depth finder. This will help you pinpoint the structure where the smallies are holding. Once you hook one fish, repeat that drift several times before moving on. Smallies are schooled up this time of year, so most of the time, where there is one, there are plenty more.