There's about a million different plugs and lures that will work to catch striped bass at the Cape Cod Canal. You could drive yourself bananas trying to sort through them all.
The good news is that the fish still happily bite the same plugs and lures that worked decades ago. Just because some new and fancy lure is sweeping the market, doesn't mean that old faithful plugs and lures won't get the job done.
So with that in mind I wanted to share with you 3 lethal lures that I usually have on me when fishing the Cape Cod Canal.
1) 6 Inch Pencil Popper
Sometimes a pencil popper is all I bring with me to the Canal.
I don't think you need to worry too much about the color or painting pattern on your chosen pencil popper.
However the all white Guppy Lure Co. My Fishing Cape Cod pencil pictured above would be my favorite choice 😉
I think the most important factors to consider are:
- Good casting distance
- Great "walk-the-dog" type action
- Roughly same size as bait in the area
I caught my largest Canal bass ever on a homemade, ugly as hell pencil popper that was outfitted with one large tuna hook.
So I don't feel you need to get fancy here.
2) Magic Swimmer
Big old school wooden plugs still catch some awfully nice bass each year from the Cape Cod Canal. Yet in recent seasons its hard to beat the effectiveness of the Magic Swimmer.
The lures literally do all the work for you. Simply cast them out and reel them back in.
The new line of Canal Magic Swimmers even worked on big roosterfish when I was surfcasting in Costa Rica during December of 2015.
The swimmers do a good job of imitating many different types of baitfish around the planet.
If you buy generic Sebile Magic Swimmers from a place like Bass Pro Shops, just be sure to swap out the hooks and split rings that come with the lure.
The factory hooks and split rings of the generic Sebile Magic Swimmers are terrible and will bend under the weight of a good bass.
3) Four Ounce Savage Sand Eel Or Similar Soft Plastic
Just as with plugs, old school bucktail jigs work just as well as the new stuff on the market, but in the past few years the Savage Sand Eel has received a lot of attention.
The Savage works great at the Canal as well as in other Cape Cod fishing locations.
Yet other soft plastics like the Hogy and Slug-Go work exceptionally well too.
For weight I would recommend always carrying a 4 ounce leadhead. Generally I will start with 4 ounces and then go lighter or heavier depending on the current and wind.
If you do go the Hogy and Slug-Go route, be sure to remember the super glue. You'll definitely want to super glue the soft plastic to the leadhead, because it will increase the longevity of the lure ten fold.
It pays to experiment with your retrieve. Typically I will slowly move the soft plastic just off the Canal's bottom, gently lifting the rod up and down.
Yet at other times I like to switch it up, and mix in some "herky-jerky" movements and other crazy stuff.
In Conclusion
If you just fish the lures listed above, then you will have a good chance at pulling a decent fish from the Canal.
But be sure to keep in mind that many other techniques, lures and baits work well in the Big Ditch.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg.
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
Tight lines and take care,
Ryan
Great choices. I follow similiar guidelines. I prefer tins on the bottom over plastics and SP Minnows over Sebiles. 2 things I have learned over the years: Confidence in one’s ability and gear equals success and when they’re feeding, what ever you put in front of them they will bite it.
Thank you for the tips Bob! Always much appreciated.
Just curious on ya thoughts and i did this on the canal and had ok luck.
Do you coat your lures with Anise Oil to attact the fish?
Several years ago I experimented with Bio Edge scent sticks, but I can’t say for sure if they made any difference.
Nice Catch Ryan how many Lbs. ? “I want one!!!
Thanks Daniel! I would say that fish was around 27lbs
Great job Ryan. Per usual you give the reader exactly what they are looking for.
Thanks Jamie! I really appreciate it.
Great post as usual Ryan and I have downloaded the etiquette ebook and will share this post over at the canal rats Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cccrats/
I know it’s not what most people go to the canal to catch but early season I have had luck near the herring river with schoolies 12 to 24 inches. I use my 5 weight trout fly rod with basic clouser patterns, green and olive, and weighted eyes. I use my trout rod and I get a fight like a mid #24 pounder gives me on my midweight spinning rod. Actual it’s a better fight than some of the bigger stripers I’ve caught. A small, trout, spinning rod set up with either a small swim shads or bucktails kills as well. Any rod with lots of action and can throw 1/4 ounce or lower sized lures works. Lot’s of fun and it’s possible to catch 10 to 15 in an hour if the schoolies are working that area.
Excellent! Thanks Greg for sharing the eBook.
And nice tips regarding the schoolies. They sure are a lot of fun on light tackle.
it is late this year. I caught a 28 incher that wasnt on a jenny craig diet last year on the first of may at the bourne camp grounds. Some think the fish dont care what the temp is . they say the fish migrate by the hours of daylite. any day now.
Micro size bass are here now Bob, but like you said it’s definitely running a bit behind.
I also use guppy lures I grew up with mr hess. I traveled to point judith three days ago I visited three beaches at 6 30 am after a sleepless nite. I saw no slicks no fisherman no seaguls nothing but a place I used to go to for yellow fin in my 23 ft. seacraft…It was good getting up early and I beat the heavy traffic going down anyways. All reports are still up in the rivers so things look late this year. Thanks for all posts.
Thanks Bob for chiming in, and providing some helpful intel regarding what’s happening to the south. Definitely seems like a later start than usual this spring.
I think things ought to heat up any day now. Tight lines!