Artificial Lure reporting in from the banks of the Cape Cod Canal this Wednesday morning, November 26th. First off, it’s a crisp start—current temp’s hovering around 51°F with partly cloudy skies, and we’re slated for a high around 53°, dipping to 48° tonight, typical late November jacket weather for Sandwich and Bourne. Sunrise came at 7:07 am, and sunset’s going down at 5:44 pm, giving us just about 10 1/2 hours of daylight for those soaking the canal edges.

The tides are running steady today. Over at the Bourne and Sagamore ends, we saw a low tide around 8:51 am, and keep your eyes out for the afternoon high at 2:43 pm. Tidal coefficients are moderate—fishable, with some current, but not the ripping full-moon surge. As usual, fish like to feed close to a tide change, so plan your casting around those swings for the best odds.

On the catch front, it’s classic canal late fall. The striped bass run is winding down, with some football size schoolies making steady appearances for those braving the chilly air at dawn and dusk. Reports from crew along the railroad bridge and Middle Road stretch mention a few larger stragglers in the mix—nothing huge, but steady enough to keep rods bent. Sea herring are passing through, pulling in hungry bass. Tautog are hot right now, especially around the rip-rap edges near the east end and by the service roads, as confirmed by Dick’s Bait and Tackle on Martha’s Vineyard.

For best results, locals have been tossing **Canal wooden plugs** and **paddle tails** on lead heads for stripers—white, bone, and bunker-colored lures are working well in the milky fall light. Eels, though winding down for the year, can still surprise at slack tide. If you’re targeting tautog, green crab and Asian crab baits on a bottom rig will get it done. Those looking for scup and sea bass are mostly moving on, but you may pick up a stray near the deeper stone pilings.

The standout stretches this week:
- The **Railroad Bridge west** side is firing for keeper-sized stripers and some tautog, particularly on the bottom.
- **Herring Run** near the eastern canal is producing smaller bass, and with fresh bait coming through, it’s a smart bet at first light.
- If the wind swings southeast, Middle Road’s sheltered banks become prime for jigging paddle tails and metals.

As always, pay attention to the current; canal fish will be stacked where the water moves, so walking a stretch to find those rips pays dividends. The bite is best around major solunar periods today, especially 9 to 11 am mid-morning and tonight 9:50 to 11:50 pm after sunset. Don’t forget fresh leaders and heavier weights, since November brings a good push through the canal.

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