Cape Cod Fishing Report - March 3, 2022

EDIT 3/7/22: In my eagerness for spring fishing and excitement for an extra hour of daylight after work, I celebrated “Spring Ahead” a week early in my report. Daylight Savings Time will begin for real on March 13. 

I think we’ve seen the last of the skim ice here on the Cape. Daylight savings time is this weekend, the trout stocking is bound to get underway soon, and the bass, pickerel, perch, and panfish are getting more active every day.

I haven’t encountered any of those perennial signs of spring yet, like the singing of the peepers, the return of the ospreys, or the first herring scouts, but I imagine we’re just days away from any of those. Pickerel are on the precipice of spawning, and will be feeding heavily. Bass too, will be eating well, but your end of day tally is likely to be heavier in the pickerel column.

I often like to greet spring fishing with the simplicity of a live shiner below a bobber. I like the afternoons this time of year, and we’ll have more daylight after work beginning next Monday. My waders and freshwater gear will be going into the truck this weekend, and they won’t be coming out until the stripers get back.

Speaking of stripers, they too will be perking up as the days get longer and the waters warm. I caught my first striper or 2022 last night, though I went out of state to do it. Favorite holdover spots, deep in the bays or rivers, will see renewed activity in the stripers that opted to ride out the winter on the Cape.

In New Jersey, where the back-bay striper season opened on March 1, the striped bass season is off to a sizzling start. It’s a good sign that our own striper season will be either on time or early this year.

But before we start counting our stripers before they migrate, we’re all familiar with the saying about March weather. However, the current forecast, barring some cold on Friday, seems gentle as a lamb. Let’s hope nothing wakes that sleeping lion.

Fishing Forecast for Cape Cod

The pond waters are still cold, so slow presentations will be best. Suspending jerkbaits, Ned Rigs, Drop Shot Rigs. If we get some wind and warmth, break out the Rat-L-Trap. And if all else fails, swim some live shiners.

The trout haven’t been stocked yet, but if you want to get a jump on your trout season, they holdover trout will be active. This is a great time to encounter a big brown trout, as these fish cruise the shorelines looking for juvenile perch, bass, and anything else they can get their big hooked jaws around.