With each passing day more bass, and larger bass, are filtering into Cape Cod's bays, sounds, harbors, estuaries and of course the Canal. Right now is an awesome time to be a striped bass fishermen. It's an even better time to fish Cape Cod from the surf. We might as well enjoy these near-shore opportunities while we have them, because stripers will be harder to find in these close-to-shore haunts once the heat of July and August settles in.

I find it amazingly easy to get out of bed at 4AM, as long as I am going fishing. Perfect weather and a chance at a big bass certainly helps too. This was the scenario that unfolded for me this morning.

Fishing Report for the Cape Cod Canal | May 10

Today I chose to forgo the caffeine and corn muffin and instead head directly to one of my favorite Cape Cod Canal fishing spots. With it being a Friday I wanted to make sure I got there super early, before the crowds appeared. Today was not incredibly busy at the Canal, but it was noticeably busier than earlier in the week.

The sky was overcast this morning which I hoped would increase my chances of hooking a nice fish on the surface. Often times the bass don't seem to mind the sun, yet I think in general the top water bite is better when the skies are cloudy.

Upon arriving at my spot I meandered down the rip-rap, trying to not take a spill in my new waders. The sharp edge of a rock is game over for a pair of waders, and there is nothing more annoying than a small leak. I don't know if it's just me, but I think I almost fall just about every time I fish the Ditch-especially at night. Somehow I always seem to regain my balance at the last second.

Luckily I crawled down the rather steep incline without any issues and was soon ready to fire my first cast of the day into the center of the Canal. I settled onto a nice outcropping where I could easily see into the water, down almost to the Canal's edge, where the bottom drops off dramatically.

Nervous Bait and Hungry Bass

Not much time passed until I began noticing bait swimming by my feet. These were not tinker mackerel like I had seen earlier in the week. Instead it was a mix of adult and juvenile herring. They were swimming in small packs of maybe 20 or so fish, keeping incredibly close to shore. Obviously something had convinced these fish to not venture into the center of the Canal-I would soon find out why.

As the sun peaked its head above the horizon I heard another tell-tale SLAP! which could only be a bass breaking the surface. Yet I didn't see any splash anywhere in the vicinity. Either way that was enough to get me casting.

My first few casts failed to raise any bass so I took a quick break to regroup and rest a very sore left elbow. I think I may have overworked my casting muscles this week (am I getting old?) because my left arm feels as if I logged in a 9 inning, 150 pitch outing. I think my next fishing trip may have to be for tautog...

My break was short lived when I noticed a medium size bait fish swimming for its life out in the center of the land cut. I watched for a moment, waiting for something to happen. The hapless bait fish was making a bee line for the East End of the Canal, at what I am assuming is max speed for a bait fish. What a dire existence these small animals live.

I knew something was about to happen so I reared back and fired as big of a cast as I could muster out towards the bait fish. As the plug flew through the air whitewater erupted beneath as the hapless bait fish was ruthlessly sucked down by one of our 7 striped friends.

I really lucked out with the timing because the bass surfaced a moment before the plug hit the water, a mere few feet away. It was the best case scenario.

I danced the plug to the left and to the right as the lure approached the fish. What felt like an eternity was probably just a mere second or two. I watched the bass turn as my plug disappeared and my rod began to bend.