Anthony DeiCicchi with the healthy bass he caught overnight on Wednesday. Photo: Jimmy Fee
It’s all about trout on Cape Cod right now. There have been two shipments delivered to the Cape’s ponds over the last two weeks, first rainbows, and, more recently, brookies with a sprinkling of brown trout.
Fishermen have been catching on spoons reported Gunnar from Red Top, especially the classics, like the Thomas Rough Rider, Acme Kastmater (1/8-ounce, gold), Thomas Buoyant, Little Cleo. I’m always partial to the small tube jigs or Trout Magnets, though they will severely limit your casting range compared to the spoons.
Bait is working as well, reported Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle. PowerBait, worms, and shiners are all catching fish. PowerBait is especially potent in the early days after the stocking, since the scent is a close match to what the trout were fed at the hatcheries.
However, the trout are already adjusting to their new diets, rising to flies. Morgan at Sports Port Bait and Tackle heard a recent report of a flycaster taking 11 brookies at Sheep’s Pond in an outing this week.
Ponds reported to have good trout fishing have been Peter’s, Cliff, Sheeps, Grews, Mares, and Johns, though you can see the full list of ponds that have been stocked at: Trout stocking report | Mass.gov
Largemouth bass are getting more active as well, even after dark. Anthony DeiCicchi caught bass in excess of 3 pounds this week by fishing large wakebaits on small, shallow ponds overnight, and other anglers reported bass over 5 pounds using the same tactic.
During the day, jerkbaits, jigs, shallow-diving crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits are all catching bass. It feel’s like we’re right on the cusp of the pre-spawn feeding frenzy that bass fishermen look forward to with the same excitement as Canal fishermen awaiting the “breaking tides.”
Pickerel should be in spawn mode, but are still willing biters. Unlike largemouth bass, pickerel don’t make nests or tend to their eggs and young, so they feed throughout their spawning season.
Nothing to report on the salt side yet, besides a few herring sightings in some of the Upper Cape runs.
Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod
There is some excellent freshwater fishing ahead of us these next few weeks. Largemouth bass will be feeding heavily, followed shortly by smallmouth bass, pickerel will be bulking up after the spawn, and weekly deliveries of trout will keep things interesting on the deeper, colder ponds.
For reliable action, trout fishing is tough to beat right now, but a close second would be fishing shiners under a bobber, especially around sunset. While fishing in late afternoon on the pond this time of year, it feels like you are watching nature shake off winter right before your eyes with the singing birds, peeping frogs, playing otters, and, of course, feeding fish. Springtime or not, keep in mind that the temperature drops fast when the sun hits the treeline though, so packing a knit hat and some gloves is still advisable if you’ll be sticking it out until dark.
Spring Fever! Tight lines.