Without a doubt nothing compares to the rush and excitement of seeing a sizable striper smash a surface plug at the Cape Cod Canal. Yet in terms of repeatedly reeling in large fish in the "Big Ditch," concentrating on working the deeper section of the land cut typically pays off in the form of big stripers.
Nevertheless one can not anticipate to just toss a jig, bait or lure any place in the Cape Cod Canal and anticipate to be compensated with plenty of stripers. The Cape Cod Canal has its own fish filled areas and dead zones like any other striper fishing area across the striper coast. Being able to locate the extraordinary precipaces, under water hills, rugged ledges and unyielding rips is vital to routinely catching keeper bass off the bottom of the land cut.
Stripers flock to regions of structure like bees to honey. Frequently the fish will position themselves deep in a gulley, or right behind a rip. The structure breaks up the swift current, essentially like a building obstructs a harsh breeze.
Typical bass theory claims that cow stripers will use current obstructing pieces of structure to achieve a competitive advantage on prey. The powerful Canal current propels a wide range of bait fish and prey through the Canal. Crafty stripers fequently a spot behind a form of structure, then ambush prey while it tumbles down within the swift current.
One of the simplest ways to discover places worth fishing is always to be aware of variations in the surface of the canal. Bass holding pieces of structure usually produce disturbances in the normal stream of the current. Most likely, indications to the position of the fishy structure shows itself as a wake, ripple, whirlpool etc. on the surface of the Big Ditch.
Trekking the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, or better yet driving your "canal cruiser" down the bike path, and retaining a close eye out for differences on the canal's surface is a good approach to at least get an idea of where to fish.
Standing waves are arguably the greatest tell-tale clue to an underwater ledge or rocky peak. If you dig up a spot with standing waves, the striped bass attracting structure will likely to be located marginally up current of the waves. This holds true concerning any type of difference on the Canal's surface-the striper attracting structure is always slightly up current.
It is now time to zone in on the exact site of the structure you will be basing your fishing efforts around. This can be accomplished by fan casting an area using a jig or bank sinker. Be sure to cast a jig or sinker heavy enough to reach Canal's bottom in the powerful current. I usually start with four oz . and go heavier or lighter according to current conditions.
Cast up current and keep an accurate count on the amount of seconds it takes the jig to achieve the Canal's bottom. Obviously the shallower the water, the faster the lure will arrive on the bottom-the deeper the water, the more time it will take for the jig or lure to reach bottom.
To provide an example, one superb canal jigging spot that I frequent each May and June has a large prominent peak as well as a deep, steep gulley. 7 seconds is required to hit bottom on the top of the peak. Having said that when cast into the deep gulley, it takes my jig or lure 20 seconds to get to bottom. Thanks to the increase in the amount of seconds required for my lure or jig to reach bottom, I know that I'm succeeding in delivering my jig or lure smack dab in the midst of the strike zone.
Fan casting an area this way is going to be easiest in the last part of the west tide, slack tide, and also the beginning of the east or incoming tide.
The Canal is full of terrific jigging spots. Nevertheless it may take lots of time and effort to discover the best areas.
But if routinely taking big striped bass off the Cape Cod Canal's bottom is important to you, then the time and energy put into unearthing these leading jigging spots will likely be worthy of the time and energy necessary to find them.
Nevertheless one can not anticipate to just toss a jig, bait or lure any place in the Cape Cod Canal and anticipate to be compensated with plenty of stripers. The Cape Cod Canal has its own fish filled areas and dead zones like any other striper fishing area across the striper coast. Being able to locate the extraordinary precipaces, under water hills, rugged ledges and unyielding rips is vital to routinely catching keeper bass off the bottom of the land cut.
Stripers flock to regions of structure like bees to honey. Frequently the fish will position themselves deep in a gulley, or right behind a rip. The structure breaks up the swift current, essentially like a building obstructs a harsh breeze.
Typical bass theory claims that cow stripers will use current obstructing pieces of structure to achieve a competitive advantage on prey. The powerful Canal current propels a wide range of bait fish and prey through the Canal. Crafty stripers fequently a spot behind a form of structure, then ambush prey while it tumbles down within the swift current.
One of the simplest ways to discover places worth fishing is always to be aware of variations in the surface of the canal. Bass holding pieces of structure usually produce disturbances in the normal stream of the current. Most likely, indications to the position of the fishy structure shows itself as a wake, ripple, whirlpool etc. on the surface of the Big Ditch.
Trekking the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, or better yet driving your "canal cruiser" down the bike path, and retaining a close eye out for differences on the canal's surface is a good approach to at least get an idea of where to fish.
Standing waves are arguably the greatest tell-tale clue to an underwater ledge or rocky peak. If you dig up a spot with standing waves, the striped bass attracting structure will likely to be located marginally up current of the waves. This holds true concerning any type of difference on the Canal's surface-the striper attracting structure is always slightly up current.
It is now time to zone in on the exact site of the structure you will be basing your fishing efforts around. This can be accomplished by fan casting an area using a jig or bank sinker. Be sure to cast a jig or sinker heavy enough to reach Canal's bottom in the powerful current. I usually start with four oz . and go heavier or lighter according to current conditions.
Cast up current and keep an accurate count on the amount of seconds it takes the jig to achieve the Canal's bottom. Obviously the shallower the water, the faster the lure will arrive on the bottom-the deeper the water, the more time it will take for the jig or lure to reach bottom.
To provide an example, one superb canal jigging spot that I frequent each May and June has a large prominent peak as well as a deep, steep gulley. 7 seconds is required to hit bottom on the top of the peak. Having said that when cast into the deep gulley, it takes my jig or lure 20 seconds to get to bottom. Thanks to the increase in the amount of seconds required for my lure or jig to reach bottom, I know that I'm succeeding in delivering my jig or lure smack dab in the midst of the strike zone.
Fan casting an area this way is going to be easiest in the last part of the west tide, slack tide, and also the beginning of the east or incoming tide.
The Canal is full of terrific jigging spots. Nevertheless it may take lots of time and effort to discover the best areas.
But if routinely taking big striped bass off the Cape Cod Canal's bottom is important to you, then the time and energy put into unearthing these leading jigging spots will likely be worthy of the time and energy necessary to find them.
About the Author:
Captain Ryan Collins fishes for striped bass and Bluefin tuna off Cape Cod, MA. Visit his blog, myfishingcapecod.com for insider tips about myfishingcapecod and giant tuna.
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