Artificial Lure reporting from the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, and October’s really showing her true fall colors on this crisp, clear Monday morning. Sunrise popped at 6:58 am, with the west end lit up in gold, and you can expect sunset just shy of 6 o’clock at 5:56 pm. That gives us nearly 11 hours to work these legendary waters.

First things first—**tides are big business on the Canal.** This morning’s high tide hit right around 7:30 am, and the next low will slide in about 2:45 pm, so the current’s running strong and straight all morning. With a tidal coefficient climbing up into the 80s today, there’s serious current moving, just the set-up stripers and blues love for their high-octane feeding runs, especially near the east end rip or the edges of the railroad bridge.

**Weather’s prime:** 55°F at dawn, not a cloud in sight, and just a gentle 9 mph breeze keeping things cool. Water temps are still holding at 62°F, perfect conditions for fall run action. No rain or wild wind in the neighborhood, just quintessential October.

Now to the meat and potatoes: **fish activity and what’s come over the rail here lately.** Locals have been bending rods with good numbers of schoolie stripers migrating through, with plenty of 24-30 inch fish and a few bigs pushing 34+ inches. Bluefish moved through aggressively last week, and while they’ve thinned out, you might still catch a toothy blitz if the current pushes bait up against the eastern jetty.

Reports from Canal Tackle and the crew at Goose Hummock Shops put the Canal Shad—especially the 5.5” and 6.0” Sinking Jig—in the spotlight this week. Toss them along the deep ledges and work the sweeping current. Swimbaits in mackerel and bunker patterns, black/red bucktails, and big topwater plugs like the Doc are drawing the bigger fish, particularly in the first couple hours after sunrise and right before sunset.

**Best bait?** Fresh chunks of mackerel or menhaden stay unbeatable for soaking along the bottom, especially if you camp out near the herring run outflow or along the Sagamore beach. If live bait’s your thing, eels are still picking up big bass after dark, especially late in the evening slack tide.

Here’s a couple **hot spots** to lock into:
- The **Railroad Bridge East End Rip**: Heavy current, deep channel, and plenty of structure make this the Canal classic. Throw jigs on the outgoing tide and watch for fast water eddies—schoolies stack up right underneath.
- **Herring Run and Sagamore Stretch**: Early mornings, the skirt of the run draws in both stripers and blues hunting bait pushed by the falling tide.
- For a quieter session, sneak into the **Sandy Patch** near Bourne Bridge around mid-tide—surfcasters have been picking up steady fish from the slack.

The bite’s strongest during the major activity windows: 9:21 to 11:21 am as the moon peaks, and again in the evening if you’re out for dusk patrol.

To sum it up: Canal Stripers are biting, blues are still a chance, and the lures of the week are Canal Shads, bucktail jigs, and big topwater plugs. Bait up with mackerel chunks, work the moon phases, and fish the tide tables smart.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Cape Cod Canal fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for more daily updates, tips, and Canal secrets.

This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI