December blew in with the first real snowstorm of the season. With the new month, the bluefin tuna season reopened for commercial fishermen, and Captain John of Fish Chatham Charters was able to get out and get a 93-incher on Sunday.
That’s all I heard on saltwater fishing this week. 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.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Cape Cod.
Trout are still feeding near the top, though this activity will taper off as the water cools, and that will be happening in a hurry once this snow begins to melt. 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.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Cape Cod.