Fall Run Minus Tides Arrive at the Canal
Welcome to another October edition of the My Fishing Cape Cod Podcast presented by Cape & Islands Mitsubishi and The Olde Cape Carwash. In this podcast, we are joined by AJ Coots of Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay.
AJ provides reports from both the Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay regarding tautog and striped bass. As October winds down on Cape Cod and the Islands, the 2026 fishing season is down to its final chapter. After a windy stretch that kept most boats at the dock, the forecast is finally turning in anglers' favor, and the tides are lining up in a way that doesn't happen often.
The short version: stripers on the east end of the canal, tog on the west end and in Buzzards Bay, and a calendar full of minus tides that makes the next two weeks about as good as it gets for anyone who wants to squeeze in one last trip.
The Canal Striper Situation
It has been a tougher week for striped bass in the canal than many would like. AJ hasn't heard much in the way of striper reports from his customers, and what he has heard is a mix of tinker mackerel and bonito around, with the macks scarce but present. With a long blow out of the north, getting a clean presentation was difficult, and few anglers were out there to find the fish anyway.
What AJ does see is that everything has consolidated toward the east end of the canal. The fish that have been hanging around the east end haven't pushed deeper into the canal. Instead, they come in, and then slide back out into Cape Cod Bay. When conditions get snotty, they may hunker down for a day or two, then head back out to forage when the opportunity arises. There are still plenty of resident fish that spent the summer in Cape Cod Bay and are sticking around because the food is still here. Even in the wind and slop, fish are being taken in Cape Cod Bay, and there are still small baitfish in the Sandwich surf with birds working over them.
AJ also noted that bonito may still be found mid-canal around the herring run area, though the bite has been a classic pop-in, pop-out affair. Albies and bluefish have behaved the same way, flashing through and disappearing.
What to Throw for Canal Stripers
If you're planning to chase stripers this weekend, AJ's advice is to build your plug bag around jigging. That means a bucktail, a Fish Lab soft mackerel-style bait, which was extremely popular during the last real bite, or really any lead head with a paddle tail. The key detail is profile. The shorter, fatter soft baits imitate the tinker mackerel that are in the area better than the slimmer traditional offerings such as a Savage Sandeel or a Ron Z, and AJ believes that gives you a little extra edge.
There's also likely still squid off the bulkhead, though not in big numbers. If you want to hedge your bets, mix something pink into the rotation, which might fool a fish that's keyed in on squid. As wel have seen in years past during the fall run, bait can show up in the canal at any time. A mackerel blitz wouldn't be out of the question, and it wouldn't be unusual for fish to stay around into mid to late November, especially given how strong the start of this season was. AJ's bottom line is the one every angler knows well: the only way to figure it out is to get down there and fish.
A practical tip from AJ is that striper fishing and togging can share a day. You don't have to be on the water at zero dark thirty to fish for tog, so you can work the east end for stripers early, stop by Red Top for green crabs, and then spend the later morning and afternoon on tog. It's a nice way to fit two fisheries into a single trip.
Tog in the Canal
One of the more interesting developments of the week is the number of anglers trying their hand at tautog from shore in the canal. With the wind blowing from the north, a lot of guys have been looking for a leeward spot on the west end, and AJ says they've been selling plenty of crabs to people doing exactly that.
The obvious question is how you keep a crab on the bottom with current ripping. AJ says you can fish it through the whole tide cycle. Slack tide is easier, but even in full current the answer is simply more weight, and when in doubt, err on the heavy side. Fishing straight down at the fish pier is also helpful, since a vertical presentation is less likely to hang up than a long cast.
AJ pointed to three spots where shore anglers can fish tog without losing too much gear to snags. The first is the Cape side jetty, fished from the beach side rather than the canal side. The second is the fishing pier, which puts you out over the water where you can fish vertically rather than casting. The third is the small beach area down by Mass Maritime. If you plan to try any of these, make sure to bring plenty of crabs and extra weight, and stock up on terminal tackle.
Boat Tog in Buzzards Bay
For those with a boat in search of tautog, Buzzards Bay has been the story. Over the last couple of weeks there have been good reports of keeper-sized tautog piled up on structure. You have to weed through some shorts, as with any species, but there are plenty of fish to be had. A few weeks ago anglers could mix in black sea bass, but that fall season has now closed, so tog is the main event.
The tog limit was raised in mid-October to five fish per angler, with a 16-inch minimum size. Only one fish of 21 inches or larger can be kept. AJ pointed out that tog is a complicated and heavily regulated fish, and there is a boat limit of 10 fish no matter how many anglers are on board. For example, a boat with 3 anglers still has a limit of 10 fish over 16 inches.
Where to Start Out of Taylor Point
If you launch at Taylor Point, AJ has a handful of places he likes to check, all within a quick run. As soon as you clear the channel, go directly across to the pylons. They hold a lot of structure and make an easy, quick first stop. Next, check the pylon along Stony Point Dyke, which extends out into Buzzards Bay and is a consistently good spot. AJ also likes the green can at the tip of the point at Stony Point Dyke. Cleveland Ledge, Cleveland Light, and the rock piles in that general area can be very good as well.
There are a lot of options, and AJ's comment is one worth remembering: if there's a big fleet of boats in one spot, you don't need to join them to catch fish. Pick a few of these rock piles and structure spots, give each a fair shot, and move on if nothing is happening.
The Tide and Weather Window
The fishing conditions this weekend are shaping up very nicely. A full moon arrives on Monday, October 26, and we're looking at temperatures back into the low to mid 60s with much calmer westerly winds. We caught AJ at the end of a real windy stretch, but the forecast and the tides both look favorable, which should mean multiple windows to get out on the water.
AJ says the moon tides begin to show on Sunday and won't peter out. They maximize Tuesday through Thursday, producing minus tides at Sandwich, and run all the way to Sunday, November 1, the last of the minus tides in that sequence for Sandwich. Down at the west end there are a couple of extra days. Looking at the railroad bridge numbers, minus tides continue until Sunday, November 8, before they shift back to Sandwich on Tuesday the 10th. AJ, who has spent a lot of time studying tide charts, said you don't usually see this many minus tides in a row. It is closer to a two-week cycle than a ten-day one, and he called it a really strong fall run opportunity.
Wrapping Up the Season
A big thank you to AJ for joining us all season long, from May through October, with detailed reports on the Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay. It's been a mixed year at the canal, but a decent fall run overall according to AJ. With weather improving and optimal tides, this weekend and coming week could really be the final opportunity for a lot of anglers to land or boat a nice fish before the winter.
We still have another week to 10 days of podcast reports before we close out the 2026 season, so stay tuned! Until then, get out there while the tides are right and the sun is shining!
Tight Lines & Take Care!