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Winter Cod, Stubborn Tog, and Frosty Rip-Rap: The Cape Cod Canal Fishing Report
Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report.
We’re in full-on winter mode now. According to CapeTides and NOAA, we’re seeing classic winter swings: pre-dawn low followed by a mid‑morning flood and another ebb after dark, with about 3–4 feet of tide in the Canal. Plan to fish the first two hours of the east tide at the railroad bridge or Bell Road, and the start of the west tide around the Maritime Academy and Herring Run.
U.S. Harbors has the Canal starting out cold, low to mid‑30s at daybreak with a stiff northwest breeze. The marine forecast from the National Weather Service keeps a Small Craft Advisory up in Cape Cod Bay, with gusty winds and a sharp chop. It’s fishable from shore, but dress for it: ice on the rocks, frozen guides, and that kind of “hurts your fingers” wind. Sunrise is right around 7:00 a.m., sunset about 4:10 p.m., so you don’t get much daylight to play with.
Action-wise, the striper show is mostly over. The last week or so, local guys have only picked a handful of schoolies in the west end on the night tides, plus a random slot-sized fish here and there. Most of the bass have pushed south, and anything left is tight‑lipped and hugging the bottom. Far better odds now are holdover schoolies way up in the back rivers rather than the main ditch.
In the Canal itself, the realistic targets are small winter cod, the odd white hake, and a few stubborn tog on rock piles when we get a warmer break. Buzzards Bay and Canal reports the past few days have mentioned a trickle of “winter codlet” off the edges and some scup finally gone. On the bird side, A‑Z Animals notes a push of king eiders in the Canal and at Scusset, so you’ll have plenty to watch even if the rod stays quiet.
Best bet for anything that still chews:
- **Lures:** heavy 3–5 oz jigs with soft plastics in white, olive, or glow; hammered jigging spoons; small metal for deep schoolies. Work them slow and tight to bottom.
- **Bait:** salted clams or squid strips for cod and hake; green or Asian crabs dropped right in the rocks if you’re stubbornly hunting a last blackfish on the east end.
A couple of spots to try:
- **East End / Scusset side:** Fish the jetty and the inside corner on the start of the west tide with jigs or crab baits; lots of structure, but bring extra gear—you will lose some.
- **Railroad Bridge / Herring Run stretch:** Classic deep water, good current lines. Work heavy jigs right along bottom on the first push of either tide.
In short, if you’re coming to the Canal now, think “cold, slow, and scratchy.” You’re hunting for a single bite, not a blitz. Pick your tide, keep that jig on the deck, and don’t forget cleats and a headlamp—one slip on that frosty rip‑rap will ruin your season.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing reports and gear talk.
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Published on 1 week, 5 days ago