Cape Cod Fishing Report
It’s time to grab your favorite early-season striper stick and hit the salt.
With the first full moon of May tomorrow (May 1), there’s a high likelihood that the bass bite in Buzzards Bay will blow wide open this weekend into early next week. River herring abound, there are bunker kicking around in some of the backwaters on the mainland side of the bay, squid are showing up off the south side, and there have even been mackerel sightings around Woods Hole.
My nighttime outings have yielded the discovery of a whole lot of bait, but not a whole lot of bass (yet). River herring, spearing, grass shrimp, and more recently, mantis shrimp and bay anchovies, are all kicking around the backwaters. The bait is in and water temperatures are reaching stable levels, so it’s setting up to be a banner week for striper anglers on Cape Cod. We just need this northeast wind to die down and do a 180. Southwest winds will help to push more migratory fish into Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, and western Nantucket Sound. There are already pods of fresh fish with sea lice in lower Buzzards Bay and to the west of us, and the action is only going to get better in the coming days.
Striped bass will certainly be the focus for most anglers hitting the water this week, but freshwater is still a great option on days when wind and weather conditions are a little too snotty to leave the dock. The pre-spawn largemouth bite has been good, and some anglers, like my friend and former coworker Andrew Burke, are seeing some gator pickerel as bycatch.
Trout fishing is hit or miss depending on the body of water you’re fishing in. Water levels are lower than usual in many kettle ponds, and the trout are responding to that change in depth and pressure in different ways.
Here’s a quick trout report from OTW contributing writer, Jon Parsons:
“Mashpee, Santuit, and Peters Pond boat ramps are all under construction. I knew about the other 2, but I was surprised to find the ramp closed at Peters.
The trout stocking schedule seems to be off from previous years. Some ponds (like Pimlico) haven’t been stocked at all—that was a great option to hide from the wind in prior years. Other ponds have only received 1 stocking of rainbows where in previous years, there would already be several stockings of various species by now. Also, normally, they would be putting in more broodstock trout right about now, and I haven’t seen that either. In fact, it looks like Cape stocking is winding down for the year, which is odd, because I remember in years past Cape stocking continued well into May, winding down before Memorial Day. So, this year the MA Trout Stocking Report is a must-check list before heading out, because a lot of it is different compared to past years. The Sandwich hatchery does a great job—it’s just different this year.
A few trout tips:
– Some ponds are on fire right now and others are slow. The warmer ponds seem to be fishing better. If one pond is slow, hop on over to the next one. Also, the trout in warmer water are much more acrobatic—leaping and tail dancing on the surface.
– If I see trout rising at a pond, that’s a good sign that they are active and willing to eat. If there is no surface activity at all near prime times (dawn/dusk), I will move on to the next pond before even making a cast.
– Water levels are low at a bunch of ponds (but not all). This makes access easier, but generally will push the trout further out away from shore. So, you absolutely need waders (or a small boat or kayak) to reach the trout. Also, if on foot, heading for deeper water (steeper banks) will provide the best chance of reaching the trout.
– The lower water is generally clearer, too. That makes the trout “smarter” and harder to fool. I had to downsize to a Z-Man Larvaz (green pumpkin) to get bit last night. Once I did, I landed 10+ rainbows with a few bonus browns. It was a slow pick before that switch. Light line is also key. If there’s no wind and it’s still partly sunny, 2-pound mono will get a few more bites in that clear water.”
Between trout, pickerel, and pre-spawn bass, freshwater fishing will continue to be productive—at least until water temps rise and largemouth and smallmouth bass begin to spawn. Spinnerbaits, jigs, glide baits, chatterbaits, and swimbaits continue to catch quality bass ahead of the spawn, so if you’re still looking for a good freshwater bass bite before going full bore on striper fishing, now is the time.
In addition to good freshwater fishing and increased striper activity in our backyard, the tog bite seems to be finally taking off in Buzzards Bay as fish set up around shallow structure. Anglers reported steady action from the Canal to West Falmouth and down the Elizabeths in 20 feet of water or less. This weekend would be a good time to grab a couple quarts of crabs, load the boat with a mix of tog and striper gear, and head out in the lower bay.
Here’s this week’s rundown from a few of our local tackle shops and charters:
AJ Coots at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay told me there were some birds working over breaking fish in the Canal this week, which he said are probably schoolies. There are fresh migratory fish kicking around in the lower bay and some fish moving into the rivers around the upper bay and on the mainland side. The bass are working their way in day by day, but the persistent, cold northeast wind isn’t helping. The winter flounder bite, he added, is picking up in Cape Cod Bay, according to a regular customer who is a deckhand on one of the charter boats out of Sesuit. AJ believes that this year’s flounder season should unfold like last year’s, with quality fish chewing well into June. The shop has squid and clams for those who want to try for flounder, and green crabs for the tog crowd. The Mass Maritime kids are doing well with tog in the west end while some folks are catching them in the east end at the Scusset jetty.
- Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain on Cape Cod
Captain Brian Coombs of Get Tight Sport Fishing reported that water temps in Buzzards Bay are just getting to where they need to be. He said most of the fish in Buzzards Bay right now are holdovers coming out of the estuaries, but there are some fresh fish further south, all of which have been between 28 and 42 inches; the lack of smaller schoolie-size fish is a bit alarming, he said. There’s plenty of big bait around, including bunker and herring, and he expects that Buzzards Bay will see its first good wave of migratory fish after the full moon tomorrow.
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Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle in Falmouth said his buddy has been tog fishing in Buzzards Bay down along the Elizabeth Islands and did very well this past weekend. They got their limit quick and released 20 fish, which is a solid outing for the spring season. The West Falmouth area is another good spot to check for shallow tog. Stripers, he said, are active in the rivers feeding Buzzards Bay up on the mainland side, but he’s not sure if they are migratory fish or holdovers. The good news is there is no shortage of bait around the upper Cape right now. Evan said there are squid around—the draggers are in at Falmouth Harbor—along with mackerel schools spotted around Woods Hole, and river herring just about everywhere. All of this bodes very well for the arrival of migratory stripers in Buzzards Bay and the south side, which should happen any time over the next week.
Captain Ben Sussman of In The Net Sportfishing out of Osterville said he’s planning to start his charter season this weekend by scoping out a few spots in Buzzards Bay. Fresh fish with sea lice have been caught in the backwaters and a few were even caught in open water further south. With the full moon tomorrow, May 1, we should see a wave of fish begin moving into Buzzards Bay and the south side of the upper Cape. Give Ben a call to get a trip on the books in the coming weeks.
Christian at Sports Port Bait and Tackle in Hyannis told me he’s got a few hardcore shop regulars that have been catching fresh stripers with sea lice in upper Buzzards Bay. Our saltwater fisheries are really coming to life this week—the squid draggers were working off Craigville Beach today, and tog fishing has improved in Buzzards Bay and the Cape Cod Canal with more keepers being caught. Earlier this week, Christian also received a call from a friend who saw birds working over breaking bass on the south side of the upper Cape, so he anticipates a much better striper bite after the full moon. Trout and largemouth bass fishing, he added, has been very good; one customer caught what was at least a 4-pound smallie from Hathaways this week, and there are folks hitting the ponds around the shop and routinely catching 2- to 3-pound largemouth bass. The shop just got green crabs today and will have seaworms—which are great striper and spring tog baits—arriving before the weekend. Swing by the shop and pick up some fresh bait or re-up on striper plugs before the bass begin to fill in.
Captain Drew Downing of Down East Charters out of Chatham said he hopes to be back on the water and running charters next week. He’s planning to do a couple of tog trips to get the juices flowing before migratory stripers arrive, so give him a shout to get an early season date on the books.
Captain Elena Rice of Reel Deal Fishing Charters out of Truro reported: “All the Reel Deal boats are ready to rock for the upcoming fishing season! We are only about two weeks away from our first fishing charter and we feel like the kids right before Christmas. While the saltwater fishing scene is just about to take off, freshwater fishing is offering plenty of activity in the interim! First mate Merrick enjoyed some freshwater catches during school vacation week, landing several nice-sized largemouth bass as well as perch and pickerel. This Saturday looks to be nice, so be sure to hit your local pond for some tight lines! And also remember your most important weekend activity—to get your Reel Deal fishing charter booked.”
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
Judging by the forecast—which could be completely wrong—Sunday looks like a wash with rain, wind, and chilly weather in the low 50s… but by Sunday afternoon, we begin to see a major shift in the wind direction to west and, eventually, southwest for 4 or 5 days. It’s going to be blowing hard SW by Monday, so Buzzards Bay will be kicked up something fierce, but as conditions settle throughout the week, there should be pockets of fresh fish all over the bay.
This weekend, focus on fishing around the river mouths on the South Coast, where resident fish have been most active lately. Minnow plugs, slim-profile metal lips, and 4- to 7-inch soft plastics on light jigheads should be in the bags of shore and wading fishermen plying the rivers and bay systems.
We’re just days away from the striper bite blowing wide open. We’ve waited this long, and with all the bait settling in around Cape Cod, combined with a big shift in wind direction following the full moon, I feel confident that the first week of May is going to bring some lights-out action.
Get your rest now. Early mornings and sleepless nights in pursuit of everyone’s favorite fish are right around the corner.