Fishing Cape Cod Canal in Fall: Stripers, Tautog, and Battling the Winds

As of October 17, 2024, the Cape Cod Canal is still offering some great fall fishing, despite the cooler weather and the onset of migratory species heading south. ### Tidal and Weather Report Today, the tides in the Cape Cod Canal are expected to be quite strong, with a westward current as the water level is lower in Buzzard’s Bay. The weather forecast indicates mostly sunny skies with highs in the 50s and 60s, but be prepared for blustery winds that could gust over 30 knots. Sunrise is at around 6:55 AM, and sunset will be at approximately 5:45 PM. ### Fish Activity Striped bass fishing remains good, particularly in the morning hours at the west end of the Canal. These bass are quite picky, so anglers are resorting to using heavier epoxy jigs and smaller pencils in the 2- to 4-ounce range to mimic the smaller forage like peanut bunker and silversides. Bonito and false albacore are also present, although their numbers are starting to thin out. ### Catch Reports Yesterday saw a fair amount of activity, with several anglers reporting catches of striped bass, some of which were quite large. George from the local shop caught a nice fish off the pier while jigging with FishLabs gear. Tautog fishing has been good for a few days, although it has fallen back into the typical pattern of weeding through shorts to find keeper fish. The limit for tautog has recently increased to 5 fish, which is a welcome change. ### Best Lures and Bait For striped bass, epoxy jigs and small pencil poppers are highly effective. The prominent baitfish in the Canal include squid, mackerel, peanut bunker, and silversides. Using lures that mimic these baitfish, such as the 7-inch left eye lure or the large size 4 1/2 ounce white Outcast, can be very successful. For tautog, green crabs are the go-to bait. ### Hot Spots The west end of the Cape Cod Canal has been fishing well in the morning, with a good amount of fish coming up. The east end also saw some activity, with anglers jigging from the pier having success. Additionally, the outer beach areas, although not seeing the big bird piles and breaking fish yet, have yielded success with a deliberate approach and blind fishing in likely areas. Overall, it's a great time to target backwater stripers in the estuaries and marshes, and the Cape Cod Bay beaches could fish very well with a steady northeast blow. Just be prepared for the unpredictable winds and cooler temperatures.