Cape Cod Fishing Report
Late November is when our fishing reports really begin to wind down, at least when it comes to coverage of saltwater fisheries. But I’m in the holiday spirit. I’m thankful for—among many other things—Cape Cod’s excellent year-round freshwater fishing opportunities.
Recently stocked rainbow trout are feeding aggressively in the ponds on shiners, small panfish and herring fry. Last week, Christian from Sports Port in Hyannis shared that he’d been doing well with ‘bows and smallmouth in mid-Cape ponds, and this week, I experienced a similar bite on the upper Cape. Some respectable rainbow trout pushed schools of young river herring against a wind-blown shoreline and for hours, I moved up and down the beach and caught them on spoons. The fish were in so tight that casting parallel to shore produced better results than casting straight into the wind and deeper water. Whether I retrieved slow and steady or fast and erratic, they showed no preference and frequently chased the lure to my feet. I imagine small Baker Lures jerkbaits and Rapalas would have worked very well, but in the interest of releasing each fish with care, I steered clear of anything with dual treble hooks. Metal was a better imitation of their forage anyway. And it wasn’t just rainbow trout enjoying the hordes of herring—a big smallmouth bass joined the party but spat the hook with a 2-foot-high jump just a few feet from my rod tip.
Big brown trout are also chewing well in the ponds. OTW’s Anthony DeiCicchi has been catching 20-inch-plus fish while throwing suspending jerkbaits for largemouth bass. The browns, active and eager to eat amid dropping water temps, are beating them to the punch. This time of year, jerkbaits should be a mainstay in the tackle trays of all freshwater anglers on Cape. Trout, bass, and everyone’s favorite, chain pickerel, can be coaxed to eat all winter long with a suspending jerkbait. Work it slow and methodically, with long pauses between each short twitch, to keep it in the strike zone and keep lethargic largemouth and smallmouth bass interested.
Speaking of largemouth bass, they, too, are enjoying the surplus of juvenile river herring that are trapped in certain ponds across the Cape. My friend Ryan Henry has been catching bass on a new spinning rod he built, and said they’re “blitzing” on the schools of hapless baitfish.
White perch season is back. Peanut bunker and tiny silversides were pushed into the creeks and brackish ponds by the recent new moon flood tides, and perch have been fattening up on them. I prefer an incoming tide and gray skies, or at least some cloud cover for white perch fishing. For whatever reason, in my experience, the perch seem to shut down in bright conditions. And while I think an incoming tide is best, all that really seems to matter is an abundance of baitfish and some slightly moving water. Scope out the muddy, brackish ponds and creeks near your local salt marsh and bring a selection of small curly-tail grubs, micro paddletails, hair jigs, spoons, inline spinners and even jerkbaits or rattle traps. Ultralight tackle will help you feel delicate bites; I prefer 2- to 6-pound-test fluorocarbon or monofilament.
Freshwater fishing may be the more accessible and productive option this week, but the tog season ain’t over yet! The bite has been good for the few boats that are still in the water, although keepers are getting tougher to come by. Fishing deep structure is the key to finding a few for the table. Captain Harvey Russell of My Brother Charters was able to put a group of friends on some quality tog this past week. They managed to pull 8 or 9 keepers from 80 feet of water in a matter of a couple hours, with plenty of shorts keeping rods bent.
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Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain around Cape Cod and the Islands
Most charters captains and party boats have called it a season, and tackle shops are heading into winter hours. Aside from a good trout and bass bite, some late fall tog fishing, and the mackerel run in the Cape Cod Canal, there’s not much to report heading into the holiday weekend. Consider a late-season trip on the Helen H for a few more tog fillets, or running to the east end of the ditch if mackerel tickle your fancy. Otherwise, grab a couple spinning rods, buckle up your waders, and head to your local bass or trout honey hole while there’s still open water. December is knocking on the door, and there’s no telling when the ponds may lock up with skim ice. I imagine we have only a few weeks until that possibility becomes a reality, so don’t waste any time. Come mid January, we’ll all be wishing we spent more time fishing while the trout and bass were fired up and feeding before the winter doldrums.
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
If you’re looking to bend a rod on Turkey Day, the best ways to do so will be with mackerel in the Canal or kettle pond trout.
For macks, all you need is a medium-heavy or heavy spinning setup and a handful of sabiki rigs and 3- to 4-ounce sinkers. It’s simple fishing, and the perfect way to make memories with your kids on Thanksgiving, or to add a little seafood to the holiday dinner spread.
Trout fishing is more exciting (and warmer) when you’re casting and moving around. Sure, you can set up camp and sit on a spot with nightcrawlers or PowerBait, but if you’re like me, wading or walking the shoreline and casting small soft plastics, hair jigs, jerkbaits, spoons and spinners is a quicker way to find fish. Plus, you can get away with using lighter tackle to better enjoy the sometimes underwhelming fighting power of stocked trout.
Don’t let cold weather keep you indoors yet. We have all winter to go stir crazy.
Happy Thanksgiving!