I'd be lying if I told you that catching a 40+ pound striper from the Canal happens regularly. For me at least, any bass over 40 pounds is something special. And yes I am still waiting on that coveted 50 pounder!
Maybe this will be the year it happens for me, we'll see...
Catching a fish that big from the Canal is very challenging. Hooking a 40 pounder in the fist place is pretty rare. Being able to land a fish of that size at the Canal (a place with jagged rocks, snags and a powerful current) is even rarer.
Here are few ways to improve your odds of catching "The Big One" at the Big Ditch.
This 45.7 pounder is my biggest canal bass to date. I caught it casting a homemade pencil popper during the east tide on a June morning.
The Hogs of October
I'm a big believer that you could end up catching the fish of your dreams on any given day or night at the Canal. It's one of the few places along the Striper Coast where you can cast from shore into 50 plus foot depths, where big bass could be dwelling at any given time.
Nevertheless, there is something special about the month of October. My friend's dad, Bill Baranowski, proved this to be true when he caught a 60 pounder from the Canal on a pogie chunk on Halloween night in 1990.
Bill actually watched as that behemoth of a bass swam in just a couple feet of water, directly in front of him. He placed a chunk of menhaden in front of the fish and the rest is history.
Bill put many years of time in and it finally paid off for him that one Halloween night. A testament that truly huge stripers can be found transiting through the canal late in the fall migration.
Summertime Cows
With that said, I have always caught my biggest bass during the first couple weeks of July. Since I was a kid I have for some reason landed more 30 and 40 pounders from the Canal from July 1 - July 14, than during any other 2 week stretch of the season.
I still think that overall the fishing in the Canal is a bit better during late May and early June, but for some reason there seems to be a good push of big fish throughout early July. Maybe these are migratory fish that lag a little behind the rest of the pack.
I also think that part of the reason why this time of the year produces well for me is because I have generally fished a lot during those two weeks, due to time off from work, summer vacation etc.
Night Fishing at the Canal
Plenty of enormous bass are caught each year on top water plugs in broad daylight. I can recall one late morning when a Canal regular landed a 55 pounder fishing a Gibbs Polaris popper at around 9am. Can you imagine watching a 55 pounder crush a top water plug? Especially at the leisurely time of 9am?
Again if you put your time in there is a chance that it will eventually happen for you. However most hardcore striper anglers will agree that your best chance at a big fish comes once the sun goes down. If you are serious about bagging a 40 pounder then consider becoming nocturnal, especially during the summer.
Not a 40 pounder, but a nice fish I caught during early July at night at the canal on a 4oz lead head/9 inch black Slug-go combo.
By July the hot springtime top water action has usually died down a bit, making night fishing the best choice. I recall some of my best night trips happening during a hot and humid, dead calm, early July nights. One of my best nights ever at the Canal happened on July 4th when I was 19. Instead of partying with everyone else I opted to jig the East End mainland side by pole 85.
The bugs were so bad that I left to buy bug spray and decided to make a move to the West, cape side by the Bourne Bridge. The bugs ended up being a blessing in disguise as my new spot quickly produced 6 bass in 30 minutes on a 4oz leadhead and 9 inch black Slug-go. All of the fish were over the 30 pound mark, with one over 40.
At the time I couldn't believe it! As a 19 year old, passing on beers on the beach for perfect tides on a perfect July night was a tough decision. Come to think of it, that was probably the toughest decision I made that entire summer - ah to be a teenager again!
Nighttime Techniques
Many big fish are taken on plugs, live eels and chunks of bait. However aside from plugging, fishing with live and chunk bait at the Canal has never really been my thing. When targeting real big fish I tend to stick to working the bottom with jigs and large soft plastics.
I prefer black or black/gray, but the above image gives you a good idea of a simple jig for working the bottom. 4oz Saveage Sandeels work great too, as do Joe Baggs Patriot Fish and many others.
To keep things as simple as possible, I almost always go with a 9 inch black slug-go super glued to a 4 ounce jig head. I have a ton of confidence in this lure and just can't seem to get away from it.
The technique is to cast up current and slowly bounce the slug-go right along or just above the Canal's bottom. Having the right gear is absolutely essential if you want to fish this way without constantly getting hung up.
4 ounces is my all around weight for jigging when the tide is running. However it is a good idea to match your chosen weight with the strength of the current.
In other words if the tide is slacking off it's a smart move to switch down to a 2 or 3 ounce lead head. If the wind and tide is cranking I'll sometimes beef it up to 5 ounces.
Locating Nighttime Hot Spots
Casting a line in the right spot is definitely more important at night than during the day. Being able to zone in on the Canal's holes and rips will certainly increase your odds of catching a 40+ pound bass from the Ditch at night.
One of the simplest, yet most overlooked ways of locating a significant hole or rip, is to keep an eye out for paths leading down to the rip rap.
These paths have been worn down over the decades by fishermen. The reason these paths exist is because many fishermen, over the course of many years, have consistently fished the specific spots located in close proximity to these paths.
Here's an example of a "hole" that would be a great place to get your jig into. I marked this hole on my sonar while traveling the canal in my boat. This spot is known as "Pip's Rip" and it's located at the East End.
Not every path is located close to a big hole or rip, but many are. Whenever I cruise through the Canal in the boat I always make note of new holes and ledges on my sonar. More often than not there is a path on the bank of the Canal, pointing the way to this unnamed rip, ledge or hole.
In Conclusion
Fishing the Canal at night is a cool experience that not most folks get to be a part of. If you are hoping to catch a truly big striper from the Canal during the middle of the summer, then give night fishing a shot.
Nevertheless I feel the #1 factor to catching a really big striped bass from the Canal is the amount of time you are able to put in. If you fish the Canal regularly at the right times, with the right gear and at the right spots, then it is only a matter of time until you lock into the big one.
There's a ton of different ways to catch a big fish from the Ditch. However if you incorporate a few of the above tips into your game plan, then you will certainly increase the likelihood of catching a 40 plus pounder sooner than later.