This is Artificial Lure with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Saturday, November 1, 2025.

We’ve got clear, crisp autumn air out here this morning, and it's feeling every bit like early November. Sunrise was at 6:58 AM, and sunset’s set for 5:56 PM, giving us just under 11 hours of daylight out on the water. Air temps are hanging around 54–55°F, not much wind to speak of—just a light 9 mph breeze keeping things comfortable—and the water temperature is a comfortable 62°F, which is still inviting for fall-run fish according to Tideschart.com.

The tide’s the big story: we kicked off after a 1:42 AM low at just under a foot, then see high water surging in at 8:02 AM with a solid 8.4 feet at the east entrance, based on Tide-Forecast.com. Next low slacks off around 2:06 PM at 1.1 feet before another nice high at 8:18 PM, peaking right around 8.8 feet. These strong businesslike tides mean the current’s going to be moving, and with high coefficients, you can expect those classic Canal sweeps and rips—always good signs for active stripers.

Peak fishing is expected from 9:21 to 11:21 AM, smack in the middle of that flood tide, with a nice minor window from 4:09 to 5:09 PM, just as the sun dips lower—both lines up great with proven Canal patterns, as shown by Tideschart.com’s solunar tables.

As for the bite, it’s late-fall hunting for big striped bass, with a few diehard blues still hanging around, though most blues are heading offshore. Most action this week has put the spotlight on stripers well into the 30-inch class, with a couple of cows topping 40 inches being reported, especially around the west end near the Railroad Bridge and out by the Herring Run. Canal Bait & Tackle out of Sagamore confirms most fish have been taken right at first light or after the current flips at dusk.

The lure of the week is classic Canal fare: big pencil poppers, especially in bone and mackerel colors, high-quality minnow plugs, four- to seven-inch paddle tails, and the ever-reliable bucktail jig tipped with Uncle Josh pork rind. If you’re working deeper holes or under heavy current, switch to a loaded Red Fin or a B3 Blade Bait—locals know the jig bite is money once the sun’s high. Live eels and chunk mackerel are both turning up keeper-sized bass, as always, especially if you get ‘em down near the bottom.

Hot spots to try today:
- The Herring Run: always solid on an incoming tide, especially when that dawn light breaks.
- West End at the Railroad Bridge: classic for cow stripers, especially after sunset when bait gets pushed up against the pilings.

If you’re out scouting, don't overlook the stretch behind the Sandwich bulkhead mid-morning or the lifting current at Bell Road as the tide flips this afternoon.

Best advice for today: be mobile, hit those moving rips, and work topwater early before switching to swimmers or jigs as the sun rises. Stay sharp for some bigger bass pushing through with the bait—this is the last real push before winter slows things down. For those hunting a big Canal striper on artificial, now’s your moment.

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# Cape Cod Canal Fishing Report - October 31st, 2025

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Friday morning fishing update for the Cape Cod Canal.

Let's start with the tides. High tide came through at 7:10 this morning at 7.83 feet, and we've got another high at 7:21 tonight at 8.52 feet. Low tide hit at 1:10 PM at 1.66 feet. The tidal coefficient is running high—we're talking strong currents and good water movement, which should push fish toward structure.

Weather-wise, we're looking at 52 degrees with light winds at 9 mph and gusts to 15. Sunrise was 7:13 this morning, sunset at 5:37 tonight. Water temperature is holding right around 60 degrees—that magical sweet spot for striped bass aggression.

Here's what's been happening. The Canal's still holding stripers and bonito, though the bonito are getting lethargic and less plentiful as we move deeper into fall. Anglers have been dialing in fat stripers up to 38 inches using white and green paddletails worked deep with the current. Topwater pencil poppers and Little Neck poppers are crushing it at first light on slot-size fish. Bonito are responding better to soft plastics like flukes and slower presentations rather than the typical epoxy jigs.

Tautog fishing remains excellent from the south side down through Buzzards Bay. Most keepers are running 50 to 70 feet deep, though Ben Sussman reports solid action in 15 to 25 feet in Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound. Green crabs on jigs are getting the job done.

For hotspots, hit the east end of the Canal where the current rips hard—that's where the big fish congregate. Buzzards Bay's been consistent all week for tog.

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Artificial Lure here with your Cape Cod Canal report for Thursday, October 30, 2025. With the sun rising at 7:12 AM and setting at 5:39 PM, anglers have just a touch under eleven hours of daylight to work with today, so plan your trip for those peak light hours or push your luck right at sunrise and dusk when the bite typically ramps up.

Let’s talk about **tides and currents**, because that’s always Canal 101. This morning we’re looking at a low tide at 3:26 AM and a morning high at 8:45 AM, followed by another low at 3:42 PM, and a final high at 8:53 PM. That puts major current swings right in the sweet spot for early risers and those burning the evening oil. Today’s tidal coefficient is up around 85, which means big tides and heavy currents – so expect lots of movement, prime for stripers running both east and west on those changes, especially around the bends[1][2].

Weatherwise, it’s classic late October on the Canal: raw and brisk, with showers passing through early and temps hanging in the low 50s all day. Westerly winds should be manageable, but bring an extra layer and expect slick conditions along the rip-rap, especially if the wind picks up. If you’re out there in the rain, pocket a few extra jig heads—the rocks love to claim stray gear[14][17].

Striped bass headlines continue strong. Just last night, Mark MacNeill landed a beast of a 45” striper on the east tide using a 5.5-ounce Striper Gear green mack Shaddy Daddy. White bucktails and green paddle tails are also drawing solid strikes, especially for slots and above-slot fish. Several locals, like “Lucky Cigar” Lindsey, have jigged up keepers and table fare right off the bottom—a testament to staying versatile with your retrieve depth. Expect the action to come in flurries; daylight hours and tide switches are where the magic happens. Soft plastics, metal lures, and live eels are all working, but don’t ignore topwater plugs at first and last light for that adrenaline rush. False albacore are still showing off and on, popping up around Sandwich and east of the power plant, so keep a fast-action rod rigged with epoxy jigs or Albie Snax just in case[6][7][10].

Tautog action has ramped way up as the water cools, especially on the west end of the Canal and around the pilings at Midway. Green crabs are the go-to bait—just drop them straight down in 30 to 40 feet, and you’ll likely nab a few ‘togs on a high tidal swing. Some reports are putting the largest fish at seven to nine pounds. If the wind lays down and water clarity improves, it’s worth giving this bite a go before the fleet moves offshore for the winter[7].

**Hot spots:** The classic stretch between the Bourne Bridge and the railroad bridge is producing consistently, but be sure to check out the area across from the Herring Run. East End Eddie Doherty likes the rock pile near the Sagamore; dawn and dusk hours are money there, especially during strong east flows. The “Motel Section” always draws local legends this time of year, working bucktails deep around slack water.

Best gear? It’s hard to beat a three-ounce white bucktail tipped with a fat trailer, but green-mackerel paddle-tail swimbaits and heavy metal like Charlie Graves tins are lights-out when fish are blitzing mid-channel. Bring a mix so you can adjust for current speed. For bait, live eels reign supreme on the midnight run, but you will do fine with fresh cut bunker if you’re soaking baits on the bottom. Keep plugs and poppers handy for surprise topwater feeds as migrating schools push up late-season bait.

That’s the wrap from Artificial Lure for Cape Cod Canal: heavy tides, brisk weather, steady bass and tautog action, with chances of Albies if you’re quick. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for daily reports and keep your line wet.

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Artificial Lure here with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Wednesday, October 29, 2025. We’re waking up to classic late-October conditions along the ditch—crisp and clear, with dawn coming up at 7:11 and the sunset set for 5:40 tonight. If you’re planning a before- or after-work session, those are your bookends for daylight.

Let’s talk tides. We’ve got a high at 5:02 AM, then the water drops to a low at 11:05 AM, rises up for another high at 5:09 PM, and finishes with a low just before midnight. Big movements today, as the tidal coefficient is running high (85 this morning, easing to 82 by evening according to tides4fishing.com). That means brisk currents, classic canal sweep, and increased bait movement—a great scenario for both daybreak and evening bites. Water temp’s holding steady around 62°F, and it’s a little brisk, hovering in the mid-50s, with a light wind, mostly clear skies, and barely a ripple on the surface according to TidesChart.com and US Harbors.

Fishing activity’s not letting up even as October winds down. My Fishing Cape Cod notes that fresh striped bass are still coming through, with a real mix of schoolies and the occasional keeper in the 28-35 inch range. Word on the service road is that some anglers have landed low-40s this week—solid late-season action. Blues are still being reported, mostly smaller choppers but decent numbers, and a few diehard toggers are still finding blackfish close to the rocks near the pilings.

Best action has been early on the west end near the Railroad Bridge and the infamous Mussel Bed stretch, particularly as the tide turns and water pumps east. The high tide sweep at Herring Run is also drawing the last of this run’s stripers chasing peanut bunker and scattered mackerel. With that strong current, the classic Cape Cod Canal arsenal is working overtime: 7-9 inch pencil poppers and surface walkers—think white and mackerel patterns at daybreak—are drawing aggressive topwater strikes. As the sun gets higher, switch to loaded swim shads, Magic Swimmers, and trusty Savages. Heavier metals like Crippled Herrings or Bill Hurley Sand Eels get bites down deep when the current really rips.

If you want a more subtle presentation, the old-school bucktail jig with a pork rind trailer—or soft plastics like Gravity Tackle GT Eels—are deadly, especially fished on the bottom during the slack or start of the flood. Chunk baiters are picking up a few late bass on bunker, but with the amount of baitfish in the water, artificials seem to be outpacing fresh bait, especially for the bigger fish.

Local shops such as Canal Bait & Tackle report steady business as folks are stocking up on both classic and new-age plugs, and the regulars will tell you: don’t hit the canal without a loaded pencil or bright soft plastic. If you’re looking to try your luck this evening, the incoming tide after 5pm should set up another shot at surface action right at sunset.

Couple of hotspots to focus on: the stretch from the Rail Bridge down to Tidal Flats is still holding fish, and the mid-canal area near the Power Plant is another under-the-radar option that’s been delivering for those willing to hike a bit.

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Artificial Lure here with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Tuesday, October 28, 2025, bringing you the nuts and bolts for a crisp fall day along the Big Ditch.

Sun poked up at 7:02 and will settle at 5:51 this evening. We’ve got strong tidal swing today—high tide set for 6:57 am and again at 7:01 pm, with lows at 1:40 am and 1:50 in the afternoon, per CapeTides.com. Expect almost eleven hours of daylight, but keep in mind that high tidal coefficients (running strong at 85) mean those canal currents are ripping and will stir things up, prime time for gamefish movement.

The air is brisk with temps in the lower 50s, light westerlies keeping things manageable. Dress for layers, as the wind on the riprap and canal bike path cuts deeper than you think, especially after sunrise.

Let’s talk recent bite. Stripers are still pushing through, and just last week anglers landed some solid fish up to 45-inches, reports EastBayRI.com. Schoolies are mixed in, and there are still reports of keepers smashing topwater at first light—focus your efforts around those sunrise hours. Don’t snooze your alarm: the bite drops off once that sun’s fully up, as confirmed by The Fisherman’s field team.

Tautog action is peaking, especially near canal rocks and pilings. Buzzards Bay and the canal itself produced plenty of keeper blackfish recently, says Maco’s Bait & Tackle. If you want fillets for dinner, tog is your best bet right now—come prepared with green crabs and stout gear to pull them from the structure.

Lure selection is classic October: big swinging tides mean fish are feeding aggressively. For stripers, start with white or bone SP Minnows, topwater pencils at dawn, and the ever-reliable Daiwa Salt Pro or Savage Gear pulse tails. Bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp! curly tails have also been hot. When the sun climbs or if you hit the late tide, switch over to metal, like 3-5 ounce Ava jigs or Kastmasters, to punch into the current and find deeper-running stripers.

For tog, you can’t beat a simple hi-lo rig with green crab on a 2/0 hook—fish tight to the rocks at places like the Maritime Academy wall or the pilings at the east end. Move if you’re not getting chewed within 15 minutes. Some anglers are also getting into tog around the east end herring run and Queen’s Sewer pipe, two perennial fall hotspots.

Speaking of hotspots, here are a couple must-try zones:
- The Railroad Bridge area mid-canal, especially on the east side access, has been a striper magnet on outgoing tide edges.
- The stretch from Bell Road west to the Scusset Beach Jetty is holding both bass and tog, particularly at slack moving to incoming tides.

For bait, it’s hard to beat fresh chunk mackerel or squid when the stripers get finicky, especially later in the day. For blackfish, stick purely with green crab. Local tackle shops have had ample supply according to recent updates, but call ahead for availability.

All told, the canal’s still alive with fall action. Bring your biggest plugs, your grippiest boots, and a good headlamp for early arrivals. The season’s winding down, but there’s fish—sometimes big fish—still waiting for you before the gates close on the migration.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Monday, October 27th, 2025.

We’re starting off with clear skies, crisp October air sitting around 55 degrees at dawn, and hardly a cloud to be seen. Winds are mild out of the west at 9 mph, gusting up to 16—a classic fall canal morning. Humidity’s at 78%, water temperature steady at 62 degrees, and no rain in sight. Sunrise rolled in at 6:58 am with sunset coming at 5:56 pm, so you’ve got just under eleven hours of light to put in your casts.

Tide-wise, we’re working off a low at 2:15 am, then a significant high tide at 7:33 am, dropping to a low again at 2:46 pm and bouncing up for the evening high at 7:58 pm. The bite will be best around those turning points, especially the early morning major window from about 9:20 to 11:20 am, which lines up sweet with the dropping tide—a notorious trigger for activity in these waters according to local tide charts and fishingreminder.com.

The fall migration is in full swing—striped bass are the headline. Canal regulars reported solid action on schoolie and slot-size stripers this weekend, with a handful of keeper-sized fish taken at the east end beneath the Sagamore and among the infamous rocky rips at the west end Bourne Bridge. Albies are thinning out, but a few speedsters have still been reported down towards the Mass Maritime side on the last of the flood tide. It's mostly all about the stripers now, with a side chance at some feisty bluefish mixed in, especially during the afternoon ebb.

Soft plastic paddle tails in bone or pink have been a staple, everything from 5" up to 7", rigged on 1–2 ounce jigheads—small enough to imitate peanut bunker and silversides, which have been heavily present along the rocks. Canal rats dragging classic Slug-Go’s or Savage Sandeel jigs at dawn scored a few beefy bass before sunup, and the ever-reliable Magic Swimmer in mackerel or bunker has drawn aggressive strikes on the twitch-and-pause. Night anglers drifting live eels have picked up a few bigger fish off the mainland side's deeper runs.

Best natural bait right now is live eel or a chunk of fresh mackerel. Pluggers tossing needlefish and pencil poppers at first light, especially down by the railroad bridge and mid-canal around the herring run, have also found success. The early outgoing tide near the mid-section—especially "The Ditch’s" famous Cribbin and the Scussett Beach entrance—has been hot, though don’t discount the holes near Bell Road late afternoon on the return high.

For pure numbers, it’s been a bass-bite show this week, with some locals tallying dozens of schoolies on soft plastics. A couple 30-inch class fish were landed by those willing to put in the cold, dark hours around the trestle and east end, report the voices on the “Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Daily Fishing Report” podcast.

To sum it up: fish the moving water, especially the dropping tide during the morning and pre-dusk hours. Use soft plastics in natural baitfish colors, bring a few big topwaters for sunrise, and don’t forget the eels if you’re aiming for a true fall cow.

Hot spots to focus on today:
- The mid-canal “Cribbin” stretch on a dropping tide
- The east end under the Sagamore on first light, and
- The railroad bridge area running the edges as the water moves out

Thanks for tuning in to your Cape Cod Canal fishing report. This is Artificial Lure reminding you to subscribe for updates and check back daily for the latest bite. Tight lines everyone!

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Artificial Lure here with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Sunday, October 26, 2025.

Clear skies and a chilly but seasonable autumn morning greeted early risers—temperatures at dawn were around 45°F, expected to climb no higher than the upper 50s today, with a light, steady wind at 9 mph keeping things brisk. Water temps are holding steady around 62°F; the canal will offer good clarity and lively oxygenation, key for active fish right now according to real-time local weather and water reports.

Today’s sunrise was right at 7:08 am, and we’re looking at sunset coming up at 5:45 pm—so get your casts in before dusk sneaks up. Tidal movement is ideal for Canal tactics: low tide hit at 5:13 am, then high swings through at 12:52 pm topping out near 3.5 feet, before the next low at 8:51 pm. With such strong highs and lows, current is moving fast—that’s classic canal action and just the ticket for hungry stripers on the prowl. Tides4Fishing notes a high tidal coefficient today, so expect powerful swings and channel-side turbulence.

Fish activity is buzzing right now. My Fishing Cape Cod calls this the peak of the fall run—stripers are thick throughout the Canal as they follow late-season peanut bunker, herring, and silversides. Recent catches have shown a mix of slot-size and keeper bass, with a few pushing into the 35–40 inch class. Word on the east end is schools of bluefish have also been pushing in on big baits, chopping their way through the schools and smashing just about anything thrown to them. Some persistent casters are still hooking up with the odd false albacore in the West End, mostly close to daylight, but their numbers are dropping as temps cool.

For lures, don’t overthink it: heavy jigs and soft plastics rigged on strong heads are classic for the Canal’s fast water. Guys have been connecting with bright bucktail jigs, magnum paddle tails, and classic Canal pencil poppers at first light or on top of the incoming tide. Metal lip swimmers and large stickbaits fished subsurface have nabbed some of the bigger cows during the fastest current. The Fishing Factory and Hogy Lures both recommend white, chartreuse, and mackerel patterns right now, matching both size and movement of the bait around. If you’re a bait soaker, fresh chunked mackerel or menhaden will draw in the stripers and blues alike—just be prepared for a hit-and-run bite.

Prime spots to hit today? Two consistent producers: The **Railroad Bridge East**—there’s deep water, fast current, and easy access—and the **Scusset Beach Riprap**. Early birds working the fish ladders or by the old power plant have pulled solid stripers on early outgoing tides all week, as confirmed by Surfcasting Cape Cod and a handful of sharpies at the herring run stairs. West End anglers are getting into fish around the Pilgrim Memorial Park, especially swinging jigs right as the tide turns.

Bottom line: Bring your heavy gear, focus on current breaks and eddies, and fish that moving water. The stripers are still here in numbers, with blues as bonus. As always, be safe, mind the rocks, prepare for a chilly dusk, and respect your fellow anglers.

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Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Saturday, October 25th, 2025.

We're looking at a beautiful fall morning with sunrise at 7:06 AM and sunset coming at 5:45 PM, giving us just under 11 hours of daylight to work with.

Let's talk tides. At the East Entrance, we had a high tide at 2:14 AM reaching 8.12 feet, followed by low tide at 8:15 AM at 1.61 feet. Our afternoon high tide hits at 2:21 PM climbing to 9.06 feet, with the evening low at 8:43 PM dropping to just 0.73 feet. Over at Bournedale, the pattern's similar with high tide at 1:50 AM and low at 7:52 AM. These strong tidal swings mean good current movement, which is exactly what we want for activating fish.

The late October bite remains productive. Striped bass are still moving through the Canal as they make their final push south. We're seeing mostly schoolies and slot-sized fish, though don't rule out a late-season cow if you're lucky. The fish are getting lethargic in the cooling water, so slow down your presentations.

For lures, the Hog Island RT Legend Pencil at 2.5 ounces is perfectly balanced for the Canal's current. Floating minnow plugs worked slowly over deeper holes are producing. Epoxy jigs, Ava-style diamond jigs, and bucktail jigs with teasers are all solid choices. If you're throwing soft plastics, go with 5-inch profiles and work them through the pinch points methodically.

Bonito may still be around if baitfish are present. Small minnow plugs like Rapala X-Raps have been outperforming epoxy jigs for these hardtails when they push close to shore.

For tautog enthusiasts, the blackfish are biting hard in deeper structure. Green crabs work fine, but white-legger crabs will outproduce as fish slide deeper with dropping temps. Let them eat before you set the hook.

Hot spots to focus on: the Railroad Bridge area offers excellent structure and current breaks, while the East End Jetty provides prime ambush points during tide changes. Work the deeper channels during slack tide and hit the edges during moving water.

The fall run is definitely in full swing, so get out there and capitalize on what could be your last quality shots of the season.

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The crisp October air greeted us this morning along the Cape Cod Canal, and the bite’s got that true fall energy—migrating fish and hungry predators mixing it up in the moving water. High tide came in at 1:34 AM, rolling out to a low at 7:35 AM, then packing in again for another big push at 1:42 PM. Sunrise was at 7:05, so the early birds had solid current in their favor, crucial for canal chunkers and jig flingers alike. Sunset tonight will be 5:46 PM—don’t waste that twilight window, it’s been prime for the bigger bass sliding through after sundown, especially as slot-size schools push west with the chill[2][7].

Weather’s been autumn-perfect: chilly at dawn, but clear skies with light winds today—much-needed after last week’s blow. Tides are swinging high and hard, which means strong currents in the ditch; fish ride those currents and so should you. If you’re togging, start shallow then bounce deeper if needed, but don’t be shy hopping from spot to spot. The tidal coefficient’s hovering at 85, so big moves and power flows dominate the day[7].

The striper run is still the big show. According to Canal Bait & Tackle, plenty of stripers—mostly slots from 28 to 35 inches—have been landed the last few days and last night saw a solid push just before dusk. The morning bite’s been mixed; some reports say slower, but the night bite is on the upswing. Those live-lining eels after sunset are picking up over-slot fish, while 2-ounce pencils and spooks in peanut bunker colors are getting blasted from first light to just after sunrise. Soft plastics—something like a 7-inch paddletail in olive or bunker—have been reliable in the east end and down by the railroad bridge[3][4][5][13].

Bonito and false albacore have lingered, especially around the east end. Red Top Sporting Goods confirms you’ll still find bones busting bait through the slack, although the hardtail bite’s winding down. If you want a shot, focus on the rock piles near the Sagamore end. The albies have been more active than bones, with kayak anglers reporting up to 20 fish days earlier this week—metal jigs like Epoxy or Deadly Dicks have been the ticket, matching the peanut bunker still thick along shore[1][5].

Tautog fishing is steady as ever. The big rocks and deep structure around the west end are giving up good fish, with plenty of shorts but some keeper 20-inchers mixed in. Whole or half green crabs on 2-ounce jigs are top—you’ll want to chum with the legs for extra flavor. Buzzards Bay rock piles have produced nice limits if you’re willing to sift through the pups[5][15].

Hot spots today? Hit the east end around the railroad bridge early, especially for stripers busting bait when the sun peeks out. For tog, target the deep rock piles west of Bourne or the Buzzards Bay side—move if you’re striking out shallow, there are big fish holed up in the deeper structure.

Best lures for stripers this week:
- **Pencil poppers**
- **Soft plastics** (olive, bunker, blurple)
- **Glidebaits** and **swimming plugs** (Bombers, Red Fins, junior Dannys)
- **Live eels** after dark

For hardtails:
- **Epoxy jigs**
- **Deadly Dicks** (silver, olive)
- **Small metals** working the blitzes

For tautog:
- **Green crab on jighead**
- **Chum** with shell bits and crab legs

Bait-wise, there are thick peanut bunkers—match their size and color for bass, bones, and albies. Green crabs are the top tog offering, with the occasional clam working for the stubborn ones.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Cape Cod Canal report—don’t forget to subscribe to stay up on the bite and catch advice straight from the locals. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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Artificial Lure here with your Cape Cod Canal fishing report for Thursday, October 23, 2025.

Sunrise hit at 7:04AM and we’ll see sunset wrap up at 5:48PM, giving us just under 11 hours on the water. Skies are partly cloudy this morning and warming into the upper 50s, with mild breezes—classic October canal weather. The tide’s moving well today, with a high coefficient of 76, which means brisk currents and prime opportunities, especially as the early morning and midday tides stack up. Low tide came through at 6:48AM and we’ll see high water swing back in around 12:49PM, making both ends of that window solid for targeting active fish. If you’re working the Sagamore stretch, expect similar pushes and plan your casts around those moving waters.

Striped bass activity remains fired up as big fall schools push through. Veteran canal sharpie East End Eddie Doherty reports monster action last week, with Bull MacKinnon wrangling a colossal 50-pound, 15-ounce bass at the east turn tossing Wally’s white pencils into blitzing fish. Word is he hooked 26 stripers on one tide, and nothin’ under 40 inches. Dr. Johan Frenje was into a 37-inch linesider with a 4-ounce Al Gags white paddle tail jigged on a hard-running tide—so bring the heavy stuff and fish it deep.

Plenty of slot and school-sized stripers are feeding throughout the water column. Metal lures like Deadly Dicks and Kastmasters get down to them, but swimming plugs and topwater pencils have been the ticket during low-light hours and active blitzes. Try tossing them along rip lines and rocks near the East End turn or the herring run. At night, swimming plugs are producing well, especially in the deeper channel sections.

Tautog fishing is hot right now, boosted by the new Massachusetts limit of five fish per angler per day since October 15, with only one over 21 inches allowed. Most tog are coming from hard structures—rocks, wrecks, jetties, and canal bridge abutments. The bite has been strongest on green crabs or Asian shore crabs fished tight to structure. Jigs tipped with these baits work best. Expect to see keepers pushing 16 to 23 inches coming onto the deck, and plenty of shorts to keep rods bent. Lower canal ledges and mussel beds along the East Sandwich wall are the hotspots.

Black sea bass and scup have slowed but remain mix-in catches if you’re on the bottom with crab or squid. Bonito and false albacore sightings have dropped, but always keep a small epoxy jig handy for a surprise blitz.

If you’re new to the fall canal game, focus on:
- Topwater pencils and big soft plastics (white or olive) for stripers during moving tides and dawn/dusk.
- Bucktail jigs and swimbaits inside, with swimming plugs in the main channel after dark.
- Green crabs or Asian crabs on tautog jigs fished at the east mooring basin, railroad bridge, or Sandwich wall for tog.
- Metal like Kastmaster or Deadly Dick for deeper stripers and a chance at late bluefish.

Hot spots today:
- The East End turn, especially just after sunrise and on the incoming tide.
- The herring run for topwater and late-night plug action on bigger bass.
- Railroad bridge pilings for tautog and channel stripers.

Lots of folks saw dolphins sweeping through the canal this past week—always a good omen for bait in the water. If freshwater’s your thing, the stocked trout and largemouth bite’s been excellent throughout Cape ponds. But on the canal, it’s all about timing your tide, matching the hatch, and staying mobile.

Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Cape Cod Canal report. Don’t forget to subscribe for more tight lines and local intel. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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