Cape Cod Fishing Report - November 21, 2018

There are still stripers around, though the coming cold should send any lingering migratory fish south and the holdover fish to their winter hideouts.

Freshwater-wise, not much will be changing between now and when (or if) the ponds freeze over.

Trout are cruising pond shorelines, striking at gold spoons, stickbaits, and spinners. One of my favorites this time of year is a 1/16-ounce maribou or tube jig. Trout, and occasionally big trout, can’t resist it. The tradeoff is these jigs don’t cast very well, so the trout need to be close in order for them to catch.

Largemouth bass will be biting lipless crankbaits, shallow-diving crankbaits, soft-plastic swimbaits, and jerkbaits. Smallies are starting to stage over the deeper humps, though you can still find some shallow enough to strike jerkbaits. On the deeper humps, smallies fall for blade baits and drop-shot rigs. Often, this is the time of year when fishermen catch their largest smallies of the season.

Since some of the best trout ponds are also some of the best smallmouth ponds, boat and kayak fishermen can enjoy a cold combo trip, trolling for trout, then vertical jigging for smallies.

Pickerel are biting well, as the weeds recede and these miniature members of the esox clan go back on the prowl. Spinners, jerkbaits, and swim jigs all work very well, but a shiner is tough to beat. I like to target pickerel with the fly rod because big pickerel seem to be much more willing to strike a fly than big bass.

Perch are packing on the ounces as the waters cool off. I’ve been catching the occasional jumbo perch while targeting bass, but fishermen scaling down their lures and tackle could have a blast catching big perch. Crappie, in the few Southeast Massachusetts ponds that have them, will be biting well also.

And, if you like long odds, you could always try for a returning “sea-run” trout. Sandwich Hatchery stocks brown trout in Scorton Creek each spring, and any of those trout that survive are said to return in the late fall, bigger, warier, and sporting a beautiful silver sheen. I’ve never seen one myself, but I have a friend who has a friend, who has a cousin who caught one.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod

There’s still time if you want to catch a few more stripers in the surf. Or, if you have the time, you could always head south to Rhode Island where there are a few more bass, and a few more keeper sized fish still swimming around the surf.

But, since Thanksgiving is best spent at home with family, you’re probably better off enjoying the often-overlooked bounty of freshwater fishing opportunities on Cape Cod.

Happy Thanksgiving.