Cape Cod Canal Fishing Report: Late Summer Stripers and Bluefish Bite

Artificial Lure here with your September 3rd Cape Cod Canal fishing report. Sunrise came in at 6:09 am and sunset is set for 7:13 pm, giving us a full day to soak in some stellar late summer canal action. The weather’s classic Cape – cool mornings in the low 60s, climbing through the 70s by midday, with a light southwest breeze and scattered clouds expected to settle in, just enough to keep you comfortable but the fish honest. Today’s tide is spot-on for canal anglers. We started off with a low tide around 5:38 am, and high tide peaks at 10:57 am. The late afternoon low touches at 5:45 pm, rolling into a night high at 11:05 pm, making the morning push and late evening ebb prime for baitfish movement and striper strikes, so time your casts accordingly. Tidal movement isn't huge today, and the currents will be manageable for working jigs and topwater along the banks according to CapeTides.com. The canal’s stripers are still hanging around after last week’s full moon. Fishermen’s Supply Co. out of Sagamore report bunker schools moving through, pushing bass and the occasional bluefish into a frenzy. Maco’s Bait & Tackle tells us the topwater bite lit up early, with hungry stripers smashing spooks and pencil poppers in the first light. Those tossing heavy shads and jigging big plastic paddletails beneath the surface drew out some better fish after the sun got up. Several slot-size bass to 36 inches were landed at mid-tide yesterday through the stretch near the railroad bridge, while a couple of 40-inch class fish showed up near the eastern jetty. Bluefish have been more sporadic, not the swarms we see high summer, but the ones caught have been gator-sized – over 10 pounds, beefy enough to test your gear and your grip. Some locals have also seen the first pushes of early weakfish farther west, mostly on soft plastics at dusk, but it's still striper that rules the canal right now. Best bait and lure choices for today? Get yourself a big white paddletail swimbait rigged on a 2-ounce jighead if you want meat. Stickbaits like the classic Super Strike darter or Savage Gear glide bait have been rocking the deeper holes on the outgoing tide. For topwater addicts, the Heddon spook and Cotton Cordell pencils are crushing it, especially with a walk-the-dog retrieve right through breaking bunker pods. For bait, fresh chunk mackerel is top dog, but live eels under a float after sundown are also drawing strikes from the biggest bass. Early risers are swearing by cut bunker soaked by the Sagamore parking lots. For hotspots, here's your shortlist: - **Herring Run/State Pier:** Classic, easy access and the dawn bite was hot here yesterday. Stripers and blues mixed, and you’ll find a crowd but plenty of space. - **East End Jetty:** This stretch fired last night with several big fish landed. Most fish on the incoming, chunk bunker is the ticket here. If you’re poking around with light tackle, some folks at Red Top Sporting Goods are still finding good action in ne