As October winds down and the leaves begin to turn, the Cape Cod Canal transforms into one of the region's most productive fishing destinations. This fall has proven particularly productive, with multiple species providing anglers with extended opportunities to land quality fish. AJ Coots of Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay helps us understand where to fish, what species to target, and which lures will lead to a memorable day on the water.
Prime Fishing Locations Along the Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is offering extensive fishable shoreline with varying degrees of productivity depending on conditions, tides, and target species. While fish can be found throughout the entire waterway, certain locations consistently outperform others, especially during the fall migration.
East End Hotspots
The eastern end of the canal has emerged as the premier destination for anglers targeting multiple species this season. Two locations stand out as must-fish areas:
The East End Jetty offers excellent access to deeper water and strong current flow, creating ideal conditions for both striped bass and bonito. The structure provides fish with ambush points and concentrates baitfish, making it a reliable producer throughout the tidal cycle. Anglers fishing the jetty should be prepared for both surface action and deeper presentations depending on fish behavior and time of day.
Pip's Rip has earned its reputation as one of the canal's most consistent spots, particularly during moving water. The unique water movements created by this area concentrate baitfish and attract predatory species. This location has been especially productive for bonito this fall, with fish remaining active well into late October and as recent as yesterday morning.
Bell Road Access
On the western end of the canal, Bell Road provides another high-percentage location for striped bass. This area offers good access to productive water and has been yielding quality fish throughout the fall run. The combination of structure and current makes Bell Road particularly effective during pre-dawn hours when bass are feeding actively near the surface.
The Fish Pier Advantage
For anglers without boat access who want to target tautog (blackfish), the Scusset Beach Fish Pier offers a distinct advantage. The pier extends out over rocky bottom structure, allowing for a more vertical presentation that's crucial for tog fishing. This setup minimizes the risk of losing tackle to snags while keeping your bait in the strike zone where these structure-oriented fish feed. The pier essentially gives shore anglers the ability to fish similar to how boat anglers work vertical structure.
Maritime Beach
The Massachusetts Maritime Beach presents an alternative shore fishing location for tautog that's worth exploring, especially when wind conditions make other areas less accessible. While it requires different tactics than pier fishing, anglers who understand how to work structure from the beach can find success here.
Target Species and Seasonal Patterns
This fall season has been characterized by remarkable species diversity and extended windows of opportunity, with fish behaving somewhat unpredictably compared to historical patterns.
Striped Bass
Striped bass remain the primary target species throughout the canal, and this fall has delivered consistent action despite an admittedly slow summer season. The good news for anglers is that fish are still present in fishable numbers well into the third week of October, with opportunities for both surface and subsurface action.
Timing and Behavior: Pre-dawn and false dawn periods have been producing the most consistent striper action. Fish are breaking the surface early in the morning, creating exciting topwater opportunities before settling into deeper water as light increases. While some of the larger fish have begun their southern migration, plenty of quality bass remain, and there's potential for another push of fish as conditions continue to cool.
Size Distribution: While the largest fish may have moved out, the canal continues to hold good numbers of keeper-sized stripers. The migration pattern suggests that anglers should remain vigilant—another pod of larger fish could arrive as the weather continues its seasonal transition.
Bonito: An Extended Season
Perhaps the best story of this fall season has been the prolonged presence of bonito in canal waters. Traditionally a species with a relatively brief window of availability, bonito have been present for three to four months this year, with fish actively feeding as recently as yesterday!
Historical Context: Where bonito fishing once offered perhaps a six-week window if anglers were lucky, recent years have seen this timeframe expand exponentially. Fish that first appeared in early June were still being caught in late October, representing an unprecedented extended season that has thrilled local anglers.
Location Preferences: Bonito have been most prevalent on the eastern end of the canal, with the East End Jetty and Pip's Rip producing consistent action. Interestingly, these speedsters haven't been confined to the canal proper—they've also been catchable from beaches, giving anglers multiple options for pursuing these exciting gamefish.
Tautog: Fall Structure Fishing
As temperatures cool, tautog fishing heats up both in the canal and throughout Buzzards Bay. These structure-loving fish provide an excellent alternative when conditions aren't ideal for chasing pelagic species, and they offer the bonus of excellent table fare.
Shore vs. Boat Opportunities: While boat anglers can access traditional spring hotspots like the tip of Stony Point and the Cleveland Ledge, shore anglers aren't left out. The canal's rocky structure provides miles of potential tog habitat, though the abundance of rocks does mean increased risk of losing tackle.
Seasonal Reliability: Tog fishing has remained strong throughout the fall, providing consistent action when wind conditions make offshore or open water fishing impossible. This reliability makes tautog an excellent backup plan and a worthy target species in their own right.
Productive Lures and Baits
Success on the canal requires matching your presentation to both the target species and current conditions. Here's what's been producing results this fall.
For Striped Bass
Surface Presentations: When fish are breaking the surface in early morning hours, pencil poppers are the go-to choice. These classic lures create the commotion that triggers aggressive strikes from feeding bass. Anglers should be prepared with several sizes and colors to match conditions and bait size.
Subsurface Options: As light increases and fish move deeper, switching to subsurface presentations becomes necessary. The SP Minnow in smaller sizes has proven effective when fish are feeding below the surface but still relatively active. These lures offer a realistic baitfish profile and can be worked at various speeds to match fish mood.
For Bonito
Bonito fishing requires lures that can be worked quickly and maintain action at high retrieve speeds. Several patterns have emerged as consistent producers:
Epoxy Jigs: The classic approach involves burning an epoxy jig across the surface at high speed. This presentation triggers the chase instinct in these aggressive speedsters. The key is maintaining a fast, steady retrieve that keeps the lure skipping and flashing just below or at the surface.
Albie Snax and Slow Presentations: When bonito prove finicky or conditions don't favor fast retrieves, downsizing and slowing down can save the day. The Albie Snax, worked with a more finessed presentation, has been effective when fish won't commit to faster-moving offerings.
SP Minnows: Similar to their effectiveness on stripers, smaller SP Minnows work well on bonito, particularly when fish are feeding subsurface. These versatile lures can be cast long distances and worked at the moderate to fast speeds that bonito prefer.
For Tautog
Tog fishing requires a completely different approach, focusing on natural baits presented near structure:
Green Crabs: The standard offering for tautog, green crabs are widely available and effective. Most anglers fish half a green crab, with some removing the shell and others leaving it intact. The key is hooking the bait through a leg socket to keep it secure and presenting it naturally.
Asian Shore Crabs: These smaller crabs, which can be collected by flipping rocks along the canal, have proven even more effective than green crabs. Fishing them whole seems to trigger more strikes, possibly due to their size being more manageable for tog to consume.
Chumming Techniques: For boat anglers anchored over structure, creating a chum slick with crushed green crabs can dramatically improve results. Ripping legs off and breaking up shells to send scent downstream while keeping a baited jig on bottom is a proven technique that brings tog to your baits.
Tackle Considerations: Due to the rocky environment, heavy jigs are essential for maintaining bottom contact and a vertical presentation. Anglers should expect to lose some tackle, but the tradeoff is access to fish that love this structure-rich habitat.
Seasonal Considerations and Planning
Tide Strategy
While new moon tides typically receive emphasis in canal fishing circles, this season has been less tide-dependent than usual. The lack of consistency has meant that anglers with available time should simply go fishing rather than waiting for perfect tidal conditions. That said, the new moon period in late October did bring decent water movement that helped keep fish active.
Extended Opportunities
One of the most encouraging developments for canal anglers is the potential for extended seasons across multiple species. Mackerel have been present at the fish pier well into winter in recent years, sometimes lasting until Christmas Eve. If this pattern continues, and if bonito maintain their trend of longer residence times, anglers may enjoy productive fishing well beyond past seasons.
Conclusion
This fall fishery at the Cape Cod Canal exemplifies why this waterway remains one of the Northeast's premier fishing destinations. The combination of diverse species, extended seasons, and accessible shore fishing creates opportunities for anglers of all skill levels and fishing styles. Whether you're chasing the adrenaline rush of surface-feeding bonito, targeting quality striped bass in pre-dawn darkness, or working structure for hard-fighting tautog, the canal offers it all!
Tight lines, take care, and thank you for listening!