This week has lots of potential! Many kettle ponds on Cape are finally ice-free, which for me means it’s time to give freshwater a shot.
Trout will be my main target this week, but I’m not giving up on holdover striped bass either. Keep an eye on those water temps too, because once it hits 50 degrees the tautog ought to start showing up.
Here what I have planned for fishing this week.
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"Surfcasting" For Trout
A whole lot of trout were dumped into several Cape ponds last week. Click this link for a list of the ponds which have been stocked.
Trout are a lot of fun to catch, especially for those of us who have not yet caught a fish this year - like me! Fishing for trout is a great way to ease back into “fishing shape,” if there is such a thing.
"Cape Cod Rainbow" photo credit Andrew Massard
"Rainbow Trout caught on a Rapala" photo by Andrew Massard
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Super light tackle is the way to go for trout, and fortunately for me I’ve been receiving some good “tackle tips” from friend and fisherman Jeff Coates.
According to Jeff, one way to increase your chances of trout fishing success on Cape Cod is to use this particular type of fishing line (pictured below).
I tested this line out last week while fishing for holdovers. The line cast well and I am very happy to report that I did not experience a single wind knot!
Additionally, this specific line is coated with fluorocarbon, which according to the manufacturer helps to make the line invisible to the fish. How they know this for sure is beyond me but I will roll with it!
My Personal Trout Fishing Strategy
Trout on Cape Cod can be caught using bait, flies and artificial lures. This week I will opt for casting artificial lures and I will fish them in a way that is similar to surfcasting for stripers.
What I like to do is wade and walk the circumference of a pond, casting and retrieving as I go along.
Fishing this way lets me see the entire pond and explore all the nooks and crannies.
This is very similar to how I like to surfcast the beach, and I will even use Google Earth to find ponds that are not densely populated, with good trails and easy-access for exploration.
Last year the ponds pictured below proved to be ideal for my personal trout fishing strategy:
What I enjoyed most about these ponds is the "stillness" and peace and quiet.
Catching a fish from one of these ponds truly is a bonus!
I am not a trout expert, but from what I’ve gathered small Kastmasters and Rapalas ought to be enough to fool an aggressive Rainbow.
If you have a lure recommendation then absolutely let me know by commenting below!
Elusive "Keeper-Size" Holdover Stripers
If you’ve been following MFCC since mid-March, you may know that I have been searching for keeper-size winter holdovers. You may also know that so far I have been skunked each time I have targeted these elusive fish.
However, I am not giving up hope...not by a long shot!
Catching a keeper-size holdover striped bass on Cape Cod is a "bucket list" item for me. I know they are out there, I just have to find them.
So far in 2015 I believe I have been fishing the right areas. Yet recently I have questioned my presentation, after receiving a tip from MFCC member Ryan Franklin.
Pictured below is the bait I now believe I need to use, in order to fool an elusive keeper holdover:
Right now I have no choice but to try to catch this bait myself. This will be a new challenge for me but I am looking forward to learning the ropes.
Yesterday I started the process of setting the traps.
Since I'm out of town today, I am going to ask my Dad to check the traps later tonight. Hopefully they will be full!
However, I know that learning new fishing techniques usually requires patience. If I strike out today, then I will set the traps somewhere new and see what happens.
I will keep you posted later this week with how things are going with the trout, holdover stripers and bait catching. It should be fun!
Tight lines and take care,
Ryan
What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
Going to try my luck on claming this yr.any good spots in buzzard bay even sandwich.any info helpful.thanks
I get tons of sea clams off the Sagamore Beach and Scusset beaches at low tide. They make for great chowder and stuffed clams.
They are big too. Full moon low tide is best for spotting them. They’ll be on the shallow sandbars. I look for the black nozzle/filter and use a screw driver to pluck them out.
do you need a bait permit to trap for eels? what about trap for other live bait?
A recreational shellfishing permit from the town where you intend to set traps is a good bet (I think that’s all I need).
So far only minnows anyways, plus I heard that Tom’s Bait in Middleboro has seem eels from last season, which is great news!
In most instances there are permits/licenses for any type of fishing in Massachusetts. Good to check the Mass Division Website and/or the town where you plan to catch bait.
Ryan,
I have fished Higgins, Cliff, and Little Cliff Pond. That was a while ago and I used an Al’s Goldfish. You don’t see many of those around these days!
You certainly do not see many of those around, but I am sure they still catch fish!