Cape Cod Fishing Report
Last weekend brought whipping wind, heavy rain, and another temperature drop to the Cape. And once again, the striper bite in those stormy conditions was phenomenal. The fish weren’t big, but they were plentiful.
Northwest wind had the bass pressed up against beaches in Cape Cod Bay, where they were gorging on 4- to 5-inch sand eels alongside hickory shad and even some mackerel. The water was surprisingly clean and the bass were happily feeding in shallow water, scooping up sand eels that were dislodged by tumbling surf and rolling white water. I was in a small lineup of surfcasters, each of whom caught anywhere from 50 to 100 fish measuring 18 to 30 inches in a matter of 3 hours. The best part of it all? A 1- to 2-ounce bucktail jig with a trailer or lengthy hackle was the ticket to getting bit all morning long, which allowed for quick, safe releases. Everybody wants a late-season cow, but considering the state of the fishery, it was a real treat to play catch and release with a bunch of smaller fish for a few hours.
That massive body of schoolie- and slot-size fish has since moved on, but the bayside beaches are still producing bass. North/northeast winds have persisted for the past 48 hours, and those are the exact conditions that should keep stripers feeding close to the beach in Cape Cod Bay for a few more tide cycles. The hardest part is finding them. Grab a pair of binoculars, map out a handful of promising locations, and scope out those spots to look for signs of fish.
The outer Cape’s backside beaches have been quiet for the most part. A few fish are being taken in the ocean surf here and there, but it seems the larger bodies of bass are either headed for the Canal or have already sneaked by. As the weather settles this weekend, look for schools of fish along the south side, where shore anglers and charters alike are working hard and covering a lot of water in search of blitzing fish.
The one constant right now seems to be the amount of bass that are still holding in the backwaters. From the outer Cape to upper Cape, stripers have been most active in our bays and salt ponds during the late afternoon and evening, often feeding on small baitfish like silversides and juvenile herring beneath flocks of diving birds. It’s a good time to break out 3- to 5-inch paddletails and small tins, bucktails, minnow plugs, and topwaters.
My first tautog trip of the fall season is coming up this Sunday, and from what I gather, the tog bite has been great… when you can get your hands on green crabs. The coastwide green crab shortage that began in the spring continues to hurt shops and anglers from Massachusetts to New Jersey. If you’re planning to do some tog fishing in the near future, consider calling a few local tackle shops to secure your bait a day or two ahead of your next outing. Otherwise, flipping rocks during low tide at a local marsh or beach, or along the riprap of the Canal, is a good way to acquire tog baits. Throw some seaweed in the bucket to keep them wet and you’re good to go.
Most tautog reports still have the fish in shallow water—roughly 15 to 30 feet. As temperatures drop further, the tog will slide deeper. But if you’re not getting bit this weekend, don’t hesitate to check out a few deeper wrecks or rock piles in 50 to 60 feet.
On top of tog and stripers, there was a major mid-Cape albie blitz off the south side today, and there are still some bonito kicking around in Buzzards Bay and in Nantucket Sound around the upper Cape. The Cape Cod Canal’s bonito run is nearing its end, but feeds are occasionally popping up in the east end, and anglers jigging sabiki rigs are finding micros mixed in with mackerel. Considering how calm the forecast looks this Sunday, it’s a good time to go hunting around for one or two more hardtails to end the season on a high note. And maybe, if we’re lucky, the bones will stick around into early or mid November again.
On the freshwater side of things, largemouth bass are still a very viable option, chain pickerel are super active this time of year, and rainbows have been stocked in every Cape pond that receives a dose of autumn trout. I’m not ready to put away the saltwater gear yet—there are stripers lingering, crabs to be crushed, and tog to be caught. But I do see a couple of trout, bass, and white perch outings on the horizon. My logic is: freshwater fish aren’t going anywhere, so make the most of what’s left of the saltwater season before the cold puts an end to it.
Here’s this week’s rundown from a few of our local shops and charters:
AJ Coots at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said striper fishing in the Canal has been excellent since the first nor’easter a few weeks back, with the exception of a couple quiet days here and there. The action started to peter out a bit earlier this week, and the wind has made it tough to fish most areas outside of the ditch, but there are still good numbers of bass in Cape Cod Bay that have yet to push through to the west end. AJ said between the full moon and settled weather conditions this weekend, they are anticipating another wave of fish to hit the Canal soon. Stripers aside, the shop is selling plenty of crabs for tog, which have been chewing well in the west end and on the Cape side of the east end through the blow. There are still bonito popping up in the east end of the Canal, too, he added. It was tough to get green crabs for the past couple of weeks, but at the moment, Red Top is well stocked. It looks like the wind will lay down over the next couple of days, so swing by to pick up some tog bait if you’re planning to go toggin’ in Buzzards Bay in the near future.
Evan at Eastman’s Sport and Tackle in Falmouth told me its been tough for the boat crowd to get out lately with the wind, but togging has been good in Buzzards Bay if you can fish some nearshore in the lee. A friend of his caught a few keepers in lower Buzzards Bay a couple days ago and later ran into some bonito feeds down by the islands, where he managed to land two. Evan’s hopeful that these consistent north winds won’t send all the bonito south—it would be nice to have them around into early November. Striper fishing, he mentioned, is still very good for those who are putting in the effort. Shore anglers are catching bass in the ponds and occasionally off the beaches as smaller pods of fish pass along the south side. At this rate, Evan expects the bass bite to carry into November and good togging to continue well into December for those who keep their boats in the water. Last year, he had a customer come in on December 31st, the last day of the season, after catching his limit of keepers the day prior. He has a good deal of green crabs in stock for now, but if he runs out over the weekend he’s not sure when he’ll be able to get more. It’s getting cold and weather windows are getting shorter, but there’s still some good fishing to be had in the salt.
From Martha’s Vineyard, Captain Kurt Freund of Fishsticks Charters out of Vineyard Haven told me he’s got a couple of tog charters on Saturday and Sunday, and the forecast looks about as good as it gets for a day of bottom fishing. The skipper mentioned that he’s got some openings for tautog trips over the next few weeks before he pulls the boat, so if you’re looking for a fresh fish dinner or to put some fillets in the freezer, give him a shout to get a date on the books.
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Christian at Sports Port Bait and Tackle in Hyannis told me there was a big albie blitz actively unfolding on the south side at the moment I called. One of his shop regulars said the fish were tight to the beach and he had already caught three from shore. This is the only word of albies on Cape since the northeast blow began earlier this week, so hopefully it’s not the swan song. Striped bass, he added, are still very active in the back bays across the south side of the mid and upper Cape, and surfcasters are catching a lot of schoolies off the Cape Cod Bay beaches. Tog fishing, Christian said, was good before the blow started, so the bite should pick up right where it left off as the weather settles. The shop has a good deal of green crabs at the moment, but they can only get them once a week. Call ahead to inquire about green crab availability and swing by the shop well in advance of your outing to secure your bait.
The Helen H out of Hyannis is running limited tog trips in Nantucket Sound every weekend through November. You can check out their schedule and book a spot for an upcoming trip on their website.
Riverview Bait and Tackle in South Yarmouth reported: “The wind is howling across the Cape this week, but that hasn’t stopped our shore-based customers from catching in the salt and fresh. The east end of the Cape Cod Canal and nearby beaches have been producing well with the sustained winds from the N/NE. Bass from schoolie to slot-size and up have been catchable from the sand and rocks. Chunking mackerel may be the best current tactic given the large quantities of macs currently in the ditch.
Tog are also still a viable target from the canal rocks and the boat, weather permitting. We are well stocked with tog jigs, rigs, and green crabs; come in and load up for the calm weather window this weekend!”
Cape Cod Fishing Forecast
Despite overnight lows in the 40s, it looks like a pleasant week on the water ahead, with plenty of sunshine and finally some calmer wind and weather in the forecast.
The best bet for late season hardtails is to hunt around Nantucket Sound for any remaining albie schools, scout the Elizabeths and lower Buzzards Bay for signs of bonito, or head to the east end of the Cape Cod Canal with some slightly heavier metals and epoxies.
Striper seekers can find somewhat reliable action in the back bays and salt ponds across the Cape with topwater plugs, bucktail jigs, and small swim shads or weightless soft plastics. There are a fair number of schoolies off the beaches in Cape Cod Bay too, but I wouldn’t be surprised if another wave of larger bass showed up in the bay, the canal, or Nantucket Sound as the full moon approaches and this northeast wind dies down.
If it’s tog you’re after, Saturday and Sunday look like they’re going to be picture-perfect weather days for dropping jigs and rigs. Just be sure to contact your local tackle shop to make sure they have green crabs still available.