Unseasonably warm weather and wind to start the week gave way to cold and snow with more mild, windy weather forecast this weekend. Unfortunately, none of this weather is particularly conducive to fishing. The wind is keeping cod or tuna-bound boats at the dock while the mild weather is pushing back first ice. In freshwater, trout are biting well, largemouth and pickerel are still being caught, and smallies can be plucked from deepwater structure with blade baits and drop-shot rigs.
Fishermen are likely to find stripers hunkering down inside the salt ponds, usually far away from the opening, in a deep hole or channel. There are probably still mackerel at the bulkheads and east end of the canal. A sabiki rig weighted with a small diamond jig will do the trick. Small pollock also mix in with the macks on occasion.
Trout are stealing the show in freshwater, hitting jerkbaits, spoons, and jigs. As bug activity decreases, the trout will do more of their feeding subsurface, even along the bottom. Staking out a stretch with a live shiner or nightcrawler is a good way to hook a cruising brown or rainbow.
Pickerel continue to bite well. They won’t be able to resist a live shiner, but slowly retrieved jerkbaits and crankbaits will work as well.
Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod
Until (and unless) the ice forms on the ponds, there won’t be any major changes in the Cape fishing. This is my favorite time of the year to target trout. The fishing isn’t as fast and furious as it can be just after the stocking, but after acclimating to the ponds and the cold water, the rainbows take on a brilliant silver color with bright pink stripes. They fight hard, and run large, with most of the fish measuring more than 14 inches.
Does anyone know where to catch Smelts around the Cape. I used to catch them as a kid down at the pier in Onset.
Any information would be appreciated.
Dan
down at the pier in Onset