Most of the Cape Cod Canal fishing reports I have recently received have been rather bleak. Contrasted to last season, the action is not hot and heavy with epic blitzes and bountiful schools of huge bass. At least that is what I've been hearing...
And if I have learned anything in my short stint here on this planet, it is to take the rumors and grapevine fishing reports with a grain of salt. Many times have I heard that there was not a fish in sight, when suddenly the ocean erupts in a massive feeding frenzy. On the other hand, I often hear about incredible bites, just to be let down as I encounter a barren ocean devoid of any life.
So this morning, as I looked out into the mist, I wondered what would happen at the Cape Cod Canal.
The wind this morning was howling from the south, straight up through the land cut. With the wind came clouds of fog and dense humidity typical of summer here on Cape Cod. I could feel the air sticking to my skin while tiny droplets of water formed on my overgrown beard.
By 4:30AM the current had slacked off and was just beginning to move to the east. I hoped the flood tide would bring bait fish and bass into the section of water directly in front of me. If not for me, then I hoped it would for Andrew, who had set up shop on a point 50 yards to my right.
Our plan was to cast pencil poppers to fish on the surface, with the intention of eliciting aggressive top water strikes from any striped bass holding in the vicinity.
As the sky slowly brightened I scanned the Ditch for any indication of life. Through the fog and mist, on the opposite side of the Canal, I caught glimpse of whitewater. It was a bass, and it had just sucked down some hapless creature from the surface.
I wound up and fired a cast, as far as I could, out into the fog.
